In reply to Post #12
It is now law but the police won't prosecute you for not having one. However, my experience is that it's better to not annoy them by not carrying required items.
Whatever you do, do not get caught using your phone while driving (unless hands free of course). One of the people we know was lifted from his car and taken to a local police cell until his wife arrived to drive him home.

In reply to Post #1190
Any leader reduces the safety of the rig.

In reply to Post #1186
It's not just the weight of the leader it is also that the knot at the TOP of the leader becomes the weak point so most snap offs leave the fish trailing a leader whereas with a rig which doesn't include a leader the snap off is more likely to be at the hook link swivel so the fish only has the hook link to deal with.

In reply to Post #1181
.....and the last (an upper twenty mirror) was found towing a very large ball of weed and the pressure from this drag had snapped its bottom jaw, leaving the jaw hanging against it's “chest” and I was left with the sad job of killing it and burying it.

This from the second page of my article which Ken has made a sticky at the head of this thread.

In reply to Post #1177
i always make sure my lead can eject from my lead core before i do each cast

I don't think that you have grasped the real potential danger area. It isn't just the lead that causes the problems it is the leadcore itself which is heavy enough to hold the hook in place.

whilst i haven't had any problems so far in my carp fishing experience,

You may not be aware of any problems and unless you actually live on the lake you will be unlikely to see the problems caused by leadcore rigs which have been left out in the lake after a crack-off on a cast.

some of these pictures they seem like "bodge job" home made rigs and i wouldnt want to be doing that my self

Read my post again and you will see that the fish that I had to kill wasn't the result of a badly tied rig. The lead had been ejected but the leadcore alone was enough to damage the fish beyond the point of recovery.

In reply to Post #1171
What if you snap off on the cast??? Crisis back.

In reply to Post #1164
I don't have a "problem" as such with tubing and my only comments would be:-

1. Why take a "virtually" invisible main line and sheath it with a section of "hose pipe" so that it becomes immediately more obvious?

2. Tubing was used for its anti-tangle properties and not for fish protection and very often it slides up the line leaving the line against the flank of the fish so the tubing doesn't come into play in that instance anyway. We also often fish floaters or zigs without tubing so what's the difference?

In reply to Post #275
Right I've done some digging and "Bream Fever" was written by Bill Taylor.

Peter Stones books were:-
Come Fishing With Me
A Guide To Coarse Fishing
Coarse Fishing
Fishing For Big Chub
Illustrated Teach Yourself Coarse Fishing
Legering
Old Father Thames
Gravel Pit Angling.

From memory he then also did a book called "Along The Way" I think, which was a compilation of Dick Walker's letters.
Hope that helps mate.

In reply to Post #274
I'm ashamed to admit that I can't remember which books he did write but I will find out for you [and for me].
One little story about Peter which you may find amusing;
I had taken an afternoon off to fish the "Seacourt Stream" which is a connecting stream from one part of the Thames to another. I was fishing for some chub which I had found under a big overhang when Pete's wonderfully recogniseable voice sounded in my ear.
"My word Keith what are you doing here. There's not many carp in here you know."
"No Pete I'm after the chub but I can get plenty of bites but just can't connect with them." I replied.
"Show me how your fishing." he asked.
I cast out tightened the line with the rod at 90 degrees and sure enough the tip slammed round and I missed the fish.
"Your line is too tight" he said.
I cast again and under his supervision I slackened off more line.
This time the rod slammed round and the fish was already hooked.
As he walked off across the field I heard him say
"If I can help somebody as I go along my way then life will have not been in vain."

Wonderful man.

In reply to Post #272
Brilliant, as usual Pete.
Really brought back memeories for me when you mentioned Peter Stone. I was lucky enough to know and fish with Peter a few times and what a gent. So polite, so well mannered and could creep along the lake/river bed more quietly than anyone else I know. Fantastic angler with a pssion for chub. RIP.