Simple Match Fishing Forum

okey dokey

More advice needed, I know the season has just finished, but must plan for next year!!!!!!

Had two Hydro elastics snap on me this season, must admit they have been in there for well over three years, so looking to replace them all. I like hydro, although expensive, seems to last longer.

Here we go, with the type of fishing we do I'm looking at the following to cover all places and types of fishing we do. Spoke with Si and thinks ok.

2 x White Hydro ( Silver fishing )
4 x Black Hydro
2 x Purple Hydro
2 x Red Hydro ( Arrans/Alders )

All useful comments welcome

How many and which ones are on puller kits ?

They will all be on puller kits DAVE

I fish Nick Gilbert AmberCore, very similar to Hydro but about £6 / top kit.

The colours are the same ratings as Hydro, other than the green which is the same as grey hydro. I usually fish slightly on the lighter girlier side and make use of the puller... so in my long kits for the summer I have: 3 x white / 3 x green(grey) / 4 x black / 3 x red.

White for silvers and f1 in spring, autumn & winter.
Green for F1’s/small carp at places like Claygate, Orchard (when not fishing short shallow kits) & used this at Arrans as it was a bit more difficult so I could fish a lighter rig.
Black for general carp out in front.
Red for down the edge or bagging big fish like Monks Lake 2.

Hopefully that helps!

Thx's Josh

I think I need to go slightly lighter on the first three, then move up a bit maybe. I seemed to bump a lot of small fish this year.

3 x White ( F1's, silver )
4 x Black ( Covers most other carp fishing )
3 x Red ( Margin/Paste, Alders Farm )

Next question, how many top kits will each purchase do???

Looking for a new pellet feeder reel as well, anyone got any ideas???

Lockdown gonna be expensive!!!!!!!!

If you’re looking to lighten them up I’d go:
2 x white
2 x green
3 x black
3 x red

That way you’re covered for the slightly lighter f1/carp stuff as well as silvers, then black for your general carp and red if more muscles needed.

I use 2.5m for a standard size top kit with a side puller, and usually have a little bit left over but not loads.

I’ve just upgraded one of my reels to a Daiwa TDR under Chris’s recommendation - pretty pricey but you get what you pay for, you can get the older style 2nd hand for £100ish or newer model for 2nd hand for £130-150. My other feeder reels are the Daiwa Ninja’s which are about £40-50 and are great for the money!

Have a look at the Preston fur a elastics. Just changed some older elastics( showing too much wear) to this. At £6 a pop it was value for money. Not sure how long it will last as it's not long been in. But used it on the last few matches and catching some lumps during pleasure sessions have worked well. The white 13 I think is superb.

What's a reel?

Gino, I've been a hydro user for many years - esp black and red. But I do find the surface cracks and weakens fairly quickly - the last lot after just 1 season which at the price I was not too happy about. Have a really close look at the first 30-50cm from your connector. Is it me or is Hydro not as good as it used to be?
So like Josh this year I have been using Nick Gilbert amber core, which is clearly trying to emulate hydro. It has the same colour coding and I must say I have been well pleased with it. Its a lot cheaper than Hydro and you can order lengths to suit your top kit which can save a bit more.

I use the following (important AMBER CORE not twin core), all with preston roller pullas:

1x white for out and out silvers (sadly very rarley used), 1.65mm 6-10
2x green, 2.1mm 10-14
2x black, 2.4mm 12-16
2x purple, 2.6mm 14-18
2x red, 2.8mm 16-20

I set up green and black for our mixed vunues. I particularly like the green (equiv Hydro grey but better imho) - very little bumping off of silvers and has coped well with any larger fish that come along. For out and out carp venues I'll use black UIW and purple for the rest, with the red as extra margin rigs. Btw I know you dont need a pulla on the heavier elastics, but I find its a very convenient termination - you can quickly take up any slack that develops in your laccy using the beads. Plus nice and easy to switch elastics around your top kits if/when you have to. Also helps when pulling out of snags.

On the subject of bushes and connectors, I use stonflos (not everyones cup of tea I know), and its definitely worth making the effort to match your bushes and connectors to the laccy size (and therefore the cut down legth of your top kit), that way everythings nice and balanced/no extra stresses etc. I set my laccys with very little pre-tension.

One final point to make is that with the general move to lighter elastics + pullers, working heavier fish with the puller means these laccys will get a lot of serious stretching - quite a hammering over a season, so will very likely need more frequent replacing. Thats going to cost you plenty with Hydro. As the lads have already said, a typical legth of amber core will cost you £6.

Cheers Tony sound advice as always.

Just looked on Nick Gilberts site, would it be 2.0/2.5m does one top kit or would 3.0m do two top kits??? Like the price

Mine are 2.5m each and 2.75m for the silvers top 3 kit.
You'll have to measure your top kits from tip to pulla plus a bit spare.
3m for two poles would mean stretching the laccy for too much.
At least with Nick Gilbert you can select the best length and price to match.

naughtycockney wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 2:21 pm would it be 2.0/2.5m does one top kit or would 3.0m do two top kits???

2.5m does my top kits with a side puller and leaves a little bit spare. 2m is only good for the short shallow kits.

cheers Josh

need to look at reels now

Obviously the next question to ask is, if I'm looking to buy a new pellet feeder reel, what line choice to I go with. Had 8lb on b4 but couldn't tell you what type of line I had. So what line do you people reckon????

naughtycockney wrote: November 7th, 2020, 2:06 pm Obviously the next question to ask is, if I'm looking to buy a new pellet feeder reel, what line choice to I go with. Had 8lb on b4 but couldn't tell you what type of line I had. So what line do you people reckon????

I like the 8lb Guru Pulse Pro for feeder & bomb work, quite expensive at £12 for 300m but the lb/diameter (8lb - 0.24mm) is great and reel just needs to be backed with some cheaper stuff. I'm very happy with it and have had fish up well in to double figures on it no problems at all. Daiwa Hyper Sensor is meant to be decent too, similar lb/diameter measure for 8lb line but much more like for your £££'s.

Cheers Josh

I found the 8lb was enough to deal with most of our fishing and can give it a bit of stick when needed.

Stay safe mate