kevtaylor

Also switched over to Daiwa reels from Shimano as not happy with their recent offerings, again reliability the issue.

Favourite bit of kit is deffo my Jag 2+1 buzz bars and Fox RX+ alarms 👍 Reliability and carpyness all in one package 😂

I love tying my own rigs, the attention to detail of getting it just right, the little adjustments you make to length and pop-up height for instance - it's all using the grey matter. I will always remember sitting in my bivvy all day trying to work out why my non tangle rigs were suddenly tangling every cast, chucking fast and low under pylons, did my head in completely. That day I came up with huge loops over half the length of the boom effectively lengthening the anti tangle sleeves properties if you like, and giving you a set place to mould the rig putty stopping that ever slipping. By the end of that day I'd come up with better anti tangle properties and more importantly realised that if I tied the hook end section almost in reverse order I had total control of how much stripped braid was left exposed, instead of ending up with whatever you got after tightening the knot. So I tie the hair last if that makes any sense at all - hard to put in words. So one problem ended up improving all elements of the rig I'd been tying for years and years. I thought about tying rigs many years ago for those who struggled to do it themselves, like a complete custom set-up, was a good idea, couldn't be arsed in the end lol same as all my other great ideas 🙃🤣

We all need joggers and hoodies got no issue with that but we also wanted technical options, thankfully we are starting to get some. I do feel partly responsible tbh thank me later lol

Cool - I was looking at the Craghoppers stuff last year and nearly purchased tbh, might be wrong but think the fabric is too closely woven to be penetrated on the stuff coming out so maybe doesn't need chemicals, we'll have to wait and see on that, I spoke to the main guy at a show - gave him the lowdown on what anglers really need technically instead of the joggers and hoodies the tackle companies kept spewing out. You shouldn't have to look to mountaineering, safari or European predator fishing for tactical clothing - carp companies were so far behind I just didn't understand their mindset tbh.

Just ordered the Korda long sleeve SPF Factor 50 shirt for those swims where you have no shade or you're up floater fishing all day. Hopefully money well spent. Fortis look to be bringing out mozzie proof summer clothing - deffo buying this when possible! 👍

Another 3 night blank, new swim, position seemed good for traffic, only one stuck it's head out the whole trip. Did hours of swim improvements/clearance for no reward, out again Thursday night for another go - same conditions 🤦‍♂️ Still nice view lol

It does look good with a curved hook IMO, very much like a shorter version of the Long Shank Nailer as mentioned by Emmcee above. 👍

Good food happy angler! Love my new front barrow bag, fits in so many more treats than the old one 🤣👍

Mans packing heat! Not really just 2 apricot and 2 apple pastries. Great 3rd breakfast - warmed a little in the ridgemonkey. Didnt start the apple pie until today 2 nights deep - no wonder I'm blanking 🤪

The missing link, no not me - apple pie, forgot how much I like these on the bank - gotta catch now! 💪

Thought i'd fill in the blanks from a couple of recent syndi trips. Back out tonight for another go, buzzing 🙏💪

Nice one i've got a few of those smaller buckets and one from Kent particles. Gonna try the big trakker bucket first trip and when taking very little bait will stick a water bottle in the bucket also for the weight distribution 👍

How you getting on with it? My Trakker bucket is a perfect fit, the Ridgemonkey bucket has little tabs in the corners that prevent it going upto the rim. Planning on putting my front bag on top - first trip using this starts Thursday night 😎👍

New bucket holding front barrow bar (left) to replace existing (right). Not only is this a great idea they've fixed the 2 things my mate and I were discussing previously, too high and shelf not as low as it could be. Might help me to get round without tipping over (live in hope) 🤣

Absolutely right the Pike go first then Perch so their offspring can predate on the later arrivals - very clever isn't it. 😎 Fished a few waters through the Nene valley and they all seem to spawn Late June maybe into early July, not sure if it's a depth/temp thing, the small stockies may well go for it early but the better fish seem to wait longer. On these particular fisheries closing for a few weeks once they actually start spawning works OK but not if they choose to start when the tiddlers go first. If it were my choice I'd ignore the tiddlers and close for 3-4 weeks once the proper fish start. Tough to get it spot on every time, I saw one of the big girls spawning early Aug, just that spawn bound fish and a few males - mad sight.

Well done mate - great stuff 😎👍

Welcome back and tight lines! 😎👍

Yep the regrowth is always a different colour, you can see the original curved bite mark there, we've looked at 1000s of fish pics - sometimes you point it out and the denial is unreal, makes you laugh! 🤷‍♂️

Been watching the vids from Fenesmere (something like that), guy has had them on his proper lake and more so the stock ponds last 2 winters so I gather. My mate also spots tail damage from otters like his specialist skill, he points out damage or where it's grown back on many catch pics. Pretty sure Samir pointed out the urgency of catching certain fish in Spain due to otters too very recently.

Seeing it more and more in France now too

We went to Ashmire Fishery Cambs last year, place was fenced, main gate looked very low on arrival like 2.6 - 3ft max - I started in peg one by the gate, 2nd night my dog went out to something that scuttled past the back of my bivvy and vanished. Hour later we've got an otter swimming around chasing the swans all night - poor things were so stressed. Before leaving 2 of us went to see the owner, I told him the gate was too low and that was the entry route but he wouldn't have it, it must be a badger hole in the out of bounds he says, very little we can do about badgers. Guy had his head in the sand - crazy man will lose them all over time, was nowhere near bothered enough. My last syndicate was fenced but the initial/emergency fence was chicken wire, over time the wire weakened in the wet areas and a small hole was forced and one got in. Killed my target fish (two tone), nothing was said and I wasted 5 years chasing a ghost! Owner there is well on it, fencing is all improved and has additional electric wires yet he reliably informs that they (otters) still check for weaknesses every night (trail cam) - it never stops - any storm damage and they will be straight back in!

Was greeted at my swim by this: Adult male, body right of path, head left, been chewed off, no signs of actually eating anything. This is one of 3 I've spotted around the lake this spring. The more of this I see the less I understand and have sympathy for our MR O. Looking more and more like a senseless killing machine to me! Oh and the female was looking around for her mate - heartbreaking. 😪

I agree totally, blanking but learning is progress, knowing what you did wrong is as important as getting it right I guess - the bigger picture of understanding. I think the pressure of catching spoils it for many or they allow it to, but I'm doing this for me no one else, so I set the bar!

I'm like Ian in this respect, if it's easy what's the point? Blanking is a natural part of the process and even if I were top rod on the venue there would still be lots of blanks going on. The only people bothered by me blanking are friends and family who think it matters, I'm perfectly happy learning in my own time and enjoying the experience. Looking back now I'd have hated to catch my target early, almost a fluke, not understanding what it means to be so fortunate - if and when my time comes it will mean more to me than 10,000 fish from easy waters. Back in my 20s we fished a fairly large water, choked with weed and only 37 Leneys stocked in the 70s, we blanked for over a year but loved the lake, learning and social elements. It took away any pressure to catch coz everyone knew the size of the challenge, we didn't really think about that or understand what we'd signed up to - we just enjoyed it. We didn't know how lucky we were looking back was a great early experience that I still draw on now.