salokcinnodrog

They weren't there when I walked it to Pipps Ford this week. Just below the backwash I did manage a 2lb4oz chub on dog biscuit. From that swim I did notice a fairly large clawed paw print in the mud as I was returning it. I had trashed any other prints as I climbed down, but I am positive that there is an otter around, and bigger fish probably have no escape from its claws. Further upstream on a tree lined corner I also managed another at 2lb 12oz, again on dog biscuit

I don't know! I do know if you attach two paper cups to the opposite ends of a piece of string and pull the string tight, have someone speak into one cup, the other person can hear it clearly. Now both braided main lines, and Leadcore are effectively braid, so a tight line may well not be as invisible as thought, or correctly, may be invisible, but could be felt, the same as mono. The stretch or elasticity in mono, may cancel out some of the vibration, but by using tubing over the end, it is insulated, preventing vibration into the surrounding area. So fishing bow string lines may work against you, compared to semi-tight, or even slack, but tight line with semi-fixed leads will give best indication.

I had a look at the Black Label Slix bobbins today, no Fox logo on them. I know that almost every Solar bobbin has their logo on them, the IPRO's do look good, I may have to get a new set of red, white and green for myself

I can remember an Ian Poole article along those lines. He found that with rig tubing the fish weren't spooking as they did with mono or leaders. I guess that to some extent, a length of rig tubing looks a bit like a waterlogged twig or stick? Another thought that may or may not be relevant; how well does vibration pass through a tight line or leader from the rod tip to end tackle? Does this, or can this vibration or even sound be enough to put the fish on edge? Would the rig tubing absorb and reduce any vibration through the line? As we can't see sound or vibration underwater are we assuming that it is the visibility or invisibility of the line or leader that is spooking them? Would it be possible that although the fish may be able to see the rig tubing, because it is not vibrating, it is not 'creating waves' and making them as wary? On most waters from around 1992 onwards I have used tubing, with semi-fixed pendant leads, helicopter and running leads the majority of the time, although I have caught fish with and without. Tubing does protect the line from rubbing over snags, in fact I have retrieved occasionally over gravel or crayfish where my tubing has been rubbed or scratched through, and with chunks missing. The very fact I have got everything back attests to its use. I now use either Fox or Solar tubing, I honestly can't remember which brand I have left as I bought both as a complete run ring and tubing set, and grab whichever comes to hand when I replace a length.

Tiger Line seems to be the exception with fluorocarbon!

My honest answer is avoid. I will let you guess which rod manufacturer I get most rods returned with breakages

If you can fish without a leader you will be fishing more safely, especially if there is any weed or snags present I honestly think that in most cases the line at any range above 30 or 40metres is running along the lakebed anyway. Also with fluorocarbon it requires regular cleaning, and after a fish or two may require changing. Lengthwise, as short as you can get away with, so if you think two feet is long enough to hide the line then drop to that. If you are using it as a shock leader then go as long as 12feet, or your casting drop (the lead in line with rod spigot) and 4or5 turns on the reel. I much prefer tubing over leader, until this year I have stayed away from leaders for probably 9 years I reckon, fishing mono straight through either naked or with around 30-40cms of tubing and a run ring for the lead.

I thought that tungsten tubing was the answer to many prayers, until I met Reggie and Ronnie Those things will shred any tungsten, putty or tubing you name it they eat it. I have had to go back to plain anti tangle or rig tubing, and using pole fishing olivettes for pop-up weights. I used to work in an electrical wholesaler, buying a reel of 1.5 6242y and making sure I got the right manufacturer as Delta and BICC were different, just so I could take the insulation off the cables for carp fishing. Sticking the blooming stuff in a tub of boiling water to soften it for stripping the copper wire out the middle. I did used to sell extra stripped lengths to a tackle shop though Hard on the fingers? Blooming nightmare it was Fishing for years? I was fishing in the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and now the 10's, that is 5 decades

I much prefer tubing or naked set-ups, although as you say, where tubing is a rule requirement then obviously naked is out the window. I must admit I've never believed that mono mainline will cut up fish or ping scales, although maybe on a big scaly mirror pinging a scale is a possibility with mainline. Tubing was originally used with set-ups to reduce tangles, usually with braided Dacron hooklinks, hence its full name of Anti-Tangle tubing, and I reckon CM can remember the joys of stripping electrical cable as we used to do. Running leads with soft tubing, big run rings I think do not compromise rig sensitivity, and with inlines and semi-fixed it works a treat, something that tackle manufacturers actually do brand correctly, although as some brand it for fish protection I think a bit of a misnomer. Ages ago I put some pics in Safe Lead set-ups, but I'll requote the section with my running lead set-ups that I have used for many years: I still use the top version now almost every trip, although as again, I have said before, by fishing a tight line it becomes a semi-fixed bolt rig.

Put it this way, I have had a fair few returned, compared to no Spombs.

A mate of mine used some of the Alivio range a few years ago think it was the Alivio BX's at the time, but mostly for pike. When I had a play with them I felt that they were better for pike fishing than carp fishing, although I haven't used the new DX's even though I sell them at work. Shimano are top reel manufacturers, although Mick and I at work both think their rods are 'not quite right'. 2.75lb TC should be ok for most fishing in this country, but as said heavy Method feeders may be better on a 3.0, although I did fish Ardleigh reservoir doing exactly that with 2.75 Century SP's and had no problems. Basically it depends on the rod and manufacturer quality. I wouldn't try it with more budget range rods on the lighter test curve as you could be overloading them!

I honestly do not think that £200 is enough for a full set-up, even if you do go secondhand, and actually I would not trust secondhand as you don't know how much abuse it has taken. Next thing, while Amazon may give you 'bargains', there is nothing better than going into a tackle shop and having a good feel, to get what is right for you, and hopefully a good tackle shop will give you advice and opinions without hard sell, especially when it comes to rods, although putting a reel on... Reels you may be able to pick up a bargain online, Shimano or Daiwa reels are always an easy option, ST's or DL's in the Shimano, although I can't remember the Daiwa numbers. You also have alarms, indicators and all your end tackle, which can make a dent in your money very quickly, even if you get budget alarms, and bivvy prices are probably around £100 alone, and an Oval Umbrella is £80 minimum which you can add overwrap to later. There are various tackle shops online, if you google Shimano ST or Shimano DL you will soon bring up goodness knows how many tackle shops that deal online, and it is no great shakes to expand your search while in the website to include rods as well.

No mate, I don't think you are lying at all, but I have a feeling that after years of trying and using heli-rigs that someone may feel that their results are satisfactory, but actually don't know on what they are missing, whether that is indication or takes. In fact Rod Hutchinson wrote about tight lines jammed in clips and indicators years ago not giving indications in The Carp Strikes Back. Pretty much with any semi-fixed lead you only get a proper screamer when a fish runs away from you, if they run towards you get a dropback, but only once the stretch has been taken out. If a fish moves in a perfect arc, as some do, you may get a few bleeps on a Delkim type alarm, but a roller wheel won't move. Effectively you are getting screamers from definite takes, making you think the set-up is brilliant, but how many are you or we missing from wary fish that are able to eject the hook, or from missed takes? This is something I have tested, admittedly a silty bottomed lake (*see note below) at ranges no more than 50metres. I have seen carp eject rigs very easily with single bleeps or absolutely no indication other than a rod tip knock on helicopter leads, fished fixed, free running to a stop or as a Chod rig in all its various incarnations. The best indication system I have found with a heli-lead is a springer arm indicator, tightened up as much as possible, so that as a fish takes the springer arm tightens, the clip lets go, and line is allowed to take, almost a rubber band breaking, slow to start as you stretch, then accelerate as the band snaps. If a fish drops back towards you the arm just springs down. The size lead can also make a difference, you want as heavy lead as you can cast, to basically get the line as tight as possible, but in terms of a run, as light as possible, in other words there is no perfect lead size. I have a preference for 3oz leads, but at shorter ranges a very light lead may be far better. I use 3oz for a number of reasons, it is the right casting weight for my rods, I can get maximum distance should I need to give it the bigg'un on my waters, and for running leads it is the weight that stays still and the line is pulled through the run ring. I do think though that at shorter ranges with heli-leads I should go lighter, but I have a far better run rate with running leads and that 3oz, so I use that as a confidence thing as well. * I also have a feeling that the lakebed itself can be responsible for different indications, and probably not what you would expect. A clear gravel, sand or clay lakebed where the line is not sinking in can give better indication than over lake beds where the line and lead is sunk or sitting in silt or weed. .

Gardner Pro for me everytime, in light if you want it camouflaged against the lakebed

Maver Match This Grip Stops! Basically like a small ledger or float stop bead that slide onto the line I use them for stopping my swimfeeders sliding down over my loop to loop when roach fishing, but they will hold a lead for a 'shocker', but in the event of a snap-off slide free.

I'm not sure where I heard it, but I believe that the bait holding barbs came on sea fishing hooks by accident, where a machine cut was 'grabbing' the hook too tightly as the metal went through the forming process. However if there is a definite flat, then I am sure that Eagle Claw would want to know about it to rectify the problem.

it is actually only heli set-ups that I would lose fish on on a regular basis, hookpulls, and also break-offs, where I am positive that swivels were abrading the mainline, (pre modern era heli beads, or my own adaptations I came up with). Most of my dodgy indications also came on heli-rigs, definitely more than on inline or pendant semi-fixed, and I have found that on a variety of waters, with high fish stocks and low fish numbers. I have also used pop-ups, balanced, critical and bottom baits, and experimented and compared lead set-ups With those I am convinced that it is the heli system that at times is a failure in itself. However, it's main saviour is simply that for long distance fishing, it is the most tangle free system I have found, with one exception, but that edge I may keep to myself for a while

Sorry Adam, I have played around with helicopter set-ups for over 20 years, as a silt rig, as a first choice for short or long distance, with or without the dreaded l-core, with slack or tight lines and it is responsible for a lot of funny takes and indications. I definitely set it up right for long distance fishing, I don't mean a normal chuck, I mean fished at around 130metres, the line as tight as I could get it to the indicator, and I still ended up with aborted indication and a lost fish when the fish simply kited left. I don't use back leads at all. This was two weeks ago, but I can give other instances from 20years worth of use. Other anglers have also commented and said the same in articles in the press, and I don't think we can all be wrong. I remember one in particular as the angler concerned was fishing Wraysbury and was out in a boat checking his rigs down

Calm down! My point wasn't aimed at it being rubbish you plonker, it was that Sufix lines may not be easy to get hold of when existing stocks are gone. It is UV that kills line so storing it out of sunlight it should be ok, although I must admit 12years may be stretching it.

Ok, I don't like leaders, and will not use them unless I have to, usually for distance fishing as a shock leader. However recently on the lagoons recently in some particularly gravelly swims I have had to resort to a 'rubbing' or shock leader to combat the gravel and crays. If I go into weedy or snaggy swims they come off and I go back to naked as I don't want to risk the chance of a leader snagging and tethering. I would much rather the hooklink swivel to mainline knot gave way so the maximum the fish is carrying around is a hooklink. Basically with a leader you transfer the weak point further up the line towards the rod tip, as it is usually the first knot that breaks, not the hook link. I go back to my run rings, so that the ring can get over the end of the leader, and with no weight on the line the fish can eject the hook. I do however always worry 'what if the fish got to snags?' before it has ejected the hook, while it is trailing a leader. Kevin Maddocks tested this for Carp Fever, he actually struck with a friend holding the hook at ranges and a spring balance to test the pressure put on. Sufix Synergy, a very good line, however Sufix are owned or branded by Shimano, which creates a problem as Shimano also brand and sell their own fishing line, so the subsidiaries tend to lose out. Just to prove this sorry here is the Sufix webpage, check your region: www.sufix.com This may mean that some Sufix line being sold now may be older stock! As an addition to this, I have tested Shimano Specimen line and it won't get put on my reels.

I prefer stockings Whatever colour you manage to ladder after a good night Actually tan stockings or tights tend to blend in to your bait better than black

I don't bother softening mixers, I use them straight from the Bakers Complete bag. The big chunky ones are hookbaits, the mixed colours and shapes are freebies. Keep mixers tight to the shank of the hook, as light as hook as you can safely get away with. A Drennan Super Specialist or Barbel hook in 8 or 10 works well. Like you I don't do very well with fake ones either, nor when chub fishing, they definitely do prefer the real ones. One thing I have noticed, is that the big chunky squares are very oily, you can see a circle of oil spread out from it, that may actually hide the hook or line (maybe?). I prefer most of the hooklink to float, only the last inch or so to sink. Come to think of it, there is some good info on here http://www.carp.com/topic/22213-how-to-float-a-dog-biscuit-help/?hl=%2Bfloater+%2Bfishing#entry279806

I absolutely love floater fishing, so like you have dedicated kit. A 1.5 or 2lb test curve barbel or even an Avon rod works a treat, and I pair mine with a Shimano 6000 size baitrunner or 4000 Super Aero with fighting drag. Sounds strange but I use the same combination for chub fishing, either floaters, stalking or ledgering, and it has landed carp to over 20 as well as chub over 4lb.

I must admit I dislike helicopter rigs unless I absolutely have to use them, they can be responsible for no indication, funny takes and lost fish. In fact I was using a helicopter rig a couple of weeks ago when I landed a large mirror. The same rod recast also gave two bleeps an hour later, no movement on the indicator, but when I got up in the morning the lead had been moved quite a distance, at least 20metres from the line angle, even with Delkims turned up to maximum sensitivity! The Chod rig is often quoted as being brilliant on silt, but again, it is a helicopter bomb on the end of the line set-up. Helicopter rigs undoubtedly give good presentation on silt, but it is the lack of indication. You really should be hitting single bleeps and watching the line. You could go back to simple, lead on a lead link or longer hook-link to get your bait in the right place, which is my preferred method of dealing with silty waters.