November 14th - Dunks Pond, Holland, Surrey

The weather was fine but heavily overcast with very little wind when I made my to the club's pond in Holland, just outside Oxted in Surrey.

Having come to the end of my 'carp' season for the year I decided to give this pond a go using standard 'winter' tactics, maggot and bread and small hooks.

The pond was empty so I had the pick of the swims which was good considering I'd never fished the venue before. It's the club lake that juniors can use so I tend to keep away during the summer months.

I made my way round the pond until I found a swim with lily pads directly in front of me that I thought I would be able to fish to.

Remembering the old maxim, "little and often" I hadn't brought any groundbait, just some bread and a pint of maggots. I set up my float rod with a 2bb float, 4lb main line and a size 18 hook to 3lb hooklength.

I was now ready to start.

In went 3 or 4 magggots and out came a small roach! Lovely.

For the next 2 hours or so I caught roach after roach on maggots and bread plus the occasional perch.

After making such a good start, the day then turned totally crap as the heavens opened and the biggest rainstorm of the year decided to pay a visit to Surrey.

The main problem was that I was fishing on a platform and had no where to stick the umbrella in! I have now managed to get an umbrella holder attachment for my box!

Although getting wetter by the minute I was still catching a fish a cast however by 2pm the rain was showing no signs of abating and as I was shivering like mad so I decided to call it a day for the session and as it turned out the year.

I will return to Dunks Pond some time in the furture for a 'proper' session.

Sorry no photos available as the batteries went in my camera as well!

October 30th Boulthurst Farm, Limpsfield, Surrey

The day before Halloween saw me at Boulthurst for what turned out to be my final carp hunting session of the year.

Weather was good although you could tell we were well into the autumn.

I was set up and ready in the beach swim by 12:32 according to my camera although from my notes I actually cast in at 11:50!!

In addtion to the comments below I did feed white chocolate boillies evry 30 minutes or so as freebies to get their confidence up before actually using them.

Rod 1 was initially set up with a carp pellet boillie.

Rod 2 was set up with a pineapple boillie.

At 12:10 I lost one on rod 2 when the cap decided to spit the hook out, how inconsiderate!

There was no action at all on rod 1 so at 12:55 I decided to switch baits to a tutti fruitti boillie.

Five minutes later rod 2's buzzer went off and I thought this was the one however just as I got it to the net this carp decided to do what his brother did and he spat the hook as well. I was gutted - was it going to be one of those days?

Rod 1 was still not working so at 13:55 I switched baits again, this time to a Monster Crab boillie. At the same time I switched baits on rod 2 to a shellfish boillie.

The next hour produced nothing at all, was I heading for my first blank of the season? Rod 1's bait was changed to pineapple while rod 2's was changed to Tutti Fruitti.

At 15:30 rod 2's bite alarm went off and in came a 1.5lb common - not a blank day today then!

At 16:00 I decided that I'd fed enough white chocolate boillies so on rod 1 I put one on the hair and out it went. I did the same on rod 2 at 16:30.

Just after I cast rod 2 in, the buzzer on rod 1 went off but disaster - somehow the line was caught on the pod and it broke immediately. It must have been something decent.

Ten minutes later rod 2's buzzer went off and in came this 2 pound common. My last carp of 2009.

25th October - Boulthurst Farm, Limpsfield, Surrey

Another Sunday, another session at Boulthurst Farm.

The weather was really good for the time of year (little did I know what was coming a few months later!).

I managed to bag the swim at the far right of the pond. There was someone else there I didn't recognise, at first I thought it was KENT TROTTER who I knew was intending to join the club but on reflection I don't think it was.

As noon arrived I cast rod 2 loaded with a crab flavoured boillie into the margins swim.

Twenty minutes later I landed thsi lovely 6 pound common.

I had set up rod 1 with a shellfish boillie and cast out by 12:40.

I also had no more runs on rod 2 so at 13:20 I switched boillies to a pineapple one.

I also had no more runs on rod 1 so at 13:40 I switched boillies to tutti fruitti ones.

At 14:05 the buzzer on rod 2 went off again and this time I landed a 4.5lb common.

There was still no interest shown on rod 1 so at 14:40 I switched baits again this time to a carp pellet boillie.

At 14:50 rod 2 sprang into action again but after a few minutes the carp decided to part company with the hook!

Carp pellet boillie on rod 1 wasn't woking either so at 15:40 I sent out a crab one to see if they fancied that.

At 16:20 I had my last run of the day which felt a really good fish however for the first time in a long while a fish made the snags and that as they say was that!

At 16:40 I made my final bait change of the day on rod 1, I thought I would give pineapple a go. No success.

As soon as I lost the light I packed up and made my way home.