salokcinnodrog

I was hitting around 115 maybe slightly further, but not much more. I paced out from the overhanging trees to the left of the sluice from the Gravels at Nazeing, and walked the line out to be sure. I know with Shimano DL10000's and 15lb line I could only get 90, but changing to Beastmaster 7000's added at least 20. I was also using 3oz leads, with a single or double bait stringer. Any more and the cast went awry when trying to go for it! I could feel the difference between whacking it out with my old SP's which did 120 with ease. Amazing what you can do with a phone call to get your specifications sorted at Century.

My last set of new rods I actually dropped in price I think my NG's were just over £650 for the three and custom built to my specs. The last rods were RH The Ones and cost a whole lot less, although Rod Hutchinson going back to Italy and out of the U.K. Angling scene meant I got a very good deal. I think in terms of value many items of tackle have actually dropped in price, although the top manufacturers like Century who insist on staying British built have stayed higher. If I was looking at casting rods then it would be Century SP's, whereas as an all rounder I would go back to NG's.

I use an 18mm bottom bait and a 15mm pop-up. I always test them in the margins so that the bait sits perfectly, as pop-ups from different manufacturers have different buoyancy. It may mean I have a shot inside the bottom bait on the hair. It is basically down to what works for you, so have a play with a 14mm bottom to a 10mm pop-up, or go larger than I do.

Been using that for helicopter set-ups for ages, holds the lead tidily. As Yonny says, there is no universal swivel size, a size 8 from one manufacturer can be a different size to another brands size 8. i usually use a size 8 as my swivel size for mainline to hooklink with pendant and inline set-ups, but because of the difference, always use a buffer bead which fits all.

Suffolk Water Park, just outside Ipswich has Jacobs Creek, which is suitable for three people definitely. It can get very weedy in the summer, almost wall to wall weed, with fish to maybe high twenties, although it can be difficult because of the weed.

That was at the back of a mates house, his garden backed onto it. Shame it got used as a rubbish tip!

I was given a Theseus barrow for nothing, so I can't complain, but I do know the handles are too low to push it 100% comfortably. It does have the side thingies, but I don't use them. I lift the front bar up, load the underbarrow bag with the bits, then put my bedchair on top and open the legs on that to make side bars, everything else then goes on top of it, with the exception of my rucksack which I carry on my back. I do know that pushing a barrow with a flat tyre is a pain in the butt, and exhausting, but I had a puncture on the way back to the car, and it was a case of carry on or stop and do it in various trips, the choice was carry on, although it did totally frag the tyre. Of all the barrows I have used over the years, the Carp Porter Mk.2 is the best. Fox can't actually market their best barrow in the UK, I believe the design is too close to the Carp Porter. I reckon the choices available are Fox, Carp Porter with the TFG actually a decent challenger, unless anyone has any negatives on the latest TFG models?

I had a secret entrance Can't do it with a dog though, well not unless she can climb trees and walk along boughs

They still exist, have been Easterned and ottered. Not seen anyone down there for ages on my walks around the area

Fluorocarbon (or any mainline) can get dirty or discoloured, so can actually pay to give it a clean before replacing it. Fluoro will often last a couple of years over mono. I replace my mono usually twice a year at least. X line is not the best casting line. It would be best to go to one of the best mainline threads around

Years ago I was using 2.25lb test curve Armalite rods and 4000size Baitrunners, with 8lb line and a 30lb Shock leader and putting a bait out to 120metres, (measured), one heck of a cast! I moved to 2.75lb SP's, with 15lb line, shockleader and Aerlex's and with the thicker line was hitting an absolute maximum of 125metres, which was still a big cast on Ardleigh, strangely enough, the far bank at Wick Lane end to cast at showing fish. I caught more at shorter ranges, usually around 50metres maximum than I ever did at long range. I am so out of practice I struggle with long casting now, I have to practice to get back into the groove, and it can take a few hours to get back into the swing. When I am casting long distance regularly it is a whole lot easier. Even now although I have a set of casting rods, I again, have caught more fish on the lagoons at ranges of less than 50metres.

With most rods, the test curve is an indication of the best casting weight. 2.75lb TC rods are best suited to 2.75-3oz leads as you have discovered. Whether you can cast 120yards is down to a number of things: Your reel. The reel needs to be big enough to hold the line. A 10000 size Shimano baitrunner can cast 120yards, but not with 15lb/0.35mm line. The line you are using. If you are using 15lb line then the reel needs to be Big Pit style. If you are using a 10000 size baitrunner, then with 8-10lb line (and shockleader), you could cast 120yards with 3oz lead. Your casting style. 120yards is a BIG cast, not a standard distance, it is a massive cast that takes practice and having the correct style, and possibly even the right weather conditions. Most anglers who think that they are casting 100metres are probably closer to 80m. They very much overestimate the distance. It is only unless you can measure that you can be sure. Finally don't aim just to be a long caster, far more big fish are caught in your near side margins than at long distance, and your margins are often an ignored area

For absolute distance casting the helicopter set-up is probably best. Fairly tangle free, and the lead tows everything tidily behind it. I am another one who does not like to lose the lead, as said with a helicopter, the lead helps the rig slide free in the event of a break off. If you do want a pendant lead, then I actually prefer a run ring, far better than a lead clip in my personal view. It can be fished semi-fixed with a tight line, and with the run ring able to slide off in the event of a break, there is no weight holding the hook in place.

Your rods are fine for your fishing, and will cope with almost every UK and French water. In most cases, there is absolutely no need to upgrade. The rods you use in this country are fine for abroad, it is only if you need to cast longer distances that there is any need to buy higher test curve. For years I used 2.75lb test curve rods on waters from 1acre to over 200 acres, and caught fish on them all. Getting new rods, and getting used to them can take time, you may need to examine your casting style, sort your reels to suit.

Clubs these days are stuck between a rock and a hard place, they need members, and social media is a platform, but clubs are also old fashioned, and members or officials don't have time to update club websites, Facebook pages or forums. The other thing is that a lot of waters are kept off of social media, maybe club rules, maybe by consensus of anglers not wanting to give big fish away. If you do get into a club, then once you are in you may get more help. While I know what fish are in a local lake and the largest, I am not going to tell everyone about it as I have seen a large number of numpties in the area in the past few years, and when I say numpties, that is probably being polite. You are in the area as pointed out, for a number of reasonable clubs, CAPS, Kelvedon and District, Maldon, and Chelmsford. CAPS waters can get very busy, and Kelvedon's flagship is Silver End, but they do have others

If you can manage another angler would Jacobs Creek at Suffolk Water Park work for you? It is a whole lake booking, which is why I ask if you could have a mate share the cost. The fish go to maybe 30, but it is very weedy http://www.suffolkwaterpark.co.uk/jacobs-creek.html

I know a couple of my Delkims have been repaired a couple of times when I left batteries in and the terminals corroded beyond use. Within a week they were returned after a phone call or email telling me what they would cost to repair. The Delkims were originally bought in early 2000's, so are well out of warranty. I have also had no problems with battery covers, or water ingress, and I think you know what weathers I fish in I have also paired them up with ATTx receiver and dongles, and had no problems with that system combined.

Drennan have bought out the Lo-Pro, but Chub Oval is around £90, TFG Oval is around £80, and both have over wraps that can be bought for them. Other brands ovals may be a fair bit more expensive

'Fraid Not as I don't use Tapatalk. I did just check my PM's on here and I'm all up to date on carp.com PM's for a change

I've not tried 30lb simply as 20 was stiff enough.

Old school! Use Amnesia in 20lb clear. I do however change the hooklink after every fish when I use Amnesia as the hooklink, and check my knots with it every cast when part of a combi rig.

Basically, yes!

The reel seat is basically just a sleeve over the butt section, not many rods have a section join under it. On many rods there is a duplon section above the reel seat, just in front of the reel, as basically the rod manufacturers want you to feel good holding on the rod. If there is nothing below the reel seat, towards the butt, it should be possible to slide it down and reglue it, but use a decent two part glue. However, cheaper or foreign manufactured rods can be a problem, because the reel seat may well be over a sleeve, and the sleeve over the rod blank.

I made the point on another thread recently that every hook, rig, etc needs to be tested as the buoyancy of every pop-up, wafter is different. I very rarely use a purchased Wafter hookbait, if I want a critically balanced hookbait, then it is a pop-up that is carefully weighted with a shot or putty, a snowman bait, bottom bait under pop-up, or a bottom bait drilled out and filled with cork or foam. That so sounds like Korda, and Ali Hamidi, and is one of the main factors on why I try not to use any of their products!