salokcinnodrog

Must admit I used 12lb Sensor line near lilies quite regularly with no problems, I can't recall a single break off with it, although around 200mm of tubing up the line may have helped. Saying that if the fish got into the lilies, then 200mm is no length. Not found lilies to be sharp, very thick roots definitely, some as thick as my arm, but not sharp or abrasive.

Well I changed over main lines as I felt the Gardner wasn't quite right in a gin clear lake over weed. Back on the P-line Floroclear, but in the mist green. It takes a Uni knot nicely, casts to over a hundred yards so far, with no leader added, although I haven't really pushed it. First trip with it on this week and had a double figure bream first cast in daylight. Not managed a carp, but don't think I was anywhere near them. http://p-line.com/line/fluorocarbon-coated/floroclear

The looping, or lifting up is something I have seen, you need the middle of the hooklink pinned down, as well as just down from the ends, basically because of the looping up and buoyancy in the braid, and as said some are worse than others, Silkworm especially I found. Pretty much the main reason I switched from Silkworm to Merlin as I found it not so buoyant. Making sure the hooklink was wet also stopped some of the looping up. It doesn't always matter though as I'm sure I caught fish before discovering this looping up.

I honestly can't remember the last time I cast out a braided, either coated or uncoated hooklink that wasn't Kryston. It must have been some time around the 1990's! Silkworm, Merlin, SuperNova, 3 absolutely brilliant hooklink materials, although I did stop using Silkworm as I found it was buoyant and lifted off the lakebed. Saying that, almost every hooklink loops up unless weighted down. I tried using No Tangle, using it to stiffen or even create a concertina extending hooklink, and to be honest, as good as it was or is, I decided against the faffing. To reduce tangles I simply resort to PVA stringers, bags or mesh, even with braided hooklinks. I've given a couple of clues here, the weighted down hooklink and the PVA. I didn't find that the hooklink tangled, even if it was moved a fair distance. The hook itself sits on the lakebed with a bait about 15mm away from the hook on a hair. It actually takes the bait being picked up or rolled a long distance to move the hook, and with a line aligned hook, it takes the hook and bait being rolled over 180 degrees. If the bait is actually picked up, then it should be a fish large enough to get hooked. I found that there is a definite limit to plain uncoated braided hooklinks, and that is crayfish. Those little gits will tangle it, they also manage to take chunks out of coated braid coatings. With crayfish, and me using combi-rig hooklinks, I still use Amnesia in clear 20 or 30lb as my upper section.

Have a look at these https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/shimano-beastmaster-xta-reel line capacity is about the same as the other two

Must admit I have moved over to the Beastmaster XTA's, and found no fault with them, playing fish, or retrieving heavy weed, but I do know a number of people have found cheaper Shimmy's are now fitted with cheaper plastic gearing inside, compared to the old brass or decent quality aluminium gearing. I'm also wary of Fox, Nash, Wychwood or Okuma reels from working in a tackle shop and the numbers returned with faults, compared to very few Shimano's. I know a few years ago Shimano went to regional distribution; a big tackle shop was supplying other local smaller shops. Obviously the bigger shop was getting best discount prices, however they seem to have gone back to the older supply system, but biggest shops with pre-orders still get best price and biggest discount, so are able to sell at the best price to the end user. To be perfectly honest I looked at Baby Big Pits and never quite felt comfortable with them, preferring Aerlex's or now the Quick Twist front Drag Beastmasters.

Don't forget that to get to join Layer you have the CAPS rules:

Shimano aaaalllll the way

I put the line spool in a bucket of water and wind it onto the reel. No problems with twist, although I do back wind when playing a fish, and I try not to let too much line go out on a baitrunner or free spool.

My god, my car must be clean to have gotten that reflection!

Think I might have been abraded by crayfish and gravel on the line. Fished the same spot last week, all I got back in the morning was a ball of cotton wool wrapped around the hook. Had the fish on for a couple of minutes, felt it come away from the overhanging tree, then 'twang'.

I found that on Ardleigh, I could get bream after bream some nights, yet others it was carp or two to start, then nothing else all night long.

Not a happy bunny, a proper carp run at 1.30 this morning, followed by a blooming cut off. Sling rod down in disgust climb back into sleeping bag, swearing.

I used Daiwa Sensor for years, good line, stood up to plenty of abuse and a better line at budget price than many of the more expensive lines. I now use Gardner Pro, and love it. For a 0.35 15lb line it casts well, does stand up to gravel and snags. As Yonny has said though, if you are looking for an out and out casting line, check diameters, (and shock leader rules), as you will need to up the price you pay.

Got three of them, not bad reels, but with 15lb 0.35mm line do not expect to be casting mega distances. Good for playing fish, easy to use and stand up to a fair bit of abuse

Nice, that will do a treat!

The KD rig, (capitalised as its re-inventor was Kenny Dorsett) was originally used with a shot on the hair and a pop-up on the hair to keep it low to the lakebed, critically balanced. It works best with a short shank curved hook, Gardner Mugga style. Personally, and it is not a Korda dig, I found that Korda Kurvs simply were not sharp enough and did not hold their point for that long in water. Look at your hook holds, where is the hook ending up in the carps mouth? Middle of bottom lip perfect hair length, deep in mouth too long, edge of lips or losing fish, hair too short. I'm going to merge the two KD rig threads as this post answers both

I must confess I buy mine direct from Maplins, or Solar Tackle if I need short lengths. I don't worry that the Maplins stuff is black with white writing on it, I'm sure that the carp can't read the small print.

As said, don't limit yourself to carp brands. Eyelevel make good fishing sunglasses, or without looking, I think in one or some of those links, I recommend an ebay shop called sunglasses warehouse. They may be worth a look. I think I paid £10 including carriage for my last set from them, about 4 years ago, and unlike me, who usually sits on or drops them out of a tree, I still have them. I do also have a brown lense set from Eyelevel.

I agree although the bit about floater fishing I think is standard, they can be very circumspect with floaters anyway. For some reason I have not had good results when using a long hair with dog biscuits, and I almost shank hook them, with an extremely short hair, and the biscuit tight to the hook.

I know others use braid on a Spod rod, but I will not for a number of reasons: Firstly I have had braid cut through the rings on a Spod rod, the tip and butt guides, within 6months of purchase! Secondly I like my fingers, I have seen braid cut through to the bone on a miscast, and I have had a couple of scrapes where braid has 'wrist wrapped', where a finger stall does not cover. Thirdly braid has minimal stretch, so hitting the clip on a hard cast could see your spod braid snapping as it suddenly pulls up tight. The mono I use is the same as my normal mainline, with a 50 or 60lb Shockleader. Bear in mind I can cast a full big Spomb on my Spod rod. Half to three quarters full I can get over 100metres!

Same for me, I'd rather not use a pod, but if situations dictate it then I do

I use a size 4 for most of my fishing, with big or small baits, bottom baits or snowman. I keep saying it, but look at where you are hooking (or losing) fish. If the fish is hooked in the middle of the bottom lip, then the hair length is right. If hooked at the back of the mouth, or scraped down the back to the middle, or even the cheek, then usually the hair is too long. If you have hooked the fish right at the front of the lip, or are losing fish then the hair is too short. The hair length gap is the distance between the hook and the bait, so it is that that needs changing. All that gets confused and screwed however, as your background baiting can change how long a hair you need; usually the more groundbait, pellets or particles you use as your baited area may see you need to shorten the hair. Next thing is pop-ups I tend to fish tight to the hook as the mechanics may be different

I agree, the 1 1/2lb test curve is a sensible option. Look at Barbel rods, my current rod for exactly that purpose and a few others is a Shakespeare Agility Barbel rod. The first fish I played on it was a double figure carp caught on a floating dog biscuit, but I also use it for ledgering with leads up to 2oz, for swimfeeder fishing for bream and roach as well as carp.

If you are tight on a budget, I think the JRC Contact 2 man is your type