moorsey

Spot on Nick.

I am a fanatic for testing things and the only hooks that currently do the job properly for me are the Gardner covert muggas or Atomic grabbas. Both brilliant hooks.

That's a bit close to the truth. My grandfather came over from Russia at the turn of the last century Nick im interested on your thoughts on the line acting like it is pulled through a tube when immersed would you care to elaborate, im sure it was you not so long back who mentioned this:) "The dynamics of any object moving through water." I quick example that you can try for yourself is to cast out a float rod and allow the line to form a big bow [can be on the surface so that you can see the action or you can sink the line] and then pick up the rod and see how much line you can straighten before the float moves. That is indicative of how good the indication is on slack lines.

I agree BUT there are a lot of articles written which are the product of a fertile imagination. I have spent many many hours paddling around in my lake in order to find which rig blends the best sensitivity with the biggest percentage of hook ups. A lot of the current published rigs have never been tested.

Absolutely spot on. The lead is not needed to set the hook and all of my big fish have been caught on running rigs with leads of less than 2oz.

It doesn't matter which type of leader you use nor does it matter what you do to it to improve it, you are still transferring the weak point from the hook link swivel to the top of the leader.

How can changing rigs make you a better angler? I have been carp angling for 45 years and I am now using the same rig that I started with in 1967 and I go carp fishing to catch carp so developing as an angler means learning how to find the fish and how to present a bait to them in the right spot. K.I.S.S. will serve you well.

Yes I've fished it back in the nineties and it is challenging. Watch where you park your car and think outside the box if you want to succeed.

It was a brilliant lake back in the mid nineties Might have rose tinted spec's on though as that was my first [and Linears first] forty in the shape of "Popeye" at 40lb 2oz [06.45am, 5th November 1996 to be precise]. That's given you some history to the lake, now go and catch a few.

Quite simply, NONE of the tubing items to which you refer are necessary. A well tied hook will be at least as effective as a hook with a line aligner and sometimes the latter can close the gape of the hook and reduce its ability to take hold. Rig tubing was introduce to reduce tangles when we started using braided hook links. It DOES NOT protect the fish from being damaged when mono or fluoro main line is being used. Where exactly would you fit it when floater or zig rig fishing?

Oh bless him he is not that bad , you are right though a brilliant lake ,on the subject of lakes Keith , Jim has told me when I have been over that yours is one of the few he would pay to fish. I can vouch for that, keiths got a cracking lake with cracking fish and fantastic food and hospitallity also. Would love to go back one day with the boys Thanks for that and you would always be made welcome mate. It would certainly be different now, compared to when you originally came, only the big catfish and big carp left in here now.

Oh bless him he is not that bad , you are right though a brilliant lake ,on the subject of lakes Keith , Jim has told me when I have been over that yours is one of the few he would pay to fish. Blimey, that's a compliment from the old codger. Had he taken his medicine before he said that???

Brilliant lake with a really good owner who knows his stuff but he's getting on a bit now so might need a helping hand to walk round the lake each day.

There are now several run rings which also allow the lead to break free if snagged.

My own personal opinion of that set up is that it is dangerous. I feel that the hole in the top of the tail rubber is far too small and will jam up on the slightest piece of detritus or even blanket weed. Having lost fish because of flying back leads jammed with blanket weed [and they meant to slide] I can't see how the lead-clip and tail rubber can slide safely.