salokcinnodrog

I've played with various Spods and Spombs, and the honest answer is the genuine Spomb is the best of the lot in my opinion. With braid and a low angle cast the Spomb won't open, it skids not hitting the nose trigger. Get a vertical drop, even at 5 rod lengths no problem. Note, adding a mono leader reduces not opening or crack-offs as the sudden clip hit allows a bit of stretch, not break, and also causes the Spomb to drop straight down. Retrieve is good if you can get it 'penguin walking' over the surface, although pike love 'em. The Dot spod, quality is awful, looks homemade and the spring is not the best it can bend out of shape. Getting it to shut can be a pain. Retrieve is ok'ish. As for the Fox, don't go there, didn't always empty, and it came in like a bag of poo. The Wolf Spod I've not used, bit pricey as I seem to break spods or Spombs after pike attacks and have to keep replacing them.

That doesn't sound very nice. It's amazing how much our ears affect us, not just hearing, but balance as well. I hope it does get better for you.

I put off getting one as I usually manage to position my bivvy so my stove is sheltered just outside the door. The past few trips though, it's been a bit gusty.

Funny you should mention that, as I ebayed myself a new Stove Windshield this week. Then we have another 10kg of Rod Hutchinson The Nutty Bait in 18mm, yellow 16mm pop-ups and another tub of Monster Crab pop-ups in 15mm.

Mine have been with very short Multi-rigs, either size 4 or 6 Solar 101's or size 4 Gardner Incizors, made up with Kryston Jackal or Merlin, and around a maximum of 150mm. The Multi-rig is a doubled up length of material, no knots other than the hooklink swivel knot.

Fishing gets in the blood

Out of hospital at 5pm yesterday, and stayed the night at my mother's house so she could Childmind and Sky-sit. I did have a typical reaction to morphine in the middle of the night, made me physically sick. Had to get up, get downstairs and into the bathroom in a hurry, not fun. Then of course that upset Sky, so after I'd sorted myself out I put her on the lead and took her into the garden so she could pee. Poor dog, from about midnight until 5am, I was waking up, every hour at least once, so she simply did not know what to do.

Not just me then.

Are you trying to light it with any wind or breeze? Has the sparking plate gradually been eroded away over time? To both of the above on my Bulin, I tend to use a lighter nearly all the time. You replied just as I was composing my answer, so the spark plate is likely to be no. As for gas, most are much of a muchness, in terms of lighting, Coleman, GoGas, Primus, Sunngas and CADAC

The Shot on the hook posts I have split into UK Rig Tying

Thanks. Strange thing is I was never prone to tonsillitis as a child, despite being asthmatic, yet my brother was. I'm rarely ill, or wasn't until 2020 and Covid, since then any cold or flu and I'm struggling and my right hip joint started to break down. I keep saying that I didn't know how serious it was or is, and didn't realise such a 'minor' problem could be life threatening; sepsis or blood poisoning from any insect bite with the abscess filling up. Then the unable to breathe if it swells, possibility of breathing in the gunk if it bursts. I've been on and off antibiotics since April, visits to my doctor, A&E, Urgent Treatment Centre, Ear Nose and Throat clinic at the hospital with a couple of overnight stays.

Wow, where has this year gone? My sessions this year have been interspringled with illness, this poxy quinsy and hospital visits and a few fish and one good session. When I have fished it seems like I got mostly gremlinned... Anyway, today is 1st September so who will be starting us off?

I've gone back to Century's Big Bertha which I got around 2007. She is still a beast! I've found: a) Avid and Sonik Spod and Marker rods have awful rod rings, with liners falling out and the frames bending easily. b) after replacing them, the rod just doesn't have the life or grunt to put out a medium Spomb much above 60metres. Neither is a bad rod for a marker but despite being hybrids, not Spodding. The Tackle Box Spod rods do get good reviews.

Did you try the Gardner kickers I suggested? I've not used them myself, but most Gardner stuff is spot on. Rusty hooks seem to be a thing on some lakes, like some (usually) silty lakes do seem to be hook point blunters. I have noticed that out of the packet Muggas are good for a few fish before getting blunt enough to need changing. Not caught anything on the Incizors to say anything about them compared to the 101's on Multi-rigs. I changed the last 101 hook I had last week, not had a pick-up this week. I'm annoyed I can't get hold of standard 101's, I did like them! I think that is a problem with spinner rigs full stop. The Ronnie/spinner was supposed to be as good as a 360, but I have not found it so, despite fishing them side by side and losing fish to hookpulls on the spinner, but not on the 360. Losing fish on my syndicate is not a pleasant experience, it could be anything from 15 to 50lb!

I used to cook Sunday dinner for around 1pm, and got to take Levi for a few hours on the whip for silvers after lunch while Liz washed up. He loved it. Then it got to the stage of I would carry Lily and Levi's gear and rods to the park while they cycled up. When they got bored fishing they'd leave me with the rods and go for a cycle, then come back for a bit more fishing. Hard life being left in charge fishing... He soon learnt to trot a freelined dog biscuit downstream for chub as well as I could, and on days I couldn't hit a bite he would manage chub to 4lb. That was on my rod and reel as we'd just take the one between us and the other would land the fish. I might split the 'children into fishing' to a thread of their own back in Carp Fishing, so if some posts disappear, please don't panic and I promise to try not to delete them😖

Tonsillectomy on Monday. I got a phone call from the hospital and they got me a priority date as it is so serious. It is supposed to be day surgery, so I should be out Monday evening, but just needing overnight care or supervision at home. I called my mother to ask a series of favours: Sky sit, pick me up from hospital and put me and Sky up for the night. Even better, she has developed my taste for real coffee

Open banks with no trees or rushes are often mozzie free, they don't seem to be a problem, any breeze blows them away or past. Add trees or rushes, and they have somewhere to hide. The other thing is that disturbing the ground and you end up with mosquito or other insect bites. You (usually) put your groundsheet on the ground stopping the little blighters getting to you, so as you packed up it's quite possibly you became fair game.

Not a secret at all, Megaspice. You may also find that Versele Laga Garlic Oil at around £17 for 250ml is a better buy. I go to putting liquids in eggs, get a better mix through than adding it to the eggs and base mix. Don't forget that I use the Garlic spice baits for hookbaits only, so the flavour level is that recommended for 4 eggs in a 1 egg mix. https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/legend-flavour-megaspice/ I did put the whole recipe I've dropped the additional liquids just relying on garlic and megaspice

Looking good Mate, bet that scratched an itch!

My first bucket will go out in a bit. Only had 2 fish over the hemp and bird food last week, but I really can't complain both were 20's and I had 4 others over boilies I've got until Sunday back on the syndicate, just me and my dog...

Mines gone simple, hemp and birdfood, 50/50 ratio, soaked and boiled.

I googled it, and had no joy. I think you may have to get onto your feet and have a walk, see if you can find signs onsite for club or owner.

I'm still fishing until Friday. Went quiet today, but had this one at 24lb, 5 rod lengths out this evening, they do like the Monster Crab.

A decent westerly yesterday, and I was able to keep my rods tips underwater. Brilliant session!

This is an interesting thread again, and I have got more answers and probably questions. I'm probably not the most adventurous person when it comes to rigs, for years I stick to plain basic and simple, then every now and again I swap something around, sometimes based on hookpulls (I had a couple on Spinner rigs) I honestly don't know why I do it, but this trip I juggled again. A 360 rig, with the eye covered with tubing, to stop it getting caught in the landing net, and a size 4 Gardner Incizor, a sinker and putty tight to the ring swivel on the hooklink, a short Multi-rig with a size 4 101, putty just below the hook, and a reverse combi-rig, fluorocarbon section tied to the size 6 Gardner Mugga with Merlin braid boom. Every fish has been nailed and come through the weed.