2012 02 March 23rd Chittenden, Edenbridge, Kent

As the unusually warm weather seemed to be continuing I decided to go to the Club's carp lake at Chittenden.

I headed off to the venue about 7:30ish. The temperature was already 6 degrees or so - a lot warmer than on the previous Monday.

The swim I wanted to fish was the one behind the first of the islands. I had fished it for the bream in the summer and had a good day so I was optimistic about my chances.

I arrived at the venue just before 8am to find one other car in the car park. Before I loaded my trolley I had a quick look at the lake to see where the other person was. I couldn’t see him but I could see that the swim I wanted was free so I loaded up and set off.

The trek to the swim only took about 5 minutes but using the trolley sure saved me some backache!

On arrival I couldn’t help but notice that the island vegetation (bushes and trees) had all been cleared. It looked like Kojak’s head!

Today was going to be a two-pronged attack. One waggler set up targeting the bream and a feeder rod down the channel targeting any carp that might be on the move.

Bait wise, it was single maggot on the hook for the bream with maggots and hemp being used as loose feed and 10mm strawberry boillies for the carp.

I made my first cast at 8:50 and settled back in my chair to wait for the action to start.

I had to wait almost an hour before the first and second bites. The result was a bream and a tiny roach. I took confidence from the fact that there were fish about.

This confidence turned out to be misplaced as the by 10:40 I’d only added a further 2 roach and another bream.

Unfortunately that very much summed up the rest of the session. I did try corn for an hour but with no success. By the time I'd packed up at 17:30 I'd caught five more roach and three bream. One of which was on bread.

What about the feeder rod? I hear you ask. Well I didn't get a sniff until about 17:00 when the tip went round and I was into a carp of about 2lb. I'm estimating because the terror spat the hook out!

I must say although the fishing wasn't the best sitting on my chair in March in a t-shirt was great!

2012 01 March 19th Nursery Fields, Edenbridge, Kent

Today was the start of my 2012 season and I was heading off to test myself against the club’s Nursery Fields Lake near Edenbridge in Kent.

I woke to find one of the worst frosts I have seen this winter. Undeterred I loaded up the car and set off around 7:30 am for the venue.

I arrived at the fishery at 8:10 to find one other hardy soul out for a days sport.

The temperature had risen to 4 degrees by this time and the frost was almost a distant memory.

I then loaded up my brand new trolley (a very happy birthday present and a much needed one at my age) and made my way to the top of the lake.

On arrival I found that the water was dead calm. I immediately fed the swim with a few maggots and then began to set up my rod.

Today's line of attack was single maggot all the way. At this time of year on a non commercial it seems the best method to adopt. For loose feed I also had a couple of pints of hemp - I didn't intend to use it all, any surplus would be frozen for use on later sessions.

I made my first cast at 8:50. I only had to wait 30 minutes for the first fish of 2012 to turn up. The victim - a mighty gudgeon.

Each cast I fed either 5 or 6 maggots or a few hemp seeds and this tactic seemed to pay off as at 9:30 I had added a further 2 gudgeon and the first roach of the year.

The next hour was my most productive of the day, 1 Rudd, 2 Crucians, 2 roach, 2 gudgeon and a perch. The only downside was that none of them warranted the use of a net!

The next hour and half only produced three fish, a Rudd and a Crucian and my best fish of the day a bream of 1,5lb! A chance to wet my net!

I decided to take a lunch break at this point. It's hungry work doing all this fishing! Anyway by the end of the lunch break period I'd only added 3 more gudgeon, a bream and another perch.

The afternoon session was a major let down. I had anticipated that as the day warmed up the fishing would improve or least stay the same however when I packed up I'd only added 2 gudgeon, 2 roach and a Rudd.

I packed up around 16:30 and headed off home.

In conclusion I enjoyed myself and that is all that matters. I spent a march day sitting in the sun without once putting my big coat on and watching a load of frogs going at it right in front of me. Also I did see 3 or 4 big carp cruising up the middle of the channel in front of me so I may go for them next time.