I thought that i would put up a quick post with a link to PDF versions of my most popular howto articles. In the migration some of the images didn’t come over so whilst i fix it here are the articles with the images in easy to print format.
Photography for fishing part 1
Photography for fishing part 2
Thats it for now – if there are any other instructional articles you would like to see here let me know via the contact me button at the top
Some of you may know that I have a thing for items of beauty and when I spotted the website by Andrew Field with his wonderful hand made floats, I was smitten. The quality was stunning and I decided then and there that I had to have a few, even though I don’t really float fish a great deal. As my birthday was fast approaching I asked my wife if she could get me a selection as a birthday present which she dully did. I expected to get a single float but what I received surpassed my wildest imaginations ( apparently I don’t have much of an imagination) as I got not only 6 floats but also a really snazzy aluminium float tube. Continue reading “Hand Made Floats – the proof is in the pudding”
Polarised sunglasses are the Xray specs of the carp fishing world, they allow you to turn the harsh silvery glare of a lakes surface into a clear fish tank revealing not only our quarry but also any features that may have been lurking. As you can probably guess I am a very large fan of polarised sunglasses and take a pair with me fishing on even the most dull of days as when you need polarised sunglasses you really need them. Not only will they help you see fish they will also help cut down in eye strain ensuring that even if you are “casting at the sun” your eyes will not feel like it. Additionally if you are a lure fisherman or fly fisherman a pair of sports sunglasses will also give you basic eye protection against everything from a misplaced fly to weed and lake water flying off of your reel. Continue reading “Kontrol Polar Ice Polarising sunglasses review”
It has been a while since a company introduced a new design into the hook market. Virtually all ideas have been tried before whether it be in carp fishing or in another branch of angling. Where do you think the curved hooks came from ? yep that was from the fly tying fraternity, beaked points you get the picture.
It was then with some interest that I saw the release of the new korda kaptor hooks, I was particularly interested to see how the measured up to the other hooks on the market and whilst this is not a full test it is a 1st look and some opinion
Spodding is a chore that few of us enjoy, it can be back breaking messy work and one messed up cast can send every carp in the vicinity scurrying for the hills as your spod sends up a great gout of water as it slams into the surface. Imagine if I told you that there was another way… a way in which spodding can suddenly become easier, mess messy and a hell of a lot less back breaking ?
Well there is such a way.. enter the SPOMB
What is it ? well unlike a traditional spod, the design of which has not changed for several years it is not just a rocket shaped design with an open back but a fully enclosed bait delivery capsule. This has several massive advantages,
The last point is what steals it for me, my biggest bug bear with spodding is the retrieve. No matter which spod you use it is like you are trying to pull ( in effect) a small parachute back through the water towards you. This is what really wears me down and is one of the reasons I was considering buying a bait boat. However with the spomb this is now a thing of the past.
Continue reading “The future of spodding is here and it is Spomb shaped !”
Some of you may have remembered my post on the Delkim Standard Plus alarms that I posted a while ago and from this you probably gathered that I liked my delks.. well nothing has changed but I now have another reason to like them. Their customer service. A while ago I managed to break one of my delkim hangers, massive run, line got tangled and the hanger took the brunt of the strike. It wasn’t a happy delkim hanger..
So I contacted Delkim expecting to be given the 3rd degree, expecting to be asked for a reciept to prove it was in warranty. Well I wasn’t which was lucky as the best I can remember was that I bought the hanger from a shop at the Zwolle carp show in Holland sometime earlier this year. Anyway after mailing them I was told to complete the RMA form here and post it back to them. This I did and got a mail telling me that it would take 10 working days to resolve the issue and that payment may be due. Well after 6 working days I am not the proud owner of a fixed ( well it looks brand new) delkim hanger.
Well done Delkim, often you hear horror stories about bad customer service, well this is not one of them. Superb product and backed up by a good solid service department and they even have online integration of the repairs process.
Why cant other manufacturers be like this ? don’t tell me to go back to the shop ( I am talking about <redacted>, yes you..) as I may not even remember which one it was and after a week I pretty much never have the receipt any way ( hey I am a man) I want to go back to the manufacturer and cut out the middle man.
Hot from PopSci.com comes the ‘Bat Hook“
Basically you sling the device above over a handy power line and voila, electricity flows. The hook slips over the line and the razor blade makes contact with the copper line underneath ( then again power lines are not shielded so it is probably to scrape through crud), one imagines that there is a step down converter in the package somewhere else you will feel a slight “buzz” the 1st time you use it…. though only for a tenth of a second before you become a human light bulb.
Continue reading “Now you have no excuse not to be able to charge your mobile whilst fishing”
So what is it ?
well it is one of Solar Tackles new “weed camouflage” leads, not sure if it works but I am wiling to give it a try. Over the years we have had everything from glass weights to pebbles no we have one with faux weed on it. When will the fun ever stop ?
Do you have an opinion on calouflagain your end tackle ? have you tried out outlandish things in the name of camouflage ? post a comment and join the discussion
It has been a while but I finally decided to upgrade my pod, as those of you who I fish with know, I have been using a Fox pod for a while. This pod, the Fox Stalker, did me proud for a very long time and is still in top top condition. Indeed, if it were not for my Delkims I would still be using that pod. The major issue that one will experience with Delkims and the Fox series of pods is that due to the oval buzz bar shape the antenna and now the new shape Delkim hangers tend to get in the way of the buzzbar. So, whilst the buzzbar is as lightweight as could be it starts to get really fidddly when you want to put yourhangers etc on. I have tried spacers, quick locks etc but to no avail, it was either change the pod, or change the buzzers and I quite liked my delks.
Continue reading “solar world wide pod – 1st look”
In previous posts I have espoused the benefits of line aligners and normally thy are formed out of shrink tube. Shrink tube has the advantage of being very tough and will mould its self to any shape and will reform its self if bent out of shape. It is not all sweetness and light however, shrink tube by its very nature needs heat to be able to shrink. Even the lowest temperature tubing needs 90 Deg C ( steam from a boiling kettle) and some need far higher ( ie shrink tube used for electrical purposes). Now most modern carp anglers if they are going over night will carry a kettle and stove if only for a brew however for the mobile angler or the younger angler getting bank side access to boiling water may pose a challenge. Continue reading “1st Look – PB Products Line Aligner”
The Masterblanker 