kevtaylor

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! 🤷‍♂️

Knew there was more to Scott's recent zig success than the kickers, thought it was going to be elastic but no it's a stiff hinge hook section with swivel offering much better hooking properties - I assume you've all seen this by now?

30 years ago I got the feeling that me and my mate were being watched/stalked by a big cat, but we didn't actually see it. Round the back of the big ski lake at Grenville we found about 4-5 fresh swan kills, together in a corner. Walking past and up the far bank we could hear something following us within the bushes, snapping the odd twig. We fished a few hours and I just got feeling it was level with us and still watching. Fair to say I was nervous but no proof just a feeling. No idea if there have been any sightings in Northants tbh

Saw these new cool boxes on YouTube last night, 2 sizes very good value, this is the smaller one at under £40, seems great value and looks decent quality - coupled with a couple of thick blocks should be good for a few days - worth a look 👍 There's also a deal on the 2 sizes and blocks for less than £100 https://lidstersfishingsupplies.co.uk/product/lidsters-fishing-deluxe-cooler-ice-box-16l-fits-23-cans-carp-tackle-bait-cool/

Jag Black is decent, worth a look - got it all cannot fault!

I'm using Berkley Big Game Flourocarbon 30lb for my leader, seems banging tbh and cheaper than the tiny carp spools, easily as good as the Fox Illusion if not better. I bet it would work in lower BS for hooklinks, worth a try anyway. 👍

Easily done, I must take 12 big leads and a few small ones and backleads with me, then there's at least 20 more in the car. I wont admit how many I've got at home - can barely move the box lol

That's the first thing I ditched - a bucket of alternative hookbaits. I think the 8 tubs I carry anyway should be enough lol - all pop-ups, I figured I don't need wafters or bottom baits until later in the year anyway so they can stay in the garage. I've got beef with my tackle boxes tbh all those tiny things do seem to add up and when you don't ever use over half of the stuff what's the point I'm asking myself 🤷‍♂️ Think I need a tiny new tackle box and then keep the rest of the spares in the car. I must carry 1000 hooks easy, 10 different hooklinks minimum - just silly really

I think my kit is pretty minimal looking on the outside tbh but there's clearly a lot more weight than there should be. My tackle box itself weighs a bit and that's coupled with a big non-essentials pouch and 2 rig cases. I bet I could fit what I actually NEED in my pocket lol Needs going through AGAIN! 👍

Deffo 1 trip now, was a struggle with 2 trips lol

Been saying to my mate that my rucksack weighs silly amounts, I just don't see where the weight is coming from tbh it must weigh 30-40k Anyway into the fishing store room goes the rucksack, everything is now packed into the barrow luggage - hopefully this will be a game changer for me. 🤞

I wouldn't use Propolis in the mouth at all, if it washes back onto the gills it can't breathe potentially. Antiseptic for hook holds ONLY if required, Antiseptic then propolis for the body. I don't think we should be doing any of this as a matter of course tbh only if you deem it necessary. 👍

It's the Propolis thing for me, obviously good, but not if your sealing in bad germs. Like you say antiseptic first then seal but it does seem a bit risky to me. There's also the treatments getting on the gills themselves, this is shocking and needs to be avoided at all costs the risks are obvious.

For me IF the water quality is bang on they'll need no help healing. I was keeping an eye on a mates house when he went away on hols, during the week his biggest koi managed to trap itself between layers of the surface netting which I didn't see obvs. By the time he returned it was in a very bad way, fins and tail gone and skin red raw. He released it and it sank down not doing much at all. After a few days it was completely covered in white mould and he thought should I kill it for kindness, well he didn't and after a week or so the white slime vanished and the fish looked great with new fins growing and everything. It's still going now, maybe 10 years later. No treatments were given but the water quality was obviously very good.

I've got the kits because I have to with the club rules, do I use it NO, I might treat a bad hook hold coz I know the damage is fresh but as for treating existing wounds I don't really believe in it TBH you could easily be making it worse, trapping harmful bacteria in - we're not vets IMO Tin hat on - bring it 😂

My Carp Porter front bag is silver padded lined but like you say they don't keep anything cold for long, I've tried a few of those, in summer this is a prob if you want to eat fresh meats etc. The OGLOO brand are good and not too expensive, I've actually got 3 lol - one being giant for foreign trips, used once. We cant be popping to and from the lake to shops coz our track is notoriously bad, once in - you're in for the duration if you value your car

Cool boxes are many times better than bags IMO

Cool bags are rubbish, you need a cool box - Check IGLOO but there are others.

I've always had a barrow front bag for my food, was Carp Porter, now Aqua Black Series - gets all my food, cooking stuff and toiletries in. I then use one of 2 Igloo cool boxes for cold meats/drinks etc, one's big enough for a weekend, the other 4-5 nights 😎

Sounds an epic target, fish feeding purely on naturals do your head right in, they seem impossible at times, I've tried maggots, snails, worms all manor of normal baits - right on their heads, fizzing right on me for hours yet not a bleep aaaagh!!!!! Good luck you'll need it 👍

Great stuff well done 👏 Nice fish too 👌😎

Oh I'm good with a stick now, became my go to at the end on Welly, matching pop-ups over a light spread with the stick, surprising how accurate you get. At first they were falling behind me, too embarrassing! I think with the spoon the flexible handle has to be the one to add distance 👍

I've tried this with a landing net pole and my big Fox scoop thing, hopeless - couldn't get any distance, but then I gave up on the throwing stick after the first session - took years before I tried again and got it sorted lol Good luck Elmo - a made for the job one has to be the way to go. 👍

Waiting on 3 purchases woohoo! Aqua Black front barrow bag - replacing my old Carp Porter front food bag, not totally sure on this one coz not a food bag as such, but should do the job. 🤞 Power barrow wheel bag, existing is too small. Cotswold Wader bag - ready for Fortis Waders, out end of March apparently - like the look of this bag - like a bucket with lid so you can set waders up ready and keep in the bag/bucket with lid on to keep them dry and ready next to the rods, no more faffing about when the rain starts or forgetting and having wet waders 😎

Finally got a power barrow after over a years wait between BCUK and eventually Carp Porter. First impression it's the nuts (CarpPorter Fat Boy Mk2), looking forward to putting it through its' paces from next weekend onwards 👍