crusian

At that price ! .
😱
 

how often should you re use baits and how long should you keep your pop ups and wafters on before changing them?

Nope I think I may have got a free covid from there too I've just tested positive 😳

You can pick up a 50” local tackle shop I would guess unless you wanna shop at angling direct 
advanta brand 50”  £29.99

In a river a hooked carp has plenty of opportunity to run you into snags. Part of the challenge is planning your approach to get your carp away from the bad stuff, I have usually worked out my strategy for a swim before my bait is even cast out.
That last carp I had worked out how to avoid an island, trees, boat channel buoys and how to land and return any big fish. The swim was an 8' almost vertical drop to the river,  I had spotted some little ledges I could get my feet onto sideways to climb part way down. I then had to feel confident I could do a difficult lift, at almost 71 I trusted a little adrenaline would get me through that. It did!
Quite a few of my carp captures have involved me getting soaked following big fish downriver. Of course, I had already planned the safe way and how to exit the river if I ended up downriver of my swim. 
Car keys, phone in a waterproof bag in my pocket - just in case this happens! On the river Lot there is always a realistic chance these big fish can turn up, plan for that!😅

Another blank, one rod came in clumped in weed, the banker (lol) came in without a hookbait attached(yes it did have one on before) , and my 3rd rod was OK, I did get to take a photo for the bloke next door though,he seems to have it sussed and doing good angling tbh, I am beginning to take this poor run of form a little personally, I'm giving my head a wobble now. 

Got some questions that’s troubling me about your pic Elmo…
have you noticed that your net has been stolen from your handle and the cheeky sods have stuffed it in the mud… also have you upgraded your bait boat the white boat on the left of the pic is it me but it looks on the large size mate …just saying.
It do look carpy tho 

I didn't think she would be tbh but she is doing OK at the moment, 
Couple of bleeps, now I just want a screamer, looks pretty carpy this morning though 

After 14 years, it was finally time to say goodbye to my Golden Retriever yesterday. We knew the time was coming but it doesn't make it any easier. My daughter got married on Thursday and it was genuinely one of the best days of my life. The day after was one of the worst. A friend had him for the night, only the second time we've ever left him, the first being my sons wedding. When we went to pick him up, he wasn't right and our friend just shook her head and gave us that look that said it all. She has lost 3 Goldies over her life and knows the signs.
As part of my wedding speech, a lot of it was focused on how my daughter had begged me for a dog and I wasn't keen but she wore me down. When he came along it was the most natural thing in the world and we immediately bonded. My handle Golden Paws comes as a reference to him and a Beckham joke.  Ironically me and missus used to argue about bringing up the kids but our dog brought us closer together.
I'll miss his boundless energy, our long walks in the Countryside and his absolute love and devotion.
Goodnight old friend.
 

Teach proper mate , that’s what I say lol.
I haven’t got a problem with kids going straight into Carp fishing . I don’t agree with it as such but everyone to their own 
My beef is with tackle shops that don’t want their business unless they are spending hundreds of quid on shiny Korda and Nash gear . 
My boy will be mastering the basics before I even let him near a reel .

Last night it rained from about 11pm, but amazingly I have the bivvy with the wind coming from behind so no problem, and I didn't need to drop the front.
I'm a bit more worried about the ground water as I didn't bother putting the groundsheet down.

Nothing yet, but did manage to get on the fish this time, I think I have a chance anyway so that's good. 
 
She hasn't been too bad I took her for a good walk round, she likes to be by my side though constantly but she's now pretty chilled, she didn't like the geese to start with but she's learnt to ignore them. It's not going too bad so far just hope she stays in her bed now. 

Elmo is still trying to get Betty out of the lake so he can cast 😂

It's not just the space Mate, it's the atmosphere.
Inside a Capability Ground Park Estate, a bit of history from the Second World War, a PoW camp and hospital, scenery and some good fish.
I can't remember a small water with that sort of atmosphere and I just end up chasing big fish without enjoying the chase, almost like there is pressure only to catch.
If you are talking about Earith, I enjoyed it, but somehow found my limit was 2 years on there before I needed a change. I don't mind catching, who doesn't, but a 20lb fish every trip...
 
 

 
This is an old picture of the camp taken from what is now the last remaining structure, the water tower.

About time too....

2nd time this has been sent, in 2 weeks.
Not like I'm gonna need it this month, May is a write off for me, unless I'm lucky and get a day session in on a Sunday (maybe 21st).
Mate on a 48hr now who i usually go with.

I'm seriously contemplating splitting some of this thread off as it appears to have become a happy topic in its own right.
 
200 acres?
Small water then🫢😅
Brackens was the last water I fished that was small, at 2 acres, most of the other lakes have been 20acres plus, with Ardleigh at 120acres for the main reservoir, Alton 400, Nazeing Lagoons at 20, 40 and 60, and this lake at 45.
Both big and small have different challenges, from finding the fish, to rigs on the smaller waters, to baiting, from weaning off natural food, or 60lb of carp per acre. Then consider that that 60lb of carp could be 2 fish, or potentially 1!
 
'My happy place', this water really is, it is not just the fishing, it's the whole atmosphere, the surroundings, there is an indefinable quality of things there that draw you back.
 
 

Don’t have to be the big boys mate anyone is welcome to come and have a go as long as they care about fish and wildlife like I do. all you guys been friendly to me on here so I’m just showing some love back. It seems to be so hard to get on syndicates these days so I was thinking if I offered some guests on my lake maybe someone might offer me the same back! But even if you ain’t on a syndicate and can’t offer me the same back you are still welcome. Also I really appreciate my place on this lake and this will be my last year on here starting may 1st because I already caught all my target fish but i don’t wanna leave just yet as there’s still a few fish I haven’t bagged. The manager Richard is a great guy and I get on really well with him so if someone did come down for a guest with me and there decent and caring that would be there way of jumping straight to the top of the list for next season which is a bonus for them and for Richard knowing there’s a decent angler joining
. They start a new waiting list each year and 3 years in a row there has been over 75 applicants on the first day for a 25 man syndicate and normally there’s maximum 5 places available each year so really I’m doing my mate Richard a favour and one of you guys a favour putting an angler forward who is decent rather than him letting some random guy come on the lake. There have been some shocking events since I been on there! 1 night at about 2 am I heard a run from some guys swim which carried on for so long must have been 2 mins and then about 10 mins later I could hear the fish splashing around for such a long time under the rod tip I thought this guys in trouble here he must be tangled up or something so I decided to run around, woke up my mate to watch my rods for me entered his swim and said are you ok mate? He said yeah I’m just having trouble netting this fish I said ok shall I do it for you he said ok if you don’t mind so I looked closer and suddenly realised that this guy had a 12 foot rod and had reeled down and had about 3 inches of leadcore off the tip of the rod before the rig and was trying to reach forward with a 6 foot landing net to net the fish! Like that don’t make any sense does it lads ? Like the maths of it 12 foot rod 6 foot landing net pole maybe 2 foot on the net itself hold your arm back holding the rod in some weird position it’s all gonna end bad ain’t it. I told him let some line off mate hold your rod up high he said but I don’t want the fish to get away I had to get serious and say seriously mate let some line off yeah he gave me about a foot I said come on mate more more so he did lifted his rod up with about 6 foot of line from the tip to the rig and then I netted the fish, then he said thanks mate I normally lose any fish I catch I said yeah in future hold your rod up high and net the fish with your rod upright. Really I should have reported him but Danny Hearn ain’t no grass so I just made sure he learnt from it.
 
Also my pal I fish with (when he bothers to get up and go at it lol) is a member with 10 guest tickets available too so if any of you wanna come with a pal you can do that! I promise you Danny Hearn ain’t a rapist even though that’s my nick name on the lake but that’s only because I only use plastic gloves when baiting and putting baits on my hair rig hang around watching the lake in the bushes and sometimes look expressionless in my pics 🫣you all know I’m keen so it shouldn’t surprise you about the gloves because I don’t touch bait with my bare hands ever.
 
I have rambled on again aint i 🤣. Who cares I love it.
all the best everyone 
Danny Hearn 

That's a generous offer , Danny .
I'm fairly confident that the big boys on here will be messaging you .
😃

I'm kind of doing the opposite , Highy , in that I'm renewing my club ticket where there may be some 20lbers .
It's like Nick says " it's my happy place " . Carp Anglers are in the minority at my club water ( it's predominately Match Anglers )  , so I feel I'm not competing with other Carp Anglers while trying to outwit the Carp ; and I enjoy the wildlife .
I can always pay for a day ticket at my local runs water where I stand a much better chance of a 20 , or maybe if I believe the hype , a 30 .
Sometimes I think I enjoy the planning / anticipation of going fishing more than actually sitting lakeside waiting for a bite ? .
😃 

Not quite a view from the bivvy door but from the swim to the next poke hole, gotta be one of the most carpy paths ever? - would love to see others.  😎

I've been enjoying quiet banks so far this spring, but May sees an influx of new keen anglers so it will change for a short while.  As soon as I can I'm gonna have a crack at the little river on site so that's another great option to get away from the crowds.  My first from a river would be epic regardless of size 👍

I'm having similar thoughts tbh quite fancy some fishing in the wilderness, there is loads I would still like to catch where I am but the busyness isn't doing it for me presently, I'm hoping to go this weekend but if it annoys me I might start considering my options. 

This is what matters ☝️ 
Stuff the high pressure, over subscribed fishing of today, tolerating many annoyances just to chase a number - madness looking back!
The atmosphere and wildlife is my new target!

Fishing (FULL STOP) is my happy place, regardless of catching, I know the Club Lake pretty well now, the last 4 years I've been on, I've only seen (to me) 3x 20's come out, there are some nice Mirrors in, only about 10 maximum, biggest be 19lb (whuch was out at weekend).....but aiming for that would be like 1 in 300 fish (maximums).