salokcinnodrog

On Layer Pits near Colchester the favoured method to catch loads of fish was spodding massive amounts of hemp, (in cases I know some anglers had a water tank in the back of the vehicle full of hemp), then CAPS chose to ban loose feeding hemp and spodding. In order to beat it hemp was mixed with Vitalin and balled in via catapult, it still worked. The plain hemp ban was lifted and anglers went back to spodding hemp to catch. It is possible to get Vitalin groundbait balls up to 100metres or so with the right catapult, and Vitalin is a good binding groundbait for many many extras, from breadcrumb, pellets, boilies and particles. On Ardleigh I used to spod Vitalin, mixed with boilies and particles, and fish it Method style, moulded around my lead. It is not just a small fish method as I was catching fish to over 20lb. Strangely enough I stopped doing that when I moved on from Ardleigh, possibly or probably because of water rules, all free bait had to be put in with PVA.

Nothing wrong with margin fishing😉 I think honestly I have caught far more carp under 20metres from the bank than at longer range, including fish to over 30lb from under my rod tips. Baiting up by hand or catapult is a whole lot easier than spodding. I usually use a mix of boilies and particles in my summer fishing however I put it out

Not everyone has the new Delkims, only just released this year at the last show. My Delkims were purchased in around 2000, and are the ST version. Wind, sun and rain, ice and snow no failures. I was quite happy with a wire heading to my receiver until I fished a lake where you had to bivvy up off the platform and the lead wasn't long enough so I added the Att receiver and dongles. In terms of new alarms, should I ever need an upgrade or update because mine finally failed I would be thinking Delkim ST, TFG Magrunner or Atts. Reasons: Delkim have not let me down, product loyalty, good after sales service when I had to have repairs done when I left battery in and it corroded. The added sensitivity adjustment is a very useful function. You can increase buzzer sensitivity for wary fish where reduced hanger indication is minimal. Atts a good alarm, will last and take the abuse. The TFG Magrunners I have played with in the shop when I worked there, and obviously read Dave Lane's reviews on them. Ok, my reasons for avoiding Fox alarms; I do not like a new model that looks totally different being released every couple of years. Micron M, MS, MX, MR, Mini, NTX, just some of them since 2000. So many different models, too complicated, too many price points. You do also have Wolf coming into the alarm market. @andy52 has seen them in the flesh, and spoke to Wolf at the show, I believe he was very impressed. Bivvy light etc Oh, and before anyone says 'no such thing as military spec', many military items have worked their way into fishing. You would not have GPS if the military hadn't come up with it.

Welcome to Carp.com. Personally, I think a 3lb test curve rod is too heavy for most carp fishing in the UK, and the maximum you need is a 2.75lb tc. A 6ft 3lb rod is going to feel like a broomstick, and is likely awful for most fishing, but heavy test curves are the fashion. In most cases test curves of 3lb plus are designed for casting long distance, not playing fish. A heavy test curve rod is NOT always the best for playing fish around snags, better to get a lighter more through action rod around 2lb. For ages my stalking rod was a 9ft Browning Spinning rod, perfect for floater fishing, fishing the lift method while carp stalking, but when it was stolen I went to a Daiwa 1.5lb test curve 11ft 6in Pro Specialist, then an Avon rod. In fact I would say a barbel rod is perfect for a lot of carp fishing. I use mine for floater fishing now, or lift float, and always on one water where the carp go from single figures through to 20lb. I have caught a number of carp on those lighter rods to over 20lb from near lilies and snags. Have a look at twin tip ledger rods, one tip section should be your quiver tips, the other is a barbel or Avon tip. For carp fishing the barbel or Avon tip is fine.

I just decided to see if there were specifications on the Nash tackle website. Talk about difficult to navigate or find information through Nash site navigation, I had to go back to Google to get directions to the correct product page. When I got to the product page, there was nothing on maximum weight and I couldn't see pack down size. Whoever is designing some of these tackle manufacturers websites needs shooting. To get infomation on what you need it might be worth PM'ing @nigewoodcock he has the misfortune to work for Nash Tackle

You mention the dreaded poisson chat, are there crays as well? Drilled Soaked wooden balls in glug. Hard hookers, I make up a 1egg mix of my normal base mix with around 10% of extra egg albumen, and 50ml of glycerol. The flavours are usually what is required to a standard 6 egg mix. Boil, and then air dry, give a roll in glycerine, then dry again until rock hard. You can each time you roll in glycerine add a few drops of flavour. It may still be worth meshing your hookbaits though. My 1 egg mix makes me enough (pop-ups) for a years fishing, so will give you plenty for a French trip.

Using a marker float you will find braided mainline gives better feeling, so if you are using mono on your fishing rods, then you will likely need a separate rod for the marker. If you are using braid for fishing, then all is ok. The thing I will say, use a mono leader (length of line between mainline and hooklink trace) if you are fishing with braid, braid can seriously cut fish up should they get tangled up in it. Amnesia makes a good leader.

@alake223_05 Welcome to Carp.com. I think from the packing, it is what we refer to as maize in the UK. To use it it needs soaking for 24 hours then boiling for around 20 minutes. A good bait as a mass feed and as a hookbait.

I still prefer these, no latch on them. Reminds me, I must get a new one, I broke one last trip. I do prefer the black though.

What works then will work now😉 Rigs are something else that have become fashionable. Ronnie's down to media and the Chod because it became almost a 'chuck it anywhere' set up, it can be fished over almost any lakebed. I still catch on the same rigs I was fishing in 2008.

The number of fish I have seen lost by anglers who didn't test their hooklinks before casting them out. It took me ages to find a good fluorocarbon hooklink, I was never comfortable with the knot to swivel. Even D-rigs I made sure I tied carefully as I found the inside of the hook eye could cause a flaw in the hooklink. I went to the extreme of tying the hook on, then forming the D from the tag, and whipping it in place with thread, very fiddly! The Spiderwire I have never found a problem with though, although I do use the Rapala loop knot to join the mainline swivel on rather than a blood or Uni knot.

If you use braid shockleader do make sure you wear a glove or finger stall. Also remember that braid does NOT stretch much if at all, so crack-offs may be a problem.

I can't remember if I have said it on this thread, but foxes will take otter kills after otters are finished with it. Foxes tend to drag and cache the kill. They tend not to eat in 'public'.

I use Solar Short arm Titaniums. I can set them up mega tight as spring arm indicators for tight line fishing, as plain swingers for short to medium range, or as slack line indicators, at maximum drop for slack line fishing. Apparently Long arm indicators are better, but personally I found no problems with the shorts. I do also use them for roach fishing with buzzers on the reservoir.

Does it have much flow and boat traffic? What sort of depth and profile is it? By that I mean does it have a ledge both sides, any overhanging trees? Are there any locks? Any permanently moored boats? Boat traffic can move your bait around, especially in shallower water. It may pay to add some Vitalin in your baiting. Permanently moored boats can be worth fishing as they give cover, as do trees. The carp in canals and rivers can be almost constantly on the move.

Welcome to Carp.com. There really is no set answer because different oils have different temperature bands, cloud up and solidify at different temperatures. Vegetable or nut based oils tend to be thinner and will continue to leak out. To be honest, I really only use oil in my groundbait in summer, in winter I prefer to use other liquids.

I actually avoid carp tax fluorocarbon hooklink material, mine is Spiderwire in 15lb, but I don't do much snaggy water fishing. It does go through the eye three times on my Gardner Muggas for D-rigs.

Reckon you will find many caulking guns are exactly the same as tackle manufacturer bait guns.

I know Earith Marina a few years ago had an otter and a seal showing very visibly in the daytime, right by the bridge where the fen drain comes into the Great Ouse, so I worry for Earith Carp lakes as that wasn't all fenced with a footpath running right through between the two syndicates on either side. A few years ago in Chillfactors area I had membership of a couple of lakes just so I could bivvy up and watch the big airshow at Fairford. Sadly we learnt that otters had cleared most of the stock of carp, even the average size of the remaining tench had dropped as the bigger fish were munched.

Talking of Redmire, it has just been desilted and had the koi looking carp taken out. Sadly the Halls Angling, Leisure Sports are no more. Most of those lakes were sold on and have become something different, although a few are still under syndicate or season ticket banner. There were a few that were under the radar as well when Leisure Sport was broken up! Korda have the Embryo lakes, basically buying lakes and putting full otter fencing then restocking or protecting the stock. I think your gripe as it were is the instant big fish lake. Growing on waters with forgotten stock seem to have gone.

Load a rucksack correctly it is no problem. Clothes go at the bottom, gradually load it to heavy stuff at the top. The bedchair weight is basically spread from top to bottom as it is strapped at top and bottom. The weight was only around 40kilos with all my bait, food, water and cooking stuff. Not like I was yomping far with it... Maybe a mile or so round Ardleigh...

I used to strap mine to my rucksack, it can make carrying it a whole lot easier. Rucksack and bedchair on my back, rod holdall strap across my shoulder, holding the handle, tackle box in the other hand. That is the advantage of Bergen strapping, you can attach pretty much anything to it.

Sponsored lakes, a way to get loss making lakes to have a bit of secure funding I think in some cases. While I can use wraps, I still prefer to cast at a marker float and feel the lead down. I feel I can be sure I have the right spot compared to being 'slightly off' with a wrap. As for bait, while krill is a good bait additive, you can't have a high amount in your base mix as it makes it buoyant, so you need heavier non krill ingredients. In other words, you can't be sure of the percentage of krill in the base mix. Nut and coconut baits are valid, but I honestly feel that meat or fish meals are a better more viable source of protein, in fact my reasoning for my 'basic bait' in your welcome back thread. Buckets, oh my goodness, mine have come from various kitchens, all plain green with the food ingredient label taken off, or one camouflaged one that was so well camouflaged, someone left it on the bank in the swim...😖😆😆😉

Why the heck didn't I patent the idea? Think my pic was long before the shroud was invented. I could have been a miwyeonaire😖😆😱

Drennan Match anglers or ESP Carp salopettes are the best fishing ones. If you do look at others, I would actually be looking at skiing salopettes, but MTP Military ones do look pretty good: https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/outdoor-clothing/multicam-clothing-webbing/mtp-multicam-salopettes-bib-brace-1186390.html?pid=1186390&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiYzei5Cs4AIVb7ftCh0flgBDEAQYByABEgJC_vD_BwE