Not over thinking at all Phil as it can happen & does.
I fish really weedy lakes & will happily cast out a bare rig apart from this time of year .
If your lake is covered in leaves there's good chance your hook one. I pulled in a rig the other day with a leaf on the hook caught it on the way in .... better than on the way out .
This time of year I like to protect the hook point , the lake I was fishing the other day was covered in leaves & hooking one as the rig hit the water was a possibility plus the leaves held mid water .
These are the ones I use spr ..... word of warning the cord that comes with them isn't 12ft for ,some unknown reason it's between 12- 13ft , obviously not to important unless you need to know exact yardage , but a strange one .
I've been using these Gardner clips straight on the hook for a pop up rig I've been testing & they haven't let me down
All be it the ones i use have a bigger ring on them .
couple of reasons why I wouldn't do what you mention tbh Nick .Casting out to another part of the lake ? this will more than likely mean getting weeded up & wasting time clearing it all off ,
Aiming at the marker float ? .... once you get over a certain distance you may think you have hit the marker float but the reality could be your short .
& sticks don't take long at all once you get your own technique sorted & I don't suffer from line twist as the bail arm is off. Still seems more faffing about to get it right especially after a fish & getting back on that spot quickly is vital as it could mean another take .
I do some of the things you mention in your last paragraph but only to find the spot for the first time then it's clipped up & wraps counted . .
Just seems like a faff to me especially if you've had a fish so didn't clip back up before you reeled in .
Having to reel in your other rods just to walk out one of them out, so not to leave them unattended could cost you fish .
Sticks for me
I actually think if your a user of ultra thin dineama braid for long distance spombing, the groves in these sticks might appeal to you .As it can really miss behave on sticks & at 45£ a spool you would probably soon get your money back in saved braid.
The problem with putting the line in the clip before you reel in , is that's not actually where you Want to hit the clip that's where you want the lead to end up . So you have to allow for this before you clip back up for the retrieve, not to much a problem with shallow water but deeper & it becomes more guess work . If you were to just keep clipping up after every cast your will end up quite a bit short of your spot in no time .
I got some cheap ones, cygnet I think.... used my short storm poles off a brolly system for years , but got fed up with the line catching in the end & gave in
I just got the one I have as it packs away neatly & is loads quicker than other cradles to set up .
There's no real difference now because you can get matts with high sides now anyway, but that was my main consideration when I got it 4/ 5 years ago .
No problem mate ..... I find it best to bypass the missus.
I'm sure a mate of mine off here & another forum uses scopes on some of his waters I will get him to drop in & give you a review in you want ?
Nash don't sell directly to the public .... so you will have to keep an eye out for it .
I can put a word in at my mates shop if you do want one I'm sure he would get one of two in for you no problems.
You may as well get a weigh & retention slings rather than just a wiegh sling smufter.
I completely agree with the earlier post that using your net is poor fish care & shouldn't be encouraged.
Fair play you write some Tosh.
You don't know anything about my spendable income or where I grew up or how we struggle financially week to week to live where we do & provide my boy with some where nice to grow up .... I suppose that's a crime in your book.
All just false assumptions as usual & starting to become fairly obvious that's how you & your bum chum try to attack me pathetic.
& how you & cyborx have got all this from me pointing out some of those products rrp's are a ripp off is beyond me. Say what you like think what you like it bothers me not . sad old gits the pair of you .
What makes me really laugh is your both probably far better off than me
You need to get a grip too cm .
I didn't knock the site I just pointed out that SOME of the products rrp's are a rip off & you would be paying a lot of money for tat . No different to cyborx & the like do to the expensive gear members buy with no come back .
But your Bum chum got his knickers in a twist & tried to make it some sort of class issue again just like you have with the Eton comments .... yeah because everyone in the cotswolds went to Eton including me ! .
What immigration has to do with anything is beyond me.
Shame you don't take your own advice.... Didn't see cyborx pulling you up for your blatant snobbery towards Superflys last catch but he wouldn't now would he !
Pair of trolls as usual !