Chase Back Lake 'Baring The Brunt' Part 1

This blog entry is part one of two, I have been spreading my wings a little on back lake with some interesting and yet frustrating results. I have not been able to get on my favoured spots because an angler has been doing a 10 week session, 'and counting' in the opposite swim. The commotion being caused has put my plans on hold regarding this part of the lake. I am going to explain a few different approaches that have been helping me put fish on the bank. Back lake isn't as easy as you first might think and you are faced with a huge body of water, I am slowly weaving myself into the lakes system.

We have been experiencing some lovely low pressure of late, I for one am really happy to see the back of the summer, I love Autumn and Winter fishing so much, the bank side thins out and you are left to get on with what you need to do. As I recall this years summer has been one of the toughest in regards to banking carp, the heat has been up and down like a yo yo and there were times when, whatever I tried just didn't produce. During these periods I find I review certain approaches and consider little tweaks to my presentations. The reward for this effort usually starts to show itself when the carp start to feed up for winter. Even in theory if you're not doing anything wrong, the little extra thought you put into what you're doing when suffering a blank, can shift your perspective on the situation in front of you.

The Expanse Of Water

The more I have fished the place the more I wanted to explore it in a little more detail, I love marker work and I decided I'd have a quick feel about in some of the swims I was interested in fishing. The first thing that has started to become very apparent is how snag ridden the whole water is and worst of all you can't actually see any evidence of them, they're everywhere and in the past I have lost good fish to them, it doesn't matter what you do or how much pressure you give on the fight, they seem to find something to get around. 

It has been so frustrating because you take time to find something of interest only to fall at the last post trying to net the take. From the power and weight of some of the fish I have hooked, I am thinking a few of them were something special. A few weekends ago the weather had really turned, the wind was heavy, it was overcast and raining. Through past experience I have come to realise that these are perfect conditions for this specific water. It was Saturday afternoon, I grabbed my gear at around 1:30pm and got down to the lake with the intention of leaving at sunset. 

As expected the lake was deserted and I quickly had an idea of where I wanted to fish. As I have mentioned before, I tend to shy away from the main visual features because all these areas get hammered 24/7. It's the stuff that I can't see that really interests me. The swim I chose was one of the more popular ones, it's a double and two islands sit directly in front of you. 

The wind was blowing really heavy in my face, instead of going at the island, I decided I was going to fish the channel between the bank I was fishing and the island itself. I wanted to try 3 PVA bags, one long range, one medium range and one close in. In my mind I thought that it would be pretty hard for any fish making their way through to not come across one of my baits. My bait of choice was Starmers 'hooker pellet', these are dumbbell shaped and have a lovely soft centre, the flavor was Salmon Marine and I had glugged the lot in pure Salmon oil, they stunk real good.

As I was only down for a short time I didn't put any loose feed out, I concentrated on making my bags as attractive as possible. They consisted of green lipped mussel and monster squid pellets, to these I added some crushed hooker pellets, crushed Bio Cp2 Amino Boilies and some dry hot chilli hemp method mix. I tied the bags big and tight, they looked pretty clumsy but I had a feeling they might just do the trick. Before casting out I attached a small stringer round the end of the funnel web, this had a mixture of fishmeal based boilies on it.

The Blend

A Big Bag Of Stench

Regarding rigs, I was fishing the blow back with a size 6 Nash twister, my hook link material was Rig Marole Hydro Link Micro. Those that follow my blogs will be aware I shift and change my hook-link materials on a regular basis. There are a few key ones I like to stick to, it all depends on the situation. I like this specific one because it's slightly stiffer and still has a suppleness to it, it comes in a pale green and is very abrasive resistant, I will add a few flecks to dull the colour with a rig pen if I feel I need to.

Hydro Link Micro

To finish off the presentation I cut a tiny slither of yellow zig foam and top the bait off with it, I find it adds a nice little visual effect. In places, the bottom of the lake is pretty much black so anything to help catch the carps eye is always a good idea. On certain lakes I tend to shy away from imitation corn, I find it can be a little bit to blatant. On occasions I sometimes rub a little mud into the foam just to dull it down a little. Because sweet corn has been used to catch fish pretty much since the beginning of time, I feel there is almost something inherent within the carp that attracts them to the colour. 

Just A Slither 

I tied up my three bags and whacked them out making sure I have the range of the channel covered. By this time the wind was really kicking in and I had a feeling I wouldn't have to wait long for a pick up. The average depth of the water out in front of me was 5ft, it was a mix of soft black sand with very fine debris on top. I would usually use a pop up in these situations but because the blend in my bags was so potent I decided to stick with bottom baits. 

View From The Swim

Once all three rods were out it didn't take long to get my first take, it was about 30 minutes in when my middle rod tore off . It came in pretty easy, it was only a scamp of about 5IB, I didn't bother taking a picture, I got her straight back, chucked the rod back out and within minutes of it hitting the water it shot off again, resulting in a carp of a similar size. The size of the fish was irrelevant, the important thing was the fact the approach was working. A little bit of time ticked by and then I got my third take, again off the middle rod. This felt like a much better fish and when I eventually got her in, I was pleasantly surprised to be face to face with a nice long common, I weighed her, scales sunk to 19IB.

Long Common On The Hooker Pellet

I was really pleased with this capture and it confirmed that in the right conditions and the right location my chosen approach works. I wouldn't opt for using it if I was fishing the open water. On this lake big beds of boilies seemed to be the way to go on open spots. By this time a couple of anglers had turned up wanting to do a night in the swim so I packed up and went home.

Short Session Thoughts

One of the advantages of being a 'short session' angler is how you can make the process of trial and error a lot shorter than if you're doing regular long stints. On short sessions I like to try an approach and maybe a spot that I usually wouldn't go for. If you are adopting a specific approach for only a couple of hours and it works, you can then incorporated it into the longer sessions you do. Also when you have limited time I feel you become a lot more proactive in your ideas. For me a fresh and clear perspective can be the difference between catching and blanking. The minute I feel I am losing perspective, I have to pull off the bank-side for awhile, it gives your brain time to process things and then you can get back down with a fresh set of ideas and a healthy dose of enthusiasm.

Part Two To Follow Shortly 

The Stock Pond 'Breaking Through''

This blog is a record of two sessions totalling 6 hours fishing

Over the past few weeks I have started to think about the waters I fish in a different way. For me, each lake is a system and has a series of systems within it, as anglers it is our goal to unlocked and gain access to the workings of our chosen water. The beauty of the sport is that we all find our own ways of doing this. It takes me a long time to figure out, sometimes a period of blanking can start to make you think about what you're doing in a more constructive way.

In previous blogs I have mentioned my fishing modes, these are kind of like 'ruts', you can really get stuck in them. I am always aware of when I'm in a mode. The best example I can give is when you turn up to the water, put your boilie on, cast out, throw some bait around it and then sit there and wait. 

When I was learning to play my drums, 'an art I have sacrificed my whole life for', I was taught that practice is only beneficial when you focus on the things you can't do, practising the easy techniques over and over again might make you feel as though you are getting somewhere but in theory you're not. 

I adopt this school of thought within my fishing. When I find an approach and a spot that works for me, I am eager to find another, some of the best sessions I have had is when my 'favourite' swim has been taken and I have been forced to fish elsewhere. More times than not I've never felt very confident in these situations but countless times this has produced some great results. I think what I am trying to say is 'you don't know until you try'. This is a mantra I keep firmly in the front of my mind regarding carp fishing. 

Always think bigger than just one swim, one bait and one approach. It doesn't have to be complicated, one of the best fishing seasons I had was when I fished crust on the surface, I didn't get my bottom baits out until the winter, it's amazing what you can make happen with an 8IB line, a crap rod, reel and a hook.

All the above points are very relevant when it comes to the stock pond, this is a water that I have sat by through every season, hot, freezing, snowing ... the lot. It's not a particularly big water and it's pretty shallow but it isn't as easy as you first might think. I have really been around the houses with this lake, lots of baiting ideas, lots of spots, presentations, everything, and it became clear to me that I had to strip everything away and go back to the bones. A simple single pop up.

All the fish I have had out have been on singles popped up a fraction off the bottom with very little bait around it. Because the water is very clear I paid close attention to my rig components, making sure they blend and mould into the colouration of the bottom perfectly. I have opted for striking coloured bait finding that yellow and orange seem to do the business.

Subtly Popped Up

The weed in the water seems to come and go, it has presented a few problems in the past but I have now learnt to embrace the stuff rather than run a mile from it. I use PVA nuggets and mesh to manipulate the rigs actions, I am always confident that the bait is presented well once cast out.

Side View

The hook link I seem to sway towards when fishing a pop up with an inline lead is Rig Marole 'Hydro Link'. This material has fluorocarbon running through it. You can create great combi link effects without the use of tying to materials together.

A Supple Hinge 

For my pop up presentation I cut a tiny piece of rig tubing to replace the ring, the Carp Craze rig tubing is perfect for this. It slides onto the hook trapping the braid perfectly, I make sure my bait is touching the hook, I don't leave a gap. I want the fish to be hooked the second it mouths the bait. To enhance this effect I use a nice heavy bit of tungsten putty. I use a lot of putty on all my hook links, after doing a lot of tests in my rig tank, I favor using a fair amount because it really pins the hook link down and I also feel it aids in turning and setting the hook.

My first session on the stockie was the morning, I wanted to try to get my baits in the water before the sun started beating down. My plan was to fish whilst it was cool and leave when the heat came. Over the past weeks a lot of surface weed had developed, I decided I was going to use this to my advantage and fish directly under it, I thought if I could get a bait safely through it then I stand a good chance of a bite. 

There is no cover on the water at all apart from a few reeds. I sensed the fish might be holding under the weed because it makes them feel safe, also taking into account a lot of natural food would be falling through the water from the weed itself.

View From The Swim

Before casting out I took a walk around to look in the reeds and there were loads of carp making there way through the back of them right under the bank. They seemed to come through every twenty minutes or so. I wanted to get my bait out but I refused to do it until I knew the carp had moved on. I knew they would be back, I wanted to make sure my bait was sitting proud before they returned.

To make sure my rig landed soundly I put a PVA nugget masking the hook and made a small "PVA Funnel Web Sock" which I slipped over the baited hook and tied at the top with PVA tape. This would ensure nothing attached itself to the hook as it pelted through the surface weed.

PVA Trickery 

Step 1 

Step 2

Finished 

The process above can be pretty time consuming so for me it's important to get the cast right first time. Before getting the rig in, I walked back around to behind the reeds just to check there weren't any carp in the area, it looked quiet so i shot back to my rod and flicked the bait out, I got the cast spot on. Because the bottom is pretty uniform I opted for a heavy back lead, I wanted to be alerted the second a fish was on.

Sure enough about thirty minutes later the rod shot of, I was on it like lightening, luckily the fish bolted forwards away from the reeds so it was a real easy and pleasurable fight. I netted a lovely long looking mirror, scales sank to 19IB, I was very pleased. The heat was really starting to kick in now so I knew I'd nicked one just in time.

19IB Mirror On A Single Popped Up Honey Nectar

I got a couple of nice shots and got her straight back, I decided to pack away, the stock pond is so open, it's a sun trap, wind trap, very uncomfortable at the best of times, and I didn't feel like burning up all day on the off chance of another bite. It would be four days before I return.

Session two, Sunday afternoon

I don't usually head out to the water at weekends mainly because of the crowds, luckily I am blessed enough to be self employed so I get the chance to fish week days. This particular Sunday just felt different. It was lovely and overcast and I really felt like fishing. I find a lot of the Saturday night anglers seem to shoot off around midday, most probably to tuck into a good old roast and take a shower. 

I arrived on the bank for 2:30pm and was pleasantly surprised to find it practically empty, apart from a couple of guys camped up on the far bank. This was perfect because I could fish the same spots as my last session. It was looking great for a bite, loads more weed had gathered along the reed line and a hell of a lot of carp were showing at short range in front of me. My plan and approach was the same as before, single pop ups fished directly under the surface weed.  

I went through the same process as before, making sure the hook was nicely masked so I could cast my bait through the surface weed. I managed to get it in position on my first cast. It was slightly behind the reed line, which was a bit of a worry but I decided to leave it, I just had to make sure I was on the rod as fast as possible if it tore off.

Topping Carp

My Spots

Carp were continuing to show themselves just out in front of me, and after the cast it was good to see I hadn't spooked any of them. The rods stayed static for a good hour or so, until out of the blue the left had alarm screamed into life, I rushed for it and applied the pressure. In the time it took me to get to the rod, the fish had tore right round the back of the reeds, by the sound of all the thrashing, it appeared to be a big fish. 

I kept the pressure on but it was solid, I took a few seconds to logically think about what I was going to do. I decided I would walk around the back of the reeds and slowly reel in my slack line. Once at the reeds I managed to lift my snagged line over the top of the stems. After doing this I was once again in contact with the carp, but it managed to wrap the line around some of the front reeds again. I walked back to my swim and decided the only way I was going to stand a chance of landing this fish was to try and cut through some of the stems I was tangled in.

I cupped the spool and walked backwards very slowly, increasing the pressure with every step. It was getting tighter and tighter, because I use a five turn grinner as my knot I felt confident that I wasn't going to snap off. Sure enough after applying the steady pressure, the line sheared through the reed stems and the fish came kiting towards me, I was so relieved, it was a tough gamble which could of gone either way but I came out on top.

The fish still continued to race around, kiting all over the place, I got a glimpse of her, at first I thought I might have hooked into the grey lady again because she looked very similar. It was only when I got her in the net I realised I'd hooked one of the big girls, it was a very big fish. I got her in the sling, scales sunk to 29IB, I couldn't believe it and I was in a state of delirium for a few seconds, to think I was practically pulling for a break on a 29IB carp, I felt very very lucky that it all went according to plan.

A Well Deserved 29IB Mirror

I got a few shots and then slipped her back, I had a mix of emotions, when I think of how much time I'd put in down the stock pond, I really felt I deserved one of the big girls, but in the same breath, carp angling isn't about what you deserve or what you feel you are owed. It will be a very memorable capture, that's for sure and when I think of the journey and how many great fish I have had out of the lake on the way, it's been brilliant. I will continue to fish the stock pond with the same level of enthusiasm as I always have, you never know, there may well be a few more surprises swimming around in its murky depths.

I would like to finish this blog entry with a poem I wrote on one of my more quieter sessions. Blanking can inspire more than rethinking your approach.

Chase Lakes 'Summer Days'

So much can change in a few days, this session was the first time I felt like summer had finally arrived. After my soaking last time it's as if everything accelerated, the bank side is buzzing, almost everything in the water is doing their business and I have received the first mosquito bites of the year. 

Arriving at the lake I could see some carp in the reeds thrashing and throwing themselves around so I knew this would be my last session for at least a few weeks so they can be left in peace to do their thing. I avoided all spawning fish and opted for the quieter spots.

I was on the water earlier than usual today, my rods were out by 9:30am and it felt good to know I had at least 12 hours ahead of me. That was plenty of time to make something happen, when looking at the lake for a while it struck me that it was quieter than other days, no fish were showing and nothing was jumping, apart from the few spawning it was pretty desolate. I decided I'd fish the swim that is on the point of the bottleneck, well it was a good place to start, I'd play it by ear throughout the day.

As I have stated in previous blogs, the spots in this swim are very clear so I made a few more minor changes to my rig to try and make it really sit on the bottom in the best way possible. Firstly I changed the lead, their are two that I feel really confident using in these situations. One is 'Carpy Chris's' inline weed lead and the other is his inline pear 'ballast' finish. Both look awesome on the bottom and I think they're very tricky for the carp to detect.

 Inline Weed Lead 

I know there's lots of speculation over how effective camo leads are compared to all the generic shapes and colours, I personally think they work better.  Anything that blends naturally into the environment is a winner in my book and I pay close attention to all the components I use, making sure that I have the rig looking the best it can for any fishing situation that I find myself in.

Inline Pear 'Ballast Finish'

In regards to my hook-link, I was using Krystons Supernova, I really rate it because of how supple it is. I took a small amount of mud and wiped it thoroughly into the braid until it had dulled the finish. When I checked this in the margin it really made a big difference, this only really works on uncoated braids because the mud/dirt has something to soak and grip to. 

As stated in earlier blog posts I have really taken a likening to Carp Crazes 'Translucent' green tubing, it's very easy to thread and with a little bit of friction and heat it straightens and molds itself to the contours of the bottom. I am an avid 'tubing user' I never use lead-core or any type of leader like that, I don't think they're safe. Through the years I have caught many fish trailing meters of the stuff.

Carp Craze Translucent Green Tubing

Get Your Hands Dirty

I was feeling quietly confident and I had three solid spots to go at. The only niggling feeling I had was with my right hand rod, directly opposite there were three anglers constantly casting in and out, with lots of casting going on I didn't think the swim was going to have the chance to start working for me. 

Both left and right rods were a simple underarm flick out, the middle rod, I decided to fish it directly in the middle of the channel, I was hoping to pick off a few as they made their way through. I was using Starmers Coconut Fish and Pineapple CSL, I have great confidence in both of these baits and have done well on them in the past.

Right Hand Rod Spot

The carp do seem to respond well to a fair bit of bait, for a change I decided to try three different approaches. My right hand rod had a generous scattering of bait around it, my middle rod was a PVA mesh bag containing crumbed boilies and my left hand rod was a single hook bait popped up and topped with yellow, two handfuls of free offerings were thrown directly on top of it. 

Because the bottom is very 'uniform' in this swim, I was fishing 2oz back leads on all three rods, fishing very tight to the lead. I feel this tactic used in conjunction with a tightened clutch, helps to aid hooking. All fish caught when using this method have been completely nailed.

Middle Rod Spot

My middle rod was positioned in slightly deeper water, it gradually shelves up into the margin directly underneath my rod tips. My bait was in the deeper part of the channel, because I had two rods covering the margins I thought it would make a nice change to target the open water and during past sessions I have seen a fair few fish show in the centre of the bottleneck. 

Since my last blog entry I have done some marker work and I am very surprised to find out that in most of the swims I have fished in, there really isn't much going on in regards to underwater features. Surprisingly it seems to shelve up really close in though. 

I personally love marker work, sometimes I will dedicate a good few hours to it on days when I am not actually fishing. In recent years the magazines and on the DVDs, marker work is almost being shunned with the overused term 'thrashing the water to a foam'. This to me is bollocks, you can learn so much finding out about what's going on below the surface. I actually have two marker rods so I can really pinpoint the more subtle features. 

Very rarely will I throw it around before casting out at the start of the day, more times than not I'll dedicate half an hour or so after reeling in at the end of a session to check out the movement on the bottom. Without making an effort to understand what's going on in front you, you're really just 'chucking for luck', and for me that isn't fishing.

Carpy Chris 'Donk Kit' 

Left Hand Rod Spot

With all three rods now in position I sat back from the waters edge with my eyes firmly set on my rod tips. I had made the decision that I was just going to sit on my hands and wait, I knew the spots produced, it was just a case of seeing if the carp were up for it.

The morning came and went without any positive signs of fish in my area, the buzzers remained static. Midday approached and the temperature was really starting to kick out some heat. Again, it was dead, a few fish were starting to show themselves in the middle of the channel. Come mid afternoon it was baking hot, my confidence level was dropping pretty fast. Then out of the blue my left hand rod arched round and the bite alarm gave out an almighty scream. I rushed up and lent into the fish, line spewed off the spool at a crazy rate and I could feel I was into something heavy.

I really started to give the fish a fair amount of pressure but it wasn't having none of it, it was a good fifteen minutes before I even got a glimpse of it, it was a big fat mirror that was easily pushing twenty pounds. It slowly started to tire and after a good thirty five minutes or so I teased her over the net, scales sunk to 27IB 6oz, I was over the moon to say the least.

27IB 6oz On Starmers Coconut Fish

She really was one hell of a fish, she was clean and her mouth was perfect. It still surprises me how close in you can catch and it seems that the better stamp of fish stick pretty close to the reed lines and margins, I personally think, specifically in this lake they tend to shy away from the main features. I got the rod back out on the same spot and topped it back up with a couple of handfuls of boilies.

The hours crawled by and before I knew it evening had arrived and it was time to reel in, nothing else happened, everything stayed quiet with not even a liner. I was more than happy with the result. I kind of made my mind up that I was going to knock the fishing on the head for a while so the fish could spawn, rest and have the chance to adjust back to normal. 

We have to respect our quarry and I feel this is very important for the future of the sport and our waters. Going down to the lake when fish are spawning can be as equally exciting as fishing for them. I always use this time of the season to consolidate my results and approach before getting back on the waters after the spawn.  

ATTx v2 Modular System 'A Decade Of Bite Indication'

When I turn the pages way back through my fishing history I remember starting off without any bite alarm, I simply clipped an orange bobbin on my line, total cost was about 50p. There I was contently fishing for roach and rudd, eyes firmly fixed on my float until, WHACK!!!, the bobbin of my carp rod would smack up shortly followed by the rod tip firing round, I knew I was away. This was exhilarating to say the least and it was this feeling of excitement and sheer euphoria that got me hooked on carp fishing alone.

After a good few years of slumming it I eventually got around to buying my first Optonic, I loved it and thought it was the best bite alarm on the earth. Years passed and different indicators were slowly cropping up on the shelves in all my local tackle shops. Even back then Delkims were the cream of the crop but I found myself drawn towards the Fox micron, I loved the design and shape and still do.

After many weeks of saving my cash I bought a set of Fox ST's, they had volume and tone and were real fancy compared to my now old Optonic. A few years on I moved up to the SX series because of the sensitivity option. Finally I arrived at the DXR's, I absolutely adore these alarms and still use them to this very day. The wireless handset and vibration settings really added a new dimension and even compared to todays standard of alarm, they're up there with the best of them.

After years of solid use I found that the handset started to tire, in the end it barely worked a meter away from the alarms. This got me looking into possible replacements, I was to fond of the old school micron design to give them up. This is when the ATTx V2 system came into play and I'm so glad it did.

It allows me to use the old with the new which is perfect. I really rate the ATT technology and I was so impressed with their receiver, I went and purchased a pair of their silent alarms for my two rod setup. I picked these specific alarms because they are simple and built rock solid. The standard two mag roller wheels are great because they allow for a reasonable amount of line movement before going off. This is perfect when you are fishing slack lines with a fair amount of undertow, it erases any false indications but is still sensitive enough to register a subtle take. 

I know there are mixed views and opinions about alarms with roller wheels freezing, seizing up etc, I don't take a great deal of notice of this. I have used roller wheels for all my fishing, sometimes in the harshest of conditions and I have never had any problems. To keep the sensitivity when fishing slack lines I will use a slightly heavier bobbin. There's always little adjustments you can do to make your chosen alarm work the best for you. 

ATT Silent Alarms And Receiver

The handset itself is an exceptional design, it comes with 10 different tones, an increased 'LED Light Up', meaning they will remain on for 30 seconds after the last buzzer signal is received, 'Last LED Activation Recall', this gives you the option to be able to review the last LED/alarm that lit up, plus an awesome vibration mode. This enables you to have the receiver on silent and vibrating ferociously when you get a run. This is perfect for me, I have never been one to have my buzzers up loud.

Simple And Effective

The beauty of this bit of kit is the fact you can use it with most other bite alarms that are on the market, as long as they have a 2.5v jack input in them. The ATT dongles simply plug into the jack socket and it instantly turns your desired alarms to wireless allowing you to use all the features of the receiver.

Receiver And Dongles

My DXR's And ATT Dongles 

The receiver mimics exactly what is coming out of your alarm apart from the changes in tone, the reception from receiver to alarm is huge, way further than you'll ever need to be away from your rods. My favourite preference is having the receiver on silent and in my pocket, this way I am totally connected to whats going on at the end of my lines.

All in all it really is a great bit of kit and modernises most older alarms, if you have a set of bite indicators that are close to heart which you don't want to part with, give-em a great boost with The ATTx V2 Modular system, you won't be disappointed.

Below is a video containing a basic demonstration

 Modular System Demo

Side Note

I don't earn any commission for selling any of these items. This review is to help anyone out who is interested in the above products.

Matrix Patriot Pod & NBrice Carbon Buzzers

After having gone through a fair amount of rod pods and buzzer bars through the years I have finally found two setups that are keepers. When looking around for new products I find it frustrating because there aren't always reviews on the web. I decided to review both of my chosen setups in hope that it may help anyone who feels they're in line for a new pod or set of buzzers.

In this blog entry I am reviewing the Matrix Patriot Pod and the Carbon Buzzer Setup from Nbrice. I settled on Matrix for my stainless setup because the quality and reliability of their products is second to none. I have the 'slinky' range which is a slightly thinner gauge and a little lighter than their 'rock solid' series. They're both pretty much bullet proof, I went for The Patriot Pod because of its versatility, not only can it be a free standing unit, you can also separate the elements and fish your rods goal post style or with just single bank sticks. It allows options that will cater for most angling situations.

The Patriot Pod

View 2

All of the sections screw tightly into each other and it goes up in a matter of minutes, the picture above shows the pod without any of the sections extended, the bank sticks can be heightened if required and the pod frame can be extended to make the whole setup longer which really does help for added stability.

Below Shows How The Bars Extend 

All of the screws are very heavy duty, in regards to maintenance, at the end of each session I clean and oil the screws because they're quite prone to getting dirt within the threads, a little oil and DW40 keeps everything in good order.

Central Pod Adjustment

The four screws within the centre of the pod section allow you to adjust the angles of the front and back buzzers so if the ground is uneven you can still get your setup level. It's wise to keep this section lubricated so everything is easy to adjust. After use it folds down allowing it to fit perfectly into the carry bag that comes with it.

Central Pod Section Folds Away

Carry Bag

Matrix Snag Ears

Matrix have a range of snag ears 'pictured above' specifically designed to fit on all their buzz bar ranges. I know that there are a lot of different view points about the use of snag ears. I find them essential because I do fish margins to the left and right of me and my lines are sometimes at very tight angles, in the past I've had a good few rods almost dragged in, the Matrix snag ear range is very subtle and attaches to the buzzers nice and snug. In addition to the snag ears they also have a tidy little adjustable section you can screw your hangers in to, this allows you to change the height according to your fishing situation. There are two types of snag ear, one with the swinger attachment and one without.

Bobbin Adjuster

All in all I feel the Patriot Pod offers everything an angler is looking for, it will set you back a fair few pennies but taking into account its versatility and the fact you'll never have to replace it, it really is a great bit of kit for the premium carp angler.

There are a lot of waters that I fish were it's a two rod limit, also there are days when I don't feel like fishing three. For my two rod setup I have chosen the Nbrice carbon range. I had my eye on the Century carbon series but was drawn to Nbrice because they have a slightly thicker gauge, they're build is absolutely outstanding and they're so light.

Buzzer Setup

The screws are very hard wearing and tighten down nice and tight so you wont get the top section screwed on to the bank stick twisting, for extra stability I use two of their bank stick stabilizers, this makes the setup really solid and will prevent anything from falling or being pulled down.

Nbrice Stabilizers

Even though the back buzzers look narrow, they house two big pit reels without any problems. All Nbrice products can be made to your own specifications, all you have to do is give Neville a ring and he'll sort it out for you. Obviously carbon isn't as hard wearing as stainless steel so it's worth baring this in mind before you make the purchase.

Really Tidy Looking

Like all bank sticks and buzzers, the height is adjustable, you can also get the 'Nbrice' Adjustable' range that allows you to lengthen the width of the bars, this obviously helps a lot if your reels are really close together. This range adjusts very easily in regards to height, in the past with other bank sticks I was having problems with adjustments because the nuts and adjustable sections use to jam and stick.

Adjustments Are Easy

If your thinking about a carbon setup, then I can't recommend Nbrice highly enough, it's small, compact, very light and solid, I am very pleased that I chose this specific range. Below you'll see that the range comes in all sizes, widths and heights, they also do a complete carbon rod pod which by the looks of things is made to the same standard as everything else, I haven't seen a carbon pod on the market that comes close. I'd rather pay top dollar for something that is going to last me a life time rather than replacing things every couple of years. I hope both these little reviews are of some help to you.

The Nbrice Carbon Series From The Kent Angling Show

Assembling The Matrix Patriot Pod

On A Side Note

I don't get commission for selling these products, I wrote these reviews to help people out, I know how hard it is to make decisions when it comes to choosing tackle