Sunday – Good friend Steve Ansell phoned today, excited at seeing some big mullet on his local river Arun, and then later sent a picture of a 3lb 13oz specimen he took after heading home for his tackle. Good angling and, any chance l can have a go?
I’ve almost decided that the tench lake is beyond me, not because of the challenge, but the time l have available to give it. It certainly has the fish l desire but just finding a full day let alone two days to fish seems impossible and if you want a big tench then time is something you have to have!
 
Monday – Having a night free l thought that the tench lake was worth one last go. Two weeks ago the tench started spawning, so hopefully l may have timed my arrival just right, or, if l wanted a big one, just wrong. On a good note l caught two tench, both males around 6lb, however lm sure the best time has long gone, so have decided to leave the lake alone till the autumn. Both fish were caught on a 14mm boilie placed in a solid PVA bag along with Sonubaits Crushed Halibut pellets using the easy to use Avid Carp Transfer Loading Bag Kit which were cast to a clear spot underneath overhanging bushes.

Tuesday – For the last week I’ve been biting my lip as the DNA scale results came in on the roach that I’d caught in the past and wanting to keep things exclusive to Anglers Mail, the paper that accepted this as a roach from the beginning, tried to keep a low profile. I would like to say a very big thank you to Simon Scott as without his knowledge and input, this date in history would never had been possible. I have always respected Simons comments and professionalism and certainly feel that l owe this man, one, if not many a beer one night in Winchester! Thank You!

Needing some space, l decided to go for a walk and headed towards another lake close by. It’s one that for a while has spun around my head but the latest piece of information had it going into overdrive. Needing a new place to settle, now that’s another story, l took a quick walk around, yet with most venues in this neck of the woods it failed to get my juices flowing, however lm not going to ignore it and will try and spend a night or two on it, if not this summer then certainly next spring.

Wednesday – With my car in the garage l managed to encourage my father to spend a few hours on the river so scrounging a lift we arrived mid morning and finding no cars in the car park headed for a favourite stretch of mine. Placing dad in a known barbel hotspot l sat for a while hoping that something would happen but after an hour little happened. Leaving him to sit it out l headed downstream searching new swims but apart from one missed bite it seemed that my luck was out for the day. We decided to call it a day after four hours however just as dad was about to wind in his tip bent round and he managed a chub of 5lb 4oz.

Thursday – I needed a good photo for an article l have to write next week on catching barbel on the float. I’ve caught quite a few over the years but never a double. Arriving at the Loddon l soon had a bait in place under a weed raft and holding back using a Korum Neoteric Float rod had a feeling that something was about to happen and after no more than ten minutes the float buried and after a hectic fight a 10lb 1oz barbel sat in the net. I roved the river after this for a further four hours taking a chub around 3lb, however the river coloured up making this approach rather hit and miss. On the way home l took a stroll around a lake and watched as numerous grass carp some, a couple must have been around 40lb sat in the sun. Having no time to get home and back for a bit of floater fishing l promised myself a session when the next hot spell returned.

Friday – The day was spent roving around, once again on the Loddon, this time on a guiding day with an angler that l had met at a TAC slideshow. You can read how Ian fared using ‘The Method-Lead’ by reading my blog page.

Saturday – Leaving home at 6am l headed north this time to the Fish ‘O’ Mania final at Cudmore Fishery in Staffordshire. Passing Chris ‘The Pons’ Ponsford on route up the M6 was good as he had been to the show the previous year and lead me right to the front gates. The weather was foul, however plenty of punters were around braving the elements in true hardened angler style and we were kept busy all day handing out the new catalogues, showing anglers rigs, demonstrating the Korum tackle range and generally talking fish.

Sunday – After two long days it’s going to be feet up and a day of recharging the batteries.