salokcinnodrog

Many waters are classed as night waters, like my syndicate, yet at times fish come out at all times of the day. I had a 5 day/night session last year where a couple of fish came out just before first light, yet the majority of my 6 fish came out late afternoon or early evening. I actually had 2 blank days with nothing caught. Stalking has put extra fish on the bank, wandering around with a floater or stalking rod. That has been my standard fishing for over 30 years, catching 'bonus' fish during the day and the static rods at night. First light putting baits into patches of bubbling fish, or seeing fish in the margins and lowering baits to them, or putting in plenty of dog biscuits to get them on top. It is a whole lot easier if the water is close to home!

That's a big advantage for me now. We can't keep the car behind the swim, it does have to go in the car park, but unloading without pushing a barrow any distance is a big plus. I struggle to even push a barrow with my pike rods and one bag on it around 100metres!

Strangely enough on Nazeing the bailiffs were the opposite side of the coin. They did do a ticket check almost every day. In the rules it was 'no wading' so when I had a fish snag me up I did go in for it to get it out from the undercut where it had caught up in the roots. The bailiff had heard my alarm and came round to help and approved my actions. He also took the pics of the bionic common that was only just 20lb. Another bailiff would happily tell you (or me) where they were baiting, and while I never knowingly went into the swim if I did know, I did once by accident on seeing a fish show. He shrugged it off as he knew how much I walked around the whole complex. Or Gary, walking around in the dark about 6pm in winter, Sky heard him and barked, so "oh Hi Nick, no worries Mate I know you have your ticket". I did have one bailiff who @kevtaylor I will use your word, mine wouldn't be so polite, troll, didn't like me fishing. I used to fish a Saxmundham Angling Club water called Loam ponds, and one of my favourite swims was right next to the 'no fishing bay, not in the rule book, but he didn't like people fishing in there. I used to sit on the ground or leaning against a tree about 2metres from my rods watching the fish swim along the treeline and go into the bay. It wound him up something chronic as I 'wasn't in my swim'. You could guarantee as soon as a car pulled into the car park, 20minutes later he would walk over. I really wound him up one day, as well as my club ticket I put the rule book in my pocket, and fished a tiny stalking swim on the far side of the bay next to the pumphouse. 20minutes after arriving, "You can't fish there". My reply was along the lines of "its a swim so yep I can". "I'm a bailiff, it's in the rules, you can't fish in the bay". Out came the rule book from my pocket and turned to specific Loam Ponds rule pages, and swim map, there was my swim marked nicely with a number 15. His face, strangely enough he never bugged Bruce or me again, although sadly the original Leney carp were lost to otters and the water was taken over by a syndicate.

I've got a water that is right under the skin, my current syndicate, although I'm not sure if it's Chestnut who goes 42'ish or the big uncaught common I and others have seen. 45acres with around 165 carp, so it's not overstocked, and is in a private estate. The growth rate of some of the fish has been phenomenal! Please! I really loved Alton Water and was catching a few, but the problems got me to the state of apoplexy; Eastern European anglers casting lures across anglers lines, I had the same two cast across me two days on the trot. The amount of barbecues and rubbish left on the bank got ridiculous by said Eastern anglers. I would frequently fill a bin bag and call the bailiff if I was a long way from the car park bins so he could put it in the buggy Parking became a nightmare, worrying about your car being safe. When I complained about the problems, I was told my ticket would not be renewed. Let's just say I'm not a fan of the reservoir manager or Anglian Water.

I'm pretty a full time coffee drinker, it's either a flask of black coffee if it's just a few hours, or the Bialetti comes with me. I have to bring water for Sky, so I'll always take a few litres so I can brew up. Occasionally I do have fruit teas late afternoon early evening with water boiled in Kelly Kettle.

Those Tackle Box rods definitely get very good feedback. My only problem with going into Tackle Box (and Johnson Ross) is I spend far too much money. The staff in both are extremely helpful, so if you can go into either in person they will take time to give help and advice.

I would suggest that you have a look and wiggle in person. Saying that, I have not heard any negative feedback for them. I would definitely trust them over Sonik or Avid in that price bracket!

Don't forget it's Bank Holiday season; the weird series of time between Christmas and New Year with Christmas being on Wednesday and two holidays there, so it may be carriers are not yet up to date.

Well you won't be needing to buy any for a few years...

Well I gave my first Pike Anglers Club presentation in Lincoln at the start of December, all photographs moved from Android phone onto USB stick. They can't be put in time order so it is a case of slideshow by double clicking each pic as you need it. The next regional presentation I will be doing for the PAC is in Cambridge Region on 8th January.

I had a button pop when I was fishing, it got sewn back on with 50lb mainline braid.

I'm in the Merino wool socks group. Merino wool even when wet insulates you and keeps warm. One thing I do do is wash by hand rather than stick through the washing machine.

That's not a mat shot... That's a mat shot! 🤪

I finally managed my first pike of this season yesterday. I've really struggled with getting up early so camped out Tuesday night by the lake under the umbrella. After coffee yesterday morning I got the rods out and within an hour had the 15lb pike on float fished dead roach. A while later I had a pick up on ledgered mackeral, which was dropped, a recast and a little later I managed an 11lb pike, as I netted it, the hooks fell out. I also had 3 more dropped takes on mackeral, which leads me to believe that mackeral has been hammered as a bait.

Just thinking, how big are Gardner Black or Black Shadow buzzer bars? I have a feeling there are 13" and 16" bars somewhere in the range.

You might have to prime or rough up the finish on them. As much as stainless is 'bright' I do like it for its durability

That is where I do like https://www.solartackle.co.uk/products/p1-buzz-bars

Gladwells have bought up the recipe for Vitalin and it is now Vitacarp. Other than that look at Mollassed Rabbit mix in animal feed suppliers. I've used that as a groundbait base for years.

Oh dear, the number I pull legs off and put a hook through when fishing for thornback or bass... I love prawns, shrimp, crab and squid as well as other fish, although I rarely eat farmed trout or salmon as I don't like farmed fish and how and what they are fed. Freshly caught bass, thornback skate, cod do go down well. Skate with nutmeg mashed potato, carrots and broccoli and a cheese sauce. Bass and cod I fillet and fry in the pan with onions, then whatever potatoes, except chips. In fact my favourite fish and chip shop fish is battered plaice.

Reading glasses? As for getting uncoated braid through a hook eye, join the club, it's a nightmare if you have it decide to 'split'. I just wet it and hope it doesn't spread. Seriously if you need a magnifying glass, or reading glasses, it is helping your vision.

My mate Bruce is forever scouring ebay for Mitchell reels, and he has a large box of spare parts from beyond economical repair reels, and a large display case of reels. He repaired and repainted one of my old Mitchell's where the rotor goes anti-clockwise so reels in 'backwards'. My view is a reel is to be used, so it is on one of my chub stalking rods.

As Yonny says, what's your budget? Value means different things to different people and to me value was a pod that lasts, I think I bought my Solar P1 pod around 2016, so in terms of value it's lasted, and still in use, but Solar stainless is not cheap, the current equivalent is probably around £500 Then we have a bit more budget, but Rod Hutchinson make the Enduro pod at around £100 https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/enduro-rod-pod/

It's from household, production, processing and delivery. 60% is from household though. In the UK supermarkets at one point were refusing 'misshaped' vegetables, adding to the problem. Indeed, then we complain we are struggling to feed ourselves. Even fly fishing for trout has in many places become a 'catch and release'

I have tried a few fish both in UK and abroad, carp, pike, gudgeon and bleak. Gudgeon and bleak used to be eaten whole, basically stir fried like whitebait, or in a pie. I've never found carp earthy, although that may be because of being 'washed' in water (tank) rather than straight from the capture. The same with pike, although they are bony, fine needle bones that take a lot of picking out. It kind of bugs me because obviously we catch and return, but carp were brought over specifically for eating, monk stew ponds possibly even the Romans. Pike were eaten for years. Problem with everything is taking from the wild rather than farms or 'overstock'.

The light is on as you say! There are fish farms already around for fish breeding for food in various countries. In Israel, Jews obviously have to eat kosher, which is freshwater fish, and carp are on the menu. It was imported Israeli carp that brought a batch of KHV to Europe. In Eastern Europe a lot of laws now in place for the wildwaters and lakes, there is a maximum size that can be taken. Poland, Romania and Hungary I know have fish farms. China is another country where carp are eaten. Paddy fields planted with rice, stocked with carp and flooded. At harvest time the paddy fields are drained, and carp and rice are harvested. I've been to restaurants in Germany, the food carp are in the tank, pick your fish for dinner, it's not a display.