mattgroves

Photos available here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117052281589693263603/LeMonumentFishing2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

it's now over a week and I'm still grinning!!!!

Had a great week at Monument. Only 2 of us fishing, my mate Mark had 10 fish (all twenty's) to 29lb 14oz, I did slightly better with 17 in total, 10 twentys (to 29lb 10oz), 6 thirties to 33lb and the new record of 48lb 4oz! See: http://www.carp.com/carp-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53618&highlight= Photo's to follow

Only just stopped buzzing after this fish (caught almost a week ago on a trip to Le Monument in France). I actually upped my French PB 3 times in under 24 hours, 29, 32 and then this beast! To get a lake record is something I'll probably never do again, and with my Fr PB at 48lb 4oz I can't see this being bettered for some time...

Another trick to try, when you're passing the tag end through, fold the 'mainline' (hooklink) back towards the point, this will open up the 'space' in the eye: Be careful not to pull/force it too much else you may kink the line. But doing this, and cutting the line on an angle, should give you enough space... Another tip is to leave the tag longer as you tie the knot and trim off any damaged bits before threading, I tend to pull the knot tight using my teeth and this creates a flat spot on the tag end that ruins the stiffness needed to successfully thread through for the D. So now I pull down tight, then trim off the 'ruined' line (at an angle), and it goes through nice and easy...

Using ESP Ghost in 18lb (0.45mm) I can get it twice through Korda Choddy hooks in sizes 8, 10 and 12. It might help to cut the tag end (hair/D) at an angle before threading through the eye, certainly helps me...

mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Canadian....... My lake is choked with it too... Start by watching and looking, walk the banks, see where the fish are. they might be in the weed, equally they may frequent deeper areas at certain times of day, you'll generally not fisn fish in the weed between midnight and 0500 as the weed is actually removing oxygen from the water during these times, so a bit placed on a clear area will do better. You'll probably find the deeper areas of the lake have less Canadian with the bottom switching to gravel/sand/silt/silkweed, which is much better for fishing IMO!!!

I had this happen last weekend end, lost a fish on a chod, was close in too towards the end of the fight, I think the lead being so close was the reason... So, I sliced a teardrop rig-ring onto the leadcore and then added around 6 inches of leadcore the other side, so the setup was: lead - 6" of leadcore - ring - leadcore with chod/beads - mainline This stopped the rig sliding all the way down to the lead. i can't take credit for this idea, I remember seeing it somewhere (mag/dvd/here?) and that sprung to mind as I was sat thinking of a solution on the bank, it worked well as I had 2 more takes on that rig and landed both.

A book I found on iBooks (iPhone/iPad kindle-esque app) by George Mason for 49p. Read the summary here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/60901 and here: http://www.georgefmason.co.uk/carp.html I wasn't expecting much for less than 50p but I've been delighted by it, a very easy and relaxing read under the brolly... I can recommend it to anyone with an iPhone/iPad and £0.49 to spare, I think it's also available on the Kindle...

I also use ESP Ghost, be wary of using inturned eyed hooks as you'll close the gape with the stiff ghost, even straight eyes might be an issue... I use it for chods (hook is Korda Choddy B) or true combi-links with some Kryston braid and Fox SSC/SSBP hooks (so the Ghost isn't actually tied to the hook).

The current top-of-the-range is the "TX-i Plus" (receiver is a "RX Plus Pro"), previous generation was "TX-i" with a "RX 2000" or "RX 2004" receiver... I have used both (borrowed a mates TX-i, then bought the TX-i Plus as I was so impressed), no issues with either models...

The minus setting gives you 0-6 range, but at "low" sensitivity. Usually I have them at 5 or 6 on the minus setting, if I dial right down to 0 on minus then you'll need several inches of movement (or violent back and forth) to get a single bleep. The thing is with Delkims, it isn't just distance of the line movement, it's vibration build-up sensing (see Delkim web site for better description!!) so if you move 1" very slowly (on a low setting) you won't get a bleep, but 1/2" movement done 'violently' will result in a bleep, or pulling the bobbin off (little line movement, but lots of vibration) may result in a bleep. You follow?

I have never had a problem with them in the rain, and I've fished through heavy rain, not hardcore thunder storms, but heavy rain. To be honest I would rather the sensitivity range was moved down a bit, you have 0 - 12 (well, 0-6 with a plus and minus setting), I would rather the mid-point was around 3, in effect giving you -3 to 9 (hope that makes sense). The reports of people saying they go off at the slightest knock or in rain are probably due to having them on the plus setting on +6 (most sensitive) where I agree that rain could set them off. Mine are on the minus setting 90% of the time, and I don't have issues with false beeps, and yet 5 or 6mm of line movement will set them off. The one thing I would change is for the receiver to beep/vibrate when you turn it off, just to alert you to the fact you have turned it off, other than that I find them to be the best I've used (and the best I've seen used by others too).

I'd had a few different alarms before buying my Delk's and I can honestly say that they are vastly superior. The build quality and functions set them apart, that said, some other manufacturers are catching up fast, but that's the ting - they are playing catchup with Delkim, not leading themselves. They are also VERY easy to use, and just carry on working, whatever the weather or situation. I would not go to anything else now (unless they offered something revolutionary). So, are Delk's worth the $, yes I think they are. £500 for 3 TXI+ and the wireless RX+ Pro reciever (the top of the range, all singing, all dancing etc), which is price comparable to the top models from Fox, Nash etc, but superior in what you get. I recently bought the TFG Glimmer set for my father-in-law (b-day pressie), which offers excellent VFM at £150 (3 alarms and a wireless receiver) but is not a patch on the Delk's. But they suit his needs better. We all need slightly different things from our tackle. I coped fine for several years with very basic alarms, and if you need something to alert you to a screaming take any alarm with do, but as your fishing advances you're likely to need something that is more reliable and offers more features... While not strictly on topic, please ensure ANY alarm you buy has volume control (or can be muted) so you can set the bobbin without alerting everyone else on the lake. Sorry. This is something that really winds me up...

Read this on holiday this year. While I respect Terry as an angler, I wasn't expecting much from the book, kind of a easy holiday read... Well, how wrong I was... In pursuit of the largest (IPOTL) is great. Terry really draws you into his obsession (which I didn't fully appreciate until reading this!!) and if I could convince my wife to read it she might appreciate how lucky she is! 5 or 6 nights a month is one thing, 150 nights a year is quite another!!!! IPOTL isn't a technical/tactical book, it's a collection of stories and anecdotes of Terry's early carping, covering his time at Yateley among other venues. Obviously I am deeply jealous of Terry being able to fish full time after departing RM, even though he covers the hours spent and the effort he has put in, it still appears at time to be remarkable simple! The main thing this book did for me was to fuel my own little obession The guest chapters range in quality, but all are all short enough that they don't detract from the rest of the book.