salokcinnodrog

I wonder if I draw the idiots then? Nazeing being the exception. I must admit that I didn't like the club waters, not because of the idiots, but because I don't like crowds. On Alton I found on 2 occasions that someone had followed me into the swim I was fishing, although to be honest I don't think that they were catching. I did found out someone spent a month(!) in the bridge swim I'd been fishing and caught nothing, where I had had 8 fish over 3x 2night sessions.

Elitist?

I used to love Bromeswell for that. I'd frequently get the fish feeding under the rod tip with dog biscuits and freeline a surface bait just touching the water with the screech of the centrepin acting as the bite indicator. I think that sums up a lot of anglers now. Years ago in the 1980's and 90's, anglers were far more genteel, then came magazines and onto social media and carp and even barbel fishing went downhill.

Easy enough to replace a tip ring. Gently melt the glue under the tip ring with a very hot hairdryer or a continually moving lighter flame and remove. You can hot melt or superglue a new ring on.

The thing is the syndicate is normally very quiet, except between April and June, I can see no-one else in a week, with even no-one turning up on a Friday or Saturday. Nazeing Meads was busy compared to this lake, and even though Nazeing was season tickets there were less problems than the current 3month issue. On one trip I had walked round the whole 60 acres before seeing fish in Pylons, so set up in there. As I finished setting up the bailiff turned up, to fish and check tickets, and during conversation admitted he had been baiting up where I had seen fish, so I offered to move, he declined the offer and told me to stay put as I wasn't aware of his baiting. He even asked if I would mind him setting up next swim along, which despite being around 20metres away faced away at about 45⁰ so only just onto the end of the same gravel bar. No problem. We both caught, I think he had a couple of 20's and I had just the 1 fish at 32lb.

@framey sorry, I've got to laugh as I know what you mean, and I might bring those posts over away from where they are. There are around 5 of us baiting swims, and we each leave the others swims alone, won't fish them. From one swim, one guy has had 4 fish, a 30lb common and 3 20lb mirrors, although it is close to where the fish were spawning the other week, so it might not just be bait holding them there as the easterly winds were also pushing towards the deeper water. I created and baited a swim, up to my chest clearing reeds and rushes, in a spot that no-one up to that point could fish. If I see or saw fish elsewhere I would set up on them, however as I hadn't I kept going to the same swim. Another chap has baited a spot halfway along the rushes which is only accessible from one swim, and it's not straight out in front of the swim. Dave fished his spot last night, and it was me and him who actually cleared it together last year. I told him where I had had fish, and he's kept it clear since. I actually left my rake under the boat for him. The majority of us on the syndicate will leave each other's spots alone, although other (single) syndicate members who fish infrequently we have no objection to someone else doing the do if they see fish there. I think etiquette is totally different to different lakes or syndicates. If angler 3 sees fish in a spot under the non-regular single syndicate member scenario, then the other two anglers should bite their tongues and keep quiet about it. If he genuinely does not know about the baiting he is going on his fish spotting and location, not their efforts. On Alton if someone fished where I had baited up, tough, it's 475acres, I can go find somewhere else to fish. Absolutely not much point really in regular baiting up on there as it's so large. And you definitely had swim jumpers going on other people's results.

Coloured mainline might have advantages, a bright orange Sensor or purple Wychwood (?) line might keep swans from hitting it... Personally I use Gardner Pro light (clear) in the clean clear water of my syndicate. Even where it is clear you still get suspended particles of silt sticking to the line, so my clear line is a khaki colour unless I wipe it clean every time I reel in. I don't think that stops me catching as I think that I caught the most fish of all the members last year. I think that at anything above around 40metres, the last bit of line to the end tackle is laying on the lakebed anyway with a tight line, it arcs down. I suppose in theory that is where fluorocarbon is better as it is invisible in water, but fluorocarbon seems to attract more silt particles than nylon monofilament. Even a clean, tight fluorocarbon casts a shadow though, same as mono.

I do confess to a can of cider at lunchtime with a bacon sandwich or two the past few trips. It's been too cold for me to sup a beer at night! I've been resorting to lemon and ginger or orange and peach tea in the evening after dinner.

These anglers from the other syndicate do go on where 'full-time' syndicate members are fishing, on the back of their results or work. This particular angler has not fished 'here' since last June when the other syndicate reopened after their close season. There are around 6 or 7 who only fish here between April and June. It's created a bit of antagonism, not just for me, but others besides. If it was an angler who fishes once or twice a month only on this lake I would not be so narked!

We have a problem in that 1 member was the membership 'secretary' for two syndicates, and one of them has a April to June close season. The secretary would 'recommend' members to this syndicate from the other so they would be members of both, but only fish here during the others close season. That then creates @elmoputney 's problem and freshly cut, prepared or baited swims are suddenly taken by people who only fish the lake for 3 months without doing any work themselves. I was gutted this year to cut and dig out a new swim, keeping it in keeping with the rest of the lake, prebaited it, gotten fish feeding and then finding someone else fishing it and catching one of the fish I was after. His publicised 'campaign' for a bait company was actually fish for 2nights where someone else had been baiting and dive in when they had gone, not as it was published. It's not the first time it has happened to me or another couple of mates on the lake. It's these other syndicate members who don't do any work themselves who wind me up.

It was just enough to allow the fish to slip the hook, not total opening and rebending. Elastic springback is I think it's name. From memory it is where the outer layers stretch and the middle is compressed. Once the force is removed it returns to shape

Tuesday was a Co-op chocolate cookie day.

It is if you don't bring it with you😉 My overnight kit is in a rucksack, and the receiver lives in a pocket in that, my day kit is my tackle box, so I don't bring it with me. On a day session it is not like I am miles away from the rods, or deep asleep.

It has been a while since our bankside cuisine has been on show so as Google does not like old threads, I'll start afresh. Last night I had rump steak, so tonight's dinner was the steak trimmings turned into a curry with a diced potato, baby corn, chopped mangetout, fine green beans and half a tin of chopped tomatoes and Garam Masala and a dash of chilli powder.

I do use my alarms without the receiver every now and again on day only sessions, so for them to be audible is important to me. At night though I wouldn't be without the receiver next to my head on the storm pole

I loved the Emblem 'baboons' and the gold 5000's they did. I was seriously considering them years ago. They were fetching big money secondhand.

The Nicks Pedant medal for correction and research...🤪🤣

@yonny I did have a problem with a particular brand of hooks (model no longer available) that were opening out enough under pressure to straighten and spring back into shape. Maybe it was a particular batch of the Series 2 being faulty, but I did lose a couple of fish before I tested and changed from them, and have not used the brand since. I have also had a few from other manufacturers that did just snap after snagging, at the point of the bend, or straighten out.

I did used to tie some up in Viscount Tackle back in the 1990's for a few people who had arthritis in the fingers, and struggled to tie their own. Not a big money maker as for 10 rigs we'd just charge for the tubing, hooks and swivels we'd used, but it kept customers coming back in each week for other bits like boilies, pellets and other tackle they needed. I had to laugh when someone commented "you wouldn't use that yourself", then when they saw me on Barham and my rigs were identical and I was catching.

Say you are using metal sizes, in engineering I think called a 'gauge". The higher the number, the finer or thinner the gauge. A size 10 hook may be made with 18 gauge material, but a size 6 or 8 is made from 14 or 16 gauge wire. Now think about the fight of the fish, by putting pressure on the hook, you are 'trying' to straighten or break it. A finer gauge wire or hook is more prone to straightening than a heavier gauge. It may have the elasticity to return to shape after the fish has gotten off, or it may not; if it has sprung back into shape you may not notice the problem. Then think about other issues, a small hook in a big mouth, less weight, or mass, more easily blown out. The bigger hook is more likely to get a point into a piece of flesh. Plus you have as @Carpbell3 has said. Yet with a smaller hook, a size 10 can land a big carp when on say a 1½lb test curve rod. I actually use size 10 hooks for floater fishing, a dog biscuit fixed to the shank of the hook by a loop or tying the hook on with a knotless knot after creating the loop so the dog biscuit is tight to the hook.

I have never bought a ready tied rig, other than hooks to nylon for smaller species, although mates and I have 'pinched' each other's rigs. There is a 'but' in there; at Nazeing I pinched one of Big Daves rigs after I had landed a fish and for some reason hadn't got another tied up. I cast it to where I had caught from, and within minutes started getting a series of bleeps on the buzzer which then stopped. Around 4 in the afternoon every day I would reel in, check hook and bait and recast, so at 4 I reeled in, replaced the rig with one of my own, freshly tied and recast the same bait out. Within minutes I had a take and landed a decent fish. When I got home I did a hook point comparison of my Gardner Muggas, Gamskatsu curve, whatever the number was and the Korda Kurv's Dave was using, by attempting to lift a 3oz inline lead off the desk with the hookpoint on the ball of my thumb. The Gardner and Gamakatsu hooks were sharp enough to draw blood without the full weight of the lead. The Kurv, I could lift the lead off the desk! Not long after Korda released their 'hand sharpened' hooks... I prefer to play around with my rigs, working on thoughts and theories in my head, and the experimentations and experiences in the water. I said years ago I don't think of Rig Mechanics of say the KD rig, Spinner rig or even the Chod rig as a rig that passes the palm or thumb test may still be a blank rig but the basic rig that is put in the right situation will catch.

Definitely nothing worse than cracking off on a big chuck when the bail arm closes, well maybe other than losing the fish or woman of your dreams...

Hmm! There are so many differences of opinion on tackle, rods, reels, line, hooks and alarms. What I use has changed over the years depending on personal choice, some of my tackle deals or 'sponsorship', even water to water, or personal ethical reasons. For years I used Century rods, SP and NG's were the last, but then got a deal on Rod Hutchinson The Ones in 3.25lb TC and Enduro's in 2.75lb TC. What rods I use depends on how far I need to cast, and at the moment 100metres is the limit. Reels I don't think that I have used any other reel manufacturer for freshwater fishing than Shimano since the days of Abu Cardinals, the original Aero GTE Baitrunners, Aerlex's, DL10000's and 7000 XTA Beastmasters. Line, again personal choice there are so many out there, Gardner Pro is the current. As for hooks, currently Gardner Muggas and Incizor's because annoyingly my other favourite hooks became difficult to get hold of. There is no magic answer, because every uses what they find works for them.

The Carp companies I think were catering to 'chav fashion' with the joggers. I'm not sure on hoodies as I do find a hoodie quite useful though. I much prefer combat or cargo trousers; a few weeks ago one of my pairs of combats died, finally worn through after 20 years, or is that the problem? I do get a fair few years out of combat clothing, it resists rip, tears and brambles. I avoided tackle shops for most clothing to be honest, much preferring outdoor and army surplus stores. There are exceptions, a few decent tackle brand hoodies, (not all are good) and an ESP fleece. Craghoppers use natural repellant. I had to look as your comment got me interested as I'm wary of things like DEET. https://www.craghoppers.com/nosilife/https://www.craghoppers.com/technologies/nosilife/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10157901071&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7bWx3dGdjQMV66JQBh3CYg6dEAAYASABEgIrl_D_BwE

There is a fair bit of 'insect proof' clothing about already. It is standard for British Army combat trousers and jackets, but there are other sellers including Craghoppers. The standard permethrin impregnated clothing lasts for 70 washes, but you can do your own which lasts about 6 washes.