2015 25 September 4th Chittenden, Edenbridge

Today was going to be my last trip of the season. As I'd had my best results of the season at Chittenden it was here that I decided to call it a day for 2015.

I was up and out of the house in semi darkness and reasonably pleasant weather. The thirty minute trip to Edenbridge was uneventful and so it was just after 6:45 when I arrived at the lake.

As usual I unloaded the gear and headed off to the far end of the lake. Set up today didn't take as long as usual as I now only had one rod! (See last post).

I was ready to make my first cast at 7:35. As I relaxed in my chair I wondered if just having one rod to concentrate on would improve my strike rate (pun intended)?

I started with corn as the hook bait and had to wait until 9:53 before I netted my first fish. It was as expected one of the lake's bream.

The rest of the morning was very quiet. I switched baits every hour or so but with no success. That is until 13:43 when a carp took my latest meat offering. Alas, it wasn't my day as during the ensuing tussle it managed to break my hook length.

My luck turned 4 minute later when I hooked into another carp. This one took corn and made the net. It wasn't large - about 2 oz!

Just under two hours later I was into another carp. Again this one fell to meat. After unhooking it I didn't bother weighing it as it wasn't a double. I estimated it to be about 8 lb.

About 30 mins previous, two anglers (sorry don't know your names) arrived and set up in the swim opposite me.After a while one of them came round to inquire how I was getting on. I told him the sorry tale. He then asked if I had tried cheese. I said I hadn't and that I didn't have any. He, luckily enough had some and gave me a large lump to try.

After releasing the aforementioned carp I decided to give the cheese a try on the grounds that things couldn't get any worse. Thirty minutes later the float went and I was into what turned out to be another carp of 8 lb. My first on cheese!

I felt I was on a winner so I stayed on the cheese and twenty two minutes later I bagged another carp, this one came in at 5 lb.

Another thirty minutes later and was into another one. This one though was a bit smaller, It came in at 4 lb.

At 17:50 the cheese worked again. This time it turned out to be my best fish of the day, a 9 lb specimen.

I decided to pack up at 18:21 after I landed a bream with a liking for the cheese.

So a bad day turned into a good day thanks to some help from another club member. If you are reading this, thanks very much. Eight fish in the day.

2015 24 August 29th Nursery Fields, Edenbridge

Today, as it turned out would be my last trip of the season to the club's mixed fishery at Nursery Fields.

I was up and out slightly later than usual as the mornings were now a little on the dark side at my normal time.It was therefore about 7 am when I pulled into the empty car park.

I quickly unloaded the car and headed out to the back stretch of the lake. The water looked very fishy, would today be a good one. I felt like it could.

It was the usual two rod approach again today. One waggler set up and another small leger set up on a feeder rod. I was all plumbed up, swims fed and ready to make my first casts at around 7:40.

I spent an hour on the corn but never even got any signs of interest let alone a bite. I decided to make the switch to meat and was rewarded at 9:20 with my first bream of the day. No blanking for me today.

Sixteen minutes later, still using the meat I was into my second fish. This turned out to be a meat loving roach!

It was now just after 10 am and I was back on the corn. Fish number three was a nice bream.

I had to wait another two hours for my next bite. Again it was on corn however this time the victim was a tench.

Thirty minutes later and still on corn I bagged my first crucian for a long time. I thought they had all emigrated!

Just after lunch I switched back to meat and was rewarded with this fine bream. Twenty five minutes later I netted another one - I was on a bit of a roll.

At 15.29 the tip of the feeder rod went round for the first time of the day. When I lifted the rod I knew straight away that it wasn't a carp. It did fight but not for very long. When it hit the surface I saw it was a big bream. The scales confirmed this as it weighed 3 lb 12 oz which I think is my personal best.

The first carp of the day turned up at 16:54. It was taken on the waggler rod and weighed 1 lb! It liked meat though.

The next carp, also caught on meat,turned up at 18:00 and weighed 4 lb. A good scrap on the float rod.

I decided at that point to give up for the day. It was a decision that would come back and haunt me for ever!

When I pack up I start by draining the excess water out of the bait boxes and throwing the small amount of ground bait that is left into the edge.

Next I fold up the chair and put the bait boxes and terminal tackle back in my box. That just leaves the two rods and the landing net to dismantle.

When I reeled in the float rod I saw a big carp right beneath my feet! It obviously had been attracted by the ground bait and flavored water that I had previously tipped in.

I made the decision to have a go for it, so I put a piece of meat on the hook and gently lowered it over the side. Immediately the line tightened I struck. The fish took straight off towards the island. I managed to turn it and also managed to keep it out of the lily pads to my right. When it was in the net I could see that it weighed about 8 lb. What a result.

Things turned sour when I was unhooking the carp on the mat. I heard a thump and turned to see my feeder rod heading out across the lake. I watched it stop and sink when it got to the far bank.

I was dumbstruck and really annoyed, mainly with myself!

So a day that saw me catch 11 fish ended up with me losing my feeder rod and reel. Lesson to be learnt here I think.