The tempreture was a few degrees lower than normal for the time of year and I wondered as I set off that morning if it would affect the fishing.
I arrived at the pond nice and early (around 6:30 or so) to find that I was the first one there. I had three choices of swims, Peg 1 the first swim I ever fished and my previous favourite, peg 8 my current favourite and peg 11 the end peg under a great big tree. As the pond only has 11 peg you can tell it's not that large.
I chose peg 8 as you could easily fish just in front of a large bed of lily pads with just a flick of the rod. However I was slightly disappointed to discover that the lily pad bed had been severely cut back and that I would have to cast in all day!
Undettered I began to set up. I mixed up the groundbait as usual, brown crumb with corn and meat mixed in. I intended to feed initially 2 big balls and then one every hour thereafter.
I knew the pond was full of small roach and rudd so I forego the maggots and went straight on the corn. Five minutes in the float indicates a bite and I am into my first fish. Alas it was not to be as the fish spat the hook. Ten minutes later off it was again and in came a nice tench (around 3lb) , my first one of any size of the season.
At that moment the bailiff came round and asked to see my card - I duly obliged. We had a chat for ten minutes or so and then he went on his merry way.
After having a good tench on my first few casts I felt sure that today was going to be a cracker. How wrong could you be! For the next hour or so the float never moved. I could see bubbles coming up around the feed but nothing was interested in my hook bait.
Time moved on and the small carp began to show, by 9:30 three small carp, one roach and a crucian were all in the 'net.
The promise of the early morning period had died away by lunchtime. Six rudd, ten carp,one crucian and another solitary roach made for relatively slim pickings.
Just before 12 another angler asks to see my card!
The afternoon conditions were very strange for the first of June, on the far bank where the sun was shining it was warm and comfortable, on my side in the shade it was chilly! I couldn't help but think that this was the reason for the relatively poor fishing.
I will still persevering with the corn and was rewarded with a 3lb common, my biggest fish of the day.
The remainder of the day was productive in terms of fish caught but they were all small carp.
I'm not complaining - it was a good day out and that is what it's all about.
Oh I nearly forgot, the Holland chairman came round about 4pm and asked to see me card! Three times in one day - I must be very shifty looking!
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