yonny

I'd just grab the first lead I could find. I don't think at such close range it makes any noticeable difference. Maybe some prongs if you want to check for specific debris or silk weed.

There are a couple of things you can try. The UV is the primary protection so make sure you replace the bulb at least once a year (about now is perfect as the first 6 months it's most effective.... less important in winter but critical in summer). You could also go for a bigger UV filter.... the bigger the better basically. You can try to block out some sunlight..... it's the reason I installed that parasol thingy. Less sun = less phosphates = less blanket weed. There are several treatments available. The one below works in low temps so good for early spring: AQUA SOURCE BLANKET WEED RESOLVE 1kg WATER TREATMENT BLANKETWEED POND FISH KOI | eBay UK Lastly, you could add a plant to consume the nutrients that the blanket weed needs to grow. Prevention is always better than correction so I'd focus on the UV filter first👍

Swings and roundabouts innit. Most decent syndi's now are 600 plus. Many have now exceeded a grand. Last year I fished ~5 nights on my syndi - for 650 quid. Add your bait, fuel, food etc... and we're talking maybe 200 a night. Makes a 30 quid day ticket seem cheap! I'm dropping the ticket this year. Just can't justify the cost for the time I get.

Of course not. But tbf she knows that whatever I tell her it costs, she has to double it then add some 🤣

Made me chuckle. That's what the mrs calls it when I show up with a bunch of those little packets 😅

Yeah that's a massive no-no! Very dangerous, could easily wipe out the fishery.

You can, mate. As long as it's not a commercial activity (i.e. fisheries) its perfectly legal to rehome carp and koi etc. Obviously can be risky due to biosecurity but perfectly ok legally. Edit: They're basically pets so same rules apply.

A real good 10mm cork ball will be ok but it's tricky to get really good cork balls nowadays. It's a lot safer bet using 12 mm cork balls for a 14 mm pop up.👍

Good point.... it's 30 years+, not 20. A quick Google finds it's mentioned on pretty much every angling forum out there (not just carp) from 20 years ago through to present day. It's available from all the major tackle shops. A season mixing with lads on any proper distance water will tell you it's quite widely used. As @salokcinnodrog said:

Greased Lightning is brilliant, works really, really well. I used it on a water that needed big chucks and I reckon it put 10 yards on easily. Coupled with 10 lb line and a shockleader it felt like I could cast anywhere I saw carp! It's good for your line too. Eh? It's been a go-to for distance casters for probably 20 years or more!

If it does, it will be negligible imo mate. A wetted (not soaked) line will cast further as there's less friction on the rings. I honestly have no idea if a soaked line would cast further.... the extra weight might offset the reduction in friction.🤷‍♂️

It is probably the biggest factor other than the rod (and technique) that will influence casting distance. Has a huge impact mate. You will, 100%.

Quick update on the pond/fish. The covers are back on temporarily as the trees are blossoming and there's petals everywhere. On a more positive note, water temps are around 10C now and the koi are eating every day. Water quality is looking good and the fish are looking absolutely fantastic. You'd never guess they've been overwintering. I've been busy this week installing a 3 x 3m square parasol that can be erected to cover half the pond. It sees a lot of sun so my thinking is that A) it should help a little to prohibit algae and blanket weed growth, and B) it'll give the fish some shade at the height of summer. I have some bacteria boosters ready to go in when temps are 12+ and the bulb in the UV filter is being replaced again this month. I have some blanket weed treatment ready to go in case I need it but thus far it's not required. The bio filter is topped up with media. Shed loads of food in the garage. Basically all is ready for growing season.

I had one of them! Back before RM was invented 😅

Whallop. Congrats!

I fished a rather secretive place that the members referred to as Toe-to-the-Brow Lagoon.... because that's how many guys set their zigs 🤣🤣

If it's bright I'd be starting at ~ 25% depth (from the surface). If it's dull I'd be trying mid-water i.e. 50% depth. Colours for bites or black for the biggun.

Excellent book. Increased in value significantly this past couple of years so worth keeping hold of.

Don't go for the FlipFuel gizmo that Jag marketed. You can get the same thing from China for peanuts mate.

This bad boy! Does nearly 60 lb now this one!

Yup! Been using it for 10 years+. I don't use a lot of boiled bait but when I do it's always the Shrimp. I had just dropped a bait deal back in ~2015 and was looking for something new. I'd bought 20kg of Essential B5 and was really struggling. Literally couldn't catch a cold. Given the track-record of the B5 I was reluctant to believe the bait was the problem but a pal of mine put me onto the Shrimp. On my first session with the Shrimp, 4 hours after casting out, I caught the big common I was after. It was like flicking a switch.... just started getting loads of bites. Just yesterday afternoon, with the temps in my koi pond rocketing, I decided to see if the fish would eat boilies. I chopped up a handful of Shrimp and plonked it in each corner of the pond. Given my koi have never seen a boilie I expected they'd take a while clear it up. Wrong. It was gone in about 1 minute! They absolutely love the stuff. I can't help here I'm afraid mate. The Shrimp is that good I'll not try anything else. I have 100% confidence in the stuff.

Great find mate. They look like just like the Drennan Continental Boilie hooks.... except massive😅

Good question. I can't see the size 2 Korda Chod hooks in stock anywhere. I spotted the Avid and Cygnet jobbies - both on sale too. Avid Armorok Chod Hooks Fishing Tackle and Bait Cygnet Choddy Hook Size 2 Barbed | eBay UK

So if cheapo airballs and a tub of glycerine are 17 quid in todays money, 22 quid for a pot of SHBs is starting to sound pretty good imo. Pays your money, takes your choice, innit. Imo that's largely irrelevant on a thread about SHBs. On the right day I'd take a tub of black foam over any proper hookbait, but this thread is about hookbaits.

Hinders pop-ups are 7 quid and a bottle of their pop-up glug is a tenner so you're actually not far off after inflation.