salokcinnodrog

By the way, in my pic, I had only just set up after casting out. If I'm not in any hurry, it's rods out, coffee on, then sort bivvy out. Everything in the pic does actually fit under the brolly.

I use Grande slam scales, had them a few years now. Around £20, but ebay might find them cheaper: http://www.swanleytackle.co.uk/scales

I stopped piercing pop-ups as I found some would take on water faster. I attach mine by putting them in a loop, then tying it to the ring or hair loop.

Delkim sensitivity https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=IYjNBwC1jS0

I can't see any problem using them. Just because Leeda aren't a big carp name doesn't stop them working. Should be a perfect test curve as well with maximum 2oz lead.

You can, but it does behave very differently. I've put up a pic of a version I play with to try to avoid Crays wrecking the braided (either coated or uncoated) end section. I call it the JC rig, lol The bead is a tungsten bead, and the slight curve almost gives a claw effect. The hook sits more upright if you have the loop smaller. It did work, but I couldn't stop crayfish killing real pop-ups, so haven't used it for a while

If you want a supple hooklink, then use standard Mono. One of my favourite mono hooklinks is Preston Reflo mono, which I use in 10and a bit lbs for both floater hooklinks and bottom mono hooklinks, or a length of the same as my current reel line P-line Floroclear for bottom baits. I think both are fluorocarbon coated polymers. In fact I have found on a local lake with crayfish, that the mono hooklinks are less affected than a braid that gets twisted and fluffed to bits. I have found straight fluorocarbons very stiff, preferring the ones above, or even 15lb Amnesia in clear for hooklinks.

I have removed a post from this thread, please do not swear in any shape or form As it happens I have TFG Oval brolly

I have bought stuff direct from TFG direct with no problems, and some tackle shops also sell their stuff. My mate who has one has no problems setting his up, think it takes about 5 minutes with the full bivvy sides from memory

Something like that, the link I put up gives full pics of various ways it can be set up, as well as buying price direct from TFG.

On the note about a zip-in infill panel, may I suggest you look at the TFG Power brolly. https://www.totalfishinggear.co.uk/buy.cfm/tfg-bivvies-and-brollies/tf-gear-power-brolly-shelter/39/no/43620

Don't fish that close, (d'oh) Seriously I know it can't always be helped, it happens. In fact same happened to me a few weeks ago. Because of snags and weed I actually try not to use leaders, I worry about the whole lot being tangled around the snags with no way to eject the rig, tethering the fish. I have gone back to a long length of tubing over a line I know with decent abrasion resistance. Quick question, where did the line go? Chances are in most cases, your mainline/hooklink knit gave way under pressure, the usual sign is a curly wurly where it broke, and your stop knot or insulation tape marker is hardly out of place. If it is the line, go back to a decent length of tubing.

Strangely enough after all the talk of bivvies, brollies and Overwraps, I have gone back to TFG Oval brolly with the Oval Overwrap they do for it. I do like the standard brolly with stormsides as it comes, (with stormpoles) and I have slept under that, but if bad weather is forecast or I am fishing for a few days I do use the overwrap, for which you will need a longer pair of storm sticks

I can remember those days, large sheet of plastic trying to keep you covered I had a 50" brolly, and had the Fox Jekh shelter overwrap, boy was that a bivvy and a half. I seriously wish I hadn't sold it but I upgraded to an original Fox EasyDome.

Long time from the days of one brolly fits all! Your green 45 or 50 inch Steadefast is no more, everything is now specialised, Match fishing or Carp fishing, and then particular brand will only fit said brand. Must admit I still miss my 50brolly with overwrap at times, although that plastic skin meant it was quite heavy. I wonder if it's possible that anyone still has an old brolly overwrap hanging around?

I got a plain basic TFG chair, but if it's tipping it down and I have to stay inside the bivvy I don't fold down the back legs and rest it across my bedchair with the front legs down, so I still have back support. The handy thing is that prevents chair sag.

I bought a Wychwood Morpheus Extreme. Love it to bits, it has top and bottom 'flaps' that attach it to your bedchair, but check how wide wide boy is. Zips on either side so you can get out right or left. My alternative would be the Gardner Beastie I have seen.

Same as the light, no faults, I use both dependant on water clarity

Solar do a stainless steel rig tubing thingymajig that you put the buffer on, then put the tubing on.

Handy! I use Solar Run Rings on tubing, although I am running out. If I can get my pics back from Photobucket I'll put one up of my standard running set-up on tubing

Isn't it only 6 line manufacturer factories in the world?

I got unflavoured dental floss from Sainsbury's, lasts for years. I make line aligners myself, using shrink tube from Maplins, Fox or Solar, or sometimes with plain silicone tubing. You can even use a fake maggot to do it, perfect if you use maggots as bait, or as part of your bag or spod mix

I often do the same but usually with dental floss; the alternative is knot the hooklink material to the hook as normal with a blood or Uni knot, and then tie the hair material to the hook eye. Once that is done I whip it down the hook shank and overhand knot to the hook shank at the point I want the hair to leave the hook. You can then put shrink or silicon tubing over the eye, which I do with a line aligner.

Moved to correct section of forum

I know I have said in the past about different lines taking different knots and the strains required to break them being different. In most cases with mono, a blood knot is ok, but with some you need to use another knot. In most cases now, without even thinking about it I go twice through the hook or swivel eye and then tie an Uni knot, it is habit. I do still lighter blob the ends of my knots though, because as you have said the knot can pull undone. Daiwa Sensor; I just can't fault the stuff, used it in lilies, near chained buoys, near snags and it held up on almost every occasion. The few times it didn't was my fault for fishing too close to snags without my rod pointing at the end tackle on the take. I didn't know about the snags at the time, so it's a lesson learnt big time. Saying that, until I was given some Gardner Pro to test and found it even better abrasion resistance I would not have changed. 15lb Gardner Pro got fish out of here quite easily, the gap under the trees was one of my favourite spots, and others wouldn't fish it as 'they lost too many', quite possibly because they insisted on rods facing out front instead of at the hookbait. Strangely I have just looked at the Tackle box tests, and it looks like a number of major tackle brand line ratings have changed over the last few years; lots of lines rated as 15lb appear to have come down to 0.35mm (quoted) as opposed to the 0.38 they were originally given, and newer lines are all nearer that rating. 0.38mm lines or even 0.40, are actually 18-20lb breaking strains, so sure they are going to break well over 15lb, and abrasion resistance will be increased accordingly. The angler was being 'conned' into using higher strains than needed or could be cast.