salokcinnodrog

That's not a mat shot...
 
That's a mat shot!
🤪

Nice 22lber after a cold damp day.
Light had just gone so was just about to pack away n this bad boy saved me a blank.
Only 4 out this this particular lake all year and they've all been winter fish.
Cant wait to be allowed a night ticket

That's not a mat shot...
 
That's a mat shot!
🤪

That's not a mat shot...
 
That's a mat shot!
🤪

3 nights on Kingfisher, Bluebell through the high winds and a pressure drop, it kicked off for the guys facing the wind with 15 - 20 fish out over 48 hours.  I got as close to the action as I could missed a massive dropback but landed the next take, blank saver.

Back after xmas for another go 🤞

I finally managed my first pike of this season yesterday.
I've really struggled with getting up early so camped out Tuesday night by the lake under the umbrella. After coffee yesterday morning I got the rods out and within an hour had the 15lb pike on float fished dead roach.
 
A while later I had a pick up on ledgered mackeral, which was dropped, a recast and a little later I managed an 11lb pike, as I netted it, the hooks fell out.
I also had 3 more dropped takes on mackeral, which leads me to believe that mackeral has been hammered as a bait.
 

I finally managed my first pike of this season yesterday.
I've really struggled with getting up early so camped out Tuesday night by the lake under the umbrella. After coffee yesterday morning I got the rods out and within an hour had the 15lb pike on float fished dead roach.
 
A while later I had a pick up on ledgered mackeral, which was dropped, a recast and a little later I managed an 11lb pike, as I netted it, the hooks fell out.
I also had 3 more dropped takes on mackeral, which leads me to believe that mackeral has been hammered as a bait.
 

I finally managed my first pike of this season yesterday.
I've really struggled with getting up early so camped out Tuesday night by the lake under the umbrella. After coffee yesterday morning I got the rods out and within an hour had the 15lb pike on float fished dead roach.
 
A while later I had a pick up on ledgered mackeral, which was dropped, a recast and a little later I managed an 11lb pike, as I netted it, the hooks fell out.
I also had 3 more dropped takes on mackeral, which leads me to believe that mackeral has been hammered as a bait.
 

You might have to prime or rough up the finish on them.
As much as stainless is 'bright' I do like it for its durability 

You might have to prime or rough up the finish on them.
As much as stainless is 'bright' I do like it for its durability 

22lb common caught at 8am this morning 

That is where I do like https://www.solartackle.co.uk/products/p1-buzz-bars

As Yonny says, what's your budget?
 
Value means different things to different people and to me value was a pod that lasts, I think I bought my Solar P1 pod around 2016, so in terms of value it's lasted, and still in use, but Solar stainless is not cheap, the current equivalent is probably around £500
 
Then we have a bit more budget, but Rod Hutchinson make the Enduro pod at around £100
https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/enduro-rod-pod/
 
 

Gladwells have bought up the recipe for Vitalin and it is now Vitacarp. 
Other than that look at Mollassed Rabbit mix in animal feed suppliers. I've used that as a groundbait base for years.

Oh dear, the number I pull legs off and put a hook through when fishing for thornback or bass...
 
 
I love prawns, shrimp, crab and squid as well as other fish, although I rarely eat farmed trout or salmon as I don't like farmed fish and how and what they are fed.
 
Freshly caught bass, thornback skate, cod do go down well.
Skate with nutmeg mashed potato, carrots and broccoli and a cheese sauce.
Bass and cod I fillet and fry in the pan with onions, then whatever potatoes, except chips.
In fact my favourite fish and chip shop fish is battered plaice. 

Reading glasses?
As for getting uncoated braid through a hook eye, join the club, it's a nightmare if you have it decide to 'split'. I just wet it and hope it doesn't spread.
Seriously if you need a magnifying glass, or reading glasses, it is helping your vision.

S'cuse the mat shot, 11-12lb ish (no scales with me) caught on a light feeder rod... I s'pose I could call it an early Chrimbo pressy👍😎

Even if you caught it, it wouldn't count if you'd used a magnifying glass to tie the rig. Back she goes without a photo 😜

I use a magnifying glass light thingy when I tie flies nowadays 
whoever said it was cheating 
poke them In The eye and say now tie a rig lol

Reading glasses?
As for getting uncoated braid through a hook eye, join the club, it's a nightmare if you have it decide to 'split'. I just wet it and hope it doesn't spread.
Seriously if you need a magnifying glass, or reading glasses, it is helping your vision.

Problem is humans rape everything until there’s nothing left. instead of harvesting for need we harvest for greed

I have tried a few fish both in UK and abroad, carp, pike, gudgeon and bleak.
Gudgeon and bleak used to be eaten whole, basically stir fried like whitebait, or in a pie. 
I've never found carp earthy, although that may be because of being 'washed' in water (tank) rather than straight from the capture.
The same with pike, although they are bony, fine needle bones that take a lot of picking out.
It kind of bugs me because obviously we catch and return, but carp were brought over specifically for eating, monk stew ponds possibly even the Romans.
Pike were eaten for years.
Problem with everything is taking from the wild rather than farms or 'overstock'.
 
 

I have tried a few fish both in UK and abroad, carp, pike, gudgeon and bleak.
Gudgeon and bleak used to be eaten whole, basically stir fried like whitebait, or in a pie. 
I've never found carp earthy, although that may be because of being 'washed' in water (tank) rather than straight from the capture.
The same with pike, although they are bony, fine needle bones that take a lot of picking out.
It kind of bugs me because obviously we catch and return, but carp were brought over specifically for eating, monk stew ponds possibly even the Romans.
Pike were eaten for years.
Problem with everything is taking from the wild rather than farms or 'overstock'.
 
 

The light is on as you say!
There are fish farms already around for fish breeding for food in various countries. In Israel, Jews obviously have to eat kosher, which is freshwater fish, and carp are on the menu. It was imported Israeli carp that brought a batch of KHV to Europe.
In Eastern Europe a lot of laws now in place for the wildwaters and lakes, there is a maximum size that can be taken. Poland, Romania and Hungary I know have fish farms.
China is another country where carp are eaten. Paddy fields planted with rice, stocked with carp and flooded. At harvest time the paddy fields are drained, and carp and rice are harvested.
I've been to restaurants in Germany, the food carp are in the tank, pick your fish for dinner, it's not a display.
 

This forced weight gain is just wrong, just a money making venture to put monster carp into lakes to pull the paying angler into trying for them, its not for me, i would take 30lb proper fish any day