salokcinnodrog

I must admit I do like a stiffer hooklink material, so switch to Amnesia in clear. It ties a lovely D-rig

It is the longer the hair the more freedom of the bait to go into the mouth. A short hair won't allow the bait the freedom to be sucked in, so the hook doesn't even go into the mouth. If the hair is long enough the hook will follow it into the mouth, then with that hook following the carp 'realises' a foreign object is attached or the bait has something with it it shouldn't, so attempts to blow that foreign object out, giving the chance for the hook to pr ick into the lip. The hair needs to be long enough for the hook to be taken in in the first place. You have actually picked up on another point .If they are feeding on close together particles, pellets or groundbait, then you can get away with a shorter hair, whereas boilies that are further apart you will likely need the hair to be longer. You can actually watch fish in tanks or ponds, if you put a baited hook in there, after a few hookings, the carp will suck the bait from further away, so lengthen the hair and you can continue to hook them. Now imagine that in a big lake, big as in fishable size, and you can see how the hair needs to be changed to suit. Rod Hutchinson wrote about most of this in The Carp Strikes Back, so it's not new Carp don't suck in with the same force each time; each food reacts differently, size, density and the lakebed will change how much pressure to move it is required. Sweetcorn is a light bait, so will require less suck than an 18mm boilie. That 18mm boilie on a firm sand or clay lakebed will need less suck than an 18mm boilie sat in silt. Other particles, hemp or tares are pretty dense and 'heavy', or larger particles like chick peas, maple peas or maize are almost boilie size. Steve then picks up another point, carp feed differently. Some carp are suckers and blowers, others pick certain foods up, and some truffle, trough or dig the lakebed, especially when feeding on bloodworm or maggots in silt. (Deeper areas that have been cleaned down). A pop-up rig will need to be considered as to whether the carp is clamping down on it, or sucking the bait in from a distance.

There is a very simple way of looking at your rig: A) Keep it simple, a standard knotless knotted or knotless knotted and line aligned rig will catch most fish. A knotless knotted rig will not always work, sometimes you do need a line aligner, and a proper line aligner rather than a shrink tube kicker. B) Look at where you hook, or even lose your fish. If you are hooking in the cheek, the back of the mouth or throat of the fish your hair is too long. If you lose fish, from hookpulls, or the hook is in the extreme edge of the lip then the hair is too short. If you get a perfect bottom lip hook placement then the hair length is exactly right. Only change one thing at a time, the hair, the hook, or hooklink material, or length of the hooklink. The stiffness or suppleness of the hooklink material will make a difference as to how easily the hook and bait is taken, as will whether the hooklink is straightened out or not. Try fishing the same (braided or coated braid) hooklink straightened out or allowed to collapse flat and compare results. Different brands of hooks may be different sharpnesses, even if the pattern shapes are the same or similar. Personally, I have found that the sharpest hooks straight from the pack are Solar 101's, Gardner Muggas, Gamakatsu, ESP/Drennan and Kamasan. I will only ever use those brands.

Squat maggots will sometimes go back on the feed, if they are really fresh, a slice of bread with milk on it can be added. As said, most maggots are dyed at feeding stage, although there are still some liquid or powder dyes around but the results are not as good as the chrysoidine bronze or red feed. If you add any liquid to maggots they will escape, you want them as dry as you can get them. That may mean riddling the sawdust off, and replacing it with fresh, or they will escape if they get damp. Add to that maggots that have gotten wet can float, indeed adding a small amount of water to maggots in a tub, half their body height, is a match anglers trick to make them float! Adding other powders like groundbait, will go lumpy, so doesn't keep them dry. Maize is the exception, however for some reason if you don't use them quickly they seem to shrink, and if you want casters from them the casters are small, where sawdust is definitely the best medium. I prefer bronze maggots for river roach, reds for pretty much most else, although a nice big fluoro maggot can be a bite inducer if using single or double maggots on the hook. It is very rare for me to flavour them, with the exception of turmeric for roach fishing. There is simply no need.

If you want them dead freeze them for a couple of days. If you do it simply overnight they will come back to life. Maggots can't be kept too long before they go off, a week maybe two is the maximum, and they need care and attention to keep the best out of them. You will need to riddle them, to remove casters and dead skins, and stop them sweating, so keep a bit of sawdust in them, and replace it after riddling. You also need to keep them in the fridge or a cold atmosphere in a container with air holes. If you have a 2pint maggot tub, do NOT keep more than a pint and a half of maggots in it. You may also want to know how fresh they are before you try to keep them; if the thin end has a large black spot then they are fresh, as the spot shrinks they are getting older, so give you so idea if you need to freeze them.

After a few more years abuse, the plastic o-rings on the valve of my Webtex Warrior eventually perished, and a quick whip round with a short length of PTFE tape was only going to be a temporary solution, so I raided the TFH stuff from work. The new toy is a TFG Thermolite stove, again a Gas job, with piezo ignition. The hose going under and along the base actually pre-warms the gas into the burner, so it does get a very good heat. It packs away tidily into its own flat bag. Time to set up is just screw the canister onto the hose, open legs and done.

Those 'horrible plastic Shark tooth' things? It took me 10 years to break one of those on my Aerlex reels. It is probably only the past 5 years that they have had metal clips, and compared to the circular metal clip on my Baitrunner Shimmy's I much prefer the plastic thing. The line sits behind it better and does not unclip with those plastic ones. As mentioned, they weren't actually designed as a casting clip, but instead as a a line clip to prevent the line free spooling while not on the rod. I wonder if Shimano and Daiwa are different in strength and materials? I think Tacklebox may do spare spool parts as well, but not 100% sure

I wish! Plus mentioning other shops means I am not advertising unfairly Oh, and there is part of the Angling Direct dynasty at Beccles

Suffolk? Off the top of my head, a few for you: Gladwells at Copdock Birds at Blakenham Markham's on Woodbridge Road Breakaway Tackle on Bramford Road Stuart's Clay traps, Melton Tackle Up, Bury St. Edmunds Sax Angling, Back of market Saxmundham. Of course I would recommend Gladwells, I work there, but I would say we have some of the best selection of rods, and nicest service going. Birds may be the biggest tackle shop with most brands, but... For obvious reasons I haven't been in another tackle shop for over a year, so I wouldn't say what stocks are like.

Spong 301 £3

I would hum and hah over a new set of Century rods, and then probably say what the heck and stick with The Ones. I buy my gear as to what is suitable and what I need already pretty much

Shimano Beastmaster XTA 7000 Big Pit with a Baitrunner free spool system. 15lb Gardner Pro Light, no leader 130metres I think, I have not measured it for some time, and have not yet pushed it with my new rods, I am estimating, so could be well out, although I don't think I am overestimating 60 acres 12feet rod.

I work in a tackle shop and I would disagree Please don't ask me to put down in public what I think though I can think of better rods to spend your money on, try the Fox Warriors, Rod Hutchinson The Ones.

Hoggs of Fife: Strathmoor Shooting Trousers and Strathmore Jacket

Sometimes I need a further angle to keep my lines direct, or fanned out.

. I use my alarms on buzzer bars or separately, and I also like to choose the volume on the alarm, or not. Next thing, if one alarm fails I can send it off for repair or replace, I think I may struggle doing the same with that full buzz bar system. The next issue, on my buzzer bars, I can change the width of the buzzer bars to suit the angles or reel width. I can also remove my buzzers from the buzz bar when I pack up, and put away safely away from by buzz bar bag so they don't get broken or damaged in the pod bag.

Pretty much the only place I fish a pop-up is over dead leaves, and I won't add a stringer that may drag it down into the leaf muck, although a PVA bag with added foam or even dog biscuits mixed in with the chops and pellets. I want my pop-up to be above the leaves, but not so high that it is mid depth or a zig rig, about 5cms ish I guess is my usual. I do test my pop-ups so that I can see how it sits on the lakebed.

Don't get me wrong, I have used sticks, and still occasionally do so, especially in tight swims with no bank access, but it is very rare. My point is this, as. Yonny has pointed out, sticks are not worth £60 odd. I always carry a spare set of bank-sticks, so I can use them if required. I can still cast at, and gauge how far past, a marker float. It is actually rare for me to clip up even when aiming for a marker, although islands I nearly always do clip and mark. Marking the line is easy, so I know I am in the same spot When I walk along the bank, I keep the line off damaging ground. Overhanging branch, or gatepost I can clip my lead around, I then walk my line out with the rod, so the line does not touch the ground at all. If it is a grass bank, I will walk the line out leaving the rod, bail arm open, taking the lead and bait out, then retrieving.

How about you simply mark your line when you get it right first time? Then knowing where the line marker is you cast out to another area, and clip up again, then retrieve and cast to your spot? You avoid line twist that is created by winding round sticks, and you also get your rod out to the spot faster, even though you have cast, retrieved and recast, compared to putting round a set of overpriced banksticks, then lifting and untwisting from them as you reel in. Seriously for years I have got to my features without banksticks, by various means; walking them out, clipping up and creeping up on emergent features, or by allowing line out before reeling in and then clipping up, hitting a marker float etc

Let's see, arrived at Earith at 12ish, at night, in the dark, walked line along bank to distance of island feature, cast to edge of island, caught fish within 10minutes. Walked line along bank, had another fish just before first light.

Them and rats chewed through it while fishing

Sadly you can't sew over repaired holes that have already been fixed and chewed again

I allow for it Easy enough when you keep your rods back and tips not overhanging the waters edge, as I stand close to the edge when casting. I also have a line marker on the line, so it is easy enough to be sure where I am in relation with the rods on the rests.

Some figures for you, I measured it at work today Width 650cm Length 190cm Basically if you are under 6feet tall it will be long enough, although if you are quite broad chested it may be a big tight widthways. I think you would be able to keep your sleeping bag wrapped or folded inside when you pack away.

Yes, yes, and yes! Don't know how long I've had mine, but it is honestly worth the money. The only thing I have had to do is put a new mesh on mine as it got battered and torn after catching on brambles and mice. Spomb, do not get the Fox one!