Depends.

Fresh northerlies? Doesn't bother me. A week of cold northerlies? I wouldn't bother personally, even if it was my only chance to get out.

I put more emphasis on air pressure and air temps, because in the summer, It could be blowing a south westerly, perfect temps, but if the pressure is through the roof and I cannot get into the shallows, I'll also not bother.

In reply to Post #1
I'm "only" 38, but compared to anyone in their 20's I got to see aspects of the 'ancient times' of carp fishing, whereby those who couldn't afford a Maddocks or an Apothesis still made do with floral ratchets and Wavelocks with scruffy bob wraps.

Bobbin Spools and needles, 2nd hand Gardner Pods, floppy ledger rods, Shakespeare Bite Alarms.... the rigs hadn't really changed though in the 90's.

I don't think Fox get credited enough with what they brought to the market in the mid to late 90's. I dreamed as a kid of having a set of traffic light orange label Microns.

In reply to Post #1
I think the problem is people are wanting something from 20 year ago whilst surrounded by those who are immersed in the present day.

You can still find it, you're just fishing the wrong places.

Rivers will be the final castle. Miles of the unknown, usually run by cheap club waters where you can do as you please (within reason)

In reply to Post #2
As I said years ago, blaming the cost of paper for the decline of mags was an excuse. Thanks to AI, any which way the question is worded shows that the price of paper remained stable between 2009 and 2019. Unless anyone can enlighten me, I just feel a certain generation of angler got bored of the advertorials.

WHSmith has more train spotting and knitting mags than it does fishing mags.

The highest participation hobby in the country should not be losing its readership unless it's doing something wrong.

In reply to Post #1
Get a second hand Tactical Compact. Had mine about 5 years and spent MANY nights on it for various reasons 😂. Easily over 200+ in 5 years with my 17 stone arse rolling around in it.

That's proper testing. Not someone who does 15 nights in a year and breaks it after three.

In reply to Post #1
Best people to ask are probably sea anglers. They crimp a hell of a lot of their rigs, and use far more amnesia than we do.

Personally, I think hook pattern doesn't have any bearing on what happens when using supple braid unless the braid itself is being tightened to the lead upon the fish moving away. If you're using stuff like crumb over a bed of bait, you're relying on that fish to move off and tighten the braid up, otherwise a motionless fish sucking and blowing on one spot will likely just blow it straight out. You're just praying the hook lands in a lip instead of blowing the hook out of the 15inch diameter mouth.

I try and use as stiff a braid or fluoro as possible in most situations. I often use short lengths of 20lb X Line with a wide gape over beds of maize, it hasn't done much harm. I don't like closing the gape too much as (in my eyes) it reduces the chance of a good hook hold far if the hook takes hold further back in the mouth.

In reply to Post #3
As above, I've been behind the counter on a "show day" then proceeded to sell terminal tackle of other brands to these muggy "ambassadors" once they had finished promoting items they don't even use themselves.

It's all a con.

The quicker people realise this, the more money they'll keep in their pockets.

From what i've seen, this has now turned into a bit of a panto. The TEMU Ronnie Kray is now having an online dust up with father of the year Darrell Peck.

I love carp fishing...

In reply to Post #12
You'd be surprised. I'd say over 80% of "Carp Anglers" in this country are day ticket anglers who chop and change what they use. He knows that's his target market.