crusian

You can get castable weed rakes 😉 

I've just ordered the small version of the Plumb-Ezzee , Framey . Looking at the video it could solve the problem I sometimes have with Polaris floats when my mono has gone crinkly and the float jams . Or I could just use braid .

After not going carp fishing since August due to having personal issues to deal with regarding my dad I managed to get a couple of trips on the bank this month.
Last week was Wednesday to Friday. I got to the lake, and fancied an area towards the shallower east end of the lake. I did have an angler on the opposite bank slightly to my left, so I made sure I wouldn't interfere with his fishing, and got myself set up. 
Sorting out my dinner I realised I had left my cutlery set at home, no major issue as I had a fork in the spares pocket of my food ruckbag. It did mean that I had to gauge 2 teaspoons of sugar in my coffee though.
The more important issue was the bucket of birdfood to get the ducks and swans to clear some weed if the carp didn't eat it, and worse Sky's food bowl.
I was in the sleeping bag for 8pm, but awake listening for fish. A few crashed between Dave and I between 8 and 10pm when I eventually fell asleep while the frost was forming. Sky refused to come in the bivvy, and slept outdoors.
Thursday was a walk around looking, but nothing made me want to move. That night was most definitely warmer, but nothing crashed, so Friday saw a slow pack up with a blank.
 
I wasn't intending to fish again for a week, but Sunday I got back to the empty lake, complete with garlic soaked birdfood particles. I hadn't forgotten anything this week, set myself up in the same swim, although checked the wind forecast to the 3nights and had the back of the bivvy facing North West. 
Two quiet days, despite searching and walking around the lake with Sky on Monday and Tuesday. The only action I saw was the swans, tufties and coots mooching around the particles, although they never picked up a hookbait
Tuesday night, just after dinner Sky decided to come in the bivvy, so I knew that the rain and wind forecast was coming that night. Around 8 I crashed out for a couple of hours, but at 10 got woken up to the short bivvy pegs being pulled out of the soft ground by the wind getting up to 50mph. Sky was sitting on the umbrella skirt/groundsheet join, so it didn't blow away, but it was close!
I got out my long pegs and bank sticks, and went out to swap pegs and push them in at least 50cm. Managed to get sorted, but stayed awake until 1am, when I realised that my 20year old Aqua rod holdall had been blown away, and is likely to have sunk. 
This morning was a bit of a pig to pack away, my mix of banksticks, tent pegs were difficult to pull out, and obviously trying to juggle loose rods, landing nets, slings and throwing stick into the car.
The sad part is that the historical black poplar has finally given in to old age and nature.
Expectations or hopes were a fish, reality was a near disaster.
 
 
 

If you want to get a bank loan for leads the fox gripper leads are good. 
If not any will do I found the ridgemonkey ones awful though I couldn't feel the drop with those for some reason. 
I quite like a coated lead but the rough sort as they pick up any clay off the bottom. But basically any will do. 

I nearly always use a tournament or plain pear lead on the marker rod.
 
I've always got some handy for a bit of clearance, a couple of 3's and 4oz.

Uncoated lead so you can feel more through it. I’m pretty sure you can get hold of small marker style leads. 
I often use a sea fishing breakaway lead, cut the arms down and cable tie them in position. Very useful for picking out debris or minor weed clearance in the margins. You can get them in all sizes fairly cheaply too on eBay. 

I'd just grab the first lead I could find. I don't think at such close range it makes any noticeable difference. Maybe some prongs if you want to check for specific debris or silk weed.

If you haven’t spent yet 
could do worse than one of these at short range 
https://enterprisetackle.co.uk/product/et86-plumb-eze
 
back to the dart I used a dumpy pear.

One of the little clubs I belong to is an hour away ,and it's only 40 quid a year, no nights ,days only with a great mix of members ..thats the sort of place I like,especially the 5lb perch in the pool..
That's great value even if I only went 3 or 4 times a year ..

Fishing cost is always personal. Personally I find £24 for 24hours too expensive and I baulk at even £10 for a day session. I know one local water is £35 for 24hours!
 
I could not justify a minimum of £2000 for a years fishing at day ticket prices.
However I can justify a £500 syndicate season ticket or even £300 for a club season ticket.
Fishing is my 'get away from the world', my relief from pain, from being trapped inside the flat. It is cheaper to be fishing for 3 or 4 days than the cost of electricity and gas in my flat. 

One of my favourite open access waters has put the prices up.,it's a lovely safe ,secure place ..
I've just worked it out ,for me to do a 48 hr sess,all things considered including 
 
Fuel ,its an hours drive on bad rural roads 
Food
Bait and other sundries ,I'm now looking at 100 quid for a 48 hr ,I shall still fish it ,but not as many sessions ,for me it's too much outgoings ...so really ,they've lost custom in reduction of potential sessions from me ,I know a few who are saying the same ...so in a way the reduction of footfall is counter productive ...to putting up the prices ...
Lots of full carp set ups for sale,not only post scamdemic either,have some places priced themselves out of reality of today's climate ..?

Went to a little pond with my youngest boy yesterday and he caught his first ever carp.
Lovely little 7lb common.
He's got the carp bug now😉

My daughter bought me this at xmas, at first i did not notice quite what was printed but this is the perfect one for me seeing what my user name on here is and my err.....catch rate

a mid double common to christen the new rods 

Woke up at 7 on the dot to a lovely 27lb linear.
One of my best trips for a long, long time.
Not sure the moon phase had any effect as they were all caught at first light

New wands 😁

Now I know why old men wear flat caps. Perhaps it's that time already. 

Welcome to my world, had concussion twice last year smashing the back of my head on the car door frame whilst loading the kit.  Given myself a perforated ear drum doing it on the last occasion.  Spend 3 days on the bank  wondering why I felt funny 🙃👎

out for a few hours enjoying the sunshine 😎 

It's been a long hard 6 months of Autmn & Winter. I haven't been able to get out since last August.
Glad to finally be back at it again. Its a rock hard water, but today's not about catching. It's about being out and enjoying life for a few hours.
Tight lines anyone else out there today. I hope this isn't a false spring......

It makes a change for me to start one!
Started well yesterday morning, got here around 7, saw a few shows, small bag with a few 10mms and pop up combi rigs put out in that direction. 
Literally within 5 minutes (whilst I was down the margins putting out a few freebies), my left hand rod had ripped off.
I felt it on, felt a good weight, then the dreaded snag. I just kept tension & bump, it came off.
Dejected I redid the rod and put the kettle on. Just about to pour & the middle ones off.
Good little scrap and lovely little scaled 16lb mirror. 
Went a bit quiet, sun was up so tried zigs in a few different spots , moving them about every hour or so. Not even a liner!
As the sun dropped , I thought I'd switch back to bottom baits as I'd already caught and felt more confident for the night.
Nothing through the night and just as I was stirring the left rod was off, happy days.
This one felt a bit heavier, then the line went slack, I wound in faster and found the tension to the fish, it tussled a little bit, but was easily netted.
As I pulled her out I thought this is a good 30 odd, could be a new pb?
Scales topped out at 43 exactly, it is a new pb!
Sent a pic to my mate (who's also on here), turns out to be the big girl of the lake.
I'm absolutely made up

out for 4hrs today, just to enjoy the sunshine! Had this 15lb common on a single NS orange pop up 

You need a Korda Krash Helmet  , in camo. of course ! .

You need a Korda Krash Helmet  , in camo. of course ! .

You need a Korda Krash Helmet  , in camo. of course ! .