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.