salokcinnodrog

For years my preferred set up was banksticks with a goalpost setup, but I carried a pod in case the swim could only be fished with pod (or stage stands). Then I went out and bought the Solar P1 pod, and it is set up in every swim now, simply as I have no need to be carrying extra banksticks and buzzer bars just so I can go back to my favoured goalpost setup. As BC has said, stainless will last a lifetime; I still own my original Solar banksticks that I bought in the 1990's, and despite abuse they are still straight as a die, even Sky has not managed to bend one, and rust free, although I have probably replaced thumbscrews where I occasionally mislay one, or it falls out in the holdall.

Can be a bit scary trying to put a bait next to the tree that sticks out of the island...

To be honest, you don't have to get Delkims with receiver to start as the ST versions will take the Gardner Attx system dongles and receiver at a later date, as I did. Otherwise if you want a set of alarms that come complete with receiver as standard, then look at TFG Magrunners which are around £70-80 for 3. I used to work in a tackle shop, and rarely had any come back faulty, unlike some other makes... https://www.totalfishinggear.co.uk/buy.cfm/tfg-bite-alarms/tf-gear-dave-lane-mag-runner-bite-alarm-set/39/no/64552 Delkim St's in 2003/4, the same set this or last year...

That wonderful Delkim sound! Mine have been warbling that since 2000 ish! I honestly don't want to change alarms as I have alarms I know work. The repairs I had done to my Delkims were down to my own stupidity, leaving flat batteries in, and tearing battery connector wires free I did remove a post on this thread as someone tried to turn it into a Fox vs Delkim thread.

I use the same hook size in summer and winter, usually size 4's, although a large 6 in another brand will also get used at times. I don't want to lose what I hook! I don't know if you remember my winter session a few years ago on Nazeing? 4 fish in January, 3 over 20lbs on a 4 day session. My rigs were exactly the same as in the summer. Think they were size 6 Gardner Muggas, even with them, I actually had a hookpull, as the fish came over the net cord, and it sunk into the net I honestly don't think a carp can differentiate between hook sizes, they feel resistance, from the hooklink pulling tight to the lead, and being 'pulled' out the mouth, or the hair being taken to full extension, and the bait being unable to go to the back of the mouth, so the hook not even entering the mouth. My usual answer to that is lengthen the hair and/or the rig, one at a time to try to confuse the fish. This theory of the hooklink laying flat and straight can work against you, especially with stiffer hooklink materials, including totally coated braid, even with a short length stripped near the hook. A braided hooklink that falls and coils rather than falls in a straight line could be a 'confuser'.

Starting with the lighter leads will actually get you to generate the tip speed for casting, although going to heavier leads will change the momentum slightly. Its Daiwa Sensor I used for a lot of years, in 15lb, and its not a bad casting line, supple, not wiry. The theory is that for each ounce of lead, you need 10lb breaking strain of line, although as said 15lb Daiwa Sensor takes the brunt of a 3oz lead, anymore and make sure you shock up. With shockleaders, I actually use a different knot to Gaz, that knot works with the overhand hitch on the thicker line, it works with braid to mono, mono to mono when there is quite a difference in diameters.

Accept a crack-off will go roughly 4 times as far as a cast

You may find that you can cast as far with 2.75lb TC rods as you can with 3.25lb; it is very much down to technique, and being able to generate the tip speed on the cast. For example, bank to bank at Wick lane dam is around 125metres, I could cast that with 2.75lb TC rods, 15lb line Aerlex 8000's and 3oz leads. To get the best out of my 3.25lb TC's I have to go up to 3.5oz leads. The rod itself, you are not going to cast as far with a cheap budget blank as a more expensive better built rod, with better materials, despite what the lovely manufacturers tell you. The technology and materials of my Century SP's is better than the materials of my Rod Hutchinson The Ones, and The Ones do not add much more distance, as much as I practise casting. When I get to cast out I physically go through my casting action, like a golfers practise swing. I check my feet, hand positions, even the swing. I also have a practise cast to wet the line and the rings. Long distance casting in snag free waters mean you can use a shock leader, and to be honest, fine your line down. If you don't need 15lb line, and can safely drop to 12 or 10lb then do so. Before anyone calls me irresponsible, bear in mind, in water basically your line will take 4 times its breaking strain, so 40lb on 10lb, and playing a fish safely, carefully, you can land bigger than that. Ballistics: Lead shapes, look at bullets, shells, for rifles, tapering down from a point, so go to tournament leads, they do get best distance with pears not far behind. The angle that you cast at is the angle the lead hits the water, and 45degrees is the angle at which you gain most distance, obviously wind and feathering down will have an effect on that. Keep your rigs tidy, as short as possible. I still prefer to use run rings, rather than helicopter leads, although I do know that sacrifices a few metres, but helicopter set-ups I have found give funny takes, and using that heli set-up, you will need a shockleader as the lead and rig do frag the line. (Incidentally it is that fragging the line that was the reason for leadcore, not its supposed sinking). Inline leads, because of the swivel or rig coming out the front wobble in flight. Give your cast everything you can, don't hold back, holding back will cost you distance.

You'll find most carp anglers who fish rivers will keep their areas to themselves, it is a very closed circle. Plenty of looking, plenty of walking on areas you can get to, and fish as much as possible. Then as Kev says, see what info you can get from tackle shops and local clubs.

Problem with standard swingers is they are not as sensitive as a drop-off indicator. I use my Delkims as the front, but always watch the float, (on 1 rod) and respond to any bleeps on the other rod(s). The drop-off should fall off on any line movement, but very occasionally pike will scoff a bait on the spot. No matter what you do, at some point you will get a deep hooked fish, and for an inexperienced angler, it is scary unhooking them, having your nose next to a pikes mouth, sometimes with your mouth pulling the line tight to bring the hooks forward (and stomach!), one hand under the gill rakers, and the other working in the other gill to remove hooks with pliers or forceps. A couple of years ago, I had a decent 20 break me off as the line rubbed over a metal cable in the margin. A week later my mate hooked and landed it, and I had to take out 2 sets of hooks, his from the mouth, my previous weeks trace from further down in the mouth. It was his first 20, and after holding it upright in the margins for 10-15 minutes swam off safely. It is probably actually harder to unhook smaller fish (2-4lb) than a bigger one if deep hooked, there is simply no room to work, you can only fit a couple of fingers under the gill to open the mouth. If I don't have to actually put the fish on land, unhook it in the water I will. I have had numbers of fish hooked on the top upper hook (I usually use a single), and rather than net them, gill them, then 'flick' the hook free with forceps. If you net them, the risk of a flying treble catching in the mesh, and a wriggling fish catching everything up, making a mess of the fish and the net. Don't know if the pic helps, but that was a mid double that you can see i'm straddling on the mat, having just unhooked, slung the pliers and hooks out the way, and getting my fingers carefully out the way.

The drop-off indicators I use: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fox+drop+off+indicators&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=GXMuNFdRzpevgM: I have long forceps and long nose pliers for unhooking pike. I would recommend you go with somebody experienced to start with when pike fishing, they are a whole lot more sensitive to handling than carp, and until you know how to unhook them, its quite difficult. Best way I have found is to land them, then rest them upside down on the mat. Put your hand inside the gills, and as you slide down they open their mouth, leaving you to get the hooks out with forceps or pliers.

Wasn't thinking of Ardleigh to be honest. Your carp gear is fine with wire traces, although I do nearly always fish one with a float, partly because I like watching a float, partly because it gives better indication. Get your self some drop-off indicators. The pics were on photobucket, on my account, then Photobucket changed terms and conditions and started charging for '3rd party hosting'. Basically every pic I had used on here is lost, even worse is Photobucket apps stopped working, so I have lost almost every pic I had backed up to them

Its that time again. Spent a day drowning deadbaits, for 1 dropped run. Got a few more days planned, might be fun Sunday though. I've got a catering shift until late Saturday, was going to get home and go straight out with the pike gear.

Glad you got sorted. I have removed a couple of posts from this thread, and set them up on a thread of their own in UK Carp Fishing in a thread called Young Adventurer. The reason behind it is I think its worth a topic in its own right, and any way we can get more youngsters into fishing is good for us all. The link to that thread

Are you looking at doing overnights, or just as a day shelter? If its just days for the both of you in the same swim then an Oval Umbrella should do you fine, worked for years Chub, TFG, and goodness knows most tackle manufacturers all make Oval Brollies. If overnights, then Smufter started this thread a while back, it does go to two pages, so I think there are a few recommendations on there:

@finchey The TFG Oval and Power Brolly both take an overwrap they make. I do admit you have to get extra storm poles for the Oval, and it only has a half groundsheet that velcros in, but I had a spare groundsheet from another system I had. Oval Brolly, £80, overwrap £70 I think from memory. I think Phil Dalts Power brolly system is £130 ish, and I know thats a pretty good system as I have a mate who loves his.

The D Rig is probably one of the most adaptable rigs and is suitable for pop-ups, snowman and bottom baits. It is also pretty much the basis for the Chod rig. Again, you are using a standard knotless knot, but using the tag end to put the rig ring on, and putting the tag back through the eye of the hook, and lighter blobbing it. I have tied one on Fluorocarbon, just as a demonstration, but it can be tied on mono, coated braid, even plain braid or as part of a Combi-rig when attached to a stiffer boom section. The bait is attached to a rig ring. As a pop-up rig, tie a stop knot with power gum and mould putty around it at the height you want the bait popped up, use an match anglers olivette, or pop-up depth charge, or with a combi-rig, mould the putty around the knot join.

My sliding/revolving rig with the rig ring free running up and down the shank, I remember reading something similar in one of Rob Maylins books sometime before 1994. I adapted it to my fishing. It has the useful addition of being a resetting blowback style rig, able to be taken in even if the rig ring has been blown up to the eye. When I started using and catching fish on it in 2008, for a short period it made its way into a couple of magazines as newest rig available, but has dropped from fashion again. I do use various incarnations of Hinged rigs, as Multi rigs, 360, etc. The stiff boom ensures a tidy lay out, and the swivel or ring gives something that putty will stick to. On my small local, it is the only pop-up rig that works, and I have tried others!

Simple answer, is it still under guarantee? Take it back to tackle shop and get them to return it to manufacturer, or speak directly to manufacturer. Incidentally, your first port of call should be the person or shop who sold it to you. Tackle manufacturers are normally quite good if you miss out the shop though. Looking at that pic, the electronics are totally covered in that waterproofing plastic, the heat could have screwed any resistor or electronic component.

Interested, most definitely, but not sure on money at the moment.

I was with Ian at a social at Merrington. Some nice fish in there. I'd happily return

Its difficult to find a generic overwrap now. It used to be possible to get a wrap that fitted over any standard umbrella, but now with everyone making umbrella's, it doesn't seem like there is a single overwrap.

I think the magazines are good at naming the 'latest' rigs. Kenny Dorsett probably didn't christen his critically balanced rig with the hair leaving the shank after 2 turns the KD rig. I am pretty positive that some mag did the dirt on that one! Saying that, I'm sure it was Zenon Bojko or Rob Maylin who named the Helicopter rig, on the basis that the rig spun around the mainline, with the bomb on the end of the line, like a helicopter. I used to be amused that a subject talked about on here, a month later made it into the various magazines, often in Rotary Letters, and some claimed to be original thoughts. The original CarpWorld rotary's were original, but later magazines...

Got to keep practising knots

Chances are most of them are used Or I tie rigs to grab a quick picture then scrap them.