cyborx

no weights just semi/stiff sinking braid for me

hmm, tight fitting socks will slow down your circulation thereby depriving your feet of warm blood, defeets the object methinks

next big thing after carp waiting

so simple a child (or girl) can do it

force 8's got a built in groundsheet meaning no drafts in heavy wind lol. simple knotless knot to a hook with an inturned eye, any old supple coated braid as hooklink (ESP sinklink or Korda Ntrap for instance) and stripped back to the hook eye. start with the boilie on the bend of the hook and go from there. thats how most of us started before getting involved in the 'secret hook hold' style of fishing and believe it or not we caught more fish in them days tight lines

ha!! couple of years? fish of a lifetime for most anglers Bud

i can highly recommend the cyprinus gear, i have had the bivvy's myself and always found them to be well put together, not the lightest of gear but great for someone starting out. i also have the cyprinus wide guy bed chair (cos i love to spread out) and the 5 season sleep system bag is (imo) one of the best on the market. bivvy or brolly system is the oft asked question and the proper answer is 'look at your intended fishing style' if your going to be doing mostly social type fishing, I,E, couple of mates on the bank for a 24 hr get together, Bivvy for comfort every time. solo nights and wanting to be semi mobile then brolly system pref with overwrap for those cold ones coming up, this comes in handy when you want to move to get on the fish or you are faced with a mega hike to your spots. an intermediate bivvy to cover both situations is the TFG force 8 bivvy so easy to put up and down, literally seconds and a reasonable price too, i had one for 4/5 years and it was excellent, in fact i still have it in the shed

nice one Nick

welcome to the forum James, cant advise on tackle myself cos you will find that for the most part it is down to personal preference. some will tell you that the latest this/that from the big names is the bee's, or this custom rod vs that one is the way to go. all i will say is go by how deep your pockets go, i for instance am still using my set of 3 Fox Warrior Z rods that are over 9 years old and still doing the job, in fact i would say that if you can pick up a second hand set of these that has been looked after then you cant go wrong but then you will have folk that swear by the latest Torix, Greys or free spirits. do you intend just days or do you need kit for nights? basic kit list. rods pod/banksticks alarms indicators 42" landing net (pref micro mesh) comfy chair bivvy/brolly (for nights and adverse weather) carp bed sleeping bag/quilt cooker (and associated cookware) basic terminal bits are leads hooks hooklink swivels quiklinks tungsten putty bait stops the list is endless but also depends not only on your lake, your chosen style but on your personal way of presenting your traps, what i would advise it to find yourself a fishing buddy who has at least some knowledge and learn from him/her for a while. what county are you in? im sure someone on here is close enough to help you out

strong feelings Danny

i have had both these and some by Thinsulate that were excellent and lasted for ages.

from my personal POV the hate mostly comes from the absurd pricing structure, yes i realize about R&D costs, yes i am aware of marketing costs and yes i am aware about mark ups from manufacturer to shop but still. take hooks, nash and korda among others average price per hook of most styles £0.50p yet i can buy a comparable hook (often from the same manufacturer) for less at £0.30p. baits that are equally as good (if not better) for £s per kilo less. swivels, leaders and all other terminal tackle for as little as half price in most instances BUT they have not got the big name attached and that is where the carp snobbery kicks in, snobbery that is promulgated and widely encouraged by the big names, and that to me makes them no better than the street corner drug peddlers.

going to be concentrating on my zig presentation more on the lead up to winter,,, maggots on a zig anyone?

shoulda fished a boilie, could have been fifth

you been talking to er in doors Dave??