chrisjpainter

I've just gone bought a cheap reel for my new Korum Glide float rod. Error - but an error even within its class! I went for a Shakespeare FLX and I'd never have bought it if I had felt it in a shop instead of online. The finish to the reel is nasty, sharp edges everywhere, poorly fitting bail arm and a cheap, uncomfortable handle where even the knobs were badly finished. The line lay was good and it felt smooth to wind, but in reverse, the handle makes a hideous grinding, so it's going back. It comes with two aluminium spools, but I'd rather have a cheap, plastic spare - or no spare spool altogether - and for the money to have gone into the components instead. It was £50. But as you can pick up a Daiwa Ninja LT Match & Feeder for not much more right now, this FLX feels like a bad deal. Maybe I got a duff one, but I'm not going to bother to find out! It's not put me off looking at the cheaper end, it's just about finding the right one and making sure it's only going to be used within its remit. Unfortunately the remit for the FLX was to be back in the box and returned to sender!

I had one of their cheap barbel rods for a while and I agree, it wasn't great. Very flat and lifeless, but confession time: I've now bought a Korum glide! That said I have a Series 7 Specialist in 1.25 and they're still great rods. From what I'm hearing the replacement series the Vertex, whilst on paper is supposed to upgrading the Series 7, isn't hitting the right notes in quite the same way the Series 7 did. I will do a separate thread on the Glide on what I think of it, but so far, I'm impressed

Thanks, I'll look into them. They also might provide an answer to finding a 1.75lb/2lb specialist rod that isn't 12ft

Hello chaps and chapesses. Has anyone got one of these? How do they fish? I'm looking for something in the £70-100 mark at 11ft. All rounder, but with the capability to handle the occasional lunker on a pellet. I have a lake walkable from me that's 1 acre. plenty of tench taken off the lift method, nice bream, but a good head of carp and a fair few upper doubles. I fish this regularly, so want a float rod to suit that would be a nice all rounder, from silvers on waggler rigs, tench on the lift and pellet waggler tactics. Korum Glide power caught my eye, but any other suggestions more than welcome. 10-11ft; a 12ft rod's too long, both for the size of the water and trees behind the cast. (please tell me if I'm looking for a unicorn and no such rod exists in this budget! I'd accept a horse with a party hat sellotaped to its head in that case)

Sooo....I've found a winner. Home Bargains' little dog treats. They're bone shaped, pale in colour and about an inch or so long. They stay afloat for donkeys' years and drilled lengthways, they take a hook nicely and the hook up rate is very good. Fish seem a lot less suspicious of them too.

I haven't. They're actually in stock, which makes a change!

Interesting. I shall look into it. Many thanks

Dog biscuits seem to work better here. Plus as loose feed it's handy to have them in the arsenal

Tesco are out of stock of their mixer! scandalous. Anyone got any other recommendation? I was looking at Sainsbury's, but can't find a picture of them and don't know how big the bits are. Any thoughts?

I get out when I can down here. the fishing in the sea's been sketchy at best, but next week I'm hoping to get out for some black bream to barbecue?

Thanks all. I've had a few sessions since my return and they've all gone well; a double figure common off the top with home made bait and some fun taking tench on the float of an evening. More serious feeder/legering might be on the cards this weekend, now I know I haven't completely forgotten what I'm doing!

Do people use fluoro for hooklengths? I use it for bass fishing for a leader, but have no experience with it for course stuff. I'm guessing the much hyped benefits still hold true, but is it worth the price hike?

And that it's completely non-stretch. I'd never go back to mono for my lure fishing, particularly for bass, but it's a different ball game when it comes to course fishing. Seems like mono's still king when it comes to that. Fortunately there are no lurking moggies (as far as I'm aware...). Looks like the line's good. Now the fun of trying to remember how to rig up without the need for a wire trace or fluorocarbon!

That's very useful, thanks chaps. There's a small lake on the ticket within walking distance that's apparently a good mixed lake, but with plenty of tench and it's been far too long since I had one of them in the net, so I'd like to have a bash at them. Braid seems a very different world for carp fishing compared to lure fishing or boat (kayak) fishing, so it's a learning curve, but I think sticking to mono isn't going to cost me anything particularly.

As I mentioned in my welcome thread, I'm back to course fishing after a solely lure fishing period. So I need to ask a few basic questions, starting off with line colours. Does it matter much, or is it just the hooklength that's key? Lure fishing's all a bit different with hi-viz/multi coloured stuff! I've bought some 12lb maxima that's a sort of browny red colour (12lb needed because of some of the rules at my new club's waters), but should I have looked at something green/dark? Does it make a huge difference? Also, hooklengths. Braid or mono? Mono must be used for the mainline, but a braid hooklength up to 18" is allowed. I'm tempted to stick with mono, but any thoughts? The waters are all rounders apparently. my most local one a few carp up to 20lb, but mostly smaller carp, tench (which I'd love to target), bream etc.

Greetings! I'm one of those returning course anglers. I've had a 5/6 year hiatus as lure fishing has taken over rather, especially since having a yak and now being near the sea. But some local waters have taken my eye and I found myself wanting to drown some maggots again. I sold a lot of my kit to fund my lure addiction, but crucially kept my rods just in case. Well 'just in case' has now turned up and I'm getting back into it, so stay tuned for a plethora of questions as I try and remember just what in the heck I'm meant to be doing with feeders and hair rigs and quivers and hooks that aren't on trebles attached to big bits of rubber! ATB Chris