salokcinnodrog

Abbreviated handle, basically just the reel seat with a bit of duplon or shrink tube along at the butt. Full handle, the reel seat and then duplon or cork all along to the butt end. Proper tarty is a set of rods with full cork

http://www.solar24-7.co.uk/baitshop/titanium-indicator-range/product/t9-titanium-indicator---long-arm-system-2 http://www.solar24-7.co.uk/baitshop/titanium-indicator-range/product/t1-titanium-indicator---short-arm-system-2 Everything you need all in one

And they work for long range feeder fishing, even with big roach

I seem to recall that he did not get swans swimming through the line like they did with more neutral colours... Matt Hayes at the time was the face of TFG, and the line was or is the Nan-Tec lines I think. It is still available I reckon you'll find. Monster Squid Purple, I have caught a few fish on the mini pop-ups, with the pop-up as the top bait on a snowman over my fishmeal boilie, and a couple of tench on the pop-ups alone. Isn't it that as the light disappears underwater that colours no longer show up, but the item shows up as black?

I rarely get my buzzer bars level, I look later and then try to push the high side down As for reel handles, I rarely bother, although all the bail arms do have to be lined up at the top, which is actually more of a bite indication thing than any aesthetics The one thing I do try to get perfectly flat and level is my bedchair! Monkey climbers are handy if you want some resistance in your set-up when a fish takes, whereas most of us want minimal resistance, hence the switch back to hanging indicators. A big heavy monkey on a needle is probably still pretty good on a long range set-up, where you get a drop back on a take, almost the heavier the better, but the same effect can be created by a spring or tension arm indicator and if a fish does take line at range, then the springer should come unclipped. I don't think that swingers are as good for long range, may just be me though!

The ESP no matter what I did gave me knuckle wrap. The elastic was too soft for any decent distance unless you pulled it back with a four foot extending arm, and the pouch just felt totally uncomfortable to load and use. The Drennan feels right, the elastic is the right thickness and length to get a reasonable distance, after changing the pouch for a smaller one it is very rare to get knuckle wrap. Yonny makes a point about Drennan elastic, I don't have an issue, but it may be because I remove the pouch and the pegs holding it on. I push the elastic through the new pouch holes, and cable tie it in place. As a habit of overkill, I also cable tie the elastic onto the arms.

Sorry, I hate the ESP Boiliepult absolutely awful, give me the Drennan Boiliepult, but change the pouch to a smaller one.

I may go against the grain, in that I like using an Avon style rod for smaller carp, although that same rod has landed fish to over 20 when floater fishing, but boy did I get pooped with having to play the fish around a lily bed... I would be looking at a rod of around 1.5-2.0lb test curve if you want that same rod for tench, bream, barbel, chub and carp, but if you were using it exclusively for carp, then 2.5-2.75lb TC.

] Someone else saying the same thing is often useful, shows that other people recommend or use the same ideas

15kilo bag of Vitalin is £14.90. Brilliant mix used wet, over wet, nearly dry or as Method. Can mix in particles, boilies, chops or use neat. I had a lot of fish over Vitalin, boilies and particles from Ardleigh with it, that was carp and bream which also love it. Basically wet it about 30minutes before you use it, or add your boiled particles in juice about some sort of time. You can pour boiling water over it the night before, but I found 30 minutes good enough. If you mix and ball it, you can freeze the balls, frozen balls (ooh er Mrs ) fire out a long way without breaking up

From my physics lessons I recall that sound travels fastest through a solid, then water then air. It is down to its properties in air that we hear speech and other noises. I know that if you fish tight lines in a pretty strong wind you can hear the line 'thrumming' in the wind, same as that same wind and telegraph or power cables. Sound creates a vibration, in fact it is that vibration that you 'hear'. I'm trying to recall how many fish I have caught in stormy conditions with a tight line; one that stands out was in a gale that actually had me holding onto bivvy with one hand, and trying to play a fish with the other, as well as standing on the bivvy skirt in a strong November gale. As with any fishing, I wonder if I fished tight lines how many it scares, as opposed to fishing slack would I have the same results? Is it even possible to fish a slack line in a gale, unless you have the rod tips under the water? More room for experimentation, tight vs slack in a wind, but I honestly don't have the water, or even the time and conditions guaranteed to try it I think in that sort of fishing we have actually reached an impasse, you wouldn't want to be diving in that, you wouldn't be able to even fish a slack line if conditions are ripping any slack line up.

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. .