trevor2003

You havn't tried Hell's Kitchen yet Elton

Were they made by Alien baits????

Aniseed are good boilie's, especialy Richworth maple and aniseed, and if you use pigeon conditioner for a particle feed, it's got aniseed in it, carp love it. As to worst for cathing, I had some Hells Kitchen once, they were jet black in colour, smelt abit like putty for glazing your windows or greenhouse, so presume there was linseed it them. could never catch a thing on them where ever I tried them, can't remember who made, don't want to either, only real use they had was for caterpulting at cootes and moorehens, to keep them at bay.

Agree with you birdy, just put the size boilie on you want to use and tie another rig, done in a minute. Never tried them Polly, let alone seen them.

You can get them cheaper than £50, the BRI 5000 Regal plus big pit is £42.99 at Leslies or you can get a 2006 model, that doesn't have the air bale from a guy in Ireland and he quoted me £165 including postage for 4, the 3500 and 4000 are even cheaper, as all ways, pays to shop around. They are a nice reel for the price and had some good feedback from people that use them.

It's as with all things with rod's and reel's and tackle in general, a lot is down to what you personaly prefer, but at the end of the day, your reel handle won't catch you any more or bigger carp at the end of the day, it's whats on the other end that counts, well thats asuming the handle turns.

10K is not that much heavier, all though they are bigger, but after using them so long, you wouldn't notice the difference realy. I also like the twin handle, feels alot easier to use, as it seems closer to the reel body. Had a try with some shimano XLT 3 1/4 tc rods (i think that was the one's) and the big pit aerolex reels at carp fest last saturday on the shimano set up on the lake with Steve Renyard and had a spod on. The handles felt massive after the 10K's, dispite a very high line retrieve rate, was good that you could try all their rods and reels out though and have the space to realy give them some welly.

Well looks like I will have to give these a whirl myself now I have heard a bit more about them. I am all ways weary telling some one to use something I am not sure about, could be that they had some chemical in to stop sheep getting ticks or some thing crazy like that, so you have to be a bit cautious, would feel pretty bad if the day after chucking loads of these in a lake, you woke up to find them all floating on the top out for the count How about the amount or any preperation??? they won't swell up inside the fish when wet??? or are they just like trout pellets

That is what I went for in the end Kestrel the 8000 GTE-B 's after having the 10000 XTE's for years, they don't feel that heavy to me, but if you want a well made alloy bodied reel, rather than the plastic composite type bodies, they are going to be a tad heavier, but the gears etc are so smoooottthhhh

Must confess I am a Shimano man through and through and find it hard to go for another reel, having used them for so long with out a glitch. I was considering Daiwa and the Emcast is a good bit of kit, as with most of their reels, especialy the Regal Plus 5000 BRI big pit, also a lovely well priced reel, I have only this last few weeks been getting some new reels, so checking them all out. I did look at the new Okuma powerliner and with a 5 YEAR WARRANTY it was tempting, and at £40, it seems to cut the mustard, especialy at that price. Also checked out the Wychwood range and was keen on the new Exorcist, how ever have heard several bad reports about them, gears/clutches etc failing from people that have got them. A lot of it is down to what you need, how big the venue, distance your fishing etc etc and also personal preferance and at the end of it, how much you can afford and if your a tackle tart at heart.

Go for it fella, let us know how you get on.

Don't know about them, but I would be very careful, could be harmfull to the fish. Any other guy's got any idea's or have a chat with Elton.

Stick with what you got thats what I use. But depends if you want to scale down onto a lower test curve rod (depending what TC rod you have now) and lighter tackle for a bit more sport and fun?? I have 4 greys prodigy's 2 3/4 TC with shimano 8000 GTE-b's and a couple of 2 3/4 TC Wychwood reactions with Wychwood Rogue freespins on, use the Greys for bottom and Wychwoods for top fishing. Before I had 4 Grey's X Flites 3 TC with Shimano 10000 XTE's on and a couple of JRC Skyliners one at 2 1/2 TC and one at 2 3/4 TC both also with Shimano 10000 XTE's on, once again used the Grey's for bottom and the JRC's for floating on the top.

JRC specialist at £29.99 or JRC Defender £19.99 on special at climax. Good nets for the price with light carbon handles. Fox Warrior is a good net, not sure on the price's on these now, but all good 42" nets, shop around though, a number of years back I got a cheap +30 42" net and it lasted years.

Also go to left hand menu on this page and click on TIPS >> CARP , if you type back leads into the search there, it will give you 'the how and when' feature on back leads.

Thats about it, cast and then add your back lead, how ever, leave enough line for you to be able to put the lead on and to lift the rod up so the lead slides down the line into the water. DO NOT cast then pull back with the bail arm closed, so as to get the lead on, as you will move your hookbait off the spot you want to fish, but more important, you could be pulling your hook into weed, silt, rubish etc or catch a stone and take the point of your hook. Let it all sink, close bail arm and only if you have to wind up the slack, before putting your rod on the pod or sticks, so as not to move your bait/hook on the lake bed.

Hi Polly Went to Carp fest today and my other half, who as yet has never casted a rod, had a few tips and pointers with Steve Renyard and after about her 3rd cast, managed to cast a spod about 50 yards. Not satified with this, she asked the guys who were letting people have a go at catching carp. if she could try?? They let her take the next run and she landed her first carp, a 13lb 2oz mirror.

I use the Korda flying back leads or Gardner, as you can take them on and off, instead of threading the mainline through the centre of the back lead, then add a normal back lead after the cast, this keeps it all pinned down nicely. The flying one goes back several yards on the cast and after you have added the normal one after the cast, it's as simple as that. Only use this set up though if you have a resonable level lake bed and no big lumps of weed etc.

Hi Emailed it to you.

Hi Mike Have voted on pellets, how ever I use a 50-50 pellet and ground bait in a stick mix, mostly these days at a distance and loose pellet and particle mix in the margins, just to add to the confusion.

Hi mate Tried to PM you, but you won't alow them, got some info for you.

Hi You can get commercial waters/fisheries, that are highly stocked with small carp and you can catch them easy one after the other, or have run after run on your alarms/baitrunners, hence the name runs water or in other words easy fishing. A target or hard water is where you might be targeting just one fish and could fish the lake every day for a year and only catch one fish, but it could be 30-40lb, they tend to have a lower stock number, but bigger/ higher weight of fish and the carp can be very weary. Some are quite mature lakes rather than freshly dug holes in the ground, stocked to the brim with small carp and just interested in making big money, rather than fish care or safety, before anyone jumps in, not implying all are like this. Hope that gives you an idea of what I mean.

If your in Colchester, then you have CAPS, great club and price and some good waters. if you want a hard but target water, try little Easton Manor, if you want more about the manor, I will pm about that place.I was a member of Saffron Walden club, they have 3 lakes, one a runs water up to 30lb, then 2 harder waters, Mepal has some nice 30lb+ leathers. 40 acre plantation is at Billericay (stock) thats a small runs waters, had some 20+'s out there. Gerry Hamonds got Brooke lake, trying to think if it's Broxbourne or Cheshunt on the Carthanega complex (not sure if thats spelt right) Spains hall at Finchingfield is a small runs water, just for a bend in the rod, 25-50 fish in a day type of place up to about 20+. Church manor, think thats right, between Sawbridgeworth and Chelmsford.Billericay club have some good waters. Can try and think of some more for you. Cheers Trevor

Hi I have just moved from Essex after many years, what sort of water you after, like a runs water or a target water and what part of Essex are you in and how far do you want to travel?? Let us know and I will give you some idea's.

Well done mate. Hope it wasn't from your next door neighbours pond though Did you get any pictures to post on the forum??? I still remember the best carp I ever caught though, it was only 10 1/2 lb, but the most stunning coloured ghosty I have ever seen and gave a good little fight for it's size. So it's not all ways the biggest is the best fish, but it's nice to get that PB up to, like Polly's 30 the other day.