Sunday 24th January

It has to be said that this Sunday it was nice to arrive at the venue and for there not to be a single piece of ice in sight!

I quite fancied a draw in the 70's, being quite sure that as they all hold cover of some sort that they would probably be the pegs to have. I was slightly torn about the peg I drew (69) as people seem to favour the area as it's deep, yet I think sometimes when it's been very cold but the fish look for slightly shallower water that warms up a bit quicker.

Plan for the day was simplereally with two pole lines, one at 12m and one in the left margins where there are some sparse underwater stick-up's. Lastly I put up my trusty bomb rod to fish a strait lead past the pole line. With no wind I could get away with a light float in the near 7ft of water, using a 4x14 Preston Chianti. I had just over 5ft of water in the edge but the rig here was the same. I also put a shallower rig up using a 4x12 float with strung shotting, so I had at least one rig to try shallow on each line (two obviously on the longer line) All the pole rigs were on .12 line to 18 hooks, lakky was a soft 12 latex on the deeper rigs and grey hydro on the shallowest. Lastly for the bomb I had a variety of hook links tied up to allow me to try either punch or corn (singles and multiples) at varying lengths from the lead.

On the whistle both pole lines received a tiny amount of hemp, two grains of corn and a few casters before I baited the bomb with a single grain of corn and cast it a couple of meters past the pole line and to the right (where I had a fair amount of open water, I had a peg nearer to the left, and opposite to the left) It didn't take long before I had a slight twitch but it never developed. I left it about twelve minutes before re-casting, this time a touch closer in and more in front. After only a minute I had a proper liner which pulled the tip a good few inches round but again another ten minutes on that spot produced nothing. The third cast went directly in front, about 6ft behind the pole swim but gave nothing in 12-15 minutes. I have to admit that worried me as the last time (not counting when there was ice) I drew the area (peg 68) the only fish I had was on my first cast!

Deciding on a change I swapped the hook link for one with a longer hair and tried punch, casting to the spot where I'd had the proper liner. Again after only a minute the rod pulled steadily round, but this time it kept going! What felt like a decent fish kited round to the right for a few seconds without taking any line, then just as I was going to undo the clutch a bit it pulled off! I was not best amused.... Checking the clutch on the reel it seemed fine, set as it has been since it was last used, but I decided to slacken it two 'clicks' anyway in the hope that the situation would not be repeated.

The lost fish spelled the end of any movement, even liners. I went through the motions the next few casts but nothing happened, until an hour and a half in when totally out of the blue and just as I was about to give the pole a go, I had a savage pull before the tip dropped totally slack. After a few winds of the reel I made contact with the fish which rather plodded it's way to the net. At about 3lb the common had taken a single grain of corn cast strait in front but a few meters behind where I had fed the pole line. I gave the bomb another go on the same spot but nothing came of it.

Going on the pole it was again a case of going through the motions as like the pegs around me, I couldn't buy a bite, not on any bait or at any depth. At this point odd fish had been caught but only at the ends of the lake. Back on the lead and it was more of the same, not even a liner was to be had. The others in the open area where I was had ceased to get liners too, and with an hour and a bit to go the angler nearest (and opposite) packed up fish less. I'd been flicking a few maggots over the pole swims every 7-8 minutes after my first try on them, in an attempt to provoke a response even from a roach but I couldn't get the slightest sign of a fish anywhere.

Heading in to the last hour I decided to sit it out on the tip, so finding the biggest grain of corn I could I dropped it a few feet to the right of where I had caught the fish. After about ten minutes, and totally out of the blue the rod absolutely wrenched round and a couple of minutes after a common of about 4lb joined the other in the net. At least he wasn't lonely now! The late fish did bring hope of a late feeding spell but it wasn't to be, trying back where I'd had fish and even trying the furthest I'd cast, and leaving the casts 15-20 minutes I had no further joy. I think there may have been a slight twitch of the tip very shortly before the end but I was packing the pole rigs away at the time and didn't have my eyes totally focused on the tip.

After the match I was kicking myself for losing a fish on a hard day as despite hearing that one of the reeds pegs had produced a good weight nobody else had more than three carp. The top weight of the day was that one peg in the reeds, having 42lb of carp on punch I believe, where as two fish for 13lb was 2nd and just over 10lb was 3rd. My two carp went 7lb 2oz and was just enough for 4th. The lost fish had almost certainly cost me a place, and maybe even 2nd so while I was kicking myself for that at least I caught-the only person sat in the open water, and in the middle part of the lake to catch. The five or so others who had carp were all sat at either end of the lake.

Next week signals the start of the venue individual winter league (delayed due to the weather) so I'm hoping for a good start to the defence of my title. That said, the coming weeks weather looks none to clever so even it's it's not frozen it's gonna be hard! Check back in a week and see!