yonny

The best stuff is called Saki Hikari and 2kg costs 45 quid or 50 quid for the all-seasons version! 😂😂😂 The Orchard Fisheries stuff you just bought is not a million miles away in quality but a fraction of the price. You should see great results.

I had to Google this but you're right that will 100% be where they got it from!

I had an angler mate round on Saturday. Probably the first other proper dedicated carp angler to have seen my koi. He put 33+ on Whopper (the big white one) and 30+ on Big Bad Barry (a big white mirror with plated black scales who, like Whopper, was named by the kids 🙈). I can't wait to get them all weighed next weekend to find out. There's a big common in there too which 2 local koi pond experts have told me is a chocolate coloured Chagoi. I'm not convinced.... I'm pretty sure it's just a dark coloured common carp (and a proper banger at that). Looking forward to finding out for sure.

This was driven by a certain Mr. Pomeroy! For anyone genuinely interested in lead-free weights, check these out: Weights – Evolve Tackle Not cheap at nearly 3 quid a pop but they do look decent.

Correct 👆 The guy is trying to get lead banned for one reason only $$$$$$$$$$$$ I disagree with the unnecessary dumping of leads. However, I believe the safest rig is the one that lands the fish safely and efficiently, and on many waters I've fished dumping the lead plays a part in that.

Very wise of you to ask mate. Don't get any feed from the local garden centre. Most of it is absolute rubbish. Naturally you can spend whatever you want on koi food.... some of it costs a fortune. I use the stuff below. The spec is right up there with the best feeds but it's a third of the price of the major Japanese brands. Koi Premium and Colour Food Pellet Mix -koi food - Orchard Fisheries

I already have all mine and my brothers families asking to be present 😂

I was thinking about this yesterday and while I've never cracked off, I did lose a spomb on a pre-baiting trip a few years ago over at the a reservoir I was fishing. I was putting in 10k of bits at 100 odd yards and hit it just as a flock of geese came flying over. It went straight through the flock and got tangled on one of the geese. Bye bye spomb. I remember it was quite a violent event! I was fully wrapped up in advance for pre-baiting so had to borrow distance sticks and a spomb from a pal that was fishing just to finish the job 🙈

So I have a day in the diary next month to measure, weigh and photograph all my koi to track their growth over the next year and beyond. I'll take the opportunity to post some pics of the good'ns on here. Water temps up to ~13.5C now so I'm slowly upping the feeding. A couple of them are looking mahoosive. 'Whopper', the big white one, is clearly pregnant so I have some spawning brushes on the way. I dread to think what spawning will look with 16 males smashing her to bits in a pond 🙈

Exactly what I use mate.

Nah. It was some cheapo stuff re-branded by a small UK tackle shop. I'll have a look later.

I just got some cheapo stuff on ebay. It must have been on the spod reel 9 or 10 years now. I remember I was so impressed I bought another spool so have one ready to go when the time comes. I should probably dig the spool out so I can link it on here. Can't remember what it is but it's been brilliant.

I use 40 or 50 straight through (can't actually remember, it's been on the reel that long). I don't think I could crack it off if I tried to. You'd be fine with the 50 mate.

Right then, let's rewind to the start of the session, one that began in the wee hours after I'd set my alarm for a very early start. I'd been creeping around in the dark for over an hour before the sun came up to aid my search for carp. I'd found plenty of tench but it was a while before I settled on the swim of choice and by the time I was all set up it was getting on for the afternoon. I'd spotted a few patches of fizz mid-morning that were no doubt produced by carp and, knowing the swim quite well, I was happy to spend a while dangling there. To the right of the swim, between me and the reed spot I mentioned earlier, is a small, very weedy, very snaggy marginal bay, protected by overhanging trees on the bank side and an impenetrable lily bed on the other . The sun was shining down into this little bay, and I was observing a new snag that had ended up in there - a large tree branch that had obviously been blown in during the storms over winter, to join the other branches that littered this bay. As I watched I noticed a decent carp drifting in under some floating weed. Then, I noticed another and another. I set about making my way through the undergrowth along this bank until I found an area you could wade in under the trees and get quite close to where the carp were milling about. I chucked on the waders and did so, but couldn't get quite close enough to see the carp with any clarity. However, I did notice a small clear area no more than 2ft from the near-side reeds under the trees, basically under my nose. Just for fun, I popped back to the swim, crumbled up a handful of baits and returned to the spot. I chucked half on the spot, and half dotted towards the where the carp were situated before going back to my swim for a cuppa. While drinking my tea I was watching the 3 carp in the corner and could see they were proper ones... almost certainly originals and at least 2 of them were mirrors. They drifted out of sight for a minute or two, and then a few plumes of fizz popped up towards the spot I'd baited.

Yeah that's a bit cheeky that!