salokcinnodrog

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!

Why do you think I work at Gladwells? Some of those horsey types Especially in the summer...

I often use a baitrunner, simply because I occasionally use the same reel for chub, roach or even tench fishing. ST baitrunner 4000 size, or an Aero Stradic 4000, the Stradic is quite over your budget, but the fighting drag is awesome

I'm not quite 6ft My recorded height while playing American Football was 5ft11in, or 1.81m, although I think as you get older you do shrink in height, so I am probably a fair bit less than that now It may mean you check bedchair lengths carefully, not just total length, but useable laying length! A compact or standard Bedchair may not be long enough

Three years use out of them!

Delkims, 9v, and there is only one... Duracell!

My pike fishing this year has been a blank. I've spent 6 trips on a new lake that has not had much pressure or form, and have not yet received a single take, despite trying various baits, float fishing, paternostering, ledgering on the bottom or popping them up. A guy who comes into the shop drifted a deadbait right across the whole lake a number of times and had no takes! I was going to go this morning (Sunday 22nd January), but heard reports the local lakes are frozen, and the local river is not fishing at all well, and areas have been fished out.

To be honest, for the price of Fox brolly systems, I would expect quality to be a whole lot better. Bivvy wise, and I have owned a couple of Fox EasyDomes I can't complain with their quality. For half the price ( ) I have used and abused my TFG brolly and I think it has stood up better than most others would, and when I trashed it by setting up facing into a gale force wind, was able to repair it myself. I had Fox Warrior Brolly systems returned, Supabrolly systems come back. For Brolly systems I would honestly say a Chub Oval and wrap, or TFG Oval or Power Brolly and wrap is a better option than spending Fox money. In fact having seen the Drennan ESP sample, it may be worth looking at a Lo-Pro, as Drennan rarely release a pup!

My mate Colin loves his Power Brolly I have the Hardcore Brolly myself, and no complaints about that either.

Fair enough: We sold a Fox brolly system, which the customer returned supposedly unused saying it wasn't suitable, and being as it had been bought as a Christmas present for him, we refunded and sold another brand of Oval brolly, the day after Boxing Day, so only a week or so old. Within two days we had sold it again, at a discount, but when this customer got it home discovered the storm poles were muddy and the groundsheet was missing, so we replaced that as it could have been mislaid on our part, and gave him a £20 unhooking mat as a sweetener. When he went to use it, on its first use, on New Years day, the supposed groundsheet had different fixings, clips as opposed to rings, so was not compatible with the brolly system it was supposed to be designed for. As he was pike fishing, this at the time was not a major issue, although he was not too chuffed, but around 11am it started to rain, and according to the written report on the incident on its return, it 'leaked like a sieve'. From what the second customer has said, it is quite possible the original customer used it, discovered its faults, and actually put it back into its original packing as tidily as possible to make it look untouched, as when I sold it second time around I checked the packaging and brolly bag before selling it to him. I now have a Fox brolly system awaiting disposal after it was inspected by the Fox rep as it is unsaleable.