salokcinnodrog

I used to test my lines myself, almost as per Kevin Maddocks in Carp Fever, giving abrasion resistance, the point it stretched to before breaking etc, the Tackle Box tests are pretty spot on. There are lines that no matter how many tests they pass just don't work for the individual angler. There were some I used or tested that I would not use ever again; Berkley Big Game, Nash Bullet Mono, Ultima lines, even Daiwa Sensor in clear, yet the brown was spot on. I loved Shimano Catana, one of the best lines going, it was a shame it was withdrawn from sale. I could not get ESP line to knot tidily, the knot strength was awful, for me, yet a mate loved it and had no problems. If Daiwa Sensor has changed then that is sad, as it was it worked when I last used it around 2010, and I had used it from 1994! The things that cause lines to misbehave are line twist, playing fish on the clutch rather than backwind, 'over stretch' without to breaking point, obviously a snap-off, although at the knot, it may well have damaged the line from the knot to the reel. Something else that causes damage is the lead, and lead attachment, it may well crush or pinch the line, or in the case of running leads on run rings, rub and abrade it, and of course, playing fish over gravel, through weeds and lilies, yet how many check the line every time? But when it goes 'the line is rubbish'...

I spooled up somewhere back in time at the start of lockdown with Gardner Pro clear in 15lb again. While I like a tough line, Gardner Pro is it. Somewhere back in the dinosaur age on here I did a review on it, everything I said then still stands. It knots tidily, is strong and handles abrasion, and I need those on the reservoir.

Sensor is one of the best lines out there, far better than more expensive brands. I have played fish in and out of lily beds, round snags, even round buoy chains and landed fish. It also casts well, I used to cast around 120metres with 15lb line on 2.75lb SP's. ALL mono is stretchy, between 15-25% before it gives way, and there are worse than Sensor. If I hadn't been given some Gardner Pro to test by Richard Gardner I would still be using it in preference to any other line.

What is easier to push, a light barrow or a heavy barrow? Any weight saving is a bonus

You are the same as me Mate. I much prefer not using a full bivvy system unless I have to. The number of times last year I left the overwrap in the car knowing I didn't need it. I have had full bivvies in the past, a bigger EasyDome is handy in a cold winter, (that is ice next to it on the bank) but even with the overwrap the brolly works

I prefer a pop-up mix over cork ball pop-ups. I have too often reeled in a plain cork where it was pierced and water got under the base mix layer. You may well have to sieve out the larger bits in the base mix so that it rolls smoothly. That is one reason I always tie on my pop-ups, a subject in itself. If you are using high attract 'individual' pop-ups, then you can use whatever flavour combinations you fancy, the amount for 6 eggs worth of base mix, added to 1egg. If you want your pop-up the same level as your main bait, then you will have to lower the level to the correct ratio. So for example in 6 eggs the recommended flavour level is 6ml of flavour, then only add 1ml. (There is a useful thread here on my pop-ups: If the pop-up mix is red, then you will not ever get a yellow bait, so if you want a yellow bait, get a pale yellow or white pop-up mix. Same if you want any other colour, with a pale base mix you can add dye. I found for a 1egg mix that 1 ampoule of Dr. Oetker food dye is the right amount.

Autumn Fishing... Late Summer fishing... Not got one of the Rod Hutchinson Cabrio yet, not had the chance to use it in a real fishing situation.

Welcome to Carp.com. Bitech Viper, that brings back memories! A very sensitive alarm, and if I remember correctly you increased or decreased sensitivity by the angle the rod went through the slot. Can't remember which way round it was, but I think Have the rod tip low and it was super sensitive, have the tips up decreased it. We used to fish the railway bank at Barham A pit, those with Bitech Vipers would get loads of false bleeps from trains going past around 10metres away.

Ouch, been there done that. Bedchair on the bottom layer helps, with legs open it holds gear in place if you have no side bars. Last season I loaded mine up to go round the reservoir and on lifting the handles, the barrow didn't lift and the handles straightened. I didn't think I had that much weight on it, loads of bait though... I've never really thought about taking a pic of a full barrow load, but I'm positive mine for a week would not be that full.

Have you thought about Shimano at all? I use the Shimano Beastmasters on the reservoir, and used them on Nazeing. Good for long distance, and playing fish once you get used to the front drag and baitrunner spool Shop around for prices, but around £62 a reel https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/shimano-beastmaster-xb-reel

Spend as much time as I can walking round it locating fish and spots they like, even if possible the features underwater, using a marker float and leading around or god forbid a Deeper😖😆 If possible prebait and watch the fishes reaction to bait. To be honest, as the carp only go to doubles figures, unless silver fish are a problem, forget the boilies, go to cheaper 'natural' baits; sweetcorn, chick peas, maggots and particles, dosed with Vitalin or rolled maize. I know particles, sweetcorn and chickpeas etc are not natural, but can create a feeding reaction before boilies. Also find out from other anglers who do fish it what works best, then decide if you need to use boilies

One of the biggest caught (and publicised) in the UK that year. It did make a spread in Anglers Mail.

Yep. It meant more than the mirror I had the night before which I didn't photograph.

I don't weigh every fish, although I do weigh a fair few. Pike I tend to weigh if they look close to or into double figures, and carp on Bromeswell I weigh if they are around my estimate of 8lb, which seems to be an above average size for that water. Roach if they are close to a pound get weighed, and bream my figure is above 6lb. Tench, I aim for anything above 6lb, so they get weighed, and chub my figure is 3lb. In terms of pounds and ounces, and 'largest' fish or personal bests, the smaller species get accurate weights to the ounce, but carp and pike get rounded down. So my Alton pike this year bounced to 20lb 8oz, but I'll take 20lb as its weight. My largest carp was 33 and a bit, but to me its 33lb. Bream and tench are a bit of a mix though. My largest tench is 12lb 2oz, but if it goes 9lb and a bit, i'll take 9lb. Same with bream, my largest is 12lb 4oz, but I have had others that I accepted 12lb as the weight.

8mm parachord is the stuff if you ever want to replace the whole stuff. Twice the frame length and width plus about a metre and a half is about right if you want it well tensioned.

I've started going through mine at long last, although I had respooled my reels just before the start of lockdown. Some fresh rigs tied yesterday. I cut down the rigs which I had tied for Bromeswell as I'm not going to be using size 10's on Alton, need at least a size 6 on there, whereas Bromeswell has a maximum size 10 rule. The size 10 Solar 101's will be checked and used for floater fishing for carp and chub. The bomb site that my tackle box had become will be tidied, maybe even cleaned if I get that bored. Unfortunately I don't have the space to sort and clean my bivvies, all three of them, might have to do them in front of my flat on the concrete. The landing net mesh needs repairing or replacing, I managed to rip it pike fishing, catching a set of trebles on it, making one big hole when I landed a double figure pike out of the ressie.

Would make very good rig holders for zig rigs. I went through mine yesterday as I finally got round to tying some new rigs, a Grandeslam rig wallet with my pop-up rigs in, and two rig bins. Also found a Gardner rig bin totally full of 'unknown' mixed leads; inlines, pendant and some that I had added a loop on the lead body for some reason, probably testing the effectiveness of the COG theories.

Easier to replace a broken cable tie than have to do a whole elastic! My thoughts are that you have to use a decent size or thickness of cable tie, but if you have a decent tie, the strength is pretty high. Does anyone remember the Lafuma type chairs I think it was, with the springs attaching mattress to the frame? The springs would stretch and pop out so you had a bedchair or sunlounger frame that had springs missing. I replaced the springs with large split rings which worked well.

I have found a few swims on Taverham Mills, the Sugar Beet pits and the park lake that 12 feet rods would be a struggle, a 9foot rod was perfect under the overhanging trees.

Most definitely a through actioned rod for dealing with that surge close in, you want to be able to 'feel' the pressure you put on and a through actioned rod definitely does that. Personally, I would go for a 9ft in 2lb or even 1.5lb if you can find one. While fishing close in, you get always keep back from the bank, and unless you are jungle fishing, fighting through undergrowth, the longer rod is a better choice for me. You don't even need to think of necessarily rods described as stalking rods, there are good alternatives. Stalking rods are often 'carp taxed'. An Avon or Barbel rod with those 1 1/2 or 2lb test curves makes a very good stalking rod. For years I used a 9ft Spinning rod, my current incarnation is a barbel rod. My stalking goes from freeline floater fishing under the rod tip, to lowering bottom baits in at my feet to a gentle flick out with a float. I have landed 20lb carp on an Avon rod with 6lb line, not once feeling outgunned, although playing it away from lilies was a bit hairy😖 This is where the extra length comes in handy as you could be fishing in 6 or 7 feet of water, and casting a float set slightly overdepth with a 6ft rod can see you struggle.

Don't know if you remember my comment from years ago about being able to splice 25lb Kryston Merlin, I think it is possible with a number of braided hooklinks. The only difference in my case was the only knot was to the swivel and it was through the eye of the hook, but I reckon you could Multi-rig with any uncoated braid over 15lb.

Do you remember Kryston Supersilk? Until I got worried about its diameter and possibility of cutting fishes lips and stopped using it, I used to stain my Supersilk hooklinks in tea or coffee, although it does take on the colour of the silt on the lakebed.

My Mrs moaned at me summat terrible when I made some Trigga with Liver Elite. She reckoned the smell was so bad it woker her up at 1am in the middle of the night. That is the main reason since then I have mostly bought my bait ready made, although I do still make the occasional batch. Garlic and Spice is not too bad, but Monster Crab would have got me killed...😖

I bought the Att dongles to go onto my Delkims years ago, must be 10+? I'm sure I had them when I first went onto Nazeing in 2008, so they have lasted. The receiver lasts at least a year on a single Eveready or Duracell AA battery, however dependant on use or type the dongle batteries will need changing around every 3 months. The GP batteries don't have a good life, the ones I got from Maplin were a whole lot better, sadly Maplin😖 I know this goes against Emmcees opinion, sorry, I have found the ST Delkims with the dongles worked for me, and I know it is a common judgement that Delkim TXi's had water ingress problems for a few years.

I have never 'worried' about hooklink colour. I put worried in inverted commas as although I often do use green or camouflaged hooklinks, it is down to my preference for the old Kryston hooklink materials which just happened to be available in those colours. Merlin is a black, white and green mixed colour braid, I use it straight or as part of a combi-link over weed, gravel or silt bottom. My coated braid is Mantis in dark grey or Snakebite in green. Again I use them over all bottoms. If camouflage gives you confidence, then go with it, a confident angler catches more than someone who does not believe in what they are doing. Going back to your hooklink braids, weed stems can be green or brown, even red tints on some. Gravel is never just brown, it can be yellow, grey, or brown. Even softer lakebeds like clay have different colours from lake to lake, area to area, county to county. Some are a blue grey, yellow brown, red, or red brown. About the only consistent is silt, it tends to be black, or dark brown.