bluelabel Posted November 2, 2019 Report Share Posted November 2, 2019 19 hours ago, kevtaylor said: You've got some good rose tints on there. Who fishes tiny ponds for wildies now, these places don't exist, typical carping is now sizeable gravel pits, possibly distance fishing, margins that are probably not suitable for close work under the tips. Are you going to watch the line all night? The opportunities to float fish and freeline are so limited on typical big fish waters that I've only stalked in the edge on one water out of my last six or more and I am a mobile, roving, stalking angler at heart and would choose that style first and foremost over anything else. I'd summarise to say that the opportunities have gone not the skill set. Old kit - don't even go there and therein lies missed opportunities... your having a bad day on lead clip/runner combo's, so you go home and have whinge to yourself when a change of approach may have changed your fortunes... in my kit I have a tube of floats... just in case... if summat's not working change it... and my club waters have a lovely head of wildies.. perhaps I'm fortunate and most of my club water fishing is done by freelining or with a single swanshot... but and here's the kicker when a lot of the lads on our waters are packing up and moaning about the water not fishing, I've usually had a bit of sport.... And old gear is my thing... Proper Old School and Old School methods... they still work... crusian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevtaylor Posted November 2, 2019 Report Share Posted November 2, 2019 1 hour ago, bluelabel said: and therein lies missed opportunities... your having a bad day on lead clip/runner combo's, so you go home and have whinge to yourself when a change of approach may have changed your fortunes... in my kit I have a tube of floats... just in case... if summat's not working change it... and my club waters have a lovely head of wildies.. perhaps I'm fortunate and most of my club water fishing is done by freelining or with a single swanshot... but and here's the kicker when a lot of the lads on our waters are packing up and moaning about the water not fishing, I've usually had a bit of sport.... And old gear is my thing... Proper Old School and Old School methods... they still work... Your rods and reels look lovely no doubt about that, it's great to see! Whilst I really like it, if I had the money for good cane rods and vintage reels I would still choose the modern alternative at that price range. It's a sport and I want performance. I do hope you have the tweed flatcap and waistcoat, wicker basket the full works, if you're gonna do eccentric it's all or nothing surely! The old methods will always work in the right situation, sadly the situations are dwindling fast! You need to find the wild club waters, I've been there done it, the best times, short sessions fishing under the tips, watching the line, creeping around, catching proper fish but these waters and stocks are diminishing year on year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscsha Posted November 2, 2019 Report Share Posted November 2, 2019 I'd love to know what Essex club waters have Wildies in , not even sure there's any true wild carp left . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Quote he old methods will always work in the right situation, sadly the situations are dwindling fast! actually the opposite... fish on my waters are getting clued up to the boilie/lead clip/runner approach and different methods and baits are working more and more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzbomb Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Scott Osmond (Big Carphuna on the old CAG) was catching some remarkable carp in New England while freelining about 10 years ago. I wouldn't discount it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscsha Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Free lining has it's place , but as has been said above it's very restrictive that same goes for traditional gear . @bluelabel can I ask what club waters you fish Essex ? BDAC , Chelmsford , Maldon curious that's all . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 ODAS and BDAC... yes freelining has it's place.... but as for trad gear being restrictive.... the rods in the picture were powerful enough to cast from one side of Redmire to the other (far enough for me) and have landed a 25lb 10oz Common, 26lb 3oz Mirror and a 20lb 1 oz mirror this year... they are 9'3" impregnated split cane Salmon spinning rods... more than capable of landing most carp, T/C approx 2.75-3.0lb I'd say they are beefier than my 2.75lb Nash Dwarf's crusian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 Actually you can freeline for quite a distance if you know how... A lad I know showed me how to fish at 50 yards freelining using fluoro mainline, a lead clip, PVA stocking and a large stone.... I think you can work out the details... and yes he caught well on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscsha Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, bluelabel said: ODAS and BDAC... yes freelining has it's place.... but as for trad gear being restrictive.... the rods in the picture were powerful enough to cast from one side of Redmire to the other (far enough for me) and have landed a 25lb 10oz Common, 26lb 3oz Mirror and a 20lb 1 oz mirror this year... they are 9'3" impregnated split cane Salmon spinning rods... more than capable of landing most carp, T/C approx 2.75-3.0lb I'd say they are beefier than my 2.75lb Nash Dwarf's Neither of those clubs have large size waters , so yes you can get away with traditional gear . I often use a centre pin reel for float fishing and free lining on BDAC and Maldon waters but they are what I call fun mid to high stocked waters , not the large expansive waters where you need more modern gear . P.S . No wildies in any of those waters Edited November 4, 2019 by oscsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscsha Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 1 hour ago, bluelabel said: Actually you can freeline for quite a distance if you know how... A lad I know showed me how to fish at 50 yards freelining using fluoro mainline, a lead clip, PVA stocking and a large stone.... I think you can work out the details... and yes he caught well on it See I don't get that why use a stone in pva as a weight yes it works but why not just use a lead , this would have the extra advantage of helping hook the fish .Just because it can be done doesn't mean it best practice . yonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 7 minutes ago, oscsha said: See I don't get that why use a stone in pva Agree. I'm amazed guys would advocate that as an effective tactic. No one is disregarding free-lining in the right situation, but chucking baits 50 yards with no lead just doesn't make any sense at all to me. oscsha and kevtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) I'm not saying you should... just that you can... and if you think about it, if you use the tactic on a weedy water with a lighter stone, the bait is held up by the weed and the lead (or absence of) is not a hinderance IN the weed... a viable method There's a lot of poo-pooing of a method that it seems a lot of folks haven't explored fully to be able to form a full opinion of... it's a method that DOES catch fish... I think a lot of carpers are too set in their ways, (myself included) or think that their way is right when ALL possibilities have not been tried.... all I'm saying is that trying summat different may get you a result when all else fails...👍😎 Never forget the old adage... The Unorthodox Plus Perseverance Equals Results... (@ Oscha) Put a pair of Mitchells on those rods and I can hit 60-70 yards and land a 30' (hopefully I'll catch one one day) which is comfortable for me.... 120-130 is the most I've ever hit with carbon and wasn't comfortable doing so, so I'll stick to what works for me ta... as for carbon... just cos you can chuck it a long way... doesn't mean you have to😉 Finis Edited November 4, 2019 by bluelabel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscsha Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 Don't see anyone poo-pooing free-lining , its just not the ideal method for all situations , same as traditional gear . We all fish for different reasons and with different gear and as long as what you do makes you happy thats all that matters. Most fishing gear has evolved to allow for different fishing situations , a Mitchell 204 would struggle with your 60-70 maybe a 300 size a modern aero style reel would make the cast easier . Again we all fish to make us happy and I love the pics of your gear @bluelabel tightlines . yonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 Mitchell 400's hit 60 70 yards without trouble (clutches set light (runner stylee) tweed hat not engaged crusian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevtaylor Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 19 hours ago, bluelabel said: actually the opposite... fish on my waters are getting clued up to the boilie/lead clip/runner approach and different methods and baits are working more and more.... I mean the lakes are going, the clubs are going, un-fenced venues are on a hiding to nothing because of Otters. Gravel pits and new lakes being dug, generally do not have deep margins such as the old slate quarries that are nearly always Club Waters. Which is what I am trying to say to you, decent stalking waters are very thin on the ground, especially if you are looking at catching decent sized fish not pasties. The skills live on but the waters sadly do not. oscsha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillfactor Posted November 9, 2019 Report Share Posted November 9, 2019 Been a good read this . Reminds me of a funny story from a c.com social years ago . A fair bit of drink was involved , which ended up with Lewis forgetting to put his leads on when he cast out for the night ..... needless to say he wasn't on his spots when he reeled in late morning 😅 kevtaylor, yonny and Machali 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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