salokcinnodrog

I'm not sure I agree, as I have seen fresh baits left in (heavily fished) areas, and fresh baits eaten in areas where the carp don't think they are being fished for. At Taverham, I spent a lot of time on the water over 10 years, and you could see the fish leave baits in those heavily fished spots, until they had been in the water for a couple of days, at which point they would start clearing them up. The same with the local river, carp would leave sweetcorn on a particular spot until it had started to go grey, they would swim past it, pause, and then only after a couple of days would they come in to eat it. A couple of mates and I spent a fair amount of time there walking the whole stretch, and there is no way, as the carp could swim the whole stretch in the time we walked it (and did almost every day in summer), that we wouldn't see them, so observation was pretty easy. Strangely enough, we didn't see the bream and the tench there, but we knew that they were about as they were often the first fish into particular spots when we fished. The carp would also avoid particular features, one being a gravel bank that rose up from the river bed. On the occasions I have left hookbaits in the water for a few days, it is often the bigger fish from a water that take it. That is I have spotted larger fish in the spot, and watched them 'control' the area, making smaller fish avoid the spot or area, and then take the hookbait after a couple of days, when my apparent danger is nil (not many anglers leave a bait out for so long without recasting). I'm sure I am not the only person who has noticed this as Ken Townley wrote about it, and it is a tactic that Albert Romp employed in the past.

Sorry, you get the same easily copied pics I use on a couple of threads:

I've let this ride, and not said anything about the topic, although I had thoughts, but was trying to marshal them into some sort of order so I could say what I think. Washed out baits may work on a couple of levels; The bait has been in the water for a couple of days, so it is safe to eat and not a pressure point that the carp feel they are eating freshly put in bait. If the pressure is so high that they don't eat baits that haven't been in the water a couple of day, then older 'washed out' baits may be the ones that are safe. It may also be that they would eat fresh baits if the amount of bait going in was enough so that they felt safe, whereas, they are leaving the new baits as they simply aren't safe. It may also be that fresh baits could possibly be overloaded with flavours, and at introduction levels are so high that they repel! I used to feel that on many high pressure weekend syndrome lakes, the fish do leave the baits introduced on Friday until Sunday at the earliest, and those that catch are those that are using washed out baits, small stringers, or even single hookbaits, different from those fishing over the large amount of spodded baits. If you prebait with enough bait that the carp are comfortable eating it, then I don't think that washed out baits are an advantage, and for my weekend trips, I do try to be different from the 'norm'. However, I do also think that fresh baits can be a danger to fish, and so I often use an older hookbait. I may start the trip with a hookbait, and use that same hookbait for a couple of days if it doesn't get pulled off the hair (fish or deterioration, which can be reduced by meshing hookbait ). I also bait up with fresh baits as my freebies. The hookbait is 'safe', the freebies are fresh and dangerous, the hookbait catches 'em. Also it can be worth leaving a bait in place for a couple of days, again, you have to have confidence that it will stay on the hook/hair. A few years ago, this washed out bait thing, I watched the carp ignoring sweetcorn that was fresh, until it had started to go a bit grey after a couple of days. The tench and the bream would eat it fresh (until a few were caught on it), and then they would avoid the area for a few days, (tench especially), but for the carp to take sweetcorn, it had to have been introduced a couple of days previously. My main belief is simply that baits get left over a weekend, due to weekend syndrome, and a washed out bait may be better, but if fishing normally (midweek), pre-bait as much as possible, and you shouldn't need a washed out bait, except at the weekend when the pressure is usually highest

Mainline braids often have additional 'ingredients' like Kevlar added to make them more tougher, and can actually be more abrasive or cutting along the fishes flanks than a softer hooklink braid, although there are a couple of hooklink braids that I avoid as they are so darn 'sharp'. For hooklinks I would only ever use a specific hooklink braid, and I haven't come away from the Kryston stable for them for years; If it ain't broke don't fix it, and Kryston has not let me down. They may be more expensive than other manufacturers, but when a spool of Merlin lasts 4 or 5 years (and I do tie a lot of rigs), and can be used neat or as part of a combi-rig, then I stick to what I know works. The only Kryston coated braid I don't feel comfortable with, is actually Jackal. I found, (me personally), that I was breaking the coating when I tied my knots, and so they would go a bit limp as the coating was damaged. As for coated braids, they are stiffer until you strip them, which can improve resistance to abrasion, cutting and rubbing against snags etc, and possibly for the carp. When it comes to braids, we use higher breaking strains than the mainline, simply because some are so thin that if used in lower strains and diameters, would cut the fishes mouth, so using the finest may not always be best.

Sounds like a good water. A method I know works with worms on the hook is the float and lift method. Slightly overdepth it will work for perch, tench and carp. I can remember one gentlemen on here used to fish like this a lot stalking his carp, fished with a centre pin he really had a few good fish. Obviously don't fish a pin unless you're used to it, but you do have really good control. As for hooklinks, I normally use 'stuff' as well. I keep a spool or 2 in the tackle bag and some spare Drennan Super Specialists just for it.

Also, you don't have to use shrink tubing, a small silicon tubing will work the same, and can also be used to slide down the shank and hold the hair in place. As a rule of thumb, if I do have a hair down the hookshank, then I tend to have it leave the shank around halfway between the point and the end of the barb. It may be worth having a hunt for the pic I put up about hair and hook separation from the eye, the shank and the bend.

I must admit that I have often have a flappy hair, being as it is attached to a rig ring that slides freely up and down the hook shank Like Tim says, I play with hair length dependant on where I hook my fish, and hookpulls. Edge of mouth, or hookpull, lengthen it. Deep in mouth then shorten it. Right in centre of bottom lip, perfect length. (the reason for attaching the hair to sliding ring, it means I can play with hair length without cutting rigs apart) I buy my shrink tubing from Maplins usually, the smallest, can't remember what size as I've lost the packet. I don't care that it has tiny printing on the side as I'm sure the carp can't read what it says when its shrunk down. I prefer Gardner Muggas as my hooks, but Drennan Super Specialists, and many other hooks, can at times be improved with shrink tubing, even hooks with incurved or inturned eyes, as occasionally you still miss some takes with a knotless knot.

It has been replaced a few times, out of my own pocket, It is my first choice of mainline, I don't even think of buying any other now, although I do still replace it at least once or twice a year. Habit that I can't have any line on my reels for more than a year

I brought this thread up again after realising that I have now been using the Pro-Carp (the original as it was sent to me) for a few years now. It is my first choice of line, and over the past few years I have put a number of fish on the bank with it, from long and short casts at Nazeing, in clear and coloured water, and over gravel bars and after being fragged by Crayfish. The largest fish I have caught using it is 33lb, a fish that took me round a few tree roots, but I have caught numerous others from the other lagoons on the complex. A better line than many more of the more expensive lines available.

It is not just the money from ejecting the lead on every take, but litter. If you walked down the road, and every 100metres or so you threw a lead away it would be classed as littering. Now equate that to fishing, every time you lose eject a lead on the take you are effectively littering the lakebed. It is not just the lead you are ejecting either, it is a plastic coating, usually a copper insert for the loop and a swivel which is some other metal, or for just an inline, the plastic coating and insert, which are elements which do NOT break down in the environment in a hurry. Years ago, when my leads were dead, bashed, cratered, pitted etc, and beyond even marker rod use, I would give them to a friend of mine. He would then melt them down, and then use the lead for new leads. The copper insert would go into our copper pile for scrap and melting down. Effectively, our green and pleasant society has forgotten how to recycle, despite the various coloured nice big bins we have. Glass bottles, deposit for the children to take back to the local shop, or milk bottles every day, cleaned, re-used recycled. Tin foil, taken to the local shop, and a payment made for the amount (and the occasional stone when we wanted to bilk, sorry bulk out ) This 'fad' for apparent rig safety and ejecting the lead is simply that, a fad, as tackle manufacturers have discovered that they need to make money, and more (and more and more) tackle manufacturers mean the slices of cake that they eat are getting smaller. Rig safety is not rig safety as it stands any more, many many items of tackle are sold which are dangerous to the fish (don't give me that sticking hooks thingy argument), ready made leadcore leaders in inline and pendant set-ups, even helicopter ones. They are sold, not because they are safe, but because tackle manufacturers have discovered a market for people who will buy them. They may be the least dangerous available, or properly manufactured, but are not fish friendly in the event of a crack off. It is not just one manufacturer, sorry, it is many, in fact just about any tackle manufacturer sells a ready made system. As I said in my previous post, all you need is a lead attached to the line, preferably on a John Roberts Lead attachment , a swivel or quick link and your hooklink and hook at the end of it. The original innovator I think was John Roberts, many tackle manufacturers have ideas copied from him, but these items from his brand are not fashionable at the moment, but are often the best for tackle. Just look at this page of John Roberts tackle, the tackle shop chosen was picked totally at random, so sorry to any other shop: http://www.thetackle-shop.co.uk/section121/John-Roberts-Products.html Items that will work now as they did 20+ years ago, and many better than some of the more modern names.

Korda originally used the term 'Safe Zone' I think it was; not as safe in terms of angler use, but 'safe' for the fish to feed in the area, i.e. the tackle was camouflaged, hidden or difficult to see. It did not in any way make it safe for the angler to use it, and some of the products (leaders etc), made it not at all safe in terms of breakages, the risk of fish towing leads around and the potential for tethered fish. Having recovered a snapped off Safezone leader, attached to many metres of line, with a plastic bait on the end, and a lead that would not release all jammed up with weed, it definitely does not make it safe! As others have said, my view is that using helicopters, you need the lead on the end of a leader system, so that the leader does not fold in the middle preventing the rig being ejected at all. A Heli-safe system will only be safe if not using a leader, but cannot be used where there is any snag, weed or anything that could catch up on the line, andf the rig must be able to be ejected. Again, I do NOT like ejecting the lead, unless I absolutely have to, to prevent a fish becoming snagged up. In most cases I don't need to drop the lead on the take, and even in weed, using an inline lead there is often no need to drop the lead, even more so if using zipp shaped inlines as the weed will pass over it. I understand that tackle manufacturers have a need to make money, its a business world out there. Problem is that as anglers, you only really need a lead on the line that can be ejected safely in a break off or snag, attached to a hooklink with a hook and bait on the end, and to fish that safely, you don't need to buy loads of tackle, yet tackle manufacturers wouldn't exist if that is all we bought

It's not new, been around as long as the hills and mountains of the world, and is from my original post, either with or without tubing dependant on snags or not:

Well I was going to keep it quiet, but I queried about the Pro-Carp I heard was being released, and Richard Gardner sent me some to give an honest appraisal of. In the packing were 2 packets of Gardner Muggas in the sizes I use. I was sent those as samples, nice, Thanks, and have bought those products since. By the same token, I have been sent products by other manufacturers, that I found awful, wrote back telling them why, and not heard from since

I've read a bit of this thread, and seem to have the same thing to say as most others; I have faith in Gamakatsu GP 204's Gardner Muggas Kamasan B175's for floater (and chub) fishing Drennan Super Specialists, and Specimens The Gardner hooks are probably some of the best I have used, and I was put onto them by Richard Gardner himself; although I very rarely follow tackle hype from most manufacturers (especially NOT Korda, don't know why ) I have tested others, and although some are good, (and some bad), I go back to what I KNOW works

John Wilson used to give a breakdown on them in his Fishing In Norfolk and Suffolk Guide books which used to appear every few years, but since he's stopped that weblink is the best you will get, some nice looking fish it shows too, and looking at faces in some of the pics, I do know a few of the anglers from my time up in Norfolk! Hevingham years ago received some Redmire stock, along with later stockings of some of the more 'chubby' ghosties and the like, all nice fish, and Hevingham as said is a very nice fishery. Don't think of it as just carp, as some of the tench are real dark scrappy beasts that go to a large size as well

I've merged the 2 threads into one

Or ask nicely and I will send you a bundle of 2 fire extinguisher tags, which make good boilie stops. Another way to mount the mixer is to tie a uni knot loop at the end of the hooklink line (only assuming you use a hooklink), put the bait in the loop, pull tight, and then knotless knot it tight to the hoo, then attach to mainline. As the mixer expands when wet it fits in very tightly, and is then easy enough to change when you need to change the bait.

It is the hookpulls that to me makes me think the hair was too short, so lengthening it you have gotten them to take a bit more confidently. Again, on the extreme edge of the mouth, I would possibly add a little bit more length until hooks were firmly embedded centre of bottom lip. The other way possibly to get better hookholds could actually be to feed a bit more, so the fish are feeding a bit more confidently as well. I have always considered in my mind that confident feeding fish don't necessarily inspect, or suck and blow hookbaits as much as those that are not feeding comfortably, so increasing your groundbait (particles groundbait or whatever background feed), may lead them to be more confident. If they really do start feeding comfortably though, and get pre-occupied, then shortening the hair may be the answer. I know, blooming circles again! Beanz makes a fair point in hook and hair position, and I think I have mentioned it in the past? Remember the pic: Where the hair leaves the hook; From thejust below the eye as KD, then the hook may well be going in point downwards, and as it is blown out, then automatically hooks the lip. From the eye itself, may be going in backwards, and be blown out, and from the bend of the hook, can be blown out backwards, so the point is still facing the throat, no chance of a hookhold. So my preference has been for the hair to leave the shank of the hook, opposite the barb/point of the hook.

With running leads, I don't normally worry about rig length, but do worry about hair length. I've used 3oz leads for years, it is what I got comfortable using, having to cast a set distance and using the lead to get that far, then adding on or cutting down on PVA additions weight (how many boilies on a stringer, or how big a PVA bag/mesh to get the casting distance right, along with the reel line clip, to prevent overcasting. I cast out, then make sure that I get as much slack as possible, and the indicators at maximum drop, the line pulling through a tube (in the water) on the take, until it eventually bangs in tight onto the line clip or baitrunner. I don't strike, just lift into the fish and start playing fish on the backwind, with a pause (not intentional), as I switch the anti reverse off and then the baitrunner clicks off as I start to wind. About the only time I don't use running leads is when physical conditions are so strong that I can't, undertow and the like. Even with running leads and the line as low to the lakebed as possible, you can avoid most drifting weed.

If the rig works, it works! I must admit though, I would have tested it to destruction before I actually thought about casting it out for a carp... It is far more important to get the rig in the right place than worry about whether the rig works or not, and even more important to get the feeding situation right, so that the carp aren't testing every hookbait. Years ago, I came up with the theory of a doubled over spliced hooklink section (also helped by a product called Octosplice), using Kryston Merlin (but it does also work with most of their uncoated braids), to a stiffer section above in a Multi rig style. A dental floss hair on the shank section of the splice. I needle knotted the stiffer boom section (amnesia) through the spliced Merlin.

Not necessarily true, or even knowing what you are fishing for. As for a can opener, I know what Kev means, there are the can openers with rotary/butterfly handles, but there are those that you push through the lid, and then work round by cutting (see wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_opener ) A lake in Essex I fish, I managed to catch a carp that took over an hour to land, if pressed and I had lost it, I would have sworn I had lost one of the largest fish in the lake; as it was it only turned out to be just 20lb, yet I have managed to land some of the big 20's and 30's from the lake in 10minutes. At the same time, the vast majority of the fish in the lake are 20lb+, yet in one session, I managed to find a pod of smaller double figure fish. I wasn't fishing for them, they turned up in my swim, and I couldn't stop catching them, 3 fish between 14 and 19lb, and then one over 30. Now hook pattern wise, we know that longshanks, and bent hooks can be dangerous, so adding an additional swivel to a longshank hook smacks of extra risk. Not only is the rig mechanics changed, but also the likelihood of the swivel getting caught up in the landing net, putting extra pressure on the mouth of the fish. If they rip normally during the fight, there is the additional risk of the swivel and the landing net meeting, which may put even more on the mouth of the carp.

Have you looked at Earith Carp Lakes? If you have a search on this site, and also a Google, the website for the lakes will come up on both. Earith, not far from Huntingdon, but may be slightly over your price bracket, but worth the money as the fish are pretty darn good loooking with some gorgeous commons to well over 20lb. These commons are so good they get an extra o

Taverham Mills used to have some cracking fish in from singles up to 30lbs, although I know that at least one of the 30's got ottered Never forget your floaters in summer, in certain areas during the day or early evening they are extremely confident in taking them. Stalking can work well in certain swims as well. The lake has plenty of gravel bars, weed, lilies, silty patches for long and short range fishing. DON'T ignore the margins. Working from Peg1 round to the left. Peg1-3 itself, in between the trees and past the small islands, not a particularly good area in summer for some reason, the fish move past it, but don't feed confidently, yet in winter is one of the best areas on the lake. Peg 4/5 an area where the fish would cruise around the islands and in the island bay. Road Bank, plenty of gravel in front of you, and a couple of islands. If you cast to the islands around pegs9-10 be very careful, the branches come along way away from the island underwater, fish have been tethered by idiots casting or boating baits too close. The last swim on the road bank in the bay has a deep hole in which I'm pretty positive has a nice inlet spring in. The Point, between the 2 islands, can produce, but is patchy. From the next bay with the pipe connecting to Costessey, an area where the fish can hole up, but fishes best when water is beng pumped in. All the pegs along the bank can produce down to what is number 29 or 30, the last before an area we called "The Backwaters", and all have plenty of gravel or island features in front of them as well as loads of weed. The Backwaters themselves are good for stalking and floater fishing. By being really quiet, you can sneak up on the fish, and they do come in close, but when I say quiet, I mean silent, no vibration whatsoever Onto the Plateau Point, the swim to the right of the main Plateau swim has long produced fish from the far bank corner to the right or under the overhanging tree in front. The Plateau swim, a BIG double swim, but although the fish do go over the plateau, it can be difficult, and if the water level is low, you will be fishing in water which may only just cover your ankles. Carrying on round you have what are known as "The Tench Swims", the 3 or 4 swims with the last in the corner. The 2nd and 3rd from that corner have the remains of a WW2 Bomber in, so can be a bit snaggy as well as having loads of lilies in front. Onto the Cowtail you have the swims on the island, the fish actually are catchable between the island and the main bank, and towards the Plateau is a very big silt patch, that used to hold LARGE bream to over Double figures. Round the Cowtail you have the same water as the Back Bank, and is a shorter walk is worthwhile if no-one is fishing the back bank. Cowtail corner, to the tree in the water along the island to the left. To the right you have a large gravel bank along the island, but it doesn't produce much. The left side of the swim is the better option. To the left the next 3 swims all face to the island, as does CowTail point down the slope, but the point also has water to the left. All will produce at times. The other swim down the slope to the left of the point has a number of nice features. Round into the bay, a couple of swims on the high bank, don't ignore them and fish the margins. Hidden in that bay is a large rock standing proud of the lakebed, it will take a lot of finding (unless you can get a rowing boat out and actually see it). The swim at the back of the bay, margins and fallen tree to the right, lily pad in front. Swim in the corner is pretty much a cut-off. Round onto the meadow swims, all produce fish, and there is plenty of weed. I don't know the lake at all, not much anyway I used to fish (live on) there, but I haven't been back for 8years as I feel it couldn't live up to how I learnt to fish it I wrote the above post about 4 years ago The fish can really get onto a good bait, so prebaiting with a food source boilie can work very well for you. I used to absolutely load up with fishmeals, knowing that the carp were eating almost all of them (the tench and bream got a few), and since almost everyone at one time used the same baits who were fishing it, the fish loved them. When I moved back to Ipswich, I carried on feeding The Biollix for a number of years on my monthly trips and still caught, but my mate was fishing and feeding a Pellet based base mix bait, and was also catching as many fish

I never caused damage with The Bent Hook rig, yet I accept that mouth damage was caused by its use. I didn't use it for small fish, so maybe it wasn't an issue for me, yet I will no longer use it. The same goes for the 360 rig, it can potentially cause damage when used in the wrong situation, for the 'wrong' small fish, so therefore I will not use it. I spent a lot of time examining and experimenting the dangers of Leadcore; I wrote about it, I put the results up, yet others choose not to believe them, despite pictures of (what I think) are leadcore line damaged fish one with fresh marks along the flanks, so as with everything there are people who won't believe what is written unless they see it for themselves in reality, or will convince themselves it doesn't happen or will never happen to them, as in the case of the 360 rig. The simple answer is in many cases we confuse ourselves by fiddling and faffing looking at rigs when we should be looking at getting the fish feeding first