buzzbomb

I caught it around 3rd week in July, tested positive for about 6 days and spent another 4 at home until I felt right, just thankful I didn't lose my sense of taste and smell, because I dearly love to eat and drink. I notice my memory isn't quite as sharp since then, and I may have to wait an hour or day to remember a name or fact that should come easily. Yesterday I drove to the pharmacy and got a flu shot in the left shoulder, and my 6th covid booster in the right, in and out in 20 minutes, very efficient.

It's half-time in the Grey Cup final in Canada, Montreal Alouettes v Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Welcome to the forum. I've used half a foam earplug quite a few times, and keep a couple in a little jar of glug.

Most vans here (and most other vehicles) are now automatics, but I've had lots of standard shift cars and trucks over my lifetime. For carping I had 2 Ford Windstars in a row, a 2000 and a 2002 and they were the perfect size for me because I take a lot of stuff. My first consideration was will my holdall fit? Probably a bit large by UK van standards and a 3.8L V-6 (my 2006 Liberty has a 3.7). A lot of people here who don't need them have big 1/2 ton 4x4 trucks with V-8 engines, but some people really use them.

I looked at a Sedona last summer but didn't buy because it felt cramped and I thought it might be uncomfortable on a long trip. The Jeep Liberty I eventually got isn't built for fat men either, but it was such a good deal and is so much fun I don't care.

I think duckduckgo is actually a better search engine, and have been making it my homepage for years. I use Google Maps, but otherwise avoid the filthy company as much as possible. Only sign into YouTube when absolutely necessary, and I use Chrome even less often. Likewise Google's twin Satan Microsoft - I'm a Linux man.

@commonly my condolences on the loss of your dad. Mine also introduced me to fishing and that's something I'll always be grateful for. Re: the social - Just renewed my passport so if I win the lottery I'll be in there like a dirty shirt.

Welcome to the forum.

I had a Silstar fly rod, and it was a budget rod without much character. I think I have a Silstar 3lb carp rod too, but it's a bit of a barge pole and I had to glue the butt ring back in first time out - but it was cheap. You can probably find something usable for the time being from local used tackle until you get dedicated carp stuff. Lots of baitfeeder reels are used in sea fishing and used ones must pop up from time to time, and depending on how far you need to cast, a long rod might not be needed. I used garage sale stuff for years before getting real carp gear. Good luck in your search!

Welcome to the forum. With luck maybe one or more of our Aus carpers can give you some ideas.

The Punters came out from Newfoundland on tour in the 90's pushing their new album and played our bar. About 10 years earlier Newfoundland folk singer Jim Payne took old Rufus Guinchard on a cross-country tour after exposing the world to him at Expo '86 in Vancouver, Canada. Until then he had never been more than 30 miles or so from where he was born. He told me "I want to fly everywhere now!" 😄 Rufus helped The Punters out with the fiddle part to this song, as well as being mentors to them. Rufus was an amazing fellow and I'm glad I got the chance to meet him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQTO7ZyD62U

Here's an old pic. Looks grim. By February the ice will be 3' thick here. This is Last Mountain Lake; big, deep, and holds lots of fish -34 is brutal but get a nice sunny day and -10 and no wind and you can move around to find the fish (drilling lots of holes and actively seeking them is "runnin' and gunnin'") and it's lots of fun.

You dress for the weather, and I have a couple of pop-up fishing tents (someone on here called the smaller red one a tardis!) that get you out of the wind. We keep some of the catch to eat and release those larger ones that are prime breeders and the undersized (unless they have the bends from being brought up from deep water [30' feet requires careful handling]). There are size and possession limits. Carp aren't usually caught through the ice, and I wouldn't target them because of the potential damage in landing and releasing them in freezing weather. Yellow Perch (smaller than your Red Fin Perch), Walleye (like a Zander), Burbot, and Pike are all species we eat here. There are more.... Because I'm old I've not had to pay for a fishing license for a few years, but haven't been able to go more than a few times. I hope to rectify that soon. I'd especially like to get carp fishing again, but things have changed since the heyday of 20 years ago and some of my favourite venues are closed to me now, or are rammed with people catching them to eat. It's legal, but I just don't want to be next to it.

Next time I go to the lake, I'll probably be driving on it (hopefully in a few weeks).

Congratulations! I shall drink a toast forthwith.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum.

Mama always said daddy didn't run away; she told us he drove off in a Ford and he's probably just broke down somewhere.

When I was being bullied on my way home from school in about 1966 I started carrying a railway spike in my coat pocket. They came on, I pulled it out and asked who wanted to be first, and they decided to leave me alone, though some of us became friends later. Because Canadians are so friendly. Dad always said intelligent people talk things out, but mom said sometimes you have to give it back to them.

This is my favourite Roy Orbison song, and it is a rockin' tune and he has a pretty good Band behind him.

There is a school of thought that believes larger, older, more experienced carp may hang back and let the young ones bust into any concentration of bait while they wait for bits to wash down in the current and they take those because they know they're safe. In the past I have been rewarded by imagining my bait as a comet on the bottom, and aiming my rig near the end of the tail, or just beyond it.