salokcinnodrog

I have a very sneaky variation on that that gives a bit of extra movement😉 I'll sort pics when I get home

The carp can do it again and again, I've seen them go back for more as late as the end of August. They spawn, start building eggs again and if it is warm enough go spawn some more.

Long time since I've been there, but that would be the area I would be looking. At least you could hide around the waterworks, where Dolphin Bridge area you are in plain sight.

Not sure I mentioned this earlier in the thread: Something I have found is that it can take 2 days for carp to get onto your bait. Whether it is they aren't in the area, or are wary, I don't know. Last week I put bait in every day, a few boilies by throwing stick after an initial day one bucket of hemp, and blanked for 3 days. This week I did my initial hemp spombing, and on 2nd night had 2 carp. The only top up is a fresh stringer when I recast after giving Sky her walk. Almost every session I have caught on Alton is the same, blank first night, although the first fish back is the exception that proves the rule

I think all the supermarkets 5l bottles of water are around £1, for the money of a good few uses until the handles break, decent value. I really don't see the need to be buying specific camping or fishing water containers.💦

Enjoy, hope you have a good one.

Plenty more walking and looking. It can be worth just sitting watching a spot for a while rather than just walking and looking. The sunken trees are a good starting point, as will be weedy areas. As for bait, sweetcorn, particles, with maybe a few boilies thrown in. As an aside, I had a look at the City of London Hampstead Heath fishing page, that is good value for money!

I use old screen wash containers or the like. A mate who ran a car valet business gets 5l of screen wash for around £2.50. It comes with a free 5litre container that just needs a wash and dry. To heck with paying for camping containers.

I had a couple of big bream during a carp session, both 9's. It prompted me to go to tackle more suited for them and target them. Two doubles was the result, a 10.4 and a 12.

A proper sized bronze bream, abramis brama is the latin name. If you think that 6lb is probably the average size, that is definitely a good fish.😉

The best indicators grips I found were on the original Fox Mk.1 Swingers. I loved those indicators, used them for years. The Mk.2's were not a patch on them, the line gate was awful although the increased weight was better. In fact I think it was having to replace my Swingers when they were stolen is why I went to Solar indicator heads

Another option being as I got mine cheap is the Rod Hutchinson Hybrid Cabrio Brolly System. I have used it for 4 sessions now, in two formats. The first overnighter session, boiling hot after lockdown, I just set it up with storm sticks and used it as shade from the sun. The next sessions as I was fishing for a few nights I added the porch extension to increase storage space inside. The brolly itself comes with stormsides as standard, a clip in groundsheet and a proper zip in door, which I haven't used yet, preferring the open front. In the brolly alone I can get my bedchair with a Korum ruck bag behind that holds my food, rucksack by the foot of the bed, tackle box by my bed head. The only reason I changed is I simply fancied a new bivvy, not because I had to.

I recently bought one of the RH Cabrio beasties, not used it yet though, was going to bring it today, but got the 'new gear blank syndrome' in mind. It is a beast of a mat seriously deep, outside pockets and comes in a decent carry bag https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/cabrio-monster-unhooking-mat/

I know a number of anglers who use a piece of yellow foam as the topper or to lift the bait up to critically balance or pop it up. It looks like large pieces of sweetcorn or maize

The only thing is that in my case, so I presume on other reservoirs, is that most of the weed tends to be marginal. There is a weedline that goes out to about 10metres, the next drop-off or ledge before it gets weed free. On Ardleigh and Alton I found the depth was more important than weed free or not, the takes came between 6 and 12 feet.

I had another walk around today as I'm planning to fish from tomorrow for a few days. I found some pics I took of the culvert area last year, compared to one I took today, hard to believe it is taken from almost the same spot. I said I don't often prebait, I did put a bit in today, although I do know the carp already like KMG, but I have checked the weather and the wind is due to change. That walking around, even if not on the day you fish, gives you an insight into the water. Puts little clues your way.

You need something more buoyant than the one on there at the moment. My homemade 15mm pop-ups will actually take extra putty moulded around the tubing on a size 4 hook on a Ronnie rig, not that I use them very often.

I don't think that a lead clip offers the 'best' self hooking properties anyway, and a running lead with slack line or run ring with a tight line is different to what most anglers fish. Lead clips allow the fish to use the lead to get rid of the rig. If they are used to being hooked on (as an example) 6 inch hooklengths, then I have seen fish move no more than 6 inches and suck and blow until the hook is ejected. With the run ring, the lead slides back up the line not giving the fish anything to use.

That looks like a Solar 101 size 6. Running lead with a tight line is also known as a bolt rig. I think it is page 115 in Kevin Maddocks Carp Fever, a rig between 3-9inches. I don't like lead clips at all, so I prefer to use run rings wherever possible.

I put the point on my finger, with some slack, then lifted as if a fish lifted and ran. To be fair I was working as a plasterer and on building sites so my skin was probably like sandpaper and a bit tough.

Probably the hardest thing to get right is clothing sizes as most of the tackle brands are 'male dominated'. Best thing is get into the tackle shop and try jackets on, although I have a preference for Hoggs of Fife hunting jackets and overtrousers for the winter. Summer wear is usually army surplus combat trousers and t-shirt with a decent fleece for cooler days. I nearly always have one of my old combat jackets in the car just in case.

Welcome to Carp.com. There are absolutely loads of reasons why you might not be hooking fish. 1, the indication may be a line bite. Do not strike until you are certain. Short Up and down movements on your indicator can be liners. Fish swimming through your line, touching it and lifting it up or down. Even small silver fish can give you single bleeps when they touch the line, bream or carp can pull a slack indicator right to the top. You may need to cast closer in, to get where the fish are. No point in casting further out than the fish. 2, you are getting proper takes, but the hair is not long enough. I work on a simple philosophy; if I am hooking fish dead centre of the bottom lip, then my feeding and hair length is right. If I am not hooking, or losing fish to hook pulls the hair is too short. 3, you are not feeding enough to keep the fish interested, they are able to inspect every bait. Your pva bag mix may be just pellet and you could need boilies in there so the fish also pick up boilies on the hook. More feed altogether, so the fish get their heads down and munch. That is just 3 possible answers!

I've spoken to a few, made my point and had to call the EA a couple of times when I got rude replies or threatened. I know in Ipswich the police ejected 14 in one day off the River Gipping. As for prebaiting on rivers, I don't think it is as essential as on lakes as carp do have to eat more than their lake counterparts, so almost everything is tried. However, even on rivers baits can blow over time. I have watched River carp ignore sweetcorn for a few days. Prebait features, overhanging trees, bends, weir pools etc. Be aware that when you arrive carp may not be in the area, they may patrol up and down a stretch, covering a few miles in a day. You may find bait droppers handy to get your bait down to the river bed. No point on putting your hook where you dropped bait in if it has been washed down 20metres.

Firstly could I remind you that the close season on rivers is from 15th March until 16th June, so you should not be fishing rivers until then.

I did a post in Rig Tying this week, actually while I was fishing. The rigs I have been using on the reservoir myself. I know @commonly you have a 'no curved hook' rule, my other straight hook shank is a Solar 101. Both these rigs work with them as well. @pablo7uk, the snowman set-up is what produced a fish this week. Don't think you always have to use a Ronnie rig. I do know I was fishing over a clay bed so the area I was fishing was weed free. Both rigs have worked on the reservoir, and strangely, both seem to keep me bream free, whereas single baits have been taken by bream. I don't mind if they are big, (9lb +), but a night of 5-8lb fish every few minutes can do my head in.