crusian

Iv had a run in with a deliver bike he must have been going 20mph he skidded to a stop and we both went down, sadly I lost my balance as I got up and stood on his front wheel damaging the spokes then would you believe it trying to untangle my foot I stepped on the back wheel 🫢

Finally got out and caught one this weekend. Got to the lake Saturday lunchtime to find only one other on. Had a look around in the island half of the lake and as usual found a few mooching about. It was really weedy everywhere so I continued walking, looking at the bigger end of the lake I just thought it looked good, whilst it was still very weedy.
I got the plumbing rod out to look for a spot I used to know. It still existed a bit but was a lot smaller. Did quite a lot of leading about and didn't find a lot else so raked a spot close in for a 3rd rod, one mountain of weed later it was done, flicked in a load of pellets to let the Rudd go to work, I stuck a rig on it straight away but a couple of hours and it had stunk out my pineapple pop up. Continued baiting it and left it for the morning.
2 rods went out to the bank of pads and weed onto a plateau baited with a good few spombs of boilie and pellet mix and just chucked the 3rd onto another clear spot I had found in the other side margin.
 
Nothing much happened until I was asleep and about 2am I had a series of beeps and line was being taken so I hit it and instantly it was weeded up, it came in like a big ball of weed for a while when it got free of that went nuts and found another weedbed, this continued for a while and I just kept trying to gain line, until it got to the weed In front of the swim I tried and failed to get it round the side and it locked me up solid. In the end my only hope was putting the rod down. Luckily after a vape I picked it up and it came free I ended up landing it and a free ball of weed. 
Couldn't find my tripod, or water bucket, and my intervalometer batteries were dead so had to find some more of those. Luckily I could use a picnic bench that was in the swim as a tripod. Not the greatest photo but at 3am it was the best I could manage. 

31lb 3oz of hard earnt carp. I also lost one to my line parting (happened straight away off a drop back) , caught a massive rudd on a size 4 pop up I had a couple of what I thought were liners because my raked spot was fizzing, sadly no takes because of the Rudd, and I also had a pretty big tench with weed ball also on a pop up.bith slipped back because I needed a nap, The trig hammer XT got a big test and passed with flying colours. 
I had a little nap and came home a happy but tired and achey man. 
These were the biscuit of the week in my world, they came alive when you dunked them. And pink what's not to love. 

 

I use these for my caravan awning. I bought them from Aldi £10 for 10 you get the the drill attachment with them. It’s a lot quicker and less noisy than hammering pegs in.

Yes mate, you have to ring a bailliff for assistance.  It's usually locked up so was prepared to take the risk if needed.
Moved swims for my last night where I wanted to be, if anything just to bait up ready for the weather next weekend 👍

Hi Kev. Is the boat just for the bailiffs use for lake maintenance , and when anyone gets weeded up ? .

Couldn't get the swim I wanted, busy bank holiday weekend, hopefully bait it when he's gone.
Done a bit of cutting back as usual and this swim will certainly do for now ❤️

View left side of the swim Sunday morning, glad I opened it up 👌

I agree, everyone should have a dog full stop - brilliant little mates to have around 👍

Great shot. If you look closely at his eyes you can tell he thinks he's spotted one 😅

Jack probably has spotted one , which is more than Kev. does 😁 .

Jack probably has spotted one , which is more than Kev. does 😁 .

What a fishing buddy , every angler should have a Jack 😀 .

He's great lol
Follows me up trees - out over the water and everything, then remembers every climbing tree and looking spot on our laps and pulls me towards them. he also thinks every car in the world is mine and tries to get in each to go home lol
Not as interested in the waterfowl as George was but still barks if someone goes past or enters the swim 👍

Jack looking fab, Waterside Fishery, back in spring - keeping an eye on the snags for me ❤️

Oh grief!
I am so wound up. My father is 84, and has dementia so my brother and I split visits with him a few times a week each as he is still independent and living on his own.
Today was my day, and I had to be there from 10am until his normal medication delivery arrived, but immediately after had to go pick up his antibiotics prescription from Boots and do him some shopping, which involved a trip into town.
So one of the 'homeless' trying to 'help' at the car park ticket machine, in other words beg.
This idiot chose to give me verbals in Ipswich town centre, and then decided to try to push me when I refused his assistance as I paid on my card. I put him down and left him tangled up in the post at the car park. Got back to my car and he was taking photos of my car.
He then tried to carry on with the mouth and wanting to fight. I just picked his bike up and moved it and him out of the way.
You can see what happened to his trousers when I left him attached to the post by the waistband

I waited until dark to avoid the children, paddle boarders and kayakers on the River Wensum.
4½lb chub on half a cocktail sausage, size 10 Solar Tackle 101 hook.

I am absolutely shattered today, and my right knee and hip are agony.
Yesterday was a busy day, from Ipswich to collect Bruce Lait and take him to the airport at 2.30am. Back home grab a couple of hours sleep and then go collect my son Levi from Basildon and back to Ipswich via Poplar Nursery at Marks Tey for coffee and a doughnut. Definitely a cafe/restaurant worth a visit.

22lb 15oz from the canal👌
Its been a good crack these last couple weeks, cutting out swims, raking spots, prebaiting from paddle boards 🤣
Here's 3 of the Carp from last months hit
This is my best one at 24lb

 
really please with these ones as well tho 👌


 
got the bug for it big time at the moment, I did a quick over nighter last night but unfortunately no carp, only tench and bream 🤣

One out the syndi Sunday morning 1st fish in 4 weekends, came after a change of presentation 👍

It definitely comes down to personal choice ..I'm not actually sure how many shelters or bivvys I've owned ,all I can say ,is its a lot !!,an  ,embarrassing amount ,of money I've probably wasted looking for the 'one'...
I've come down to this ,tempest 100t ,no frills ,groundsheet is homemade superlight, and infil door ,it's got a nice bit of height to it ,and a pair of whychwood mhr 50 brollies ,and the wrap for ,days ,carping ,perching or a cooking tent ,for camping/ outdoor stuff..and ideal for tight swims on some of the wheals I fish 'wheal means ,mine'clay pit..
I've also got a speedflex pop up bivvy ,but I'll probs move it on ,bit low,it is...all my kit is mega minimal,and hardly ever changed around ,it's just bivvys, that kind of disrupt the flo ...I've got to control it,ha,ha...
I'm currently typing this on the edge of a cliff,'stealth camping' within 30 ft of a very long way down 👇..wrassing tomorrow..

Blimey wasn't ready for that - shocker, nearly passed out - negativity about the man, unheard of! 🤣
Not seen it yet gotta get some popcorn in - he could say anything at this point lol coolest carper ever! ❤️
Got my esp bucket hat and Fortis waders, just need the knitted jumper 🤪🙌 oh and catch something 👎
 
 

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.  

Good grief , Commonly , no easing yourself in gently , great stuff 😄.

Lol well I do love it, this was 2 levels of grass with a 2 tonne concrete slab separating the two last year.  Didnt know what to do and came up with this, not bad for its first growing year 👍

Just had my first 48 on a new syndicate water.
Managed a 33lb linear around 1 this morning. 
Made up!
No pics allowed on SM, I'm afraid.