erik

just to add another opinion, personally have a preference for single sticks for the reasons above, also less crap to cart about. admittedly it can be trying when trying to get sticks in rock hard ground but a bit of perseverance with a screw in peg usually does the job. there is no substitute for stainless sticks for durability, for hard ground alloy sticks are useless.

you could already be doing so but try holding the second arm further up, towards the drawcord, when putting it in, more leverage.

tbh wouldn't bother unless you reckon this is an area that is causing you a major problem. supposedly doesn't cast as well, and have noticed that owing to the finish these types of line tend to pick up particulates in the water and stand out like tow rope. good line lay with a qualiy mono should be fine. i still use big game as never lets me down but everybody has their own favourites. gr60's dependable stuff, would avoid infinity duo though.

three lightweight chairs have sat on and all comfortable, certainly compared to a bucket or hunched on the edge of the bedchair. JRC Terry H Classic, Fox Adjusta Level, Nashy lounge lizard. of those would personally choose the JRC as like the idependently adjustable legs and the armrests on the nashy are probably a bit excessive.

family have done this for a number of years after having a turkey too big for the oven and trying it. have to agree best turkey ever had. goose this year so imagine that'll get the same treatment.

it doesn't tend to be the other cultures complaining, but the idiot local counsellors who come up with these bright schemes usually without consulting either community. sadly and contrary to their misguided one legged lesbian vegetarian cylist (just to add a stereotypem ) ideals this usually heightens racial tensions and worsens problems. why oh why do people vote for these idiots.

joh roberts butt grips if not full duplon handles, about £1.50/£2.00 each. fox m's £20 each, simple alarms, reliable, do what's needed of an alarm.

http://cgi.microquiz.force9.co.uk/phpshop/index.php

on the first day scored 2/10 so would have said change it. today scored 10 so would say keep it. of that lot though and obviously biased towards own strengths; bible trivia - aargh no way josé, sports - only if fairly international and straightforward, i.e no 60s club soccer or baseball etc. hist/geog - had it, Music - maybe, general knowledge diff - think we had intermediate so that could be worth a shot at some time, sci/tech - had. personally, given there are limited topics, would stick with this for the month. [ 03. December 2004, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: erik ]

summer - gas winter - msr whisperlite, more reliable then a coleman, but and a big but, needs priming which is a pain, although a little bottle of meths is good for this and less flarey.

carp are so often stocked to unnatural levels, especially on modern commercial fisheries, they'll eat virtually anything to scratch out a living. as already suggested the hungry cypry probably saw a bit of movement and went for it. in a more natural environment where they can choose from a variety of foodstuffs they're still the craftiest things with fins.

short of stalking 'em there's not a lot you can do to select the fish you catch. however in an open water situation certain rigs have a history of fooling the bigger fish, hinged stiff rig pop up for instance. Fishing the hookbait off the main baited area another frequently mentioned trick (theory being the bigger fish hang back whilst the smaller ones are first in working the area). tbh though as long as they're in there it's usually a numbers game, you may have to wade throught the little'uns to get there in the end. additionally knowledge is everything, larger fish often have known favourite areas and you can only discover these through time on the bank, speaking to others and observing the lake. a lot of others swear by new or full moons for big fish captures, i have to admit am very confident on the three days or so after full moon. good luck though, at least if its been a struggle to get there you'll appreciate it all the more when it happens then if you went to an overstocked mudhole.

http://www.sherpa.demon.co.uk/

basically - through action - progressive curve from tip to butt. fast action tip bends for playing fish but stiffer down the blank, more power for casting. test curve tells you the theoretical weight to bend the rod 90 degs from straight so independent of action. therefore if you are doing a lot of long chucking and require more distance + accuracy you'll need a fast action rod, but more prone to hook pulls, i.e. you have a less progressive spring to absorb the fishes lunges. and vice versa.

whoops didn't notice two pages. ignore me.

http://www.netknots.com/html/uni.html should do.

imo the major reason for fish weight increases is simply bait. Waters are seeing large quantities of specifically designed highly nutritional fish food, pellet, boilies etc. introduced and this is impacting all species. i.e. many carp waters now more heavily fished and baited are chucking up numerous double figure bream and big tench.

as budgie says, depends on the water. on a water unknown to you though a new wind is often worth following but only for a few days. seems to work better with SW winds which often accompany falling pressure and rainy weather.

tbh don't use one, more to carry. bait bucket lid cheapest option.

a lot of people like boilies on the turn, depends on the bait to some extent. how hard is the water?? if an easy water you could be worried by lack of action but it may take a while to establish a new bait especially if there are a lot of alternatives out there. you could always buy the frozen version, available for most decent baits and usually superior, then bag it in kilo bags.

still use trusty big game, never lets me down but sensor also very good for the money and gr60 is tow rope. X-line supposed to be very good for short range slack line fishing but too expensive for me, + told doesn't cast too well. only line i'd personally stay clear of is infinity duo but of course others swear by it.

have to agree with SB, unless absolutely necessary, concrete banks etc. sod the pod. as steve says single sticks cheaper, more versatile and less to carry, do get yourself a robust screw in type bivvy peg, or screwdriver, to make pilot holes with though. also used the cheapo foxs for a couple of years and for £20 reliable and do what they have to.

"Not the pose factor then?" nah, that's mainly the instant tart types, cheapy emblems are hardly tarty. (i'm an anti tart anyway, prefer the battered used gear look ) "A 13'3 1/4lb TC Fast taper distance stick casts a long way to but would you advocate that as the standard carp rod?" no totally unsuitable, personally use 2 1/2lb tc rods, will argue for hours about the unsuitablity of 3lb+ fast taper rods for all round fishing. Think the faffing as with anything is inexperience, 'twould be the same if you only ever drove an automatic and started driving a manual, you'd be faffing with the gears until you got used to it. basically not saying baitrunners are crap but in my own experience find the cheap big pits like emblems give you a more robust, reliable, and versatile reel for the money. Ratty46 - nah sadly not, keep em hanging around for taking beginners etc.

no no and thrice no "Erik you forgot to add the following big pit traits - weigh twice as much" standard emblems weigh virtually the same as a baitrunner (less then 100g more) "free spool conversions are crap" agree they are crap, however a free spool system is unnecessary gimmick anyway once you get used to using the clutch. "totally unsuitable for anything else other than the job they were intended for." Not true. They are suitable for all types of carp fishing, i even use one on the stalking rod (despite having spare shimano baitrunners gathering dust). Also more versatile as more usable at range when necessary. - Due to increased surface area the clutch is smoother and more progressive. - Faster retrieve means easier and faster spodding and marking. due to the crappy retrieve rate spodding with baitrunners is a nightmare. Undoubtedly in my mind a better all round carp fishing reel, which is why most (obviously a few exceptions) serious carp anglers use 'em. [ 27. August 2004, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: erik ]

personally would trade up to a pair of big pits, emblem s's available for less then £50 now, better drags, will cast further, more robust, less to go wrong.