The early part of the week was spent organising loads of different tackle as from now till the end of the season, lm pretty much booked up with guiding days, however before the hectic period starts l managed to get a days perch fishing with my brother.
The day dawned bright and sunny but it was the wind that was to prove the killer, and for once the session was cut short, mid afternoon due to us being frozen to the bone. We did however manage a few perch, my brother Kevin had two to 3lb 4oz and myself two also, the best 3lb 5oz.

The following afternoon, will be an occasion that will live with me as l had two customers booked in to fish for zander at Old Bury Hill and with conditions so cold things weren’t looking good. Arriving at midday l set my customers up in a double swim half way along the long bank. Things were very quite, yet l explained the importance of sitting it out right up until throwing of time and it paid off as both anglers caught in what can only be described as a hectic hour. Mark had never caught a zander and was fist away with a small pike but it was his next run that created a part of angling history for the venue as his first ever zander turned out to be the biggest caught from the venue, in fact the south of England for years, it weighed an incredible 16lb 2oz! The next few minutes seemed quite surreal yet the indicators kept rising with Mark taking another two zeds and my other customer Mel, three also including a personal best of 7lb 9oz.

Saturday l was back at the venue early ready to meet two more anglers looking to catch their first zander and fishing the same swim, using the same tactics they both recorded bests, the biggest 7lb 15oz. What an incredible couple of days!