salokcinnodrog

Years ago I was fishing a local park lake, it's free, but I didn't want the locals knowing that I was there. I was arriving after dark, fishing the night and staying  until lunchtime at the latest.

I'm not ready for two pics of them...🤣
 

I see more animals hit with crossbow bolts than I do with a catapult!
Saying that I used to see a pest control officer using a Barnet Diablo or Black Widow for rats, and at one time they were a carp anglers best boilie pult.
I really don't understand the logic of some people, those who are trying to ban a legitimate use of a catapult for groundbait or boilies, or those who aim for animals. 
As a kid I made longbows, catapults and other arrow launchers, and I am positive that not all were used legitimately, kids play fights, pigeons or rats as targets or the occasional school window...
As for the police, if I misbehaved, I'd get a clip round the ear from whoever caught me, and if I was stupid enough to tell my mother, another when I told her, or if I was caught by the village Bobby, no matter how fast I ran or cycled, how many shortcuts I took, he was stood at the door talking to my mother when I got home.
We have lost education, from one or two misbehaving children in a year group to one or two well behaved children in the year group.
 

What irritates me is that the mk.2 or 3 is frequently not as good as the mk.1, or is having to fix the faults of the mk.1 as in alarms.
I had the original Fox Easydome, good bivvy, up in a couple of minutes. 
I even got a mk.2, nice, (thanks RichardF),  it actually came with an improvement of an additional rib to push the porch out instead of a couple of clip-on bars as per the mk.1 and the skull cap had better coverage because of that.
Then the mk.3 was awful, they extended the inner dome backwards instead of to the front.
The mk.1 was my goto bivvy on Taverham in the 1990's until it was stolen. The mk.2 was my goto bivvy around 2007 or 2008 for another few years until I split up with Liz and lost it somewhere between housemoves.
 
 
Oh I agree with you about mats, the old flat thing and chasing a carp that has slipped off down the bank. The Chub mat I have has high enough sides to stop them sliding out, and unlike the Monster Cabrio mat, I can reach the fish with minimal pain.

Nick has no idea what is happening to it now. I lost interest after seeing 6 otters playing around and had numbers of the fish.
It's one of those places, I fished it, caught fish, not really interested in going back.

Nick has no idea what is happening to it now. I lost interest after seeing 6 otters playing around and had numbers of the fish.
It's one of those places, I fished it, caught fish, not really interested in going back.

Got my name down for one of Leszek's reels, they are a thing of beauty. Sadly I doubt I shall ever own one, as he is in his 80's and has slowed down over the last few years... an utter gentleman and an artist... 
I have a trio of Mordex Merlin pins that have been modified by Leszek, they have been fitted with brass center bosses rather than the plastic ones that are prone to cracking... they look as if they were factory built...
 

He's a lovely bloke, the covering letter and descriptions of the work he completed were very detailed and a joy to read, he dismantled each reel completely and rebuilt them to exacting tolerances so they run true and freely, they are my go to pin for carping... if you see him, tell him Aitch from TFF said Hello, and the Merlins are still cracking on...👍😎

I see more animals hit with crossbow bolts than I do with a catapult!
Saying that I used to see a pest control officer using a Barnet Diablo or Black Widow for rats, and at one time they were a carp anglers best boilie pult.
I really don't understand the logic of some people, those who are trying to ban a legitimate use of a catapult for groundbait or boilies, or those who aim for animals. 
As a kid I made longbows, catapults and other arrow launchers, and I am positive that not all were used legitimately, kids play fights, pigeons or rats as targets or the occasional school window...
As for the police, if I misbehaved, I'd get a clip round the ear from whoever caught me, and if I was stupid enough to tell my mother, another when I told her, or if I was caught by the village Bobby, no matter how fast I ran or cycled, how many shortcuts I took, he was stood at the door talking to my mother when I got home.
We have lost education, from one or two misbehaving children in a year group to one or two well behaved children in the year group.
 

I see more animals hit with crossbow bolts than I do with a catapult!
Saying that I used to see a pest control officer using a Barnet Diablo or Black Widow for rats, and at one time they were a carp anglers best boilie pult.
I really don't understand the logic of some people, those who are trying to ban a legitimate use of a catapult for groundbait or boilies, or those who aim for animals. 
As a kid I made longbows, catapults and other arrow launchers, and I am positive that not all were used legitimately, kids play fights, pigeons or rats as targets or the occasional school window...
As for the police, if I misbehaved, I'd get a clip round the ear from whoever caught me, and if I was stupid enough to tell my mother, another when I told her, or if I was caught by the village Bobby, no matter how fast I ran or cycled, how many shortcuts I took, he was stood at the door talking to my mother when I got home.
We have lost education, from one or two misbehaving children in a year group to one or two well behaved children in the year group.
 

Those mirrors are impressive looking fish.
 

Mate ,the 'golf ' word must never ,ever be mentioned on a forum devoted to piscatorial leanings 
 
I learnt the hard way ,I became an outcast ,as I once played pitch and putt,...( know that grating feeling only to well )..😏

21lb 12oz common 👍

Off the mark with this mirror at 19lb 8oz, not the species I'm after but I will take it 🤣 nailed it on a size 2 wide gape double 20mm boilie 🤣

Caught my first carp of the year this weekend after a winter in which I did next to no angling for one reason or another. The weekend started well with 3 carp and a tench. Another bite resulted in a loss on Saturday morning but it was enough to have me blagging another night. Unfortunately, despite that warm sunshine, that cold easterly had them backing off and without a move on the cards I was stuck camping for the night. Still, a lovely weekend and I just hope I can get back out at some point soon.
Here's the best of them. The linear is I think an original, typified by the little melted heart-shaped tail that most of the OG's in this water have. The common is I think a stock fish but no less welcome for it. Clearly one on it's way to being a real biggun.

 

Went on a quest for my first catfish this weekend, I lost one the other night as it was steaming towards a bridge, I was felt a bit defeated lol. Anyway I carried on and managed this beauty this morning at 29lb 8oz 👍buzzing 👍👍
Anyway I feel like I got the bug for these things so getting some catfish rods ordered, I now want a bigger one but have learnt I need stronger gear lol.
I'm wet and covered in slime, so packing up and going home 🤣 mission complete 👌

Finally broke my record long blank and hooked and landed a lovely 12lb common today, while playing it i kept it up in the top layers and it looked a right belter, thought it may go 16lb plus but seems not, good to get a fish, no pic as no one to do the honours 

I don't think that the weight is the problem, nor the packing away time. I can't do with sleeping on Ravishing Rachel, sorry the airbed anymore, it's too low, not that my bedchair is particularly high, but I can't get up from the floor easily. Comfort and space.
I can do without the porch extension, but with it does mean I can sit on my chair when it's raining and keep dry.
 
No matter what when carp fishing it is guaranteed to be 2 barrow loads, Sky has a bucket of food and a couple of stuffed hooves for daytime chewing.
 
I got really lucky years ago, someone put a Nash Hurricane Outlaw Bivvy dome and overwrap on ebay and I picked it up for £10 including carriage, they made a spelling mistake on the listing, 'bivy', so no-one else bid on it. That lasted years, in fact I still have it, and that's been through a few storms. It's only my preference for an umbrella that made me switch from it. When I was homeless, it was home!
 

I don't think that the weight is the problem, nor the packing away time. I can't do with sleeping on Ravishing Rachel, sorry the airbed anymore, it's too low, not that my bedchair is particularly high, but I can't get up from the floor easily. Comfort and space.
I can do without the porch extension, but with it does mean I can sit on my chair when it's raining and keep dry.
 
No matter what when carp fishing it is guaranteed to be 2 barrow loads, Sky has a bucket of food and a couple of stuffed hooves for daytime chewing.
 
I got really lucky years ago, someone put a Nash Hurricane Outlaw Bivvy dome and overwrap on ebay and I picked it up for £10 including carriage, they made a spelling mistake on the listing, 'bivy', so no-one else bid on it. That lasted years, in fact I still have it, and that's been through a few storms. It's only my preference for an umbrella that made me switch from it. When I was homeless, it was home!
 

Funny you should post as I have a pan of maize simmering on the stove for this week. 
I get mine from Gladwells at Copdock Mill. It's definitely big enough to drill and put on the hair. 
I must admit I gave up on plastic baits, both for lake rules, and my peace of mind environmentally. I became concerned about leaving plastic baits in the environment should I crack off. The last few pieces I have found and retrieved are actually smaller than real grains of maize, and fake sweetcorn is smaller than the standard piece I use for bait. 
I do tend to trim a standard yellow (Nutty Bait) pop-up for use as a hookbait. I'm too tight to buy additional specific hookers...

I got a job lot at the Essex show, but yeah a trimmed down pop up would work just as well 

I was using a Sonik Spod Marker Hybrid, but after rod rings losing liners I switched back to Century Big Bertha for the same job of leading around and the Spombing. I'm more confident in the Big Bertha for the weight of a full medium Spomb than the Sonik which didn't like big casts.
I normally cast out and pull the rod tip to vertical or slightly backwards and as it hits the clip the rod pulls forward.
That's almost exactly the distance I was fishing this week in a 20mph easterly, which was a 'cross tail' wind, coming at around 45⁰ over my left shoulder.
That reminds me, I must give the Aerlex a dose of Rocket fuel, it developed a squeak this week on winding in. Means I will be cleaning up the 7HT's as well.

I was doing it for years, 15lb mono with 50lb Greased Weasel. Never had any problems, less wind knots. It does stop the occasional non opening of Spomb as the line stretches and the Spomb hits nose first rather than skidding.
Only reason I went to braid is using one rod spodding and marker float/leading around. 
Braid is Angry fish 0.37mm 4x PE line with leader. I rarely get wind knots, but do occasionally, usually at the most inopportune time.

With braid and the Spomb you really want a straight drop down rather than 'skidding' it in as it hits the clip. I also use a 30lb Amnesia leader. I still get the occasional non opening, but that is when I tend to punch it rather than aiming high and dropping in.
The Nash Dot Spod is supposed to open every cast, but I have found they seem to lack a bit of build quality (and class) and do appear cheap. They can also be a pain to push and click shut.

Yeah used to use 10lb diawa sensor with a heavy braid shock leader, worked well tbh, but as I only want to carry the one spod/marker rod combined I went onto braid straight through, smashes the clip hard though which can mean it doesn't open, whereas the mono stretches and the spod opens all the time - not as accurate though.
I don't suffer wind knots - and I don't even wet the braid for the first chuck! 🤷‍♂️