kevtaylor

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. 👍

Worth a look at the lightweight boot too, I use those also, you can actually walk round in them, not as much sweat going on. Game changer/life saver for me was a heated gilet from Amazon - battery powered, I bought it purely for my winter boat predator fishing on Rutland and Grafham which can be a bit extreme at times, I take it winter carping and use it without the battery just for a nice extra layer.

Kites are beautiful birds for sure - the colours and the forked tail and a full adult is bloomin big with those wings fully extended - wow This weekend i was so lucky to see an owl fly past really close and in the last hour of light so I got a great view, obvs no pics. I'd like to get a good deer shot - they are all around the lake, one came out from the poke hole I was fishing earlier that day, prob there whilst I was and I had no idea. This place is something else tbh - so many swans, geese, ducks, herons, white crane things etc etc too many bird types it's unreal even a tiny tiny bird in the reeds by the river. Newts, frogs - toads and crickets in the bivvy (standard). It is a nature reserve and should defo be protected if not already. This is a stinky winky screen print off my Instagram of my best fishing pic ever - I had this young kingfisher on my rods for 10 mins practicing picking stuff up out the water- insects, twigs, pebbles it was a great sight and I had my decent camera there and ready. One in a million I guess. In the full shots you can see the slack lines brilliantly too

Love seeing the kites I've been a bit of a kite geek tbh - raving about seeing them getting closer and closer to where I live year after year from the rearing ground in northants. Now prob 10 years later they are everywhere. Best sighting an adult took a fish from swan lake on the wing - massive bird epic to see. Driving home I often saw columns of young birds spiraling on the wind on the country lanes - as many as 30 birds in a column - unreal. I must have nearly crashed a few times lol Got a pic of this Buzzard a couple of weeks ago - he was just sat on the lake track and flew into the nearest tree and checked me out - so cool. I remember when the birds were as rare as rocking horse stuff, so to see then making this massive comeback is so amazing, one of the highlights of my lifetime, told you I was getting geeky about it!

An hour doing my favourite approach, no fish but always worth a go.

Try again - Saturday night blah blah blah

I've enjoyed December sessions in recent years, lots of fish in short spells of feeding activity. Observation is absolutely key in winter as they are not moving about, find the fizzers and fish bang where they are, probably just the one rod will go off time and time again, regardless of how near you get the other rods, real accurate spot fishing. Just a handful of washed out baits that I break up and a handful of low oil pellets and a few grains of corn - works for me, cant wait until this December to have a go on the usually busy day ticket big fish waters - I may also be going France then as well coz I like it so much. Good waterproofs are essential as is spare clothes just in case and a hanger for your coat so your not dropping it on the floor or on your bed whilst its still wet. Good food is key, eat well and you'll be happy. Very long nights so you might want something to read or watch. Back to observation, if you do manage to find the fish it is most likely they will stay there all winter and do this every year!

Saturday night - what a view, also saw an owl, kingfisher, 2 buzzards, deer and all the usual birds etc

Shame you couldn't cancel the holidays for late in the year, I certainly wasn't expecting these temps when I booked months ago

Yes its too hot for fishing. But I'm booked on Trent View tomorrow so gotta make the most of it 🤷‍♂️

I hear you mate and whether its the PAC or not I'm not interested tbh if the common sense guidance is not to fish for pike in the warm them it shouldn't be done period and it's the job of the PAC and tackle companies to promote this guidance and follow it - that's the key do what you're promoting! Was nice to see the kayaks on Pitsford last weekend - apparently a competition to catch a perch, pike and brownie - oh it was nearly 30 degrees - thought I'd point that out and this weekend the World Predator Classic, temps to mid 30's - sounds perfect doesn't it! Unreal

Fair enough, cant beat an overgrown, snaggy water - many happy years stalking carp in the edge 👍