salokcinnodrog

When I was fishing Nazeing Meads and Bromeswell I landed a 10lb carp from Bromeswell, and was chuffed to bits so photographed it. The same week I landed a 10lb mirror from Nazeing and slipped it back unphotographed, disappointed. I did lose a fish 2weeks ago myself, the week my phone crashed, but got it right last week. I hope this week goes smoothly and the fish are over the bait I keep putting in.

I must admit that Ali Hamidi went down in my eyes when he wrote an article about extending a fishing session rather than go to a family function, a parents birthday. I also dislike his 'loudness' on camera and I did find him a difficult watch, and his attitude with Korda. OMC seemed to have missed the market with silly prices, although the 'Ali followers' will buy it. As, despite not watching it, the Dragons would say, I'm out.

Found this one from 2023. With the tips up, it looks like I was fishing over a bank of weed. The water tower in the background is the last remains from a WW2 prisoner of war camp.

I must admit I really don't like metal framed cradles, fish thrash and damage themselves, or thrash and get dropped onto metal. I have 2 unhooking mats, a big Rod Hutchinson Cabrio Unhooking Mat, and a Chub Xtra Protection Mat. I do struggle with a mat with deep sides due to a screwed back, lifting a fish can be painful, and having to bend over a walled cradle is a killer, so the majority of the time I use the Chub Mat. If I need to use the barrow to transport my gear I take the Cabrio mat as it makes a really handy barrow bag. The Chub mat folds in half and stores my pod bag and centre bar, my weigh sling and sack, and a spare pair of storm poles which double as distance sticks and camera phone mount.

I do frequently even in shallow margins. I've seen fish in the margins on my syndicate with their backs out of the water feeding. Bruce lowered a bait on a fishes nose in around 60centimetres. Two hours later he caught his first syndicate fish, followed by another that night.

I've just had to top mine up, squid, blueys, soft shell crab and black lug. I'm happy with shelf life boilies in my chosen food bait now. For years it had to be freezer baits, but after catching as many on decent shelfies, I was happy to switch. As for sea fishing, I do catch a fair few fish on squid and bluey or squid and crab. The thornbacks do like them!

Little bits and pieces to restock at the end of the session, rig rings, swivels, hookstops, and bait for sea fishing, squid, blueys, black lug and soft shell crab, soon made light work of £45

J̌This is the version from this mornings fish, Gardner Mugga, 15mm meshed Nutty Bait pop-up and tungsten weight on the loop.

I did switch to a Gardner Mugga this session and adapted the rig slightly, a loop knot to the swivel, and a sliding pop-up counterweight on the loop. Properly nailed in the mouth.

First thing this morning on a Nutty Bait pop-up: 29lb @crusian 40metres, towards Scotty dog I've just been through my pics and our Facebook group. I have caught it before at the same weight last year. It was one of the 2020 stocking

Years ago on Taverham, a mate and I were told that it was not fishing and just a few freebies would be the best way to catch. Dave and I had taken up a 10kg base mix bucket full of hemp. We put the lot in the plateau swim to the astonishment of other anglers. In the morning I think we had 10 carp between us, all over the hemp. All night there was rarely a quiet hour, the carp really got on it. You can fish one rod on limited bait and one on the heavily baited spot. Personally I prefer fishing over bait, you get the bottom constantly being stirred up when the fish are on it, and that can disguise the rigs.

Are you going in with preconceived ideas of what worked in the past will work now? Lakes can change over time, from being a boilie only water to a particle water, or vice versa. It's just a case of watching and location. Not the easiest thing to do, but instead of fishing spend a day looking. Even 'waste' a show if you see something by casting a marker float and lead at the spot and finding what they are on. You had the liners, that's a start; were they liners or dropped takes? Investigate the area between the bank and where you were fishing, out with the lead and marker. Maybe they were liners and you missed or overcast the feature they were on. If you were using a Chod rig, maybe you were done, something (not so nice) to think about, but I have found helicopter set-ups really reduce indication at the rod end. A single bleep and I was done, or an absolute screamer when the fish couldn't get rid of the hook. I have also had long range helicopter rigs moved over 30metres with just a couple of bleeps and a shake of the indicator. The last time I used an 'unejectable' rig on a helicopter setup was when Bent hook rigs were allowed!

I use the Hemp ones on a multi-rig over hemp and in the bag of pellets https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/naturalz-wafters/ I'm just as happy with the 360 rig and a sliver of pop-up or a Nutty Bait pop-up over the bag as well. With the 15mm Nutty bait pop-up I have put in 3 or 4 whole boilies in the bag. The sliver of pop-up is usually fished over spodded maize and birdfood when I want a small hookbait. I say sliver, I've trimmed it to the shape and size of something in the spod mix, either maize, maple pea or whatever.

Sonik Tackle has a bad reputation with me!

I use PVA almost every cast, either over spodded bait or 'empty' areas. I've had a fair few fish from the syndicate on patrol routes with just a bag that has been cast in for about 5 hours. I don't have much rudd trouble though, there are not that many silvers. The big rudd tend to stay down by the western end, and rarely go up to the shallows at the east end. I did say I get silvered, but I also think that the pellets break down. My bag mix is mixed sizes of pellets with some crumbled boilies added in.