kevtaylor

2 nights 2 lakes due to spawning closures - no fish caught but a major carp home found - can't wait to get back and explore some more.

I'd go for 3.5lb will still play fish well but have that bit of extra backbone if required.

My travelling light days seem to be long gone - I've got nothing for you there man, maybe get the family to take less 🤣👍 Seriously though have a great time and remember it is a holiday, I think a lot of anglers would do well to remember that - have fun 😎👍 Oh and ditto what Yonny says

Are they siblings mate? My neighbor has cocker spaniel sisters, the red one attacks the black one every day. I heard somewhere that red ones can have Cocker rage? I think it's just a lack of exercise and discipline in their case though.

Just take the plunge mate - what can go wrong 🤦‍♂️🤣 A walk round sounds good - we did that but not intentionally - was also my first walk round. On the first fishing session Max jumped out my car window at the car park gate '- wasn't expecting that and forgot on the way home and he did it again lol - luckily he just ran over to me but what a mad man!

Me too mate such cowards when you need them - they're a joke 🤣👍

Max barked at a swan that was 200 yards away, yet when 20 were over my lines at the rod tips he didn't bark at all, which is just typical. Both bark if someone comes past but that's good. Just take them fishing or just him to begin with they will probably surprise you - they love it and come home exhausted, I walk them at lunchtime and play ball with Max to tire him out. 👍

Yes mate - it's been top to be fair, will do this again 👍

The social - job one complete - cookhouse/sitting room - you'd have thought we were in France for a week not up the road for 3 nights 🤣

Yes mate this is a bigger challenge in many respects and no fence to protect from unknown factors so stocks is a bit unknown. Thought to be around 30 originals left but nearly all we have seen so far have been small stockies. I will be going more often and for longer sessions simply because I like being there, whereas on busy lakes I can only stand it for a night or two at a push.

Max is on a 15 metre lead, you just can't see it in that pic, can't see that changing any time soon, he's too mad! George is OK off the lead, I trust him not to go too far, but he still hides close by and scares me silly at least once per trip, on busy lakes he is kept on a lead too.

Hands down the most at peace I have ever felt at fishing - its like a nature reserve, natural swims - very well spaced - features galore. Gonna enjoy this years fishing for sure! I needed this after fishing busy syndicates and day tickets for years - give me space to enjoy - bliss!!!

I think I've been checked for a licence by a proper bailiff once in my life and that was on Bluebell 10+ years ago. I'd have liked and expected to have been checked far far more times during that time! Maybe fisheries should check it might be a way of identifying those who are likely to break other fishery rules down the line?

At that point nowhere 😁 Max goes in a travel crate and gets covered over so he cant see out - he settles well to be fair, I wish I'd have done this with George as he's in and out of bed all night just like he is at home tbh

Young Max learning how to be a carp dog with veteran George - much to learn but he looks the part - much fun had.

New water - chilled vibes!

3 night blank on Swan Lake last week - Weds to Sat - arrived at about 10am Was at the right end (back of the wind - wide end) and in a swim that had done fish off the surface days before so felt super confident. Whilst setting up the fish were in front of me right up in the water, felt quite warm and sunny. Didn't bring floater rod (utter noddy) so 2 on adjustable zigs - different depths different colours - no takes, lots of adjustments. 1st night I moved the 2 adjustables right out into the middle following the shows and brought the depths down as the temp dropped. The 3rd rod was a bottom presentation - a lightly baited trap to the left of the swim which is nearest to the shallower water - causeway bank but still in 15 feet. I also baited the middle rod with the mindset that I may change to a bottom presentation at some point if it looked on. 11pm a take on the middle rod (zig) - bend into a fish and seconds later it's off - I reel in another zig - so it was a trailer - got the heart going. 2nd morning - it looked as though I had a fish on both baited patches - though it's hard to tell exactly at distance, but I felt confident all the same. Lad next to me (left) in the causeway swim had a 20 common (only fish out) from his right rod at 08:45 off the bottom - which would be his deepest rod - so that gave me more confidence for my left rod. I gave it right until about 2pm before the rods came in and I walked the dog, had lunch etc. 2nd evening the middle rod was changed to the bottom with a different presentation and both spots were topped up a little. Right rod still on the adjustable but lower overnight than the night before as it had been cold all day, I'd seen much less activity but still felt that I was at the right end of the lake and in a good swim - although it was now freezing. 3rd morning- no activity on the spots its freezing cold all day, lad to my left has a mid 30 common on his left rod at about 9:30 whilst packing up - his shallowest rod by far from a reed bed along the causeway. This now puts me in a panic for the last night, I've got nothing shallower than 15 feet and feel like I won't catch off the bottom - furthermore they don't seem interested in any depth or colour of zig. I decide to stay put for the last night - knowing it looks like a blank, reel in and walk the dog mid afternoon. Passing an empty swim on the causeway of Sandmartin Lake I go for a look, it's absolutely freezing facing the wind, just wanted to see the swim. To my amazement I see about 15 shows about 20 yards out in front of me in this empty swim - doing the total opposite to the Swan lake fish!!! I watch for a while - some nice low 20's - dark looking cracking fish. But then just as I'm about to leave I spot a huge common roll in the margin to my left - is it the 50? The swim to my left has been closed and I stand in there and there is a lovely looking clear strip in the margin just 8 yards from where I saw the common. So now I'm running back to get a bucket 🤣 so much for staying up. The last night was spent on Sandmartin - a margin rod left and right and the adjustable 20 yards out - sadly I don't think the fish came back and when a new arrival started crashing leads into my water that spelt the end of the session and time for home. Last trip till winter onto pastures new - can't wait. What have I learnt: Floater rod from March onwards just in case you hit a freak warn spell Going from a week of warm to a week of freezing it has taken 5-6 days for the fish to adjust and start feeding again - the main targets have both just been out in the 50lb bracket the following week, so I was days out with the timing of the session again. So hard when you just have to book weeks in advance and hope. So the more settled the weather the better in April it seems. Hate April

I've looked at that - does seem a good buy and Tackle Box is cool 👍

Yes - I now have a use for it and a puppy to play goal keeper! 👍

28 kilo for a small bivvy

OK mines the 1 Man Standard, used it about 3 times - for sale! Plus points: Good fabric, well made throughout, goes up quick, good ventilation - struggling here! Minus points: WEIGHT, packdown size for transporting (Looong car or van required), internal size - just fits in my Solar bedchair - touches poles both sides - leaving about 1.5 feet spare in front of the bed, 2nd skin - pointless as it only covers the top not the sides. This is the big 1 man, not the compact and only my opinions.