emmcee

Thats a proper unit, though so is the one in the picture with it if the grassie is a metre long roughly. It's surprising how big they can grow in a pond. My two koi i currently have are both knocking 50cm to 60cm. One is a Sanke and the other a perfect zip linear karashigoi, I'll try and get pics but my water clarity isn't to good as I've just not had the time this year to keep on top of it.

I put a pergola over mine and then brought a uv rated sun shade/sail. Does the job, I've hardly had any silk weed since doing this a few summers ago.

When i had the 6 carp in my pond I put a lily in the pond. Next morning the water was like a cup of tea. The carp had literally smashed the clay to bits that the lily was planted in. Even despite the pot being covered in pond grit and then larger pebbles. They just smash all plants to bits given the chance.

I'd hate to see the size of the heron if it was to eat "whopper". That said the otter protection is a good shout if near to waterways.

Lovely sized pond mate, I'd love one that size but I know they are pricey to build/maintain etc. Do you have the automatic self cleaning nexus. Looking forward to seeing a few pics of the fish. I've got a tiny 2 metre square pond by 900mm deep. I built it soley for goldfish originally but I did have 6 dinton carp in it once upon a time and believe it or not one of them grew to just shy of 10lb and the rest all over 5lb. Sadly they all died due to a freak accident. I've now got a few goldfish, one gold tench, 3 x carp that i grew from spawn in 2020 from my old lake, one of which is probably 6lb and 2 x koi that are knocking 7 or 8lb.They've out grown the pond really and i do need to upgrade mine really. Time and money holding me back at the moment. I've got a bog filter on my current one and boy do the plants grow in that, especially when I up the feed in spring. The first picture is after I built the bog filter. The next picture is after one month, second picture after 2 months and last picture after 5 months and cutting it all back after 4 months.

Just reading through this thread and it got me thinking 🤔. I'd say about 95% of my UK big fish captures (35lb plus) were on pop ups and they were nearly always different colours to my free bait.That being said, I fished nothing but pop ups for a very long time so if I hooked a lump then it would have been on a pop up. It was only in the last 4 or 5 years of my carp fishing that I started using wafters a lot. I'm pretty sure that most of my French fish were on wafters though. A mate on dinton once asked me "how come you catch a lot of bigguns?". I put it down to the spots I was fishing if I'm honest and a large slice of luck but this thread has maybe changed my mind on that as I virtually always fished pop ups, he was a snowman or bottom bait angler. Interesting for sure.

If Tony proper Jack's it all in then the only person that will know the superaminos mix would be Geoff bowers ( Abs baits). My mates now get him to roll their bait as they don't roll their own and our bait was on the superaminos base mix. They catch well on it .

A lot of swims on dinton were rock hard, topped up with road plainings. I often smacked the pegs in with a mallet to the sometime amusement and sometimes anger of fellow fishermen. On one occasion I set up opposite two mates who decided to hurl abuse at me and call me a "noddy" across the lake for ruining their fishing, my reply was simple "how many 40's you had?". The reply was, silence 🤣. Unless you're fishing right in the edge i personally believe it has no affect, though especially so on a lake like dinton where dogs are jumping in all the time, kids throwing stones etc, the carp ain't bothered by it. Bang a peg in, it might bring the fish in. 🤣

Ive seen campers use these pegs and use an impact driver to put them in. They don't budge i know that, but carrying a drill is a pain if you're fishing.

Buckwheat has very low oil content and in my mind its the oil content that in hemp that makes it so good. Buckwheat to bulk out a particle mix yes but not to replace hemp , for me anyway.

How big is the lake, do you need to cast long distances? If the answer is no to the above then I'd be on 15lb, 18lb or 20lb mainline (though you should still be able to cast a fair way with either breaking strain line). You should be looking at a mainline that is known for being abrasion resistant especially with the presence of lily's, reed beds and tree over hangs etc as the carp will want to get into these if you hook them. Hooklinks are personal choices and should really be determined by what the lake bed is like, gravel, silt, clay etc, suit your hooklink to whichever you're fishing over. As for the breaking strain, most are between 15lb to 25lb I'd say and once again with the lily's etc I'd go on the heavier side personally.

If I'm not mistaken, That bloke who owns the lake in France is mates with the bloke I referred to who breeds the Leney's over here. And yes seen a couple of videos of Kev fishing there. I think I've watched all of his videos now on YouTube and in my opinion he's never done a bad one. He has me in stitches a lot of the time. I liked his ones from back in the day, especially the Harrow waltonians ones, its the only ticket that i've got a lake for. As for some of the UK strains being saved , the Harrow fish have been bred by VS fisheries and kev does a video with Simon Scott. My old lake has dinton fish, Harrow fish, priory fish and obviously some original Leney's, a proper mix. Wish I'd kept that ticket as well now incase I got back in to carp fishing.

Pretty sure that is the fella. He grows them on in a pond in his back garden. Think he lives in Worthing or that way.

I've just remembered this. I saw a YouTube video done by Kevin Ellis and he was chatting with a fella who breeds Leney's. If I remember rightly they are true Leney's at that so the blood line still continues. The YouTube channel is "Carp antics tv with Kevin ellis" if anyone is interested and I'm sure if you searched Kevin ellis Leney's on YouTube it will come up.

The last time I spoke to Tony (2 or 3 yrs ago now) he still did base mix and the odd bit of rolled bait, maybe he still is if you really wanted some. Like you ive still got my premier clothing , hoodie in my case. Was a top bait firm in my opinion. My mate has gone over to ABS bait with Geoff bowers so if you still want premier bait then its pretty much identical.