salokcinnodrog

Closest off site is probably Swangey or Cranworth Woodrising.

I won't use Superglue anywhere near my rigs, I don't like the smell myself, it may not put fish off, but I won't chance it. I have also found that any repair or fix with Superglue is likely to break at less pressure; prevents needle or hook knots flexing or moving and gripping themselves as they tighten with a fish on. I use BC's method of a couple of turns below where it exits, or silicon or shrink tube. If you put the tubing on after tying the hook knot it is fiddly, but possible to get the hair out of the back of the tubing. Another alternative is a piece of tubing, either shrink or silicon, along the shank to hold it in place, basically as a blowback rig, but tight in place instead of able to move as a blowback rig.

You get used to it, very quickly. Since Baitrunners came into major fishing around the early 90's I have been on and off with them, Baitrunners, Baitrunners, Big Pits, using front drag with no free spool, Baitrunners again, then the Beastmasters. You learn the method on the reel you use.

It has a quick drag system, basically baitrunner on the spool.

Reels I can honestly recommend Shimano Beastmaster 7000's. A lot of other reels for various brands are all made in one factory and I don't think QC is as good as Shimano and Daiwa.

Only knew to be fair from when I had buckets delivered to shop, and ones without those spacers could be a pig to separate

You reckon some of that was due to going plastic on the gearing? The brass gear cogs seemed to last forever, yet newer plastic ones strip very easily, or slide. The reel finishes don't seem as nice now either.

I honestly think that unless you are a massive caster then 50mm rings are a waste. More difficult to protect in transport, heavier than more suitable 40mm rings. The larger ring was to deal with a particular line situation on the cast, feeding or funnelling it down with a particular shaped and sized reel. In terms of budget rods, the current Fox range of Warriors, or Shimano Velocities are worthwhile, or even look at Shimano Alivio DX's. The DX's are underpriced compared to some other budget rods! The Velocity is a recognised name, whereas Alivio is probably not. Here is something for you, and it really pains me to say it, Shimano on the reel side in the basic Baitrunner and cheaper range is going downhill in terms of quality, compared to say 15years ago, but the rods are coming forward.

I had a foam packing piece inside the bedchair box, that is now in the centre section of my bedchair. Have a look at this little cutie http://www.wychwoodcarp.co.uk/products/bank-life/sleeping-bags/morpheus-extreme-4-sleeping-bag/H2401 Bearing in mind it is a tackle manufacturer, a decent price, not with other brands massive mark up. Something else I like is the temperature rating, it actually tells you a temperature rating it is suitable for, not just 4 season

That is my main reason for ever going to a carp show, comparing tackle all in one place, listening to the blurb from each manufacturer, then winding them up when I spot the bull... Flat beds are the way forward, yeah, they seem to take up more space than a bedchair, although after having mine now for over a year I do find it comfortable, most of the time, although the sleeping bag end sleeves to hold the bag in place don't work as well around bed legs. I have one of these http://www.chubfishing.co.uk/chub-furniture---storage-bedchairs/chub-vantage-flatbed-6-leg/1379209-0300.html I too have an occasional gripe or three, the leg locking pins have been known to come free, unscrewing from the k nob to lock it in place, any manufacturer who has a threaded pin/k nob system is likely to have the same problem, a plastic mould onto the pin and Spring is better in my eyes. The length is 2.15metres when open, this includes the slight overhang at each end of the mattress material, so I do find either my head or feet sometimes are on the metal framework beneath it, the actual bed frame length is probably closer to 1.85metres, and I am almost exactly that height. Good points, it is comfortable, but see notes above. The mattress has not sagged at all in over a years use. The mattress itself was warm during the winter, although I did also leave a piece of packing foam from the box under my sleeping bag. It folds up tidily, no problems, but because of the legs, and frame width and length the sleeping bag sleeves are not a 'tight' fit. (I have a Morpheus Extreme which may be a bit longer). The sleeping bag does stay and fit inside the flatbed when it is folded.

Good aren't i

That is so true. I can understand fish movement, I can understand them spooking from angler pressure, I can get the taking time to come onto bait, yet if the bait is gone because crayfish have got it first, or even the carp have spooked from the crayfish themselves.

I know of one fishery that insists on maximum size 10 hook. You need a very good strong hook pattern as there are carp up to 24lb, even if most are single figures. Its worth looking out for big size 10's! Some 10's in various patterns are as big as a 6 in others.

Nicely put, and I am the same, I have no need of quick change of rigs. I have a rig bin or two full of ready tied bottom or snowman bait rigs, and a rig wallet with around 10 ready tied pop-up rigs. Cutting the mainline just above the hooklink swivel means I am getting rid of fragged line, (check it regularly anyway) using a run ring and buffer bead means I can slide them above the cut off section before cutting it with no hassle. A very short Multi-rig section can be a right pain with the loop, and I think high long way up pop-ups can be a bite reducer in themselves at times, above the feeding fish, or even making them a bit wary and leave a most obvious hookbait. I know, I know, they will take them sometimes, but not every time. I want my hookbait at the same level! For pop-ups I do like a D-rig, the run ring on d loop if using a mono, fluorocarbon is very free sliding, (braid I think creates a bit of friction) more so I think than a multi rig, and I think the bait movement on that D causes extra problems. Don't get me wrong, the Multi-rig definitely has its place, but is no better or worse than many others. It is however a saver of money, binning hooks as opposed to a whole rig. It may also cost fish if you don't check the hooklink material itself though.

If I told you how bad Crays can be, you may not believe me. I have had baits coated in armour mesh, stocking mesh, or even shrink wrap munched to nothing, cut through the shrink wrap, or cored and dug out. The only answer I have found is to use alternative hookbaits, in drilled wooden balls soaked in bait dip, and tie them on with 25lb braided hooklink material. That has been my answer on previous crayfish threads, and somewhere I give bait dip ideas, suppliers etc.

From what I can find out the Citruz range along with 4G is being discontinued, and Nash are going back to Scopex Squid. When I was at Gladwells, the 4G and Citruz did not sell, we had to discount at 50% to sell them!

To stop buckets sticking to next bucket in the stack?

You can ask miwillons of anglers what length rig they use, and the answer is quite possibly between 6-9 inches from most of them, although Chod rigs will drop that average. Ooh err Missus Some of it is watching Dvd's or blogs, and big name angler always uses that length, so 'you' copy. There are absolutely loads of reasons to change rig length, how and what you feed, the amount you feed, the lakebed, how the carp feed, what they are used to dealing with, even the bait you use. A few years ago now I was using a small lake near me as a test lake for various rigs, lead set-ups, baits and indication. At the time most anglers were still using 6-9 inch rigs, so I tied up a few, and cast them into a spot where I could see the reaction. Many of the carp would actually back off (boilies mostly), 6 inches with baits in their mouth, freebies and hookbaits. So suck or pick up, back off 15cms, and then stop before spitting or swallowing. If a bait had a hook on it, you could watch them 'thinking', the eyes would roll, and with a semi-fixed lead, the carp would tighten up to the lead, so either back off, feeling for the lead and then with the weight of the lead, the sucking, blowing and lip movement could eject the hook, on even mega sharp hooks. Now think about this, if the carp back off that distance, how can you confuse the issue? Lengthen or shorten... Obviously not every carp could eject the hook, or you would never get any runs, but many do get away with it. Imagine what happens when you can't see it, and as much as I slate them, the Korda dvd's do show you how easy it is for the fish to get away. My mate Al, on a small fish water we have been on recently has found the best length for hooked fish has been 30cms, or 12inches. Fishing next to each other he has been hooking 3-1 to my shorter rigs, and the carp are not massive either!

Fox do make a standard blue head set

Colour is amusing, but Drennan Red Range feeder reels are very tidy pieces of kit. As much as I love Shimano reels, the Red's are better value than the same price Shimano. Spare spool, line strength markers that click onto the spool

The big question is are there any snags in the lake, branches or roots? It may only be a metre, but I have seen a carp swimming in circles around a branch in the water; over a period of 20minutes the carp swam 3 times around it, in the same direction, each circuit just mouthing the bottom in 2 or 3 places. Not saying it's definitely going to happen, but if that fish had even a short leader attached it may well have tethered. On this lake I have retrieved goodness knows how many leaders with leads still on lead clips, some with bait still attached, and the retrieved tackle came in with tiny twigs, which were all that had 'caught up' on it. There is a pic on here. Onw of the best looking fish was caught with some very ripped and torn scales and flanks.

You might actually find that a barbless hook is stronger than a barbed. The barb was often formed by a cut just below the point and creating the barb with the sliver, although that may have changed.

It's not all bad, it's knowing what is good I also have a pair of their Field Boots, exactly the same as the Jack Pyke boots, but at £60 compared to £160. As said the Mag runner alarms are brilliant. Guess what manufacturer I had most alarms back as faulty when I was in the tackle shop.... Fox! Delkim went through a phase of faulty alarms, yet I have not had any problems with mine, purchased in 2000'ish.

Explained above

That's the whole point of the slit down the side of the spare PVA tube. Maybe I didn't explain it properly, but read it again, should make sense