Autumn/Winter 2023/24

 A Milestone

So, here we are. Blog entry number one hundred. Thank you to everyone involved over the years, it has been almost exclusively a positive experience. There have been a few ups and downs, not only in the fishing but also the writing. That said, I'm immensely proud of some of the stuff I have written so thanks again for indulging me. 

Sad news

When Daisy, one of our Labradors so sadly passed away I said she couldn't be a footnote. Such a massive part of this blog but also my life. The same, therefore must apply to her sister- Harriet. She passed just after I wrote the last entry. I didn't have a favourite but Harry was just fucking adorable. Some of you met her. She could raise a smile out of even 'I'm not-a-dog person' friends. Never again will I be fishing and have a big soppy head on my shoulder. Such an incredible companion, she died in my arms with me telling me I loved her.

The fishing

When Daisy died I was bereft for quite a while. On Harry's passing after the initial heartbreak I forced myself to get busy living. Martin and I always share an autumn perch fishing session on one of his local venues. It was a bit soon but I made myself go fishing. Little did we realise what was about to unfold....

We both got to the venue in question at first light. I quickly pumped the boat up while Martin readied all the bait and tackle. Dropshotting worms has proved by far the most effective method over the years and we were soon afloat casting to various likely looking spots. I had a good two pounder almost straight away and then Martin caught a beauty of 3lb 6oz....

Over the next few hours Martin incredibly added another five three pounders topped by this magnificent example...

3lb 11oz

On many occasions fishing doesn't make sense. We were both fishing in the same way, yet Martin took most of the spoils that day. So close to losing Harry I wasn't really present but felt I fished pretty well, there's really not a lot to that particular style of fishing. People often say they are pleased for someone else's success. They rarely mean it. Being part of one of Martin's red letter days was a privilege though. Seeing his enjoyment sprinkled a little sugar on my dour state of mind. I didn't leave that day without a big one myself, finally managing to get one over the magical mark....

3lb 6oz

We also had quite a few big twos that day too. Quite remarkable fishing.

2lb 10oz

As word got around among our peers a couple of them quite understandably wanted in on the action. Despite what you've just read and see on social media a three pound perch is still a relatively rare beast. It was an awkward situation as I had the boat but Martin had introduced me to the venue. Luckily and as ever he was remarkably understanding and gave us his blessing. 

Round two involved our friend Nick. This time I was first out of the blocks with a big perch on my second cast...

3lb 5oz

Nick then took over as a repeat of the previous session seemed to pan out. He caught three perch over three pounds in quick succession. This was the best....

Also 3lb 5oz

I've had a bit of abuse over the years for naming venues or making them a bit obvious and as Nick's other three pounders show a bit too much in the background so I'll leave them out. Should keep the self-appointed fishing police happy, if they ever are. I had another bang on three pounds too along with some more pretty twos...

3lb

2lb 12oz

Right, are you keeping count? I make that twelve three pound perch in two trips between us. 

Next up was James Truscott. With a busy work life and young family James doesn't get out nearly as much as he would like so he was a shoo-in for some instant perch action. Now all these perch aren't caught from exactly the same spot. When Nick and I went they were in different areas to my first visit with Martin. In fact Martin caught his biggest fish completely out of the blue a long way from where we started off that day. Such is the amount of fish present and the size of the venue there is almost never just one group of big perch.

With this in mind James and I moved the boat around frequently to keep the bites coming. He ended the morning with an incredible four perch over three pounds.

3lb 6oz x2

3lb 7oz

A new PB for James at 3lb 9oz

 I think from memory his previous PB was with me too, on Pitsford. Brilliant to share in his achievments.

 What about you Phil? I hear you ask. Well I fared a little better than before. What you're about to see is preposterous. I'm embarrassed by it. It's definitely not James' fault but I usually frame my own photos on a forward facing camera on a bankstick. More often than not I'm not too bad at it. Not being able to see myself and the fish produces variable results that I'm rarely happy with. Bear that in mind before you tear me a new one for holding it out, quite the most ridiculous example of, I'm sure you'll agree. Fine fish though..

3lb 11oz

A liitle better framing (not much) 3lb 8oz

Nice to see me smile. 3lb

Deluge

After those memorable perch sessions the rain came. It seemingly continued to fall for the rest of the autumn and winter. Nick joked he had remembered a year when he hadn't been able to fish one of the bigger local rivers all winter one year, so bad were the conditions. Little did we realise we were about to experience another.

With a new job for myself and the rivers so high I didn't fish much, certainly nothing like previous years. Nick and I did have a few trips out on his fabulous Linder boat though and while the main river wasn't fishable we found a few tributaries and backwaters that periodically held a few fish. Nick stumbled across a very nice perch late one session caught on a worm....

3lb 2oz perch

Nice two pounder

Despite some initial limited success we never found perch in any numbers all winter. They were impossible to find in the dirty water. After a couple of very poor sessions we decided to target pike which we'd seen at various spots on our travels. I don't know how many doubles I caught over the winter but it was a lot. The really big ones eluded me though and the best I had was this one....

17lb 2oz

A week after this fish we managed to find some clear water and I actually saw a pike shoot out from some structure and take Nick's bait. I instantly knew it was a good one, exciting stuff. As I write this now I realise I was with Nick when he caught his previous PB pike. Must be his lucky charm....

20lb 10oz and a very happy Nick

Such was the intensity of the weather over the winter Nick had to rescue his boat several times. Unprecedented river levels saw it break free from its moorings on one fraught occasion.  Luckily it survived and we had a few more trips when conditions allowed and while we caught lots more pike we didn't have any bigger ones. 

Kennet trip

After Christmas a few of us gathered together in deepest Berkshire for a return visit to the beautiful river Kennet. Another trip to an exclusive trout beat had been arranged by our mysterious 'fixer'. We were privileged the first time we went so when the chance of a return came up we snapped up the opportunity.

Made famous by A Passion for Angling this particular beat used to hold several coarse species of specimen proportions. Roach, grayling, dace, chub and pike. Sadly only the chub and pike remain in any numbers but while trout are the mainstay efforts are being made to return coarse stocks to the river.

Now there are people in this photo probably reading this that are wondering what I'm going to say next. Er, I don't really know how to explain but lets just say we all nearly got thrown off the beat before we'd even started. A very angry estate worker I'd managed to enrage soon calmed down and we all enjoyed a lovely day roaming about. 

The river was high, very high but remarkably clear. Sadly the chub fishing wasn't as prolific as the previous year. The carriers weren't even visible, lost in fields of floodwater. Someone got very lucky on his first cast of the day though and it really couldn't have happened to a nicer chap....

6lb 10 chub for Andy Wilson, his first and only bite.

Dai Gribble too had a bite very early on. Now if you're wondering what it takes to one of the finest specimen anglers in the land I'll explain in one paragraph...

Dai missed the bite but he was convinced a sneaky chub was the culprit. Over the course of the morning he tried various tactics to no avail. We'd walk by and Dai would be muttering about how sure he was there was a chub present, as he fiddled about with some new method or other. Fast forward about nine hours later to dusk. The rest of us were in the car park, loaded up ready to go home. The incredibly friendly river keeper asked if any one was left. It was a loaded question, he wanted to go home, we all did. Eventually Dai appeared through the gloom. "Did you catch it Dai?" we asked. "Of course, as soon as the light faded, a lovely chub just like I said" he replied. The weight apparently didn't matter. He was right, it was about twelve ounces. 

The iconic weed rack

Two dreaded crayfish clinging to my dead bait

I did have one chub of about three pounds and Darren Clarke had a few to nearly five pounds but the nothing else of note was caught all day. Richie Martin swears blind he saw an owl the size of a small Zeppelin. He thought for a split second it might be hunting him. It's that sort of place, quite remote and absolutely bursting with life. A truly special part of the country so thank you to the keeper Jimmy for letting us spend the day there.

The day after saw us head to a nearby stretch of the Thames that had been recommended to us by the Angling Trust's Martin Salter. Sadly there was a little bit too much water on for it to be productive although we did try. Story of much of the winter really.

A surprise

Andy Loble was keen to meet up for a fishing trip. Slightly odd as he's usually up a mountain or on a paddle board or cross country skiing or something similarly adventurous. Little did I know he'd organised a surprise for me. So six of us agreed to meet up on the Trent for a days chub fishing. The fishing was rubbish. Only Dave Owen redeemed himself with a couple of modest examples. Half way through the day though I was presented with a hand drawn picture of Daisy and Harriet. Arranged by Andy and paid for by all my lovely friends at SHUK.

One of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you

A reluctant realisation of a dream I've never had

I remember writing about my desire to catch a two pound roach many years ago. I've had four since then. A roach of three pounds has never been on the agenda. So scarce throughout the country let alone Lincolnshire which friends will insist I rarely leave. 

Just before Christmas I got a message out of the blue. A friend had seen some very big roach on a river I was vaguely familiar with. I'd seen them too but many years ago and maybe a couple of two pounders in among hundreds if not thousands of smaller ones. Now he is a very experienced angler and freely admitted he wasn't the best at guesstimating sizes in water but said some of them had got to be three pounds plus.

I had a fleeting thought about fishing for them but I'd tried before, more than once and I'd surmised that the smaller ones made it impossible to get to the big ones. I knew others that had seen them too but nobody as far as I knew had ever caught them.

Three months later and a day before the end of the season Nick suggested the very same venue as it would probably be the only place fishable as it usually ran fairly clear. I wanted to go to the Trent but it was in the fields again, so begrudgingly agreed just to get out of the house.

I arrived before Nick as usual. He's not an early morning person. After a good half an hour walking around I settled in a likely looking spot. I set up a tip rod and fished a lump of bread flake on a size ten hook, I wasn't messing about, I wanted to deter the small ones. Sure enough as soon as I cast in the tip started tapping about while presumably small roach tried to pluck the bread off the hook. I'd pinched the bread on as hard as I could so sat on my hands until I got a positive bite. Over the next hour this resulted in a couple of net roach of about ten ounces. 

Nick appeared and we had a brief chat. Apparently I was in a noted chub peg. After a short while he wandered off and I carried on fishing. I don't think the tip ever sat still for more than thirty seconds. The small fish were relentless and I was getting itchy feet. I would have preferred far less bites but from bigger fish I thought as I started putting a few bits and bobs back in my little bag. I was preparing for a move. 

I was still watching the tip all the time and sure enough a couple of taps developed into a hittable bite. I struck and was met with considerable resistance. I immediately thought- oh it must be one of those chub Nick was on about. The fight wasn't chub-like though as it stayed resolutely mid river. A chub would surely charge about all over the place? After a while it surfaced a short distance downstream and it was the biggest roach I've ever seen.  The rest of the fight was the most tense few seconds I think I've ever experienced, praying for it not to come off.

With it safely in the net, I couldn't quite take it in. I rang Nick and he said he would come back to help me out. I sat there for the next few minutes in a daze not quite believing what had just happened. Soon enough Nick appeared. "That's three pounds all day long" Nick said as he peered into my net. I don't think he's ever seen a three pound roach but neither had I and I secretly knew it was over a weight I'd never imagined catching. It was just enormous.

3lb 4oz

Broad across the back

I fished on in shock. I knew the river held big roach and I was fishing for them but never expected to catch a three pounder. Not in my wildest dreams. 

I gave it another hour or so before finally having a wander. Nick dropped into my peg and caught a small roach every trot down on the float. They really are among hundreds of small ones. I was just incredibly fortunate. 

Final word

Thank you again to everyone that has been part of this blog over the years. People I really admire and am grateful to call friends. We've had some really really great adventures. There are ninety-nine other entries to this diary that are all still there. There are some great stories and some great fish along the way too. Feel free to peruse them at your leisure. 

Many people have me to continue but it's mainly people I know anyway so it could be the last but never say never. If I've got a story to tell, l might just fire up the laptop again.

Thank you

for Harriet, I miss you.

 

Spring/Summer 2023

Close Season

In the old days you couldn't do any coarse fishing at all anywhere in most counties. So my hangover from those days means I always get out the fly fishing gear for a few trips. Withern Mill is the closest and most welcoming fishery to me. My Labradors, the chaos twins, absolutely love it too. 

Daisy cooling off in the river at Withern Mill this spring.

I was going to leave this until last largely because nobody really gives a toss about your dogs apart from yourself. Daisy was however a big part of this blog and my life. She can't be a footnote. A week after the above picture she passed away. Daisy had been fishing with me more than anyone on the planet. She would often wander off, never out of sight but happily doing her own thing. She'd often appear on the other side of a pond or sometimes even come swimming by. She was an ever present joy in my life. I didn't go fishing for a month after her passing, I exclusively use my laptop to write this and it's the first post I've written without her.

Right now I've stopped crying, back to what you are here for- the fishing. I had a few trips to Withern Mill before a visit by Dave and Martin on a beautiful day late in the spring. I had caught on all my visits, modest rainbows in short sessions. Martin was already fishing when I arrived and was taking advantage of an early rise, again just little rainbows. When Dave arrived he stumbled upon a decent Brown Trout in the margins of one of lakes. 

He proceeded to fling every fly in his box at it over a period of maybe two hours. It wasn't interested in any of them. It appeared to be eating something though, we just needed to find out what. I say we, Martin would never jump in someone else's spot, I meant me, I was straight in there as soon as Dave's back was turned. I too, tried pretty much everything to no avail before we departed to try elsewhere on the fishery.

On the way back another chap was leaving the first area and said he had tried to catch the brownie too. Dave estimated it to be 6lb+, the other angler ambitiously declared it to be at least 12lb. I couldn't leave without knowing the truth and tried a slightly different approach. I borrowed some heavy leader from Martin and set about agitating it into striking at my offering. Did it work?

Our friends Dave Owen and Martin Barnatt

~slight pause for effect~

Finally fooled. It was 9lb 4oz. 

A new PB. It was lucky I borrowed some 10lb florocarbon from Martin as it powered off upon hooking. I'm always intrigued as to what the fight is like when someone catches a big fish and this one was fairly fraught. Luckily although extremely powerful it stayed pretty much in open water so I maintained a modicum of control before it was finally ready for netting. Dave was the only one of us with a net big enough so it was a true team effort.

Water Leisure Park

Earlier in the spring I set about the carp on the local caravan park lake. Just short sessions and always very productive. I had three over 20lb and a lot of doubles. Nothing serious, as fishing shouldn't be, just a bit of fun.

Pitsford

Our friend Nick Coulthurst was keen to fish for predators on a reservoir so with the weather still cool and Pitsford open early we decided to head there. A group of us had caught an incredible nineteen perch over 3lbs between us some years ago and I know the place reasonably well. A few days before our visit a two day pike match had taken place with some very big fish being caught so we'd have a go for those too if the perch weren't playing ball. 

Conditions on the day weren't great- no wind and very bright but I was still confident as I regaled Nick with past tales of glory while we motored to the first banker spot. Not a touch. Not even a sign of a fish which was very concerning. That set the precedent for the rest of the day really. Incredibly hard fishing and nothing like years past. So soon after the weekends match even the pike weren't keen to strike at any lures. Previously the travel and cost was outweighed by great fishing. We won't be in a massive hurry to return any time soon. 

I did manage one solitary perch of nearly 3lb

And a 4lb Brownie

 

Saltwater fun

Anyone who has ever lost a dog will probably tell you the grief is incredibly intense but thankfully quite short-lived. A few weeks after Daisy's passing I forced myself out on the boat and caught a few hounds and a bass. Looking at the photo now I don't look in a particularly happy place.

A week or so later I headed out with Daisy's sister for an early morning session on the beach. To preface what you're about to read I've caught hundreds of smooth hounds. My PB rose slowly over the years - 10lb 14oz, 12lb 2oz, 13lb while all around seemed to be catching bigger ones year after year. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours trying, cosying up to local experts, trying different baits and techniques, studying tides and conditions etc,etc.

The sun was already up by the time we arrived and I cast one piece of squid as far as I could and dropped one a bit shorter, maybe 80 yards. The sun was beautifully calm and Harriet was loving the break from our cats. Even now, months on, I can remember a wave of sadness washing over me that someone was missing (last time I'll mention Daisy, honest). I recast both rods just to keep myself busy more than necessity and truth be told I was just going through the motions.  

Out of the blue the rod fishing short dropped back. No tripod destroying run, no spinning clutch. I picked it up and bent into something that swam straight towards me. Even in close it didn't do much, just plodded up and down before I managed to beach it. No bigger than others I had caught I thought as I unhooked it. She was remarkably placid and very broad. It was only when I picked her up to place in the sling I realised her heft. A quick weighing and photo and she was back. Resting for a moment and my hands before slowly moving off and back out to sea.

14lb 12oz

Typical, all those years of desperately trying and I break my PB when barely bothered about catching anything at all. That fish though reignited my interest and was a kind of signal that it was OK to enjoy stuff again.

A few days later I went out with Zak on the boat. It was a strange session. We moved a lot which isn't normally necessary. Bites were sporadic and quite hard to come by. Conditions were perfect and it wasn't unpleasant just sitting out there on a flat sea in the sunshine. Zak had a few small hounds while I sat largely biteless. As I've said before these days I take almost as much pleasure in my friends doing well rather than catching myself. 

On about our sixth move of the afternoon Zak declared he had a bite which despite what I have just written was getting slightly annoying as I couldn't buy one. By all means give me a battering but no need to give me a running commentary.😂  Anyway he hooked a decent fish which was moving against the tide, a sign of a better one. A prolonged battle ensued before we finally got it into the boat. A new PB for Zak and very worthy fish.......

10lb 4oz

With the fishing so slow up to that point we were pretty surprised by that fish and me even more so when my rod tip started to rattle. Once again it moved against the running tide and I secretly knew it was a good fish even though I played it down to Zak. Always a good ploy in case they come off and you can claim it wasn't very big anyway. When it surfaced a short distance out from the boat we both gasped in amazement. It was physically huge, extremely long and thick across the back. 

Another PB 15lb 10oz

Two PBs for me in the space of a few days and one for my friend. Quite remarkable

One winter I set out to catch a 20lb pike and caught one first trip. I didn't fish for them again all season. I felt like that with the hounds and that was my last trip out on the boat. I did have one more attempt from the beach when Dave Owen came up for a go. Sadly the water had cleared and the hounds had disappeared. 

Linear fisheries

For the last few years the guys at SHUK have had a few days at Linear fisheries and I've never really shown much of an interest. It's not my thing. However Zak and his brother Josh are mad keen carpists and I thought if either of them wanted to attend I'd take them along. To my surprise Zak was up for it and our names were penned in. In the meantime I got in a bit of practice at my local specimen lake.

I rarely watch fishing videos but am aware they're incredibly popular. Zak must have watched every one of them on Manor lake in the weeks before our trip and once again gave me a running commentary. I've never seen anyone so openly enthusiastic about a fishing trip before. I said this to his face so have no qualms about saying it again, he did my tits in. I'm very much a turn up and see kind of angler. I banned him from talking to me about it on multiple occasions which fell on deaf ears as he rattled off his tactics.

He didn't shut up all the way there

We a three day lake exclusive and sure enough, trip organiser Dai Gribble gave us a run down on all the pegs as we looked across from the back of the tackle shop. From that vantage point there were seemingly fish everywhere. Tench humping out close in and carp crashing a bit further out. Then followed a draw for peg choices. With twelve of us it wasn't realistic for us all to go where we wanted. I drew eleventh choice and Zak twelfth. Fairly disastrous. 

Zak ended up only one swim away from where he wanted. I was in no-carp bay. Upon inspection Zak's swim was horrendous. Largely weed free for fifty yards and then a massive weed bed for the next fifty. Mine was ok weed wise but I didn't see any fish moving about anywhere near me. I did catch probably the smallest carp in the lake on the second afternoon while Zak remained fish less. 

Nate green was hauling in the peg closest to the tackle shop, Dai had an early thirty while Dave and Martin caught some decent fish. After the second night I moved in desperation but swim choice was limited and it didn't pay off. Zak didn't catch at all, the fish never came in close enough. Martin had a thirty as did Nate who ended up with nine fish. He told Zak as we left for home...."I didn't know what to expect so just chose the swim closest to where I'd seen all the fish when we got here". A decent lesson for us all.

Nate with one of nine carp 31lb 4oz

David Frame with a twenty

33lb 10oz common for Martin

7lb 10oz Male tench for Nick

31lb 10oz for Dai

7lb 3oz tench for Dan

26lb 8oz for Dave

Surprise 52lb 8oz catfish for Rob

Bar-b-que time

Then the rain came

No carp bay

Another lake exclusive

Fast forward a few weeks into September now. Life stuff got in the way of fishing through most of August apart from one solitary barbel on a visit to the trent whilst waiting for my wife to be discharged from hospital. After that I was with her at home for a few weeks and needed another trip to look forward to. Not that I didn't enjoy looking after my wife you understand (she sometimes reads this, hello sweetness). 

I booked a lake in deepest Norfolk that holds some very big catfish and assembled a few SHUKers to join me. I can't ever remember looking forward to a trip so much, I wasn't as excited as Zak was for Manor but wasn't far off albeit in a less annoying kind of way. I even got Louise to buy me some catfish rods for my birthday. Reels were spooled with 80lb braid and wide bore rig tubing ordered. 

The day of arrival came and Myself, Dai and Dave were first on the scene. We had a look around and had a chat with the owner before deciding where to fish. Martin then arrived and we declared we didn't need to have a draw as we all fancied different swims. I settled at the top end of the lake and fished one rod for cars with squid and one for carp with boilies. Alfie turned up a little later and chose an open water spot between me and Dave.  

Within an hour something showed an interest in the squid, slamming the bobbin up to the rod before returning. I was sure it was a dropped take. I had another dodgy take a couple of hours later. It wasn't until it was completely dark and I was drifting off to sleep that I had a proper bite. That too though didn't scream off, just a few bleeps and I lifted into something substantial. Fishing squid I knew it was a cat straight away so although it tried, I stopped it getting up a head of steam. I shouted for Alfie very soon into the fight for assistance such was its power. Alfie soon appeared as did Dave and Martin. Apart from wiping my other rod out as it tried to go in the marginal reeds it was a fairly straightforward tug of war. I was elated when it finally went in the net. As were the others. Apparently if I could catch it gave everyone else hope, the bastards.

40lb 14oz

It beat my old PB of 37lb 8oz by a modest margin but I honestly couldn't have been happier. Amazingly I had another dropped take about an hour later before retiring to bed.

When I went to Manor I wanted and hoped to break both my tench and carp PBs. With the cat out of the way I really wanted a big carp which the lake also holds. The next day I scaled down from 20mm boilies to 14mm pellets and it was soon taken. Sadly the culprit was a bream about 4lb. With another one next cast I swapped back to the boilies. News came that Martin had caught a 19lber at 3am while the others were still waiting for their first fish.

Dai was fishing directly opposite me and wound in to come round for a chat around lunchtime. I had a small island in front of me and was fishing to the point of it. Dai suggested fishing tighter along the inner edge of it. An area where I'd have little room for error should I be fortunate to hook a really big cat. He suggested I'd had a warm up and the right equipment and talked me into it. 

Dai wandered off and I slumped onto my bedchair out of the unseasonably hot sunshine. We'd planned to meet for a bar-b-que at 4pm so I had time for a snooze. The piercing sound of my alarm woke me and I flung myself out of my shelter and grabbed my rod. Again, no screaming run, just a pick up and then no movement. I lifted the rod and to my surprise I was into a cat. Its tail came out of the water almost straight away as it twisted around to power off. Not that big I thought (I later realised all cats have small tails).

.....and then all hell broke loose as I clamped down on it. Once again I screamed for Alfie. The power was incredible. My reel was fully locked up and it was still taking line. You can barely turn it by hand. At one point it spun me around on my feet trying to get away. A few moments later I had to place the rod between my legs to get more leverage. Dave and Martin were there by now and Dave ran off to get his big net. 

Even when in the net I wasn't sure it was much bigger than the previous one. Alfie declared it to be double the size. It was only when we tried to lift it onto the mat we realised he was being serious. 

85lb 8oz

Worth a couple more photos

That's my happy face

By this time Dai had turned up and it was congratulations all round. I offered my swim up to anyone that wanted it. I was serious too. I wanted all of them to experience what I just had. Nobody took up my offer but Dave and Martin did leave with some squid. They left me in a daze, it was such an incredible experience. 

With a couple of members unable to attend the event Dai cooked enough food to send Dave and I into a food coma. We both waddled back to our swims, Martin and Alfie were far more restrained. Within an hour of my return the cat rod was off again. It didn't feel like a cat though and I was amazed to see a big common pop up. As ever Alfie was on hand for netting duties while the others all trooped round again.

29lb 8oz

Another PB. Bycatch but i'll take it. Lovely fish too.

On dark that evening I heard a commotion in Dave's peg. I wound in a walked around. He'd hooked a cat, a good one apparently and it had snagged him. Several angles of pressure and slack lining was tried before Alfie declared he had some chest waders in the car and was going in for it. As Alfie went off Martin shouted he was in too. I double-timed it to him and found him with his rod hooped over and him declaring he thought he may run out of line. Slowly but surely Martin began to get the upper hand and after another epic battle he had a beast all of his own. Dave, having lost his fish joined us for the weighing and photos.

Incredibly long 54lb 12oz

Both runs had come to the squid which I was rapidly running out of.

 I went back to my swim and recast my rods. A short time later I finally had a run on the boilie and it also turned out to be a PB albeit a modest 16lb 4oz Grassie. 

Another half an hour passed and I had another cat, a kitten of about 8lb. 

The next morning saw Dave leave early while Martin slowly packed up. I had another kitten early on and this time I wasn't so tired and got a quick photo.

Quite cute

With a couple of hours left and my swim now resembling a jacuzzi (named after a man-Roy Jacuzzi, true story) I urged Alfie to jump in my swim. Thankfully he agreed and he soon had a couple of baits on the spot. The night before David Frame had arrived to fish an extra night with Dai so I left Alfie to have a chat with them. I'd only been there about five minutes before Alfie was shouting me back. Not a cat but another very welcome carp.

He deserved a fish for all his help. Top bloke.

Regular readers will know my Dever Springs trip was a massive disappointment. I had a great time at Linear but the fishing was rubbish. It was probably my turn to have a result. It was easily one of the best weekends of my life. Not just the fishing. Someone recently said it's not your achievements in life that matter but the quality of your personal relationships. Every one of those guys was so pleased for me and helpful it was all around a brilliant experience. They're still bastards, I'm just having a moment of weakness.

The night after we left David bagged himself a 50

Dai redeemed himself at Linear with a 55 and then a 65 recently. 

Not more carp

Zak was keen to go carp fishing again. I perused all the local specimen lakes and they pretty much all turned me cold. They almost all dictate the way you can fish. It's so scripted i'm almost drifting off trying to describe it. I go fishing partly to escape normal life's constraints. The cat lake had some sensible rules as did Manor. These Mcfisheries have taken it to an extreme level. You can basically use one or two types of rig, no unfrozen bait onsite, no lake viewings, no lifting of fish in landing nets, blah, blah. You can arrive two hours before your allotted time. I'm fishing not flying to sodding Majorca. 

Not wanting to let Zak down I suggested a day on the trent. I remembered a session a couple of years ago when I caught two carp by accident, maybe they actually lived there I reckoned. He seemed keen although I admit now I probably talked it up a bit so I didn't have to sit around a pond with a load of clones in their nylon masturbatoriums. 

We got to the river early and the spot I had in mind wasn't how I remembered. It was racing through so we wandered about to look for other likely looking areas. Nowhere else took my fancy so we returned to the original swim. Harriet had a paddle about while Zak and I set up. She wouldn't have been allowed at any of the carp lakes I looked at, the miserable bastards.

Zak had a couple of baits out while I fished well down the swim away from him. We settled back in our chairs and I expected a long wait for any action. It can be a ball breaker there. Unbelievably within an hour Zaks left hand rod tore off and he was in. I wound the other rods in as his fish put up a spirited battle. As he brought it closer I saw it as it rose in the water- "It's a carp!" I exclaimed. It was a good one too...

First cast 20lb 14oz, never in doubt.

Immaculate

Zak was made up, I was too. Carp aren't rare on the trent but they aren't that common either. Its mouth suggested it hadn't seen the bank often, if at all. 

The rest of the day was a blur. He caught a couple of barbel, one bang on 10lb. A double figure barbel and 20lb carp on his first visit was the stuff of dreams. He offered me a go in his spot but like I said before sometimes I'm happy to see someone else have a great day.

And that, folks is about it for this time. Blog entry number 99. I said i'd stop at 100 so the next might be my last. Thanks for looking and many people have said my last post was the best yet so be sure to have a look at that if you can. I know I said I wasn't going to mention Daisy again but I'm going to post some memories here because I want to. She loved coming fishing with me. I miss her.

Till next time