kevtaylor

Good luck fella, I'd be having a go for Perch on lures with all those fry you mention it must have some big ones. 👍

No idea sorry, but looks a lovely setting, I guess nuisance species might be an issue with all the roach etc. I guess hard hookbaits and/or bigger baits will help.

Welcome to the forum fella 👍

A couple from France, double take madness 🇫🇷

Just back from my return visit to Brothers Lake, France. Weather at the start was hot and the fishing was slow, but as the week progressed and temps cooled off the fishing got better and better and I finished off with 15 fish to 49lb inc 7 x 30s and another mid 40. Tactics were scatterings of boilie only - put out with the stick to a marker float every afternoon and a small top-up at dusk. The fish were feeding heavily on naturals, fizzing up most of the day everyday, just past where we were fishing or anywhere without lines between us in the middle. Being a small lake they did exactly this last trip despite us being on the opposite bank this time. I chose to go with my newish wafter rig, a slip-d, multi - tied using the Korda hook-clip, size 6 wide gapes, Esp Tungsten Loaded and Gardner XL tungsten aligners, Korda tungsten large anti tangle sleeve - with a total rig length of around 5 inches. With a golf ball sized funnel-web bag of mixed pellet, boilie crumb and 10ml Odyssey XXX. Feeding 15ml XXX and using 15ml wafters as hookbaits. By the end of the week I just wanted a 50 to complete what had been a great session and at 1am on the final night I got my wish, well not quite but 49 will more than do. Some of the fish:

Great report and well done on the fish! 😎👍

Can't help with bait making you know far more than me, but congrats on the new addition to the family ❤️

France on 5th so fingers crossed mate and rude not to give the syndi another go at the weekend - oh and just bought a Bluebell winter ticket. Determined to turn this season around after a poor start through ill health. 👍

Baiting poles are a real faff I must agree, I've barely used mine due to the reasons you say, but for the swim I was going to be targeting, just perfect. I do have a bait boat with good sonar and yes it has caught me some extra fish where I couldn't have casted - or would have spoiled it casting too much to find the very best area. But like the baiting pole I don't usually use it or even take it with me most of the time. New venues I will take it coz you don't know what you'll be faced with. You're wasting your time on Yonny - he will NEVER own such a thing and doesn't need any help catching, I know I've fished with him. I buy things because I'm bored and want some retail therapy not because I NEED them, as you'll have seen in the new purchases thread 🤣

He's right though, noddy move, this one will stay with me for a long time. I had a feeling I was on for a big-un and the power of the take suggests it was just that!!! Fishing is cruel at times, the losses haunt me! I remember the worst losses more than the successful ones

I was on it for a couple of years but struggled to find anyone with stock earlier this year so went with the HD instead, seems it's back in stock now. 👍 What about the splash mat, would you carry that around the big pit? 🤣🤦‍♂️ Might end up being as pointless as the ridgemonkey bivvy I bought during lockdown - deffo my worst buy ever!!! Cant give it away!

Bought 2 spools of Hydro Tuff and found one was enough to do the 3 reels - so got a spare for next spring. Wasn't going to try the 3rd reel as I didn't want to have to strip it all off once it became apparent it wasn't going to fill the last reel but went for it anyway and it did it with a little to spare. On that basis I've deffo got enough HD left to do 3 reels on the 2 spools I bought earlier in the year as I did 2 reels off one spool and one off the other spool. Ordered another 75 leads from Riverside Leads - not heard anything back on those yet so jury is out. ESP stalker boilie pouch to help with baiting up Fortis - large brimmed hat Cotswold reel splash mat, this will prob never get used - but needed to spend more for free delivery so it kind of made sense lol Is this an illness?

I spotted something odd in the edge at Bluebell and pulled out a Fox Bivvy and later spotted a landing net and handle in the reeds - gave both to my mate which he still uses now. This was months after a big storm where people obviously lost tackle 😀

WHAT?!?! now that's dedication right there 🙌

I used my baiting pole to get them out nice and quiet this trip, might have worked in your situation, I know you don't like tech but it's only a stick with a cup on the end lol I was pretty amazed to find I was fishing an easy underarm, turned out to be 24 metres, looked more like 10 max