Forum Members Reviews

Steve Howard · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:08 pm Post subject: Forum Members Reviews

Carpioleads
By Ben May (Carp Addict under-18 Zone Member – www.carp-addict.co.uk)

When I first came across Carpioleads I was amazed at the prices for this large range of leads. At 50p each I just had to make an order as they are a lot cheaper than the leads sold elsewhere and it would save me some money to spend on more important things.

I made my first order of 100 leads in different shapes, sizes and colours and when I opened up the box I found that the leads were top quality. The coating didn’t look like it would wear off and they had been made to perfection.

In the range are shapes that include Distance/Zip style leads, Grippa leads, Square pears, Dumpy pears, Flat pears, Square, Distance leads, Weed leads and many more. There are a range of sizes you can choose from in a wide variety of different colours including black, brown and green and a lot more to choose from as well. Lead coatings can be smooth or rough in texture whatever your choice. I like the rough coating as they soak up liquid flavours well. Ideal if you want to provide maximum attraction and minimal food source.

The Carpioleads range is growing all the time so keep a look out on their website to see what’s new and what could be a benefit to you.

Prices: 50p each up to 4oz and 60p each over 4oz
All leads are supplied with black swivels and loops.

For more info
Website: www.carpioleads.co.uk
Email: carpioleads@Blueyonder.co.uk
Phone: 01922442589

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I prefer a lake to be like a good woman... wet & wild!

Steve Howard · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject:

JRC Stealth Brolly

Rob Ford (Carp Addict under-18 Zone Member – www.carp-addict.co.uk)

Not all waters are built for the carp angler. You just have to accept that just sometimes, there are places that have swims so small you’ll have trouble moving around with your mountain of tackle strewn all over the place. After just finishing a campaign on one such water I feel I’m in the position to comment about a shelter that helped me stay comfortable on those long, cold, wet and windy nights.

After looking around the various shelters and bivvies available I decided upon some sort of brolly. They seemed small enough and cheap enough for an angler on a budget, or indeed a young fisherman. The JRC caught my eye because it didn’t have that flimsy fabric look to it, and it looked like it could take a bit of a battering, and for less then 100 quid you couldn’t go wrong really.

When visiting the lake with my new brolly I descended into one of these ‘match fisherman’ suited swims and set about erecting my new purchase. What struck me was the ease in which it can be raised. Storm poles are the main means of supporting this brolly with no central bar. This leads to a lot more undercover space, something we all need. Don’t assume that because it doesn’t have a central bar it isn’t up to the job - far from it.

It has pegging points around the whole exterior of the brolly for those really rough conditions Mother Nature throws at us. A definite advantage was the fact I could ‘bend’ the sides in, to a degree, to fit into the tightest of swims.

All in all, a very versatile shelter that is quick to erect and capable of holding mountains of gear. I’m limited to 48-hour trips, and can fit all my tackle with ease under the brolly. And for an angler on the move it’s a valuable piece of kit, very easy to take down, can be done in minutes, and has a very spacious bag, so no fiddling around trying to fit your brolly into its carry case.

It can easily fit into a quiver, or just throw it over your shoulder when on the move. For those colder conditions you can buy an overwrap for this brolly for very little. I try not to use an overwrap as it takes longer to set up and pack away, but valuable when the going gets really tough, and it helps secure your brolly that much better. The cost is outstanding. Even if this brolly lasts a year you haven’t forked out hundreds for a top-of-the-range bivvy that doesn’t fit into all the swims out there.

The JRC Stealth Brolly in use

specifications
10,000mm Hydrostatic head waterproof material
Fully tape-sealed seams
Bar stitched at stress points
Full groundsheet supplied
Supplied with JRC peg set
JRC Heavy Duty brolly frame
Velcro rod retainer
STORM POLES NOT INCLUDED

Dimensions
265cm Wide, 130cm High

Tester: Rob Ford
Test period: 8 months
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I prefer a lake to be like a good woman... wet & wild!

Steve Howard · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:05 pm Post subject:

DAIWA EMCAST advanced 5000s Big pit reels.
Matt Greasley (Carp Addict under 18 Zone Member – www.carp-addict.co.uk)

The Daiwa Emcast advanced reel is my first experience of a big pit style reel. I have used baitrunners all my carping life, and didn’t think I would ever want to fish with big pit reels that only have a clutch, but since getting them for Christmas I have to say I will never look back. I am sure my casting has improved, not just in the distance I can hit but also my accuracy, as I can now hit relatively far away spots without having to strain the rod too much, which means I can concentrate better on how accurate my casts are.

As for retrieving line, and playing fish, the reel is much more efficient than its smaller spooled competitors. The reel is capable of retrieving up to a metre of line with one turn of the handle, which I think is awesome.

One thing that surprised me with these reels came about when I managed to hook a fish on one of them, and that is how smooth they are, whereas with my old shimano baitrunners, the clutch would often stop and jam (possibly something to do with the age of the reels), the Emcast gave out line very smoothly, not only that but I could adjust the drag with great ease, meaning I had 100% control over the fish at all time.

Of course, as with any product, there are one or two bad things about the reel, and these points are enforced further when compared with smaller bait runners.

Firstly, they are very big and heavy, so not exactly ideal for close in marginal stalking work. Secondly, they are far from ideal for your far out floater surface fishing, as if you are going to be casting a lot more than usual, all day in fact, you will ideally prefer a smaller reel that wont have your arm aching by the end of the day.

The good points, as I have already pointed out, are obvious, they hold a lot more line than bait runners do, they offer much more control over fish as well, and obviously distance casting is made easier, which in turn can help with your accuracy, eventually improving your catch rate.

Specification:

10 Ball Bearings (5 Sealed bearings)
INFINITE Anti-Reverse
Machined cut aluminium one touch folding handle with wooden handle knob
ABS aluminium spool
Spare aluminium spool (without spool ring)
Twist Buster
Worm shaft oscillation
Zero Friction Main Shaft

All in all I think these are an awesome reel and I would definitely recommend them to an angler looking to invest in some big pits, but doesn’t want to spend several hundreds of pounds. Just remember, a big reel can do a small reels job, but a small reel cannot do a big reels job!

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I prefer a lake to be like a good woman... wet & wild!

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