yonny

Almost everywhere started spawning this week. We had some rain show up with that fresh north easterly last night over my way so it'll be interesting to see what happens today. Significantly cooler this next few days with cold nights. Looking like we might have one of those stop/start/stop/start years.

Interesting. I knew that the otter decline in France had slowed, but wasn't aware it was becoming a problem for fisheries?

I'd be livid! I'd be buzzing 🤣

Awesome. Made my day that has fells 👍👍👍👍

I agree. Big waters are a case of find them, catch them. Small waters, anglers are on them all the time. You need a little time to figure it out.

Instructions & Guides | Boatman UK

Spot on.

I can relate to this massively. It was an 80 acre nature reserve with a very low stock that did it for me. I was nowhere near ready for it and blanked for a whole season before catching one right at the end (to this day one of the best I've ever caught). What a learning curve it was. The buzz from catching that carp set me on a path that I could never go back from. There are very few blanks that wind me up. As long as I learn something (i.e. literally anything) about the lake or its inhabitants on a blank, I'm not bothered. Every now I'll have a blank session where nothing is learned and that's the only time I'll be a little peeved. Best thing for that is get back down there and bag one!

I tend to fish harder lakes with very limited time so blanking is part of the furniture. Sure it can be frustrating, but it doesn't break me and I never question my tactics (unless I see something that tells my I'm using the wrong tactics which in itself I would consider to be a result.... critical info learned innit). Ultimately, I'm not going to get the buzz I seek from easy, heavily stocked waters. If that means I have to go for longer periods without catching then so be it. I'd rather spend my one night a month doing everything in my power to find and catch something special than queuing up on a day ticket to catch a fish that comes out once a week. Again - I don't get this. In years gone I've retreated to easier waters when it looks like a blank year is on the cards but the result is always the same - catch a few doubles or twenties that mean very little to me..... feel like I've wasted precious time that could've been spent chasing the proper ones...... go back to the hard lake and stay there until I've achieved what I wanted to achieve. Basically a pointless exercise. Of course it's all personal choice but for me: the harder the task, the bigger the buzz when it's job done. That's in all walks of life imo - not just fishing.

I'm still amazed that this trend has taken off. Don't get me wrong, I've no problem with high TC rods, but for me they exist to hit distance, and for that you need length too. If you don't need to hit distance then I cannot see why anyone would choose a higher TC. It's a compromise for casting because you don't have the length, and a compromise for playing fish because the TC is too high..... worst of both worlds!

Absolutely next level mate! Awesome! Edit: what a shot too. Fantastic photo of a fantastic carp.

Hoping @Pete Springate's Guns gives us the low down on his latest result!

Never had an issue with the figure of eight. I'd be looking at the boilie or maybe the hooklink if I were you. Assuming the link isn't too thick, the boilie must be too hard/brittle?

No doubt you will fella 👌

Just had a read back through this thread and one thing that's not mentioned (unless I missed it) is the size of the carp being caught. Catching small carp on big carp tackle is imo a prime cause of mouth damage. Even with lighter gear, care needs to be taken so as not to damage the mouth of smaller carp. I don't bother with superglue personally. Not sure why folks are getting wound up about the should/shouldn't of it. Most of my fishing is done with pop ups although I have experimented with very fine braids in bags. Never had an issue with mouth damage. I always use shrink tube to extend the hook shank which I think helps. I'm normally fishing for bigger carp anyway so mouth damage tends not to be a problem.