smufter

Inside

Little bit of drizzle here at the moment, so decided to break it out. Not a breath of wind so haven't bothered to peg it down properly. Loads more room than my previous Solace, can sit much further under it. Doddle to put up with the new central bar. Loving it so far😀😀😀

Have a look at the offerings from Bank Tackle too. https://www.banktackle.co.uk/hooks-41-c.asp Absolutely brilliant hooks, pin sharp out of the pkt and really strong. I am using the "Continentals" and have no complaints at all. The curves look good too, but only go down to 6's where I personally prefer 4's. And the service from Bank Tackle is second to none. 1st class delivery (free) and I have never had a duff order from them. They are the only people I use nowadays for my terminal tackle.

I think the new brolly is going to get a run out.....https://www.metcheck.com/WEATHER/dayforecast.asp?zipcode=Lewes&locationID=57235&lat=50.9&lon=0&dateFor=20/02/2018 Metcheck saying rain all day, Accuweather saying none at all. Now who do I believe lol!! Thing is, it looks so neat and tidy in the bag, I don't want to take it out and mess it up

If your generic NGT ones work for you, and you're reasonably happy with them, then an upgrade would be a waste of money............but don't let that stop you lol! I was using some cheap Avid ones, which were fine. But the chains were like chocolate, so I "upgraded" to Wychwood Slugs. They work for me. I look for 3 things in a bobbin... 1) Adjustable weights. You can buy bigger weights for the Slugs, but I am happy with them as they are for the moment. Not too heavy but I can adjust them if I want. 2) High visibility. I went for the bright orange ones. I can see them from miles away, so they certainly catch my eye should they start "dancing". Bright Yellow are good too. 3) Ability to take an isotope easily.

Another little teaser on the Wychwood FB page....

My lakes un-fenced. They haven't worked the code out on the gate yet.....

Oh well. Couldn't wait in the end. Went with my original plan and ordered the 60" MHR on Tuesday from Total Fishing Tackle. With the discount code (ebay) I got it for £116.99 delivered, and I couldn't really say no at that price. It arrived yesterday. My next session is next Tuesday. Weather forecast suggests that I won't need to take it with me, we'll see nearer the time! I won't bother with the two vents in the back. For one, I don't think I'll need them with the material Wychwood use, and two, I don't want to jeopardise the 5 year warranty. I'll let you know what I think once I've got it up and running.

I've not been before, but I'm a member on another forum and found these quotes from various guys regarding La Botte. Don't know if they help at all???................. "LaBotte is well known for chucking up loads of fish & like Charlie Lake, does benefit if there are loads of anglers on there. Don’t give the fish anywhere to hold up / keeps them moving.The management are spot on and will give you any help needed, to ensure you catch & enjoy your stay. As has already been said, the Maize that’s sold on-site is spot on, it’s also fed to the lakes during winter and all the lakes residents love it. Maxime, now produces a chilli mx and it’s also proven to be very successful on a lot of the lakes.I generally put a lot of Maize out with chopped boille and fish boille over the top but I know guys that just use the Maize and also catch loads" "Botte is a great water to just go and catch fish, fished it a couple of time and I've never caught less then 40 in the week.Best advise I can give on botte, don't fill it in little and often" "Fished Botte last september, loved the place i would agree it is an easier prospect to some of the other waters. If you find the fish you should catch. They move around in big shoals and constantly show and fizz up so location is never an issue.However if you are on the opposite side to where the bulk of the fish are you may struggle, thats why it worth being mobile as possible. The fish move off pressure so i think the more anglers on the lake the better as it keeps them moving around. We exclusively booked the lake and had 10 anglers which wasn't enough really and could of done with 12 or 14 really. It did mean though for those who could be arsed to move big catches where possible.I can't remember my exact figures but had over 15 fish, 2 being 50lbers and 4 or 5 40lbers. The commons are awesome in there.I used both boilies and particles and both worked equally well. Maxime's particles are a very good quality and its great having it delivered still warm from being cooked.Book with confidence". "Tom bait boat is a big advantage. I used rowing boat for the first 2 days picking the odd fish up. Day 3 I used a bait boat getting more bites. Ended up with 17 carp 2 x 50's and 3 cats. Lake is pretty flat 5-6 feet. Use Max's chilli mix. Fish for 1 fish at a time and build your spot up. Speard yourself's out don't give them somewhere to hide. Keep the fish moving and you will all catch. We've booked on for next year again. Good luck".

I've just cleared out my old tackle box and transferred everything into my new Korda pouch and Tacklesafe. I only ever use 1oz leads so have just put 6 in there, one for each rod and 3 as spares. If I lose that lot through my own my stupidity I'll freeline (or be kicked off the lake) lol!!.

This is what I use, and to my eyes, you can't beat 'em......

This guy seems to like them......

Still look a bit heavy to me mate. I've made a few rigs up over the week-end and my ABS pop ups only just pull a size 4 continental up off the bottom, and that's using a lightweight Gardner pop up hook aligner. And once that weld/solder gives up the ghost, you're left with a very expensive "normal" hook!

5 in a pack.

Seems really weird when people call the Shimano rods "rubbish" but they are the 1st port of call for reels.

No I'm not going to buy any mate, just thought they looked a bit of a mouthful!! Also, look a bit weighty.

But what are your thoughts on these???? Look a bit weird to me. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-Mustad-BBS-Carp-Fishing-Hooks-Solid-Welded-Pre-Made-D-Loop/301874994507?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49919%26meid%3Df22f03d5074a4550af048bf348fc3efb%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281930330872%26itm%3D301874994507&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Absolutely. Just heard that the fishery we are visiting (Genesis) is up for sale. Have been assured by the owner that it won't make any difference to our booking.

Well, have heard back from "Army Andy" and he would charge £60.00 to put a couple of vents into the back of a Tempest. That would possibly help alleviate the problem of overheating on a hot day, although you would obviously need a bit of a breeze to really make them effective. With the basic price of the Tempest coming in at around £150.00, that would make the total cost about £210.00. I can pick a brand new MHR up for just under £120.00. I'm going to wait and see what this new offering from Wychwood is on the 20th. It it does turn out to be a new brolly, rather than a bivvy, it's going to be interesting.

Errrr............happy Velocity user here. I have 3 of the "original" velocities, 11' 2.75 tc versions (I don't like 12 footers). Lovely rods for the price, I have no complaints whatsoever. I think the TX2's are just an upgrade on the graphics. They are a bit heavier that my other rods, but bearing in mind these are Chub Outkast "Smallwaters" with a TC of only 2.25 and that is to be expected. My only other experience of 11 2.75 rods was with a trio of FreeSpirit TS's. These were fantastic rods, and I regret ever selling them. Yes, they were lighter and were undoubtedly better blanks, but bearing in mind they would set you back about £300 a pop, that is only to be expected. For a budget rod the Velocities are terrific value for money. After a year of use, I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone.

Just before I finally pull the trigger on the MHR I've contacted a guy called "Army Andy" who carries out modifications and repairs to brollies and bivvies. I've asked him for a price to fit a vent (or two) to the back of a Tempest just so that I've got all bases covered. The two things that are drawing me to the Tempest are the external "ribs" (which certainly give you more interior space), and the ease in which you can put it up and pack it away again. I'll let you know what he says. Also, to confuse matters even further, it looks like Wychwood are about to introduce another new brolly, this one with rear vents!! It's being shown for the 1st time on the 20th February so until then there is an embargo on information such as prices etc. A "teaser" has appeared on their Facebook page but doesn't give much away, other than a sneaky picture of the vents! Whatever I buy has got to be right.... a brolly isn't the sort of thing you change that often. The piccie on the Wychwood site......

That's odd, because I can't either. I have definitely bought direct from them in the past!! Buy it from ebay instead. Same thing, same price! It's superb tubing. If you buy some, and don't like it, I'll buy it off you I'm that confident. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MCF-Hugger-Tungsten-Rig-Tubing-2-Metre-Length-All-Colours-/271813185336

21 weeks still to go.....

Like I say, I paid £19.99 for mine off of ebay literally 2 weeks ago to go on my spare spools for France in the Summer. A bulk spool easily fills 3 XT-A medium longcast reels, with plenty left over for hooklink duties if required. Another plus point of the 15lb is that it pushes through rig tubing a lot (lot) easier than the 12lb!! I am using a very thin tubing from MCF products, called "Hugger". It really is a fantastic product, a bit heavier than others I have used, and as I say, extremely thin so it's really easy to push into lead clips etc. It's also the most supple I have purchased, so will hug the lake bed brilliantly (hence the name "Hugger" I guess lol!) Another Smiffy recommendation lads........ http://mcftackle.co.uk/product.php?id=107 The 15lb goes through it a treat, first time, every time. Makes life a bit easier that does!!