salokcinnodrog

This year's stock fish have been bionic! One went in at 11, I caught it as part of the 6 fish session at 21lb, the 18lb was stocked at 10.8, but other fish to other members stocked between 10 and 12lb are coming out at weights between 17 and 20. There are at most around 5 anglers fishing each week (Syndicate season start 1st September being an exception with 12), and the fish are on naturals as well as munching on bait. Even the stock fish from 2018 have shown a decent growth. The 33 was last caught in 2021 at 25.14 and was a 2018 double figure stock fish.

For years my boom material has been 20lb Amnesia in black or clear. The black seems slightly more supple, but both work. On booms, I use it either knotted to a supple material as part of a combi rig, or tied to a size 10 swivel if I'm using it for a pop-up rig.

I'm just waiting for the rain to stop and for my bivvy to dry out a bit this morning. Had a busy night, not all good, having to retackle in the dark after a pike bite-off as I went to hit a run, a double figure linear which I landed on the recast rod and a hookpull as the fish got into the silkweed when it was nearly ready for the net, on the same rod. Gutted as that felt bigger than the 18.

My beach fishing Daiwa 7HT's are still being made as well, first released in the 1990's: I remember them, not very well though as I went straight to Optonics, which I added white painted 'owl ears' to. I know many Delkim conversions are still about, and in use.

@Higham1987 Yes Mate. I put the hook through the corner of the bag and drop the lead in the opposite corner, then fill with pellet mix. I then tease the lead up so it's at the top of the bag, then lick and stick the bag shut. I deleted mine and Elmo's posts arguing, it was childish, on both sides.

Afraid so, £53 something for a 3 rod licence.

18lb Linear on a Multi-rig after retackling after having a pike bite-off about an hour previously. This is one of this years stock fish, went in at 10lb 8oz

I'm sure that my winter one piece suit was Efgeeco. I remember it eventually stopped being waterproof and I used to have to wear a ski jacket on top if I went fishing in the rain just to keep nearly dry.

Special fish still around? Wasn't it a big mirror you loved?

My Multi-rig with a RH Hemp Naturalz, and the lead on a run ring. It's produced a lot of fish, either with a 12mm Monster Crab pop-up, a trimmed down yellow pop-up or the Naturalz. It's the rig I fish over particles (Hemp and pigeon conditioner) and pellets.

Yes, and have been since Thursday. Fox customer service is absolutely pants now. Until Cliff Fox sold the company if you had a problem customer service would sort you out. The dimensions look the same, therefore the sticking point will likely be fixing points of an inner dome, whether the 'hook' is central. The overwrap in theory should fit. On a wrap, there are a few generic wraps about that fit a few bivvies or umbrella systems, however if you can't find anything, there is a guy called Army Andy who repairs and manufacturers specialist Custom made bivvies, wraps and the like. He is on the Facebook, Google, and works through The Tackle Box in Kent.

So I have to laugh at the BBC weather forecasts on television and on the apps as they have been found to be least correct, often overestimating wind and rain. Personally I use MetOffice and Accuweather most often, and that has changed a bit over the years as I realised how bad Carol Kirkwood and the BBC were getting. Not mentioned is that local ITV (in my case Anglia) seems to predict the weather closer to actual happenings.

The only other thing I can think of is a dome with an integral inner capsule like the Fox EasyDomes had or have.

I remember Efgeeco, you bringing them up made me Google them. Apparently Efgeeco comes from Fred Goddard and Co, who were tackle manufacturers based in Balham, London. I seem to recall having Efgeeco landing and keep nets and one of my first spinning rods when I was around 11 or 12 was by Efgeeco. That's a story in itself and was also my first pike encounter! I was fishing Abbey Bridge weir on the River Dove in Eye, but my gudgeon and dace kept getting nicked, often just reeling in a hookless line, so I went and bought a spinning rod and some small Mepps spinners. Second cast I hooked a jack, and got it to the bank and not knowing better grabbed the eye of the treble by hand and twisted it free, no problems, no silly hook in hand, but realised after, not the best way to unhook a pike. I then went and pinched a pair of forceps from our vet...

That is often my failing, usually because I do prefer to watch the water, but it can be costly. I've had heavy winds break umbrellas because I faced into them, or rain and spray soaking my gear, ruining a phone and camera and leaving me wet. I can put the door or front on, but if I can get away with leaving them off, even in rain it's better for watching the water.

This morning's uneven indicators after a carp around 10pm last night and a small tench around 2am.

While I've had a few fish recently, i've been working with a version of the reverse combi-rig for pop-ups on one rod on the syndicate. The 'boom' section is Kryston Snakeskin or Jackal, tied to Gardner Tripwire and a knotless knotted D-rig with putty covering the hooklink join. The 360 rig is OK on weedfree areas, but where it is patchy, the reverse combi-rig seems to be a better option. I've actually fished the two rigs side by side, so got a fair comparison. On the 6 fish session, every rig produced: critically balanced 12mm pop-up over hemp, 2 carp, the 360 rig, 2 carp (the two largest), and the reverse combi 2 and lost one. That area of the lake there is plenty of clear lakebed. This session (so far) it was the reverse combi-rig that produced and it was on the same line as the 360, about 10metres away, but last week the 360 was coming in weed covered, although that could be from where it was drifting. It may also be bait, a bright fluoro pink pop-up as opposed to a neutral feed bait pop-up, but the reverse combi is definitely giving food for thought as I had a tench on it last week and nothing to the other two rigs. I did have a small tench last night on the multi-rig over hemp and sweetcorn. This is the rig that landed the 33lb fish this week. The only problem is that the VMC hook is just starting to rust by the eye.

My groundsheet clips in on top of the umbrella base skirts, so water in theory should run underneath it. I then put umbrella bag, rod holdall etc on top of the joint, with almost everything else going on top of the groundsheet (d'oh); tackle box is on the join, rucksack and food bags behind the bedchair. I have an extension and front that zips to the umbrella, with a separate extension groundsheet should I use it, which I rarely do until winter. I must admit that I don't use the groundsheet unless rain is forecast, and I am regularly on MetOffice checking the weather forecast before a session. It's then a case of trying to be tidy and putting things away back in bags after use, or on top of bait bucket or tackle box. My headlight hangs from the Delkim receiver which is clipped to the storm poles, and my car keys and binoculars are hung on the storm poles screws.

Chub made some brilliant unhooking mats. I still use one myself, it's easier to use than the Cabrio Monster Cradle mat I have. Sadly them, Greys and Hardy being bought up and combined under the Pure Fishing banner meant that the names are in existence, but almost defunct. North Western, a real rod maker, the first specific carp rods I bought that I could hit 100yards with ease, a pair of 2½lb and Abu Ultracast Cardinals, 8lb Platil or Sylcast and 20lb Amnesia and a 2½oz lead, and pike rods in the winter. Sadly stolen from my shed back in the 1990's.

Stocked in November 2018 at 17lb, and last caught in 2021. We've got a mix of scaly Simmos from early 2018 and 2020, then VS in late 2018, 2021and Front fish in 2023, plus the originals.

At least they use the family name.

What can I say, only arrived at the lake around 2pm, spent an hour and a half clearing silkweed from the swim so I could fish on a known clear spot at around 60metres. Put a 6 boilie stringer on it with a fluoro pink Nutty Bait pop-up and a few hours later have this 33lb beauty.

Solar Banksticks! I bought them back in the 1990's and still use them as banksticks, or to make the P1 pod higher. That is also around 10years old. Shimano 7000 XTA Beastmaster reels, I've got 4 of them, again I think 10years old already. One is on my Spod rod, so is well abused. They are still selling for the original retail price on Ebay. If there is one person who uses and abuses gear, it's me. Other items that have lasted: 100litre DPM Bergen rucksack, it's still alive although I updated to the MTP version last year. Love them or hate them my Delkim ST's bought around 2000, and still in use for pike fishing. Shimano Aerlex 8000's still going, used occasionally for pike fishing and if I need both spod and marker rods separately rather than one combined. Century Big Bertha and her DD's, still spodding, and that must be a turn of the millennium rod!

Starmer made some decent baits years ago, although I've not used them recently. I got some through Carp.com when we were planning on selling bait through the website. I had a few decent fish from Suffolk Water Park on them, although I can't remember what flavour they were.

Just seen this on Facebook that Bobco tackle is closing https://www.bobcotackle.co.uk/