LINKY POO™ GoldieLookinChain-dryrobe-rap

Hope the link works, just thought this might clear things up for those unaware of the dryrobe

"like Harry Potters invisibility cloak, but you can see me and I look f***in dope"

ain't got one by the way!

"Problem is our tackle manufacturer fashionistas set what is popular" 100%!!!
I feel so sorry for people who have started in the last 10-15yrs, as now almost all easily obtained carp fishing information comes from commercial sources.
On the rod front I feel things have got so ridiculous that I have had to start putting them together myself just to get something sensible, my completed stalky type rod will fit clean through the centre of a 50mm butt guide!

To the OP.
If you really want to find out whats what with your rods when it comes to fish playing power I would strongly suggest that you try some deadlifts with them. I DO NOT MEAN lifting weights straight off the floor!! I do it using a pulley & weights and hold the rod flat so the curve in the rod and line angle can be easily observed.
Testing rods like this has been a MASSIVE eye opener and has totally changed how I view some of my rods and what they are suitable for. Having done a bit of it I can honestly say that until I do a good heavy deadlift on a rod, I have no idea how it will perform. Testing a rod like this also lets you feel how forgiving the butt section is under stress, by gently bouncing the weight you can feel for any little "lock ups" in the action.

In reply to Post #1
Remember the Passion For Angling opener?
"the secret of success is not how to catch, but how to enjoy"
Says it all for me...

One particular evening I remember hearing a bird which seemed to replicate every other birds song I'd ever heard + a few car alarm noises throw in too, crystal clear, the sound was absolutely phenomenal. After a bit of research I found that I had heard my first nightingale, will never forget that sound.

In reply to Post #16
I am lucky to be able to fish in the week now but I can definately see some merit in well organized swim booking system if the lake is going to be busy, especially if the system allows you to move. I remember the stress on a fri afternoon till you can get to the lake and see whats free.
It does make me wonder if it will be sustainable in the long term as I'm sure at least some people will tire of fishing the permitted way, but then everyone is different. There are quite a few crappy things around that I don't really understand why people put up with, yet society seems to constantly churn out a conveyor belt of people who are fine with whatever.
I think a lot of the problems are rooted in the commercialisation of carp fishing. Looking round, some of these new, lets call them "members waters" really are commies on steroids. Less than 5 years old, no cover, no trees, new stock, funny rules, £500-600-700pa and a waiting list closed until 2024!
I am very thankful to still have a haven or 2, where I can disappear back to 1990. I do like variety and new challenges but sometimes it makes you realise what you got aint bad either!
Just thinking, I got a solution for the rigid documentation fans: RH MK2 flyweights! "I'll weigh it 3 times mr bailiff and you can average out all the different numbers we get"

In reply to Post #2
Booked swims too! It goes against all learnings.
I have come across a place with no booked swims, but once set up you cannot move. It's not a written rule but one I got TOLD after moving onto some fish. I wouldn't have minded but there were a total of 2 anglers including me on a 100+ swim venue!
It's like some places don't want me to do what I would genuinely regard as GOOD fishing. Moving onto fish, reacting to conditions/fish behavior, changing tactics... It's weird.
I was thinking about how many memorable/epic catches I have read about over the years caught by some of the most respected carp anglers out there purely because they moved or changed tactics or saw an opportunity or did something different. They didn't do it at these places!

Hi,
Does anyone else feel that some of the venue rules about nowadays are starting to force you into a prescribed way of fishing?
I have always enjoyed a wide range of styles of carp fishing: bottom, zigs, surface, float and freelining and to me one of the joys of the species is that at different times they can respond well to any of those methods. I do like to fish a few waters at a time and having recently lost one of my favorites I've been looking around to see whats about nowadays. I'm finding again and again that fisheries (D/T & syndi) seem to have rules in place which are really dictating how they want people to fish. I'm not talking about all the usual stuff thats been about for years (barbed/barbless,bait bans,fish safety rules etc) which are largely things they don't want and the rest is the anglers choice. I more mean things like: tubing must be used (with min length), leads must be discharged on the take, all fish must be fully photographed and reported.
Maybe to many those are not significant things, but to me it prohibits surface fishing, freelining, float fishing and the use of simple running rigs which is mostly how I fish, and it prevents me from catching a carp, admiring it and quickly slipping it back to where it belongs without putting through the ordeal of being fully documented for someone else. I have enquired at a couple of these places just to comfirm that they do mean to prohibit any form of fishing other than tubing & lead clip bottom fishing and yes, thats pretty much it.
So I'm kind of left wondering how widespread is this and are there many carp anglers happy to spend 12 hours on a bright summers day, watching motionless rods pinned to the deck, whilst most of the lake stock cruises the surface and not be ALLOWED to carefully fish for them??
Or maybe just as an angling fundamental, not being allowed to tie a hook to line, bait the hook and fish with it does seem odd, as to me the freeline is the simplest, purest, strongest and one of the safest ways to possibly fish.

Also, just to say that i'm not questioning any specific venues rules, as far as I'm concerned it's an owners/managers right to have whatever rules they like and they don't have to have rational justification for it. It's more the wider implications of dictating fishing methods as these rules do seem to me to be spreading.

In reply to Post #1
I have had many holidays on the canals and have been pretty much the whole length of the grand union. I also know the compromise that has to be made trying to fit fishing around family hols and am basing my advice around this.
My first approach would be to take a big bag of mixers with you and as soon as you moor up for the day/evening trickle a few along the far bank margin every 10-15 mins, this should show up if some fish are in the area. If you have the time or if there is a nice feature to fish to, whilst feeding the mixers I would set up 1 bottom rod with a simple heavy running lead, 7-8" soft braid link and fish a popup or tiger nut over a handfull of tigers. This should be at least slightly bream resistant and will give you indication of a bite whichever direction the fish runs in. I would add that if at all possible I like to fish the NEAR margin with the bottom rod as I have been wiped out a few times by boats even with back leads on and it gives peace of mind, also baiting and rig placement are a piece of pi55.
There are some 20lb+ fish for sure but on average I have found grand union carp are more singles and low doubles so I tend to use lighter shorter rods but with good strong line cause of snags & debris.

In reply to Post #3
Made me smile as I have been partial to a stiff rigger/kicker/soft braid combo for bottom baits in the past too. Definately wierd but definately works!

In reply to Post #1
One thing I would add is to think about your bait/s, IMHO what you want from a good day fishing bait is quick attraction. For me that is pellets, paste, really soft boilies even groundbait, anything that is going to quickly release its goodies into the water and get the fish down feeding on your bait.
As others have said as well, NEVER forget the margins and if I'm fishing 2 rods on days I always have one right in my margin. Also I do think that if you are staying mobile / finding the fish / fishing the margins that being very quiet is essential.

In reply to Post #1
I have been using an electric outboard on inflatables for 10+ years and for what its worth here are my thoughts.
For batteries I use el cheapo 110Ah for about £60-70, I get about 4-5 years out of them before they seem tired. The AGM batteries sound good, not tried them myself. They are about twice the price though so whether the difference is worth it? What does definately help is having a decent charger which will properly charge your battery. I reccomend the numax ones, I have the 10A about £55. It can get really techy but cheap chargers won't fully charge your battery and a bit of electronics is needed to push the last bit of charge in.
One last thing is that your range or motoring time reduces massively the faster you go.