kevtaylor

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 👍

Hi mate, It's not battery so has to stay plugged in, I've got the Atom battery pack with 3 pin plug socket, hopefully it won't drain it too much - will let you know how it goes. 👍

Should be adjustable low - high for brightness, mine had a wheel on the side. Got the newer versions now USB charged jobbies. The older ones were 4 x AA Batteries i.e the version before yours. 👍

Just ordered this for Jack, hopefully keep him comfortable at night when it's freezing cold in the bivvy.

NO - but tuff titty, he's coming anyway 🤣 He does love getting home tbh

No Elmo, no party ❤️

I know the Nick Buss X Lites are very well thought of, I looked at those when getting the Chris Orme Torrix. Bring you luck - I'll try my best mate 👌

The Aviator Plus 12.6 have accepted the challenge 😂

Jack was soon back in the bivvy Sunday morning, heavy frost and ice in the edge, who can blame him.

Just sent my Torrix TE's to be re-built by the Tackle Box, not decided which handles to go with yet but think they'll come back looking stunning when finished ❤️

Never any pressure, just go to enjoy, if you catch you catch, if not so what - you've had a nice time with good people and learnt something. If blanking mattered I'd never choose the venues I do. Catching is for noddies 😂

Another night, oposite end - seen a dorsal waving around close in my water, then it lazily shuffled out 3 times. Whilst packing up it came past again to say goodbye or haha you blanked you nod. Freezing cold overnight. Good frost and ice in the edge.

I know a guy who has encountered many otters in his work, he warned me to keep my spaniel away from a big dog otter, said it would rip him to pieces, they are about 4ft long tbf. A friend of a friend walked his staffy along the Grand Union Canal local to me, an otter followed them, got out and chased them off. Sky's a big dog thankfully 👍