bof1

Sounds ideal for trips to France to me. BOF

But the clutch on the Spod or Marker reel spool may not be up to actually using it when playing a fish. Some of them are much simpler and can be basically ON or OFF. For those of us that remember the old Mitchel 300 / 410 etc clutches thats what could happen. For those of you that dont remember them the constant jamming of the clutch was the reason John Wilson ALWAYS checked his clutch even years later, and using different reels entirely. But to answer your question, Yes you can use a large fixed spool reel for Spod work as long as the clutch will tighten up so it doesnt slip when you cast. BOF

You will usually only get condensation to excessive levels if a) you cook or make a brew inside your bivvy, b) sleep with your door completely closed, and c) only use a single skin bivvy. In reverse order c) it only takes a few minutes to put on the Winter skin or overwrap (whatever), and it makes a huge difference to the warmth and comfort levels. PLUS, if it starts to rain heavily during your session, its the easiest part of a bivvy to dry off when you get home. Dont EVER pack away a bivvy wet and then leave it till you go again. Mold and rot sets in easily in the damp areas like folds in the cloth. It discolours the material, stinks badly, and is very bad for your health. If you ever come across a striped bivvy that reeks, you wont have to ask what went wrong, you now know. b) Easy to sort out, leave your front door open, (this means you are not groping for stuck zips in the dark when you get a run*, always a good thing imop). It also means you need to set up your bivvy so the door is not facing directly into the wind and rain, yet gives you a view of your rods and indicators. a) I know its tempting in the colder months to lay in your sleeping bag and just slip on a cuppa, but its not worth it. There is a photo going the rounds on the web, of the results of a bivvy fire. Doesnt take a lot to magine being zipped up in your bag with the bivvy doorway on fire and what the results will be. Its not the only occasion its happened, so please dont let it happen to you. Its far better to set up your cooker just outside and to one side or the other of your bivvy doorway and while you are cooking / boiling your brew, you are also getting a view of the lake. Even in the pitch dark (which it rarely is), you can learn a lot from hearing fish crashing or topping in your swim. * One day remind me to tell the story of the 6ft green one armed caterpillar. Hope you are ok with this lot. BOF

Its a case of managing expectations here. Ok there aren't too many places that have bunches of 30's waiting for us to amble onto, but if the guy has a pb of 23lb surely he wont turn his nose up at a 25 - 27 - 29? Then by the time he has managed to reach the top end of the 20's list he should know where to move on to improve on that, if only by listening to the gossip around the lakeside and in the tackle shop. BOF

To improve on 23lb he is hardly asking for the earth now is he? Your mention of Lymm is good, but how about any of the Commercials that give the guy a chance? BOF

I have never known a bigger bunch of secret squirrels than the Cheshire / Staffordshire anglers when it comes to putting information on the net. Its almost as if they don't want any of their Commercial venues to succeed. BOF

Oh look, the almost inevitable resounding silence from the Cheshire / Staffordshire lads is here again. Daz, if you are serious about what you are proposing try the Carp tackle shops as near to you as you can. A personal chat with any of the staff will usually get a positive response, and if you are a regular in there you may avoid some of the bull, and misdirection, that some folk seem to delight in heaping on folk who ask for help. BOF

How local do you need? BOF

Dangerous habit that ! BOF

I live a bit further North than Murfin and don't consider Daventry too far for a long day out. Elphics Prairie lake is, I definitely restrict that place to a minimum of a two or three night session. But that is another spot to keep in mind if you have the time, and are ok with the distance. BOF

Drayton Res. near Daventry. BOF