salokcinnodrog

Technique is everything, but it seems that 'The Korda Boyz' pushed heavier test curve rods as the long casting answer over practice. I'd frequently get back from fishing Sunday lunchtime and then spend the afternoon casting over the field. If we go back to the 1990's I was casting over 100metres with 2¼lb test curve rods and original 4000 size Baitrunners, 2½oz leads, shockleader and 8lb mono. The 2¾lb Armalite mk.ll update saw 10lb line being used with leaders, to 2.75lb SP's and 15lb line and 3oz leads and reaching over 125metres, using bags and stringers. ** The Korda Boyz, a tongue in cheek remark about tackle brand sponsorship pushing heavier rods because they simply couldn't reach the distance because technique is lacking. Easier to buy new gear over spending time practicing.

4x Delkim ST's 2 red led, 1 green and 1 white. 3 Delkim TXI'D's in red, white and green.

Fishing up tight to a snag where you can't let the fish take any line off the reel, nor allow line stretch to let them get into the snag. It can be fishing to a treeline with roots growing into the lake, an obvious dead branch in the water, a serious weedbed or lilypads. I fish to snags slightly differently to @kevtaylor, by pointing my rod directly at the snag, line tight, and the baitrunner switched OFF. It only works with mono at short range, as mono has about 15-25% stretch, so as Kev says, look at braided mainline if at any range. The theory of the tight line is that on the take the fish is pulled in an arc away from the snag, then you can get back to playing it normally. I'd also say, don't snag fish at night, or if you are sleeping. You need to be instant, right next to the rods at all times. Even straying away for a pee can be enough time to lose a fish or rod!

I still use mine for spodding on my proper spod rod, the marker/spod rod has a Beastmaster 7000 XTA on it. I'm trying to work out when Shimano went so wrong with quality. The original DL10000's weren't as robust as their Baitrunner predecessors and I bought mine around 2009, yet the Beastmasters I think I bought 6 or 7 years ago and are the danglies, but not the top range, more bargain basement. In fact I think the ST10000 are a better bet than the next price model.

If you want a bulletproof spod reel, go old school: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225802633024?hash=item3492e2bf40:g:eIoAAOSwGJllHYBP&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwEaDJzcdq1D%2ByJmTj%2BWCltx2oau%2BpCfQUZ6D0OSNQWgHd5D981ssJhU0EIbF3g5cUQdEVXDG%2Fs3AnmwntBrfKzTDXPiXUg7lrtuRDiP7ymZqYIpI6D1qoJ%2Fv6n3vp0Cez1JfFldcFuBm%2Fz4chib0u9%2B%2F5H0MlCGnh5fX7P1pJNS07Flt%2BX%2FJ0MT14%2BavXsnK8D6ipBQKSEV%2BUIy9rvZtRJq7pzZBcWkRoH2m2%2BPWQ6Mdfd86MK0PddreAd8g5YIPFQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5D1i5jjYg I'd also have a search (ebay search Shimano Aerlex) and see if anymore come up. They hold their price better than new ones! The older Shimano models are so much better than the current ones.

Nice write-up. Really wish I could have been there, and hope that another can be arranged and that I can get to.

I've lost fish on a bad knot I've tied, or more correctly hadn't checked the rig after landing a 20lb fish on it and just recast the same rig. That's MY fault, I knew who to blame. I choose my own hooks, I use the right strength, pattern for the waters I fish. I know how strong they are, whether they open out, break or flex. Unless you are physically disabled tie your own rigs, that way you know what hook, the hook knot or swivel knot is good and even the length is right.

Funny thing is on my 2.75lb NG's and SP's I was casting a 3oz lead and 30bait stringers up to around 100metres with no problem. Now admittedly Century aren't a cheap or budget brand rod maker as the rods cost me £600 and £750 respectively for the 3, but at no point did I ever need 'more grunt'. I have used my barbel specialist rods for roach on Alton Water, landing fish to over 2lb on groundbait feeders, size 14/16 hooks. They have also landed 20lb carp on freelined dog biscuits and method feeders,12lb bream, 5lb chub and the occasional rogue pike (plural) that took a liking to slugs and a roach that I'd hooked on sweetcorn.

Your big problem is fashion! Since probably around 2010, test curves have increased to 3, 3.25 and 3.5lb, where (in my view) the best through action rod has a test curve of 1.75 to 2.5lb. Even a 2.75lb TC rod is a rarity today, and most of these higher test curve rods are faster taper tip action rods, frequently built for long distance casting rather than fish playing. If you want a more through action rod, look at Barbel rods, which, while being able to cast big leads and feeders, are certainly capable of landing and playing carp.

Of all the alarms, when I considered replacing my Delkims, I only looked at or thought about TLB's and Atts', but stuck with brand loyalty

I won't be voting Green, they have no idea on actual environmental issues, and are against angling and other outdoor pursuits. Nor will I be voting Lib Dem, Labour or Conservative. Sadly the political system is not suitable for purpose. Until we can get rid of political parties we are screwed. We almost need a benign dictatorship, or a King Alfred the Great circle of elders representing everyone.

Believe me I am disgusted and have signed gawd knows how many petitions, barracked my MP, who is a virtue signaller, against his vote to continue to allow sewage to be pumped into waterways, (then made a newspaper article to clean up the local river, ignoring why its in such a state).

Littering is an antisocial habit, you can be fined for it, ergo illegal. Throwing rubbish on the ground is an eyesore, pollution etc, pick your description, but because dropping the lead is not so 'obvious' or seen in the water it became mainstream advice from various tackle brands. Leadclip's were originally designed for creating a semi-fixed set-up, with the advantage of being able to take your lead off at the end of the session, or change the lead size mid session.

As @framey says, change one thing at a time. It does, it's called littering, fly tipping, pollution... Strictly speaking it is illegal! Personal thought, I do not like leadclips, nor dropping leads, I still use running leads or inline leads and the only leadclips I own are those I have found and retrieved, attached to other people's break-offs, most still had lead attached. I've found 2, 2.5oz, 4 and 5oz leads, but strangely none of the sizes I prefer, 3 or 3.5oz. In weedy waters, an inline distance lead will frequently not catch up on the weed, whereas even an empty leadclip does.

Lots to look at! 10feet 3lb TC rods? That in itself could be part of the problem, even though you say you don't play fish hard. If the rods are tip actioned, then you can be putting a lot of hard pressure on the fishes mouth at short range in the fight. A through action rod could be a better option, or a lighter test curve. A 10feet rod can be very stiff! The same test curve on a 12feet rod could be nicer! Your hooklink braid, what is it? I've used various Kryston braids for over 30years, Merlin, Supernova, Silkworm in 15 or 25lb, no mouth damage. Sadly when Kryston was sold their braids became hard to get hold of, so my stocks are now running low. If you use a mainline braid, that can be a totally different material and could cause damage. Extremely short hooklinks, my minimum is 15centimetres, 6inches. A short hooklink with a lead bouncing around very close to the hook... Extremely sharp, hand sharpened hooks, on soft mouthed silt feeding fish, no need, just an ordinary hook out of the packet, my choice of hooks are Gardner Muggas and Solar 101's in size 4 and 6, only dropping smaller for floater fishing or to comply with lake tiles.

The swim itself was ignored😉, most anglers preferred the bigger double swim next door that had the plateau as its main feature. The small swim was only just big enough for 2 rods, a brolly and bedchair, and even that was tight around a tree trunk. Taverham is still available to fish, under the Anglian Water season or day tickets. It was originally run by Dave Plummer who managed to get some Redmire fish when that had successful spawning year, don't know if any of them remain, but they were cracking fish. I ran it between Brian Hewitt who ran it for Malcolm Schroeder the owner, until Brian left and Anglian Water buying it. It is mentioned in John Bailey and Martyn Page's Carp: Quest for The Queen book.

I used to have one, in the days of Broadland Bait Boats. When I was working at a fire alarm company they used to buy their sealed lead acid batteries from me, so I got a deal... I actually got put off bait boats by how far it pushed me closer to 'dangerous' fishing, too far under trees, at silly long ranges (I used to play with electronics and radio signals, (my dad was a radio amateur and television broadcast engineer) so I had come up with some tweaks). It was physically seeing how far tree roots can come out from the islands, during low water and realising I'd been fishing miles too close. Most of the waters I fish simply don't allow them, so that with my choice not to use them makes life easy for me. Not sure on that though as I try not to fish the obvious features, or even swims. Taverham was a case in point; most anglers would fish to the islands, or big obvious gravel bars, and from the 'usual' swims. I used to prefer the swim to the right of the plateau swim which was the entrance to the backwater channel, and cast to a fallen tree trunk rather than the corner or gravel bar a little further up. On Cowtail point, most people aimed to the corner of the island, but my aiming point was left towards the lily pads, where a gravel bar had a gully across it.

Not practising my long distance casting is one skill I've lost. I'm not as proficient as I was at Nazeing, where long casting was the norm or his best mate, and that is without a bait boat! I don't know if you have seen it, but I did a hand drawn map of Earith Virginia, Reed Lake and Pats Pool, with as many features as I could find; islands, the gravel bars, overhangs, plateaus and even the surrounding trees, shrubs, bushes and reeds. Everything was found with a marker float, and it took me around a week to work my way round the whole of Virginia and Reeds, along with a sneak along the Drove bank. Pats was easy, although I did only ever floater fish it. I guess feeling everything and getting depths with the lead and marker float was my biggest skill, and it's one of my still in use tactics. I can still remember various favourite lakes in my head; gravel bars, shape, particular swims and features from as much as over 30years ago! SCARY!

I wonder if those of us don't use bait boats for whatever reason 'develop' or use other skills? I learnt to get very tight casting to my marker float, the cast wasn't good enough unless I splashed the float with my lead, and I rarely clipped up back then. At Taverham, one 'identified' gravel spot under the corner of the island used to actually be quite silty, but regularly feeding bait got it lovely and clear, down to 'bedrock' gravel with no silt on top as the fish fed on it. To start with you'd get a donk through the silt onto the gravel, and as it got clearer you would get less pull back on the marker lead, and get that real billiard ball bounce. After a few weeks of pressure it switched off until the silt came back. I did have that advantage of using a boat usually every week or so as I did regularly go out for the occasional overcast lead or spod in a tree, and a couple of hot summers between 1991 and 1994 saw shallow gravel bars reach the surface as the water level dropped.

Lots of trees have roots like that on lakes, willows are especially bad. It was roots growing out like that that caused a number of snag-ups on fish that I had to rescue at Taverham. I removed a number of roots growing out into the lake at Bromeswell, within a few months they've regrown. I wonder how much bloodworm is actually in that silt? Might actually be a good place to put a bait! I must admit I don't think that bait boat sonar would show those things up, the drained lake pics are far better I did have a CD with pics on when Brackens Pool at Nazeing was drained. Some massive gravel bars and plateaus, rising 15-20 feet from the lakebed in one swim. To be honest, you aren't even going to find them all out with a marker and float

I prefer a brolly system as well, although mine is the Rod Hutchinson Cabrio Hybrid Brolly and extension porch. It's massive, I can actually put the bedchair from under the spokes to the feet end being by the door. That gives me room for everything along the side with a walkway/chair space in the middle. I've tried it the other way round, but end up with a rain drenched head... The groundsheet is an umbrella section, with a 'fill-in' front section for the extension, which I don't always use in summer, unless I'm over goose or sheep doo. I'm debating switching from my The Ones to 2.75lb Enduro rods, mostly because the varnish is starting to go on my The Ones. Already bought them, they're just sat waiting...

Amateur, should have nicked his sweets as well. Something about taking candy from a baby springs to mind...

A spod tends to be 'heavier' on the retrieve than a Spomb because you are reeling in water and the spod is often under water where the Spomb skips or penguin walks on top most of the time. I am using a Shimano Aerlex on my Spod rod, and a Shimano Beastmaster 7000 on my marker/spod rod. Both stand up to the abuse. The thinner braids may be a problem with crack-offs as well, it took a few attempts for me to find a decent one; Angry Fish 0.36mm 50lb 4 is what I use, for the marker/spod rod and pike fishing. Over 3years the colour has faded, dye worn off, but the braid is still strong.

Kinky! 🤭

@andywilson123 you are opening a big can of big worms! There are devotees to Fox, to Steve Neville, to Gardner Atts, Nash and of course Delkim. What matters is your alarm buzzes for you on a take, whether you use mono or braid. Not all roller wheels work with braids! Your alarm must buzz on line being taken or on dropbacks, your indicator should show you which, not really much need for a tone difference. Now I've used Delkim ST alarms since 1993 or 94, and had the same set from 2000 until last year. (The first set was stolen). In fact, they are still in use for pike fishing. I replaced them with the new TXI'D which I also love. I never had problems with water ingress, no funny bleeps, no faults, and believe me my gear really does get used on all weathers, from boiling hot to freezing cold, to mega thunderstorms and monsoons. Reasons I don't like Fox alarms, I have had to return many to manufacturer faulty within warranty, on occasions before they even left the shop. The new models released every couple of years; Micron, Mini Micron, replaced with Micron R, Micron S, then MR, MX, MXR, NTX and so on. Get it right first time, not need an upgrade (or cynical) to convince anglers their old alarms aren't good enough, so have to buy new. I actually liked the original budget Mini Microns, a perfect day only alarm (no extension box or receiver). Now I'm certain that someone will probably tell me about Delkim false bleeps, there will be hearsay that 'Fred couldn't stop his bleeping, or rain got in', and some may well be true, but with many there is always an amount of user error. I mean we all read the instructions correctly for Delkims, our washing machine etc don't we, so not reading them leads to things not being right. Actually I do have a slight Delkim gripe, I prefer an on/off switch rather than simultaneous double or triple button press, but it's a minor nuisance.