kevtaylor

Jack and Max are getting on so well, I really thought Max was too young and crazy at 18 months to have as example to a younger puppy but he's stepped up in so many ways - so proud of him, the gentle giant! 🥰

I can't start this without paying tribute to my beautiful carp dog and best friend of 12 and a half years George. 29th June 2022 I had to make the gut wrenching visit to the vets knowing his little heart was giving up and we would be saying goodbye. Safe to say it ripped my heart out and left me devastated - all fishing trips since have felt forced as I lost the buzz. I cried my eyes out packing for the first trip and broke down, it wasn't the same but I got through it coz fishing is my life and I had my daughters dog Max to soften the blow a little on occasion. Months later and after a few rat encounters at a day ticket water - with them running right over the bivvy and eating a hole in the side I decided I needed a new dog, as this never happened on George's watch. Today I picked up Jack my new carp dog soon to be in training, prob best not to set up near me this coming year! Meet Jack a 13 week old show type Cocker

One last cast - sorry Ali lol

I've got the same but between my shoulder blades so it effects my arms, back and neck. When really quiet I can hear the bone on bone grinding when I turn from side to side. It also traps a nerve and I get pulses and shakes down my left arm. Happy days - just from lifting my son in an awkward position - only heard a little pop then days later the pain was hell, thankfully it seems to get less of a problem each year, your brain has to learn not to stiffen all the muscles up to protect the injury as this just makes it much much worse. That took about 5 years to re-program if you like - now I'm nearing 20 years since the injury, doc says I will need surgery - hopefully he is wrong. I stopped taking meds after a couple of years as they mess with your insides, just have to ignore the pain as much as possible.

Geoff Anderson Teddy Green - expensive but you get what you pay for 👍

You say not this guys fault? Of course it is - he didn't read up on it and in truth should have known better, very sad for the family but you cant blame anyone else.

Thankfully it's not up to you lol I will carry on with the lead clip because as you've pointed out, set up as I do it comes off - always! 👍

Leigh Steward-Day find him on Facebook, bought my modded boat from him and got good aftercare 👍

On the banning of leaders and lead clips, again nothing wrong with the products just the inexperienced users of said items. You don't ban cars because of a few terrible drivers, this is the same IMO. My lead always comes off on the take when I want it too, 4-5oz flat pear lead, korda hybrid clips, tail rubber on lightly, its off on the take, which I want on a weedy/snaggy lake. If I want to keep the lead I go for a heli set-up. Even a running setup will tangle and hold onto the lead if there's 20+ yards of coiled line attached still. Pike are a pain for doing this - biting you off at the rod tips, happens on point swims regular.

I recently did a day session on the river lure fishing for perch - managed to forget my net of all things, I obviously had my biggest Perch by a long way 2-3lb, had my left hand under it when the hook pulled and it slid slowly out of my hand - I nearly dived in after it - gutted! 🤣

Bivvy pegs - not really you need to get the rim of the net a good 1-2 feet above the water or they can easily jump free, net station or sticks it doesn't matter but you don't want your prized capture escaping early. I've lost a coupe of decent fish and the nets were fairly high.

You need 2 long bank sticks - stick them in the 2 net corners - simple as that. I've got a type of net station but don't use it just get the sticks out, seems like another answer to a problem that doesn't exist tbh

I weigh most fish unless very small, I'm nearly always on a venue where a new PB is possible so scales stay in the rucksack. As I'm also after a PB perch I carry a lightweight but good Avon scale for that. The venue owner wants to know how stockies are growing so appreciates being sent pics and weights. I think some are kind of giving the impression that it's cool to not weigh anything below a possible PB but for me I want to catch a carp at every pound interval between 1 and my pb and I have 2 weights to go so I will continue weighing for the foreseeable. If I'm luck enough to beat my PB considerably then there will be even more gaps to fill hopefully, I like to have targets of sorts.

ESP hooklink, Korda hooks and rig bits, Fox Fluorocarbon, Gardner line - there may be a couple more but that's pretty much all I use at the mo

My lad moved to a City school at 14 1st phonecall was that he had a knife held to his throat in the lunch hall - police involved, next call he's been beaten up badly, 3rd and final call he's been beaten badly again but eventually lost his cool and bombed the bully out. Thankfully it ended there, god knows what made him so determined to go back every day - scared us to death.

Love that mate 🤣

You're not anti social - that was just bad etiquette! There's always one. I think it says a great deal how people close their car doors when they arrive - the slammers just don't get it- so you know straight away - noddy! Sorry but its true, announce your presence straight away zero hunter instint or understanding. Likely to be followed by noisy setting up - casting everywhere, leaving engine running behind you and talking too loud. A group of good anglers can have a social and still not annoy anyone else.

To me it means fishing with a good friend. Most of my fishing is solo - so it's nice to get out with friends who I don't spend enough time with nowadays.

Just the size of the egg matters in this case - as we are talking about getting the mix bang on - so just having a smaller egg than usual could be enough to effect your binding properties, the margins are fine IMO

Hi mate, I've not rolled bait for years but reading your first line it struck me that if they split within the bait maker ( or on the rolling table as I used back in the day), they were too dry. Obviously I'm guessing but I think you may have the problem the wrong way round?

Hell yeah, I'm all about enjoyment, fishing is a treat and I like to eat and drink well, a tiny stove and food bag is as essential. I take a flask on the boats but its nowhere near as good and neither is cold sandwiches tbh Tony the Bluebell owner wrote that good hot food and drink and being warm make you fish more effectively and I've always thought he is dead right.

You can use any stove inside the bivvy mate it warms everything up - key is to leave lots of ventilation, maybe letter box the door, people do use bivvy heaters - I borrowed my mates it was ace putting it on to warm your hands back up after a fish or something but the dangers are obvious, don't leave unattended, well ventilated and don't fall asleep with anything on. There is a candle and tin style heater that will make a significant difference. I generally don't bother but there are options. I use gas - has to be a propane/butane mix for winter and in the morning it still will be a bit poor with a low flame - which is why people put them in their sleeping bags as mentioned. I found my mates antics with his Coleman a bit scary, - he put me right off lol But in the right hands I'm sure they work perfectly. If you mean will the bites be morning/evening? December and beyond I've found late morning through to late afternoon to be the time on a few venues I can think of. Autumn seems more evening and early morning - but everywhere has the potential to be completely different. December I also had spells of bites again between 11pm and 1am so 2 feeding windows then nothing until 11 the next morning. On a lake we fished years back from Dec onwards we wouldn't have to get there until 10am - bites were generally from 2pm until 4pm then we went home - doing nights was almost pointless.

That's the thing buddy walking along the river and being out all day like you do you absolutely need dry and warm clothing to put on as and when you need it, being out in the boats you cant just say oh I'm cold and wet and not enjoying it very much can we go home? NO you've paid quite a lot to do this activity - make the most of it. I also saw the advantage for my carping, I can be out looking, baiting up, moving swims in all weathers whilst almost everyone else is tucked up inside bivvies. Money well spent IMO

OK as you've said that maybe check this company out 'Geoff Anderson', fishing clothing made purposely for fishing in the cold - pricey but this is top end gear, you get what you pay for - absolutely no regrets buying this gear I am having more when I've saved up. 👍