emmcee

Have you read Micky gray's book "a merry old dance". The best book I've read by a mile. No airs no Grace's, told exactly how it was. I couldn't put it down. Read it in a weekend. Martin Clarke's book is ok (his first one I've read). Mike willmott Nigel sharps book, living the dream

Regarding his books, like you say they are ok. Something to do to while away the hours. But as a person I found him to be a top bloke if I'm honest. When the rumours were about that he would be going to dinton when I was fishing there I just thought we don't need anyone like him on the lake. Though one angler who i knew and knew him well said don't believe all you hear and find out for yourself. And I found an all round decent bloke. One night on the lake a few of us were having a social with him and he was openly admitting that in his past he was a right ****.. and because of that if anything bad was said about him he was guilty full stop, yet it was a lot of the time made up to smear him or get him banned. Stories made up by numbers of anglers on certain lakes all backing each other up, he didnt stand a chance because of his past. Though he treated dinton and its anglers with full on respect, so can't knock him at all. And the man is one hell of an angler. I can safely say I've met other "named" anglers on there who are a damn site worse than Shelley.

Dongles are a waste of money in my opinion. I got a set years ago ( the attx ones) and i don't rate them at all. So I got The attx alarms and they are pukka

Totally agree.

Just wondered where this information is from? I've been watching the BBC news religiously and not once have I heard these numbers, times etc being mentioned.

I wasn't overly concerned either but a girl I know who is as fit as a fiddle went down with it and she said she was a broken person. Even 4 steps to her ensuite was a massive task and leaving her absolutely breathless. If it does that to her then an asthmatic would be very severe indeed. Keep safe yourself mate and everyone else for that matter. Just wish more was being done. My mate works at Heathrow and still planes coming in from spain and Italy and also from other countries with no tests on the passenger's when they land or when they take off I suspect.

Sad to hear and frightening. I'm an asthmatic so decided on Monday that my health is more important than money at the moment. After all if I catch it then potentially I won't need my money anyway. Don't think there are shops 6ft down. Indoors is where I'm saying for the foreseeable.

Total lockdown is the next step for sure. It will need police/army personnel to keep everything on the straight and narrow but I feel it's the only way for people to realise.

As much as it might be a pain in the rear for some I think it's a step in the right direction. Some people really aren't taking this thing seriously enough. People not following the advice and keeping apart by 2metres etc. The only way this virus stops by no contact. It's going to get worse before it gets better if you ask me.

got to be thanks to brexit surely😉

I was but having second thoughts now. Probably won't go now infact. That's if social gatherings aren't banned by then any way.

Nice one. I'll look out for one.

Cyprinus gear is good. My next bivvy/ brolly will be from them.

So you like it if its "cheap as chips", or you buy it from auctions 🤣

I'm in no camp, I've got gear from everyone I reckon. Fox supa brolly, 2 x trakker bivvies, 6 x harrison carp rods, fox marker rod, century spod rod, 6 x Penn reels, 2 x daiwa spod reels, 1 daiwa tournament 5000t, nash rod sleeves, wyhcwood holdall, tfg cool bag, fox carp cradle, trakker carp mat, 3 x fox landing nets, prestige carp porter, solar bed, cygnet and neville bank sticks and buzz bars, neville pod, 3x neville alarms, 3 x atts, 3 x snugpak sleeping bags, diem clothing, snugpak clothing, esp clothing , end tackle from korda, atomic, fox, thinking anglers, drennan plus many more. Bait- premier.

I reckon Kevin nash, trakker, aqua etc are very worried by this 🤣 Do you supply someone to carry it for you as well?

The thing is there is no need to read the mags anymore when you have lots of DVDs, a lot of them being free. I've not bought a mag for years now. Not because of the DVDs that are available but because nothing new was ever written. Nothing new really comes out and when it does you here it through the carpvine before it hits the mags anyway. I dread to think how many feature finding articles I've seen in mags over the years. Some of the rigs that are very fashionable now were about many many years ago, long before they were publicized in the mags. My personal thinking is that it's not the new stuff you need to succeed but the stuff that has been forgotten about. It worked before and will work again. I had 100's of mags that I'd kept over the years but binned most of them. All I have now is about 100 carpworld's, though they will be binned at some point no doubt. Though reading through them, most being from the 90's you do stumble across some good stuff. A shame they are gone as carpworld was carp fishing for me when I started out.

Totally agree regarding the remote, though I do persevere with mine. I'm 100% confident in handling fish but add a remote to the equation and I become a complete numpty. I must admit I've got it pretty sussed now though.

Just coincidence in my opinion.

Well they say a lot of flavours catch the angler and not the fish.

Surely it's a matter of which one the Carp like best and not which one you like the best 😉 Maybe that's where you've been going wrong Haha

No wonder your brain is fried when it comes to bait Haha

Good on you, stick with it and I'm sure the results will come for you. As harsh as it may sound but if you're not catching, then look at what you're doing before thinking it's the bait. Tight lines

I've been dealing with tony for about 20yrs now. In those 20yrs I used the matrix RR with matrix flavour for 5 yrs ( only changed because a few anglers found out what I was on) having brilliant results. I've dabbled with his other baits , mainly when fishing on different waters throughout the close season etc and always caught on them. Though one season I used the pro fruit and was top rod for that year on my lake. . I've done really well on his randoms, all his bait is good so I was confident using a mixed bag. Then for 12- 15yrs myself and a few mates have been on the same bait, a custom rolled bait on the superaminos base mix. Sticking to a bait is paramount and I'm afraid as yonny has said it's not the bait that isn't catching but the angler. I've been there, blaming my bait for not catching until someone said its not the bait but me. That person was right, went back to basics and not overthinking and bang started catching again. If you don't want catfish etc then a fishmeal may not be the best bait, but his pro fruit is very good as is his winter blend. I've used both to very good affect.

If you want to achieve consistent results then stick to boilies. If you wish to clear spots in weed etc then yes go for pellets and particles, but for targeting carp then boilies is the way. I read in one of your replies here that you're buying a cover all permit. If you enjoy going from lake to lake etc catching anything (carp, tench, bream) then the approach you mentioned will work. Though if you are after carp and want consistency then stick to one lake and apply a bait, this is the long term will give you the best results. I once had a ticket which covered me for 4 lakes, fried my head as I kept flitting between two of them, never really getting anything going. But at the end of the day if you enjoy tinkering with one rod etc, moving from lake to lake then go and enjoy and good luck.