lilypad

Hi jabber, if you are serious about taking up carp fishing, you will have to get used to being lonely, especially if you do night sessions.lol. Does your club have meetings? Why not go along and see if there is a carp angler who is willing to help you get started. It is surprising once you start visiting carp venues how soon you get to know the others. Carp fishermen are notoriously nosey and a new bivvy on the lake soon arouses curiosity; hence visitors. Sorry I can't be of more assistance as I live in Kildare and although I was not new to carp fishing when I moved here I was new to the area. I now know most of the carp anglers in the area and some from other parts of Ireland. I shall have to start again when I move back to Scotland. Thank goodness for the internet especially the forums. Best of luck.

I leave mine made up to the extent that I keep the lead clip or bead and swivel on. This saves rethreading the tubing. Then on arriving at the bank I pull back the tubing and disguard any line that has been covered by it.( it's always lost it's shine). It's amazing the amount of sharp rubbish that accumulates in between the tubing and line that can cause chaffing.

Thanks gozzer. Missed that thread.

Just got a newsletter from AT saying British perch record smashed. Any more news?

There is a really supple braid called color-it with a removable very dark green coating or bare. The bare stuff can be coloured using any permanent marker. I have only got it on my dispensers now. But I think it is marketed by tfg.(not certain).

For a stiff rig there is always Amnesia. Makes great D-Rigs.

If you leave your car with a tyre down, in certain areas over here, it will be considered abandoned. You would probably return to find a burnt out shell with no wheels.

These Cherolais cattle were very inquisitive.

Completely irresponsible.

So true! But it does put a lot of barely used tackle on the second hand market. There's a lot to be said for the old adage: BLANKING'S IMPORTANT. It's what the "wannabees" can't seem to accept.

I am an all species angler who likes to specialise in carp. I have to admit to using all the modern tackle and methods available to me. But there do come days when this approach does not work. It is then I have to rely on the skills I have achieved over four decades. Free-lining,stalking and use of the float etc. A much more satisfying way of fishing, especially if I land one. p.s. I don't know how many years I had been fishing until I got a Double.

Version 2 is working great Well done!

The best angling book I have ever read is not really a "teach in" as most books seem to be. It is a classic; No Need To Lie by Richard Walker.

I worked on a floating laboratory on Loch Goil and all the lifejackets had to be inflated at least once a year. If it was the gas bottle type you used it and replaced with a new one. The jackets should be left inflated for an hour or so to see they did not deflate. They were then deflated and dusted with french chalk before repacking. This was a requirement of the Health and Safety Executive. A good idea for ALL owners of lifejackets. You don't want it to fail you when it matters.

The sensitivity, hence the amount of bobbin movement will also depend on the type of rig setup. Are you using a running or semi-fixed(bolt) rig? Slack line or tight. The hooklink material and length will also make a difference. There are so many variables to take into account before you decide the movement is a take or not. Novice or "experienced,"we all, at some stage face this dilemma. You can see the movement on the indicator interpreting what the rig is doing is the key. Oh! Bugger that, just hit it!

Oh S*it! I'll have to back to the beginning now.

What about the wild boar problem?

It's 52 Days to the off, John.

I it's a family type holiday with fishing here is a site that is recommended. Millers Not the cheapest. But not drive and survive.

So the leads that look like pebbles,dung and piles of grit are "out" now. Gotta buy square leads, because?????? Korda--- +££££££££ Angler--- -££££££££ You know it makes sense.

Nothing beats the the classy look of a Common. For fight it's got to be a big Koi.

Brian, I would check out the temp. of your freezer. Once the maggots are about -5 deg. C ice crystals will form in the blood and they are definitely DEAD. Perhaps you have the Maggot Undead. They eat brains you know.

STC. I thought I knew that banter. Weren't you the one who used to live in the posh cardboard box overlooking my hole in the ground?

For me you will not get better value than This. But there is alwaysthe cheaper one. Remember these are rrp not deals.

I put a lot of this damage down to barbless hooks. Hooking , unhooking, hooking again etc. during one fight. That's why barbless hooks are banned by RMC\CEMEX. The other factors you mention make a contribution as well. The inexperienced angler using heavy line can try to bully fish and actually tear the hook out. I have seen this plenty of times. They tend to think they have only lost a fish and do not consider the injury they have just caused through ignorance. it is up to the more experienced angler to try and teach these individuals the correct way to handle a large hooked fish. With the advent of the "instant carper"these sort of injuries will only increase. Yesterday a 2oz roach, today I have the gear let's get a 20lb carp. Not quite the attitude. "Could someone show me.........etc." A better start.