salokcinnodrog

Around £175 a pop, but boy are they comfy and long lasting. I've been using Nitehawk, but quality is slipping.

I think this speaks for itself. The version released 2 weeks ago, I pre-ordered mine.

I did think about that, but I'd fill a page on them as well myself. I also wondered on people and what their definition of the personal best is. As much as my largest fish is my 'personal best', its not my most memorable fish. It carries memories of December nights, but for me winter nights bring a more memorable fish from Earith, a 25lb common that Ian Jones came down to photograph at around 1am. Another 30lb mirror from Brackens is more memorable than my largest fish. Also hooked under the rod tip, but on the bank I think I lost the wrestling match by submission. Brackens has given me other fish as or more memorable than the 33lb. One of my favourite memories is a bad taken picture that I've since lost (not by choice) of a fish called Turbo, from Barham Pits. I'd set the camera up on the back middle rest of my buzz bars, as I was regularly doing and managed to cut my head off. Norfolk and Suffolk Winter League had their match on the lakes from 10 to 3, so I couldn't set up until after the weigh-in. I'd set up right at the bottom of what was originally D pit. Within 30minutes of casting in I had a take from the island and then ended up playing a fish that took me around 200metres up the bank to my left, back down, around my left hand rod, and took about 30minutes to land. I'd always wondered why this fish was called Turbo, until then. Not massive at 23.8, but at the time my pb by 2lb, and a heavily scaled beauty. The only take of a 2 night session within 30minutes.

Sounds like how I get my marker floats; I was up at 7 that I found, at Nazeing, Melton, my current, and Alton, all with a short piece of braid attached where the line had snapped just above the knot. No-one will admit that braid straight through is a problem, yet it does seem to be. They weren't all attached to the same type or thickness of braid! I go to an Amnesia shockleader to reduce that shock on hitting the clip. No worries Mate, I just didn't want you just dumping leads without genuine reason, just because 'Korda Krew' or another tackle manufacturer said you must dump the lead every take. Sorry if my comment seemed harsh, only I do tend to shoot straight to the point.

I love the captures on @ouchthathurt 's link (https://forum.carp.com/topic/26761-your-top-carpfavourite-captures/page/2/#comment-379816) especially @jh92 and his beautiful common from wild weather on a big water, and it brought to mind the question of personal bests and what they mean to you or even in every case if your largest fish is your PB. For my own mind, my largest fish is not my 'personal best', not because of any coherent reason, other than while big, but it doesn't have as much meaning as the capture of a 28lb carp from the River Gipping. A tiny river that for most of its length is no more than 3rod lengths wide, yet produced fish to over 40lb. Just how do you define your personal best? Your largest fish? Your pb Common, pb mirror, pb leather? Your largest lake or still water fish vs River carp? I can go back through my limited photo album on my tablets, phone etc and every fish has a meaning, along with memories of that fish.

I really miss a decent show, especially 5 Lakes at Tiptree, although not the Realtree wearers, lol. Be really good if there were more about like your link.

I refuse to buy camping cooking kit. Camping cooking pans are simply only good enough to reheat ready meals, boil in the bag or warm tinned foods, beans, spaghetti or Staggs etc. I cook proper meals so I need decent pans, a proper frying pan, a real saucepan, and of course bialetti for real coffee. The saucepan is from memory, a milkpan, and I've had that for 15years, nothing expensive, the basic steel version, think it was from Sainsburys. My frying pan is over 20years old, no non-stick, but has been properly seasoned and aged. These decent cooking items don't take up much space, and mean you can cook proper food so much better.

I was having a cruise through interweb myself, you might find this interesting: https://campingsecrets.co.uk/best-camping-power-pack/

I do have a problem dropping leads. It is a form of litter, albeit hidden underwater. In most cases, there is no need, and a distance inline or pendant lead will 'slide' through most weed. I've found personally that the lead clip will catch weed as much as a pear or distance lead! That's from personal experience and experiments. A helicopter lead catches less weed, but bite indication is reduced.

I've noticed the past couple of years with hemp getting smaller that it can split more easily. I used to soak for 24-48 hours then bring to boil, and drop to simmer until it split, 20-30mins tops. Now I'm pour boiling water on it and boil 24hours later, although it will go after 12hours. Strange, I've been preparing hemp and particles this morning as well. A bucket for arrival and one in the freezer for the next day.

Problem is the elasticated Method feeder made it from match angling into carp fishing. It took some good anglers pointing out the risks to get the elastic removed on carp versions. I'm debating on Ali Hamidi, he's bugged me personally for years; the aggressive marketing, an article he wrote extrnding a trip and putting angling on a session and himself first over a close family members birthday, the Korda and now OMC loudmouth, as well as his programmes with his small person syndrome. 'Aggressive marketing', I don't like adverts at the best of times, I've gotten cynical over many claims from household brands, be that Flash, Listerine, or fishing tackle brands. One good thing does not make up for years of wrongs, and I won't go anywhere near the analogy used on the other site. Forgiveness for a small error may be given, but there are some no way no how.

Capesthorne Estate is one of the latest to ban it, and its on the Twyford and Dinton ban list. With so much media attention, so many bans on so many waters around the country, I'm wondering if this is going to 'bring back' the thinking angler.*** That's not a dig at anyone on here, it looks like we've seen the risks, worked it out and 'computer says no'. For years I've posted about items that I personally think aren't safe, from the way of fishing, to tackle items, leadcore, to media articles. I've been given stick in Carpforum and banned for it, been derided in Advanced Carp Fishing, and even had the ultimate honour of being banned from Jim Shelleys FB page before he proceeded to have a right go at my views. I think that this Twig is going to get tackle brands looking at risks properly, not just on release, but on design. That can only be a good thing! The other thing that may happen is that Ali Hamidi might end up on the 'persona non grata' list. His aggressive marketing appears to be causing a major backlash to his brands.

White sugar is washed a number of times in series and has had the molasses removed. Brown sugar is just washed to remove solid grit. The more sugar is washed the less molasses in it, and the lighter it gets. White sugar is just 'sweetness' not taste.

Strange, my Undercover has been fine, and it does get plenty of use, probably 10days out of every fortnight, and I have had it over a year. Sonik on the other hand, everything I got has had problems. Sk-tec recliner chair with extending legs that won't stay extended, only good on a level bank, rods where the liners fall out of the rod rings. I won't entertain buying anything from them now.

Have a look at the Solar Range. Probably not cheap, some are on discount as updates are due. I'm sure there is a sleep system. https://www.solartackle.co.uk/products/chairs-bedchairs I do have the basic Solar bedchair, and it's probably the most comfortable I have used.

I actually add a bit of olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil to the liquidised particles. As that mixes in and clouds I think it can only benefit, hemp wouldn't be any different. My tigers and maize I used to save my salted pasta water and soak them in. (I eat loads of pasta, and put the liquid in an ice cream tub, freeze it and take it out the day before I soak my particles). I don't soak hemp in salted water as it prevents it splitting when boiling. I do soak a kilo of hemp with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar though. I'm still not sure on salt in particles though. I'm not 100% sure on whether it increases attraction or does any good, or even if its healthy. Too much salt can reduce the utilisation of proteins. Another very good addition to particles, condensed milk.

Liquid or powder? I have a nice garlic oil I use in my baits. Maize can be a great bait, but I always felt needs spicing up a bit. There were plenty of rudd years ago, I had a few over 2lb, and you could see massive shoals swimming around the join point between the open water and the island end. Strangely that is very close to the one swim I did well for carp fishing particles. Fishing towards the hawthorn bush and barbed wire fence, a gravel bar that is very up and down, from 5ft down to 10ft in the space of a couple of feet. I heavily baited with pigeon conditioner and Trigga boilies, and had 5 carp in one night with 3 20lb commons, a single figure mirror and another double. Shauna my daughter also landed another 20lb common. I tried the same method further up and round where the end of the island and the rushes stick out of the water on the bank between Reeds and Virginia. I could not get past 6lb tench all night long. In the main lake, bream, bream and bream. I was a heavy pellet baiter (I'll leave the jokes to others), with plenty of chopped and whole boilies in the mix. Mostly 8mm pellets in the spod. If I fished at longer range over 50metres, it was boilies only. When I fished the main lake, I tended to fish towards the margins to avoid the bream as I regularly found carp or saw signs by the rushes, or under yhe brambles.

When I fished Earith, if I put in particles I got plagued with bream and tench, not that I mind catching bream and tench, but they kept the carp out. I caught best over pellet and boilie. On Ardleigh, plenty of bait could get you both bream and carp, and Alton I rarely caught bream, nearly all carp. Every water seems to be different.

I've never done well on butter beans, it could only improve them.

A teaspoon of each to 1kilo of Chick peas, stir in the water as you add it to soak them

I do think that flavoured Chick peas definitely work better than standard just soaked and boiled A nice yellow colour, actually caused by soaking in water with added turmeric and cumin.

Sessions like that for a gorgeous fish, you can see the cheer or 'yes'.

Earith, my second fish from the water, and 24lb. Just amazing how long ago it was as it seems like yesterday. The first fish was an 18lb wood carving common

I think depending on the weather conditions you'll get 2 days maybe 3 out of your particles until they start to whiff a bit. What I often do is freeze a batch in a 5litre bucket or ice cream tubs and take that to the lake still frozen, along with the bucket of fresh. The frozen bucket can take a day or two to defrost! A day longer if you have a good cool box or one powered by your cigarette socket in the car. Hemp, tares and maples it might be possible to prep on the bank if you have a big gas stove, soak for 24, then boil. I tend to think of hemp as bait up every day. Saying that, tigers and maize and other particles, once baited into the lake, could be a decent baited area and will last... Might keep the fish hanging around the area. Some places respond to one off baiting, others are every day venues.

I think that is a problem with a lot of tackle items, and media coverage. Dangers aren't pointed out in the article, ignored and/or not being used in that safe situation. I could go for the leadcore 'issue', and it's inherent dangers, on pendant or inline set-ups or excessive lengths, fish safety and 'dragging' fish away from weed or snags on a 50lb leader etc, but I think that finally it's getting through. Tackle companies seem to release a lot of unnecessary, unsafe tackle, maybe without realising the idiot factor, maybe money, or maybe simply not understanding, and tackle companies need to make money to survive. Problem is lead clips are too easily 'misused', or not used as their original purpose, which was to remove the lead at the end of the session. By fixing it permanently to the swivel, pushing the tail rubber on all the way, we are potentially back to the days of permanent fixed leads. What's wrong with a large bore John Roberts quick change bead attached to the hooklink swivel by a piece of large tubing? Or the run ring with a quicklink holding a lead on able to run free? I've queried rig safety, lead safety with the media, given my explanation and findings, and on occasion been accused of not fishing, just being a keyboard warrior. I'll let you decide on that one... I recall Gary Bayes years ago writing an article querying lead clips, stating the dangers, and his answer was to tie the lead on with doubled over 4lb mono. Bet that went down well considering his tie-ins.