salokcinnodrog

I'd tried Ronnie and Spinner rigs, D-rigs but felt I wasn't quite getting it right. The pop-up wasn't sitting high enough above the still growing weed on the 'patchy' areas, so had to play around and remembered I had this tied up so dug out the rig wallet. Puts faith back in the mind, especially as the first fish was perfectly nailed dead centre of the lip. I think John Claridge used something similar as well.

Worse than that, a helicopter set-up and 3.5oz lead

I know that I always try to keep it simple, and most of my rigs are the same as 20 years ago, but I have been playing with rigs recently. It might look ungainly, but has the curve of a chod rig, the spin of a 360 or Spinner rig and the hook attachment of a Multi-rig, with 2 tungsten pop-up sinkers. Boom material is a doubled length of Snakeskin, and the mini link is 20lb Amnesia with a lighter tagged knot to prevent it coming off

I can give you a full breakdown on the RH Cabrio Hybrid Brolly, it is what I am sat in right now. The brolly itself is big, must be a 60inch brolly with sides. The groundsheet is provided, and clips in place. You can set the brolly up with just the front bars, but also comes with Storm sticks. The brolly pushes up on a central pole which is then unscrewed and a 'stop blank' fits in place. You do have a spoke protector 'membrane' to stop you hitting the spokes, but that can be fiddly, and isn't an essential fit. Door system zips into place on either the brolly, or the extension, and is able to be pegged down, or tied back and door up. It has mozzie mesh on the side panel under the 'blank'. The standard extension, (there is a Euro version as well) is a 450mm extension that zips on, with additional front bar and spacers to keep it pushed forward, and a groundsheet extension. Overwrap, it does work at reducing or even preventing condensation, there is a decent gap between brolly and wrap. Although it does sit on the top spokes, it can pull out at the sides to give the gap. It velcroes to the front bar, and has decent pegging points. With overwrap Plain brolly, no storm sticks. Full Hybrid Brolly with extension

West Ham and European Quarter finals, could be a regularity. There is quite a good write-up on Ashmead in Tim Paisley's More From the Bivvy, a few chapters on his fishing there. Yes it does look good, but sorry Mate, I can't justify the cost of the Carp Society plus around £140 (minimum) for 2 days/nights fishing, and a £100 security deposit. Last year I paid to fish Redmire, but due to unforeseen circumstances couldn't go, I couldn't get a dog sitter who Sky was comfortable with. My syndicate is £400 a year, and has produced some big fish to over 50lb, on natural food, along with at least 2 other 40's. I may moan at blanking but with 150 fish in 50acres... I mention in response to a post, think it was Highy, it is hidden in plain sight. My reason for being a member of the PAC is that the club does educate, even lobby on behalf of protection of the pike, both locally at club and venue level and nationally. They also arrange via Region, junior fish-ins and teaching as well as other fish-ins. Do carp need that lobbying and protection? (Devils advocate) If however there was a national angling group covering all species I might be interested. (Something along the lines of the old National Association of Specimen Anglers). I don't think that the Angling Trust is quite right, something I can't quite put my finger on.

Funny thing about my syndicate is it is hidden in plain sight. It has the same sort of rules, although I can share captures with my sponsors, and it does allow 3 rods. We do have our own FB page for members only and have to report every capture to the syndicate manager. Enjoy your new venture mate, sounds special and at a good price

My floater rod is a 1.75lb Specialist rod, which swaps between roach, bream, tench and chub as well as carp. Years ago I bought a Shimano aero 4000 gtm fighting drag with spare spool, but one of the current 4/5000 size baitrunner reels should be perfect. Obviously match your line to the lake, some places 8lb is fine, others it is 10-15lb plus. The 8lb I use for feeder fishing for the 'little' species as well, including floater fishing for chub. Hooklink wise I tend to water knot an arms width of hooklink, Berkeley Trilene xl below 10lb, Preston Reflo above 10lb, usually to a size 10. Hooks, Drennan Super Specialist, Solar 101's work for me. As for dog biscuits, a box of Bakers Complete gives a mix of shapes and sizes and a very nice hook bait with the big square ones. If close enough freeline, if further out a decent controller, and wait for it, but a Nash Tackle recommendation (I feel faint and ill saying that, 😆) the Bolt Machine.

You're itching... Jdgc...

I'm sure you can. I have wandered around and gone up my own backside; on pop-ups alone at one point I had 12 different types, and only caught on a few of them. I was getting pellets like no tomorrow, bloodworm, Green Lipped Mussel, Betaine, various sizes of koi and some trout pellets. I watched the fish over the Betaine, GLM and Betaine pellets and realised they were an 'oversprayed' basic pellet. There was not a great deal of difference in the interest from the koi pellet. Groundbait, I figured Vitalin pretty much serves all my carp, bream and tench fishing needs, although I can change the mix with those koi pellets, worms, casters, maggots, sweetcorn or a few shaves of papers in or luncheon meat. I have a few boilies 5kg of freezer Rod Hutchinson Infusion 7.5kg (roughly) of Shelf Life Infusion 1 tub of Ballistic B pop-ups in white 1 tub of KMG pop-ups in natural 1 tub of Aniseed and bunspice pop-ups in yellow (to match the maize or corn in Vitalin) 1 tub of Monster Crab in purple to match the Infusion colour or as flavour topper on snowman rigs. Mate, I know how you feel. The E10 doesn't help, my MPG dropped when that took over from E5. I would normally drive the A14 at around 80 according to my speedometer. Now I'm sticking to 65mph. In 2020 it was 99.9p a litre, now we are up at £1.65 in East Anglia at Supermarkets, higher in Branded stations. £1.69 at Esso last night. I do think I get a few mpg more from branded petrol though which is why I used it, well as well as Nectar points...

I have the Porterlite. My water bottle fits nicely in the drop in bag, which has a 'pocket' either side at the rear which takes a 5l bottle, or a bait bucket. In front of that is another bucket, of dog food. Soft bits and pieces fill up the space, trainers, waterproofs, boxed tablet. The bedchair goes on top of that with the RH big boy unhooking mat on top and tackle box, food bag in that, and rods strapped across front to back I am occasionally on 2 trips as due to my back problems I sometimes need to take a proper recliner chair, so that comes on second trip with rucksack..

Got the job, did first shift Saturday

I think the Sticky Hemp oil is what is left after grinding or crushing the hemp up, which is why you get the gunk and green tinge, it is straight from the hemp. Human food grade is probably filtered and sieved to remove that.

Molehill soil is a good addition

You can get just a new mesh rather than a whole new net😉 Choice for you just to have a looksee https://johnsonrosstackle.co.uk/810-spare-meshes-sleeves https://www.tacklebox.co.uk/landing-equipment/landing-nets/tb-replacement-ez-mesh-42-inch-olive-green-deep.html Not going to happen, starter motor packed in, and I start Saturday, so car first

Alfie Russell or Alan Blair? Kttfo The lamping of fish was actually banned in many places. I hate lights on the water at night, I even try not to shine my headlight out of the bivvy.

I aim to fish almost every week. (The joys of being separated and single) This week is currently up in the air as I had job interview yesterday and have trial shift tomorrow. If I can get the time on the bank for 3 nights I will be down the lake. It would be good to see the fish show again.

The difference is cost of the material. Polyester is cheaper than Oxford nylon, and not as 'stretchy', but is more water resistant, however both can be improved.

Despite that, there are some oils that do seem to make a difference. On Taverham back in the early 1990's, baits had to be soaked in Salmon Oil to get a take. I was using a birdfood bait, and against the dominant fishmeal, I could not get a take until I soaked the bait in Salmon Oil, even the fishmeals were dripping. Obviously this stopped (nationwide), with the articles on the deaths of fish with enlarged livers soaked in oils, and more sensible levels came back. I do mix oils in with my groundbaits and pellets, and with other liquids, and some do get an increased interest; garlic oil, peanut oil, rapeseed and sunflower oil.

The only BAF product I have used is the Fluoro pink pop-up mix, and so far it has made the baits for a year, still got plenty left. In fact I may actually make 2 lots for the year, some 50mm ones or larger for pike fishing, popping up deadbaits as I have a concern using foam or plastic, and my carp baits for the year.

I can let you into a very secret ingredient for bag mixes, Equivite pellets for horses. Mix with GLM and Betaine pellets you have a winner. I often add dry Vitalin as well.

I have just tied up a few Ronnie rigs myself, playing with the hooklink materials trying to match the weed colour on my syndicate, which did not die back over the winter. I also made sure that the pop-ups I used only just sunk the hook. Tested in the margins, the hook and Ronnie swivel only just sunk with the buoyancy of the pop-up. I found Kryston Jackal and Snakebite were the closest matching the colour of the weed. I have also had a play with the lead set-up, and inlines do work on the weed free spots, putting the whole lot in a PVA bag, pellets, dry Vitalin, hook and bait, and lead, but rig length can't be more than half the length of the bag, as I have the lead to go in as well. On a helicopter set-up, I have attached a PVA bag filled with the same, 'moulded' around the lead and hooked the hook in the outside corner. This set-up I can lengthen the hooklink, or even fish it hinged. Both were cast in, as well as checked in the margins. Believe it or not, the leads are not particularly obvious with the helicopter set-ups and hidden under a mound of goodies with the inlines. Blooming cold examining the lay in the water even with my chest waders on.

Fishing buddy's is a weird one. Like Newmarket says, if driving is the problem then its 'suck up to the Mrs', (that would be brownie points on its own...) If you get onto a good water, make friends, you might get yourself a really good like minded mate. That is how I made some of the fishing mates I have. Or as B B says ask around the tackle shop, although drivers always get to choose venues. It is not fun having to take gear on public transport, although if you can minimise it, cycling can be do-able for days only, or a cycle trailer. My fishing buddies have changed through the years; I've moved so don't fish with one of my mates, others have different lives, jobs and even different expectations from our fishing. Big Dave hardly fishes due to his life, and he would probably hate the blanks of a 50acre water with 100 fish. He wants to catch every trip! Bruce and I do fish together as much as possible, but my constant job hours when I'm working rarely match our time off together. I find myself that I often work harder for my fishing when I am on my own. I don't have to think about 'social swims' or spots that we can fish near to each other, just concentrate on the water, trying to find the fish. Mind you, knowing that you are on the canal, 2 of you might help locating them if you leapfrog along it.

I also found the pics of the first 20lb fish from Trimley top lake

In which case simply use a buffer or tulip bead😉

Bad batches! Bought from different sources, subject to standard Nick use. Hybrid Spod and Marker rod, 2 x Vader 12ft 3.00, used for pike fishing. All have had butt rings replaced. One cracked at the top (rod side) of the guide on the Hybrid S+M, and the other 2 inners popped out while in the holdall. No other manufacturers Rods have ever done the same, with the exception of an Abu Segra Spod Rod where braid cut grooves in the tip and butt ring. Century, Rod Hutchinson, Shimano, Avid all stood up to my use and abuse. I have looked at the Sonik guides and they have misshapen slightly from use while fishing.