JoninItaly

I'm not convinced by the suitability of standard backleads in the majority of fishing conditions. Unless fishing at distance in shallow water, i can't help thinking that back leads behave in much the same way as a bobbin, only they move long before any bite is registered at the rod end of things. This may not present a problem when fishing for belting runs, but I'd rather know exactly what's going on at the rig end of things. My preference is to use leadcore to keep things on the bed in the area of the rig, and indicators which are as light as possible. The result being a fairly slack line from the rod tip, the point being that when a fish moves the bait the alarm sounds and the indicator moves, all without the droop being pulled out of the line from the rod tip. I use backleads when it it absolutely neccessary, i.e. when boats and people swimming (I'm in Italy, dont forget!)cause problems, and often on rivers, in these cases I employ back leads of 3-4 oz. (made of rocks with silicon tubing superglued to them and paper-clips), which are heavy enough to ensure that I'm still in direct contact with the rig. Hope this makes some sort of sense, Jon

No idea about the Fishrite stuff, but a pair of Skeetex boots will do you proud, just don't plan on walking very far in them!

Put the spool of new line vertically in a container of water, facing upwards so that the line comes off in the same direction as you are winding it on, as M.C. says. Attach the reel to the butt section of a rod and pass the line through the butt ring, then attach to spool/backing. Hold line near butt ring as you wind it on, putting a bit of pressure on, but not too much. hope this helps. Jon

It depends upon how much of a challenge you're looking for. I'd agree with the above up to a point, but don't forget the possible advantages i.e. presumably lower angline pressure and more peace and quiet, and less of the 'hassle' which can be a pain on smaller waters, not to mention the satisfaction of landing a carp from such a lake. You can always go back to a smaller, easier water if you get cheesed off with it. My advice would be to spend as much time as possible looking for 'em. Get some polaroids and get up trees etc. If you've already seen fish showing then that's a start. Don't be in too much of a rush to start fishing, time spent observing the fish and their movements will prove far more valuable than time spent sitting behind motionless indicators. I'd say that location is likely to be the key, as far as rigs and baits are concerned, stick with what you've done well on in the past. When you are fishing, be prepared to up sticks and move if you are not confident that you have fish near you....it keeps you fit! Give it a go, it'll be hard work, but the potential rewards are tremendous. Keep us posted! Jon

Cor Blimey, keep your hair on Chesters! It is broke, my 10 year old set of swingers that I made myself, that is (never was trendy enough for Fox). So I was looking at replacements which allow the weight to be changed easily as I fish a wider variety of waters now, I just wondered what the big deal was with these new indicators as I havent seen any 'in the flesh'.

How about the new(ish) Solar Fluoro / Fox solid colour bobbin / swinger heads? Are they more visible than the normal translucent types, or are they just another attempt to get anglers to part with their hard-earned in order to stay fashionable? Cheers Jon

New Nash SS Nitelite scales...they look nice, the price is attractive, but put 21kg of carp under them and the supplied T-bar bends like a banana and breaks. This could have led to serious fish damage... you have been warned!! All the best Jon

Has anyone noticed a particular bait (or, perhaps, method) which has led to the capture of a significantly larger proportion of commons as opposed to mirrors (or vice-versa)?

OK then, how about biscuits? When fishing day ticket/club waters I'd always go for happy Shopper/Tesco's Value custard creams, and always did better than average. However, when fishing a high quality 'posh' syndicate lake, I always felt obliged to opt for something more expensive, and eventually settled on chocolate digestives after ten years of experimentation, the results being good. However, a friend managed threee thirties in a single night recently, armed exclusively with the Hobnob! Where does the truth lie? Jon (contemplating taking shortbread to a certain 5000 acre italian lake)

OK, OK, I admit that pot noodles and superglue were not actually launched onto the market with carp anglers in mind, but half my gear is held together by superglue, and I really can't be bothered with cooking food whilst fishing, even if I can get genuine pasta on my doorstep (after four years here, I'd prefer a decent curry). I'd definately go along with the Coleman stove idea,...what a lovely hot petrol smell they produce when you turn them off... not to mention the soothing clicking noise while they cool down in winter...aaaaahh bliss!! Jon

What, I your humble opinions, has been the most useful invention/innovation in the world of carp fishing since you started? Personally,I'm torn between superglue and the pot noodle. Jon

60kg ?! Bloody hell! I haven't used a total of 60 kg of mixer in all my 34 years, and I've got a dog!

Hi Neal I'd say that any fishing line which is made up of fine fibres which are woven together to form a single length can be classified as braided. As such your dacron doesn't pass the test. It can be a bit confusing, as it doesn't say 'braid' on the spool. I think you should suggest that the club / fishery owner makes things simpler by stating 'monofliament only', thus avoiding any possible confusion.

I did 48 hours at Shimano-Linear Fisheries last week, my first UK fishing for a few years, and was absolutely staggered by the quantities of bait being used by the average carp angler. Stoves were boiling hemp from dawn to dusk, and the spod rods took a right hammering. The lake was fishing poorly yet one bloke and his mate put in 7 35 litre buckets of particle, that's SEVEN times THIRTY FIVE litres!! (and blanked) One lad moved into a swim that had produced no fish specifically because the prevoius occupant had put 50lb of bait out! I managed to sneak out three twenties on single hookbaits by moving to where the fish were showing. Is this level of baiting becoming the 'norm' now, and have you had much success using these methods? By the way, I would thoroughly recommend the fishery; it's clean, tidy and well run, with friendly, helpful staff (and loads of not-very-hungry carp!).

I agree with Gaffer, my (limited) experience of Fox gear in recent years has been very positive, but there did seem to be a period around 10 years ago when pre-launch testing seemed to be minimal. They must have changed their ideas or they wouldn't be where they are now. (I've just received the Italian version of the Fox catalogue free with a magazine.. is there anything that Fox DOESN'T produce?)

Hi all Just a note to say that I stumbled across this forum a couple of days ago, am very impressed, and would like to thank everyone involved. I'm back to the UK tomorrow on holiday, including a few days fishing.........NO PEDALOS! aaaahhh paradise! Once again, thanks to everyone, I look forward to returning in a couple of weeks. Have fun Jon

Hi Steve Thank you very much indeed for the info and your kind offer, I'll bear it in mind. Cheers Jon

Fox 'Load-shift' trolley (1992), which I forked out for due to a knackered ankle, and broke the first time I used it. The metal was so thin that repair welds broke almost immediately, so it ended up bolted together. The wheels were in the wrong place so you could never get it balanced, after a 15 min walk (struggle) to your swim your right arm felt like you'd spent a week watching Kylie Minogue videos. 'Load-shift'? leave out the 'f' and you're getting nearer the truth.

Thanks for the info lads. I don't think I'll have any battery availability problems here, and will have a good look at the Fox range. I used some Steve Nevilles a few years ago, as you say they are no-nonsense reliable kit. The problem is that they sound like smoke alarms! Every time I had a run it put 10 years on me, squirrels fell out of trees and the local fire brigade started pulling their wellies on. The really small Steve Nevilles with the leads are better - you can bury the sounder box! Cheers Jon

Does anyone have any experience of the alarms at the cheaper end of the Fox range (or similar)? I'm living in Italy where decent tackle shops are few and far between, and my 18 year old Delkim converted optonics have finally given up the ghost. I don't need satellite linked multi-function nonsense which sends me a SMS when I get a run, as unlike some Italian carpers, I still like to sit within half a mile or so of my rods. Reliability and the availability of a nice low tone are the most important features. I shall be buying via mail order, so would appreciate any tips re. cheap sources. Thanks in advance Jon