emmcee

I'd say he puts more back into angling than most. And he doesn't want to be acknowledged for a lot of it. He does a hell of a lot for angling that goes unannounced and he wants it unannounced. Most would want their name plastered or spouted about if they do something but not in his case. Yes he has his company and others plastered all over some of his dvd/ youtube videos etc but then so do all the rest of the tackle/bait firms who make DVDs etc.

I really can't get into this book. Hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas to one and all.

Cheers for that, but I'm already a member of that forum. I fish the south coast beaches. Mainly hayling island but I do venture to hurst castle, Milford on sea, hordle cliffs, highcliff and occasionally climping.

I've got one lake 30mins away, the other is 45mins and yet I drive for 90mins to go to the coast. And I do enjoy it, much more than I do carp fishing at the moment. And I've had bigger buzzes and satisfaction from catching new species of sea fish, some the size of the palm of my hand and proper buzzing about than a 30 or 40lb carp. My target is a double figure smoothie for sure this year.

Well reading through the posts I'm seeing the things im normally planning etc for the coming year. But this year, instead of wondering how much bait, when to hit it hard etc I'm actually thinking hard as to whether to keep my syndicate ticket. With my new found love of sea fishing, I really can't see me going much next year. I had a pair of beach rods custom built for me in September which cost more for the pair than my 3 Harrison chimeras. Carp fishing doesn't seem to be at the front of my thoughts, never thought I'd say that. I've got a cheap club ticket which I'd never let go as in a few years it's going to be a hell of a water with stacks of 30's and 40's just like it had in the 80's and 90's. But my syndicate I can do guest weekends if I wanted to go. I only really fished for carp in the spring this year but I've learnt that spring time is the time for Plaice and the smooth hounds start to run and these smooth hounds are the most amazing fights I've had from any fish. 40-50yd initial runs followed by a powerful fight against fish and tide, I had a 15minute battle all for a 7lber. I want more of that. They reckon a double figure one is like that but on steroids. I want some of that. So I've got some serious thinking to do.

I've got quite a few mates who have chub rods, although they all went the 13ft 3.5lb Tc. I think when they hot theirs they got them for something like £50 or £60 per rod, they've since gone up I gather. Baring in mind these mates have top range rods they virtually only ever use their chubs. 2 own the free spirit hi.s ives, 1 has the Harrison trebuchet lites, 1 has the daiwa magnum tapers and the other has Harrison torix te's. My next rods will definitely be a set of these, though I'll get the 12ft.

I had the 4 magnet rollers on my nevilles and I'd never have them again. You get some weed on your line with a bit of chop on the water and you'll have constant beeping, drives you insane.

Had a set of 3 for years now with the V2 sounder box and never had a single problem . I've had delkims, stevie Neville alarms, top of the range fox alarms in the past but wouldn't swap my atts' for any of them.

There is also stevie Neville, though he isn't that cheap. I've had loads of stuff from him in the past, f his alarms and a lot of his stainless F/O range.

Is this an on the bank drink or a drink you just have in general in winter? If I'm on the bank in winter then I have been known to like the occasional coffee made with baileys or whiskey. That said once I've had one the kettle is always on after that Haha. If you mean in winter in general, then I'll drink anything. Just like I do in the summer.

Looks like you might need a washer under the spool. Are there any spare washers in the box that the reel came in?

as an ex-serviceman does "help for hero's" not offer any councelling etc for you or any other service men/women?

who says rancid particle doesnt work? a well regarded angler i spoke to at a show once told me how he leaves his maize for up to and over 10 months at a time. that must smell disgusting, but he swore by it.

Just seen this steveo, really sorry to read this. You just don't realise how many people are going through personal battles. And very wise words, you are never alone, although you may feel like it's just you, it never is. Help is out there, you just got to reach for it. Stay safe mate.

I was pre-baiting one close season with my chosen particle mix and boilie in a marginal snag and could clearly see the bottom. Well after a few weeks it was clear for anyone to see that this spot was being baited (glowing like a beacon). Well I turned up one day to see the spot covered in chopped boilie(not mine). I decided to still bait this spot and on my next visit to inspect the spot, it looked just like it did before I put my bait over the spot. They, in my opinion and because i could clearly see the spot had literally sieved everyone of my boilies and all the particle and once again left all the chops. If i recall this bait was there for a few more baiting sessions and only got mopped up once the bream had found the bait. I also knew that my bait, if not eaten would pop up after between 3 and 7 days , depending on water temperature. So if a Carp doesn't want to eat something then it won't, regardless it being a feeding spot or not. I dread to think how many times you go into a swim , find a spot and fish over someone else's bait without knowing.

Totally agree but You also need the fish to want to eat it and find it an acceptable food source. After all you can put any bait you like on a spot but If the fish don't want it then they won't eat it, simple.

One of Mike's recipes is in my current bait. Been using it for over 15yrs now and it's still as good now as when I first used it. And yes a very good chapter indeed on bait.

Maybe the finding's didn't warrant writing about, I don't know. but I'd be quite confident it's been done and if it worked the carpvine would have been buzzing as nothing stays quiet for long in the carp world. On my old syndicate, one of the members had a bait brain second to none and was a regular contributor to big carp magazine years back. I tried reading it and it fried my brain. I used to say that he knew too much as he was always concocting this or that and on paper he had or should have had the best bait in the world but he used to blank his butt off. I've also read an E book by Tim Richardson (think that's his name) and that will fry your brain too. And if I'm honest I put a few things into practice and it didn't make a blind bit of difference.

This ph lowering or highering has probably been flogged to death. And if it had worked ,then some clever so and so would have marketed it by now. Sometimes you can look/try too hard when just keeping things simple and going fishing is all it needs. Good luck in your quest but when I go next I'll take my trusted bag of boilies and be 100% confident.

I lost my best mate when we were at the age of 16, in the following 6 yrs I lost 2 more mates, all 4 grand parents, 2 aunties and 2 uncles. And like you say us men are deemed insensitive and I did indeed hit drink and drugs hard. It was fishing that ultimately took me away from all that which is why I owe a lot to fishing and i hope and like trying to give something back, be that with advice on here, helping mates you meet on the bank etc. And totally agree, a permanent thread like this could be invaluable. Just knowing you're not the only one suffering, going through things that others have or are enduring can help massively.

Fishing certainly helped me I'd say. Like you say learning to deal with things in your own time in your own way is a good thing. But there were many occasions I went fishing because I told mates I'd be there and it's the last place I wanted be due to my anxiety, which they didn't really understand (not many people do). So I've learned to do things for me, don't please other people because you feel you have to but because you want to. I found out who my true friends were in my dark days, they gave me all the space and time in the world if I wanted to be alone but also straight there if I wanted a chat. A few mates I didn't see for over 3yrs but when we did meet up they acted like it was only yesterday.

Sorry for your loss mate. And yes it sure does put things into perspective. True words spoken yonny.

I feel for you mate. From my late teens til well into my 30's I suffered from severe anxiety. I still get it now but I'm in control of it much better now. It stopped me doing untold things in the past but with the help from counselling, amazing family and friends I've all but conquered it. On Wednesday my dad passed away after a long battle with cancer, years ago this would have had me going into complete meltdown and having all kinds of negative thoughts and dare I say doing some stupid things. But through the counselling its taught me so much about coping strategies etc .I was holding my dads hand as he passed, something that would have been impossible in the past. My mum said I've been her rock throughout my dads illness but especially in my dads last weeks, days. Hope you conquer whatever you're dealing with.

1egg , 3ml Geoff Kemp's green zing. Once air dried or panned then squirt 1ml into zip seal bag. Scrunch up so inside of bag is coated in the flavour. Then add pop ups and shake vigorously. This is my go to single hookbait in the winter months. Done very well on 2ml john bakers strawberry and 6 drops nutrabaits bergamot oil in winter. Another is mainline juicy fruit at 2ml in 1egg. And finally premier baits tropical fruit flavour. Very good the colder it gets. The last 2 flavours are very thin liquids which is what's needed in winter. They leak out better in colder water. Some essential oils will need an emulsified.