cobleyn

Google pellet wagglers. Match men love em. Trouble is that the wind will shift a float around which looks unnatural and need recasting regularly. Pellet waggler on match lakes is loads of fun though!!!!

Hi marnie Welcome to the forum. You may get better responses by titling your post "Gardeners lake in Gloucester" "carp fishing" is bit generic on a carp fishing site.

Trent, Avon, Severn, nene. It's all about location. You need to find them first as they can be nomadic.

They're a bit tight...but they do go over.

I tend to use around 5 metres nige. I put enough on so that I've got enough of a drop to cast and then another few turns on the reel in case I want to change the rig a couple of times and have to cut three or four inches off...then I dont have to re rig the whole leader. The choddy bead sits ok on the thick flouro...but on normal line it just skids up it on the cast. The beads will go over the leader knot with a tug...certainly a decent sized carp would pull it over if it got snapped and snagged. Just a couple of notes. I use an albright knot to join them as you can cut the ends to nothing so there is nothing to jam up as the bead slips up. Also I use the main line to wrap around the loop of the leader as this makes a smaller diameter knot. I use a baiting needle with a gate on it too, to thread it onto the line so...so that may also open the bore up a bit.

I use 45lb Seaguar flouro as a leader (to stop me from cracking off)... this is quite heavy and whilst it doesn't replace leadcore completely goes some of the way. Its less obvious too than leadcore which is invariably the wrong colour for the bottom it lands on. I've tried the Avid chod beads on it and they're OK (although they do slip a bit up the line when giving it the beans on a cast).

Sounds more like it Nige. Seen your catch report too... i think a trip there in the near future may be on the cards.

What's it like in the week legs? Still busy? Ive looked at the brochure a few times, looks like a good place to go and get some confidence back.

Thanks for your input.

You're very welcome

Good advice from zammo. If the answer is no, or maybe...don't be afraid to experiment. It's interesting that you are having one on pop up and one on bottom baits. Generally choose one or other. If you don't have debris, weed, silt on the bottom there no need to have a pop up... They just look odd. by all means have something buoyant in the rig to make the bottom bait critically balanced...but don't have it floating three inches above the deck Equally if you have all of the above, try a pop up to present over the top of it. But don't feel you need a pop up just because the mags say you should use a pop rig. I re tied all of my rods today co incidentally ready for the spring period. I have one ready for maggots (supple braid) one ready for a balanced bait (flouro to braid combi) and a chod as a roving bait. The first two will be fished over bait and the chod will be a single that I cast at showing fish. By May I will re tie them all again, as i change my approach as the water heats up.

A good point, well made. The Internet can be informative and misleading in equal measures. I'm one of the party who'll be fishing there with stoogi in May. Ian : Not casting any views on any of the members that may be on that trip Ian, but you do know that there is no alcohol allowed at the venue!!!

I would take a good amount of 18mm/22mm Halibut pellets. Cheaper than boilies and are instantly accepted by most fish.

'tis a big place sir- whereabouts are you?

It was pretty tough last week to be honest. But fish were still coming out- just a bit peggy. By the time you go it should be fishing well.

Good post ouchthathurt -lots of good stuff in there.

Driving in France is easy- don't worry about it. There is less traffic than here and if you have a decent satnav it will even tell you which lane to be in. Its virtually all motorway down to Vallee anyway, which is a piece of cake. I'd plan on taking a few pints of maggots too. It may change as the water heats up- but it was the only thing that was catching whilst I was there. Take pop-ups/ rig foam too. there's a blanket of weed on the bottom all over the lake. not a problem (its only 1-2 inch deep) but you'll need to present on top of it.

maybe. which water?

Wasnt the year before last year 2009???

2 rod lengths, albright knot.

big fish kill down there year before last. not sure what clint has re-stocked with. great venue tho. can get busy in summer. the other lakes used to be worth a late night cast. you will get jennys to yourself most nights from darkness. had some belting fish out of there.

I'm of to valee lakes on saturday. It's been a few years since I've been to france and I can't remember if you can drink the water???