B.C.

Don't see why it couldn't work. They will be getting more nutrition from the micronized maize than standard flaked maize..... If you use it on it's own, it might be a bit hit and miss imo, as it won't cover all their dietry needs...… If nuts are allowed I would consider feeding a few, well prepped, nuts in the mix...……. A nut and whole grain combo represents a complete protein source and, combined, will have all the essential amino acids..... Use either on their own and they will both be lacking in one or two..

Meant to be more easily digestible.... Slightly heat treated, enough to kill off/ denature any natural enzyme inhibitors, leaving the enzymes unhindered and able to do their job in breaking down proteins/carbs etc... I've used micronized maize "meal" in boilie recipes to aid digestion...…… Didn't know you could buy micronized whole maize, but then again, never really looked for it...…

Congrats on the pb mate...… I like large, heavy baits atm.... 18mm or 16 x 20 mm dumbells…. Been fishing a lot of clean gravelly spots. I believe these gravel feeders will suck and blow that bit harder in order to dislodge stones and get to any naturals..... If I think I'm getting done, then a 10mm length of cork stick used as a hair stop is my tweak, to hopefully aid the bait flying in easier..... Been trying to keep things very low key on the deck, no bright colours or glugs or flavours, just large, dark , HNV baits..... Been averaging a fish a night, not the hardest water in the world, but I'll take that...

Definitely mate..... The caddis fly was a good pointer and also, how little bait was used on a couple of the fish. Sometimes less is definitely more...

The only pics I've seen have been on peoples phones..... I didn't have the audacity to ask about which stretch, would rather find a few for myself tbh….. Been told they are fairly easy to catch once you find some... As long as you don't spook them off, they aren't particularly riggy by all accounts..... Not that many years ago they were fairly spread out and I'd often spot single fish or small groups 3s and 4s..... I haven't seen any this year or last on the few walks I've had.. Could be they are grouped up in one or two stretches these days, safety in numbers?? But there does seem to be far fewer, stating the obvious really with the otters present..

Time to move on maybe imo….. If that sort of malarkey is going on.... Let them get on with it.... Lifes too short to feel like that in your precious spare time...…. Shame they've spoiled it a bit for you...…. Atmosphere is key for me, need good vibes when I blank...

I'm with you there...….. I just say "I'd rather not know mate"...….. Turn up, find fish, fish for them.. I may steer clear of a swim (If poss')if someone has been quietly plodding, putting the effort in and started nicking a few fish. But telling someone you've pre-baited a swim can put an angler in a bad frame of mind before they've even started..... Can give them an unnecessary moral dilemma...

Gonna have to have a proper go for one...…. Got about 18mnths to kill before, hopefully a ticket comes up... Perfect opportunity to get some use out of my club ticket...… A lad I got chatting to showed me a pic of a near 30 mirror he'd had from the Chelmer, off the top...… Quite a few lakes flood into the Chelmer/Blackwater canal, too. for decades..... Who knows what could be in there.... Seen pics, too, of smaller fish, mid doubles, but real dark lookers...…… All that footwork though, lol..... To be fare, I could probably do with it

Very true mate...TBH I've got a club ticket that covers a lot of the Chelmer. I really ought to get more out of that ticket..

Yes. I should imagine it's a tough call to make...… I find it hard to "vouch" for a lot of people, even friends sometimes. Been made to look a fool once or twice on that one.

HNV for long term consistent results imo. Less chopping and changing with flavours,colours etc...…. Everything is water dependent, some fish won't go near a high attract bait, some fish rarely get caught on boilies altogether...…. The deeper you go into bait making, the more peripheral subjects you start to learn about, the more you understand about fish, what they need, what they can detect and most importantly what they can utilise..... Once a few pennies start to drop, it becomes pretty clear that good nutrition is very important and this train of thought is very difficult to get away from... I don't think anything in carp fishing is the be all and end all, that's the beauty of it... Anything can work on any given day and as we all know , confidence is key. So use whatever you are confident with..... For me, they generally know what's good for them and a decent HNV bait, will see them come back to a spot again and again and feed confidently. Seeing them do this gives me the confidence to keep using a nutritious food source. Knowing that they also benefit from it makes me feel that I am putting something good into their lives rather than just chasing them for a fish pic..... Nothing better than seeing a couple of big old girls tearing up the bottom, you just know they are on it, and fingers crossed it's just a matter of time......

I hear you...…., probably worded it wrong...….. I just think that some forms of marketing can bring a different attitude out of an individual...….. I mean, if I watch an ESP vid with Terry Hearn , or a recent vid with Martin Bowler in, or Oz Holness recent vid..... They encapsulate the real "feel" of angling...….. Compare that to someone resembling a crack head, fishing illegally in a city with a rod called a "shot gun", then there is a real difference imo…… I can remember, as a kid, watching tv ads, all about , the "Country code", it was a time when a lot of overspill were moving from the cities to new housing developments in the countryside, all over England. These people needed educating on how to behave and respect the country side and wild life. IMO the same can be said of quite a few anglers these days...……. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of decent folk on the banks. But for me, certain ads, promo's, attract certain people to angling...….. I can tell you now, if me or my mates messed around on the bank or made a bit of noise as kids, we would get told in no uncertain terms to pack it in, by an adult angler, and we would take notice and behave. Times change, and some youngsters/young adults have little or no respect for much these days, apart from their own interests..... Not all of them, as I said before, I have met some decent young anglers..

Amen to that...…. Some people can't be educated, fact of life mate..... I've only got so much patience for certain types on the bank..... My fishing time is very limited and selfish as it may sound, it's "me" time...….. Trying to communicate with or put up with someone of a different mind set, takes up too much of my energy, so I tend to look for a different venue instead...….. I used to think it was a generation thing, but I've met plenty of younger anglers with a decent attitude.... Some companies have encouraged a certain type onto the banks, not my cuppa..

Silly rules...….. These are usually applied on waters that let anybody fish, syndicate or not..... Some syndies are no better than day ticket venues for the sort of behaviour that carries on, lack of etiquette …….. Other syndies will vet you thoroughly before placing you on a waiting list that could take a few seasons before you are offered a ticket, possibly a Winter ticket to start with.... IMO these are worth the wait, usually few silly rules. You don't need many rules if you only let the right sort of anglers on...… This will sound snobby and a bit elitest, but it's the way it is. By going through this process, you know that any members or future members would have been through the same process. So all members are of a similar mindset and should, in theory, all get on with each other. The management will be making sure that the fish are fished for safely and protected when caught, the surroundings, bank side and wildlife are respected. And just as important , that other members are respected and allowed to fish in peace...….. One bad apple can rot everything that has, with a lot of time and effort, been created...….. One bad apple can lead to a lot of stupid rules being enforced on everyone else , long after they get kicked off...

Enjoy eating it then mate. No offence taken, I've got my views and you have yours...… I'm careful not to mention names of people or companies on this subject.... All I care about is nature, the fish, the lakes etc.. I find it a bit hypocritical for some anglers to turn up with a load of fish care equipment and then chuck preservatives into a lake.... Just my op'.

As far as I know, he's not a bait designer...………... Whom have I misquoted???

Sodium Benzoate, or salts derived from benzoic acid (an old school nasty preservative) are what some firms are using as their "human grade" preservative...….. Not good for Cyprinids…..( This I picked up on from elsewhere0 A lot of big names in bait making were quoted by another member on a different post and used as a reason to trust bait firms..... But to be honest, some of those names don't trust the bait firms and have moved on to other companies in the past...… Once a bait has been tinkered with to get through the machines quicker and chopped about a bit by the money men to make more profit, it's likely, that the bait that ends up in a bag on the shelves, is a shadow of the original bait, designed by said name.... Hence, imo, the honest guys amongst them moving on. Some won't , but lets be honest, some of the worlds best chefs, will still be seen on the packaging of ready meals in order to sell rubbish to the unsuspecting public..... £££££££££££££££

20lb river carp is still on my tick list...……… One day maybe 😉

Shame to hear that mate. I know they don't come cheap either. I would expect them to be bang on for their price... Even if it doesn't affect the alarm working. Each little feature is used as a selling point and should work properly...…. Sounds like they would have a hell of a lot of recalls, if they admitted the fault......

Wasn't there a fella that caught several 40 plus carp from the Thames back in the early 2000's. Wonder if that fish is one of them? Maidenhead area, Berkshire rings a bell..... Can't think of his name, but he went on to win some kind of carp trophy or award and no doubt some sponsorship too? I remember reading something at the time... I'll see if I can dig it up... No doubt escapees, but to find em and catch em takes a bit of doing.

Absolute stunner. One that makes you stop and stare for a while...…. Nice to know there's fish like this about. All of our rivers are so untapped..... I know the otters have done some damage, but it proves there's some fish worth putting in the effort for.

They always are mate. He tells a good yarn as well as catching a few...…. I don't know what it is, but you can really put yourself there when he talks about any of his little campaigns...… Those fish, too. Stunners.

Worth a watch..

The marketing power of the likes of Nash, Fox, Korda etc has us drawn to their products on virtually any search...…. You have to sometimes dig a bit deeper to find the less fashionable brands...… I used to use the AD board to have a browse for certain items. But they don't do all brands these days, and push the big names...………. I think some companies are living off their past reputation. The likes of Trakker and Aqua for instance, used to be associated with good quality, but imo, everything out there is much of a muchness in terms of build quality and materials used.(Unless you can go top top end) You've only got to check the wayward stitching to realise that these products aren't really checked for quality anymore. So they may hit us with the R&D blag, but they are certainly cutting corners at the other end of the production line...… This makes things very hit and miss imo….. You could buy a cheaper brand with really good work done on it and like wise a more expensive brand that was rushed out the factory door to fill an order, just depends who's worked on it and who's checked it.... Some of the retail prices charged on certain kit, you'd expect a more thorough quality control. I think this is where having things manufactured over sea's becomes a problem. Once they are on the boat, there's no going back, they have to be sold regardless of quality. Shelves need filling and tills need to ring..... I got very lucky with this bag at £16.... Really well made and an insulated compartment on top, not a known brand but every bit as good as similar bags sold for £40 plus..... Some cheap items I've bought on-line have turned out to be poor quality, but I can say the same for known brands too. Like I say, it's a bit hit and miss across the board imo….

I had 3lb tc…… Maybe should have got the 3.5...…. Some hairy scarey scraps on the 3lb tc, almost bent double.... Exhilarating and good fun, but never quite in control.