With the car loaded to the gunnels and a bemused dog squeezed in between buckets and water bottles we set off for the new lake.

Even the journey, although quite long, was refreshing and after clearing the Dartford Bridge I was like a small child in a sweet shop. Excited was an understatement.

The roads remained clear and just after an hour from the bridge I pulled into the car park for the first time. It was a Sunday afternoon and as I had hoped, the lake was mainly empty. Even though I knew which lake I wanted to fish deep down the a-joining lake looked so inviting that I just had to have a wander.

Despite it being warm with a southerly wind blowing I failed to see anything to target and so I returned o the car for lunch and a think. As I was sitting looking over the water in front of me, a mid twenty common, as black as your hat came out to the wrist of its tail to say hello, or so it seemed and I immediately decided where I was heading.

Over the course of the afternoon several more fish showed and I just sat there trying to mentally log where the majority were preferring to feed, as I didn’t want to disturb the area in front of me by plumbing the hell out of the swim. By late afternoon, my mind was decided on where I was going to place my baits for the first night, and all were to be placed within 10 yards from the bank as that was where most of the shows had been.

Slack lines, light bobbins and a little and often approach with regard to baiting was the safest decision, that way I could try to pick off a fish before starting to build the swim with heavier baiting.

The night passed quietly, not too surprising as the lake hadn’t produced a fish for over two weeks, but just on dawn the fish started to show very close in, and just off my left hand rod. As I sat on my hands, not wanting to disturb anything, another fish showed further along the bank in an area where you cannot get a bait to them. Nothing further occurred that morning but a plan was hatched for the next dawn feeding period.

The fish were clearly feeding but not on any beds of bait, that I was sure of as I hadn’t had any liners. They seemed to be happy just off the spots and so I baited the same spots for the coming night but then placed my rigs 10 feet to one side in a bid to fool the fish into thinking that the staged trap wasn’t related to he single hook bait.

Again on dawn the fish fed and showed but again just off the areas I had baits on. Maybe a coincidence but if not, then these fish a going to be tricky to say the least.

For me, not catching was a good thing as it has left my mind spinning and my local tackle shop’s till full of my money as I had a complete re think on tackle and tactics. Only time will tell if I’m right or at least getting closer to a result. Til next time, tight lines.