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So we're now at the start of September and after the results on the last session I head straight back to the same spot. Enjoy: Another decent weekend for me down on the syndicate water. I basically headed for the same area that I fished last time, fished the same spots and used the same tactics. I actually set up without seeing any signs which is often a huge mistake (in fact it' something I advocate against) but luckily it paid off for once. The action started with a take just before first light on Saturday morning. The fish weeded me up briefly but I got it moving and thought it was a tench; the fight was almost non-existent. I netted it without using the head torch and only put the torch on to release this 'tench' from the net. I was a little surprised to see an ugly little mid 20 common staring back at me. I recognised it as a fish my mate had last year, a deep fish with a small kinky tail (it's spine is deformed which probs has something to do with the tenchy fight) but almost no width to it. It looks like a bent bream but I quite like catching the characters so I'm pleased with it. Daylight comes, self takes done, it weighs 26.02 lb. Back she goes. Bite time over I spend the day wandering about and witness my mate have a mint common off the top. Good angling. Another mate's had a good'n too and between us we celebrate with a couple of beers. Rods out for the night and I'm supremely confident; I'm convinced I have the spots rocking now and I'd have bet money that I was having a fish or two. Up at 5 am and I can see the fish are spread out but see enough near my spots to keep me happy. I have to wait a little longer this morning but at 07:30 the left hand rod goes into melt down and I'm into the waders and enjoying a great fight from a fish that clearly has some weight to it. I end up way down the margin up to my chest in the drink attempting to keep it out of a weedbed. It works and I net a very dark looking mirror. I secure the net and have a closer look; it's mint, huge set of shoulders on it, jet black. The colour of these fish this year is mental, they've darkened up no end due to all this weed yielding exceptional water quality; gin clear all year with zero algae blooming of any kind. On the scales the mirror goes 31.15 lb and the photos turn out beautiful in the morning sun, it really brings the colours out. Back she goes, happy days. I reckon I might be in with a chance of another and it proves so when the right hand rod absolutely screams off at around 10 am. The fight that follows is the best fight I've had this year; it starts off in the weed (they all do lol), then kites maybe 150 yards to the left into a shallow bay, it's like playing a rotweiler, proper rucking. Again the waders come in very handy and I'm miles away from my swim when I finally net it. It's clear the fish aint massive but my God is it a looker; a linear with the biggest golden scales you could hope to see. Absolutely beautiful. It just so happens that my Mrs is coming to visit (she was nearby anyway so thought she'd pop in) so I rest the fish in the net for 15 mins until she arrives. She hardly ever comes to see me fishing and she's never witnessed a proper carp on the bank so she's absolutely mid blown to see this wicked looking linear. Those bright golden scales mesmerise her and for just one second she almost understands why we do this..... almost. She helps out with the weighing and she does the photos for me which is an experience I really enjoy, I'm mega happy that she got to see one of these creatures I'm so obsessed with. The fish goes 25.02, it's a stocked fish that was put in some years ago now, a slow grower which given the size of those scales is understandable. Proper minter. In all a great weekend with plenty of action. I'm a little gutted I have maybe 3 weeks off fishing now which is a shame as it seems to be coming together for me recently. I just hope I can pick up where I left off at the end of the month.

I can well believe that the front end looks like it has a huge desire for food, the back end just doesn't want to keep up 😁

So after losing that fish at the net and fishing every weekend of that season to that point I kind of felt deflated. Daft really as I'd have taken anything as a bonus after the very slow summer early autumn. So with Christmas approaching I decided to have a break for the rest of December. As usual though I kept the bait going in no matter what. I recall no more captures to anyone for the rest of December though the weekend of the 12th and 13th of January 2 of my mates both caught. I went down to help with the photos. One mate was fishing the opposite end of the lake to where I had been fishing. So I got to his swim and the sack came out the water. Undo the zip and there was a nice 32lb mirror but what made it even better for me was that the bottom of his sack was full of my red milk protein bait. Pictures done and off down the end where I'd been fishing/baiting. My other mate was fishing about 150yds up the bank from my main baited swim. He gets his fish out and once again his sack was full of my bait. Seen enough so the next weekend I obviously started fishing again and had my good session. After that good session the next weekend just turned into a bit of beer up if im honest. The previous weekend had been amazing for a few of us so a bit of trotting and socialising was done. Nothing was caught this particular weekend mind, though we did try, kind of haha. Now the following weekend and it was my usual arrival on a Friday about 3/ 3-30. Rods out, sit back and chill. It was a big full moon that weekend as it was shining down lighting up the lake one of my had a slow take on it. I instantly thought chunk, but it turned out to be a 27lb common, my smallest fish that winter. The rest of the weekend past without anything doing but a fish was a result. I didn't fish the following weekend as I was out celebrating my birthday which was on the Wednesday coming up and I'd booked it off along with the Thursday and friday. So with my baiting up all through the season, I was baiting on a Wednesday and a Friday. So this was to be the first time I'd fish a Wednesday. I got down and one other angler on and he was fishing about 100yds round the bank from me. Sadly by this time the half dozen of us who had fished all winter had been dropped in it so to speak by someone letting on what we had been catching that winter. Still to this day I'm not sure who let it slip, but up until that point no one else had fished that winter. Still I was plotted in my swim and bang on the spots. Sadly no birthday fish for me and nothing seen by myself or the other angler. That changed around first light of the Thursday morning. About 200yds up the lake a right kipper stuck its head out, that was all I needed to see. I just sat on my bed thinking he's coming down for his breakfast. 7-00 and a couple of liners on my middle rod had me set and ready for a bite any moment. 7-10, no bite but still liners. 7- 20 and left rod starts having liners, my god they are on me big time. The next thing I know my right hand rod is melting, the last rod I thought would go due to the liners. A proper battle ensued, the fish finding every rotten weed bed it could but fortunately it was dead and steady pressure had it out of one and into another. I get the fish about 20 yes out and it rolls, a proper lump. I instantly recognized the shape of the fish and the top lobe of its tail not being rounded, it could only be "paw print", the same fish I'd lost in December. This time though I had the happy ending. My suspicions from that loss in December were right though, it did look big and at 44lb 06oz it was at its biggest weight having never been 40lb before. So my birthday present was only a few hours late. The rest of the session saw no more action. After the fish all my liners stopped and everything, nevermind, there was always the next session.

If its out on Amazon as a kindle edition you can read a sample of some books... as far as I know its not out yet... some question as to when

I've been watching lots on YouTube about the New York crime families. I've watched ones with john alite (one of Gotti's hitmen) , sammy the bull another of Gotti's hitmen and a few with Michael Franzese from the columbo crime family. I find it fascinating if I'm honest. I also saw one with Gianni Russo in it, an actor in the Godfather who also had ties with the mob. His stories are quite something as are the rest.

Can do a sample of night walk in the kindle app but not winterwalk

I used to read a lot before the internet, now it's just when out fishing, never really read any angling books other than John Wilson and Strategic Carping by Crow and Hughes. Currently my book on the bank is the Godfather, much better than the film, real life books about the New York crime syndicates are always a good read, Tom Wolfe is a good fiction writer if you like social satire.

The dark Mirror defo looks mean..... great pics 👍

As always,mega fish and write up ! 😬😎🎣

Indeed. I believe that lin is one of Simon's fish. I like an odd one too lol. Believe it or not that fish is 35+ nowadays.

I do love an oddun that one looked like it could've gone huge if it wasn't for the deformaties it was still big, another great weekend and some more stunners to make me miss fishing even more 😁 Great stuff, it will be more special that next capture after lockdown, but wait we must 👍

They certainly are stunning colours on those fish. Quality angling as always and nice to see what I guess are different strains of carp. Top result. 👍

Excellent stuff emmcee some great fish and great stories too

I too had trouble getting through it... his new book "Winterwalk" is supposed to be coming out this year... maybe.... To be honest, if its the same vein as Nightwalk I may give it a miss...

In that case, put your tin hat on, because journalists have no writing skills, do not know how to make a point or even write decent English. Do me a favour, don't write 3 or 4 posts, put it all into one. The grief it causes the moderators and myself having to merge a series of posts into one. As for Terry Hearn, I've been around a bit, never found anyone with one exception who has a bad word to say about Terry Hearn. Many anglers got into carp fishing because of him and his writings. He is not overinflated, does not have an ego, is the nicest guy going. He talks because that is his nature. He shows his enthusiasm for fishing, his writing, his slideshows.

When a fish knows the difference between a 6 and a 4 then I’m off to the golf coarse. 😂😂😬 Stinkymink are you Carpmachine in disguise 🤔🤔😂😂😂

Met Rod a few times, lovely bloke but not a great writer, although the stories were often funny as... I wouldn't put him down as one of the literary greats and neither did he... I finished "Before I Forget" a few weeks ago and it was a laugh, but not a great book... (would have been nice if someone had finished it for him... RIP Rod

Mega fish and Great write up again, can't wait for the next Installment 👍

So I've finally scanned the rest of the pictures from my list in my opening post. So I'll continue with that winter. After catching "Sandy" from my back up swim I went back in there the following friday and I recall not seeing anything so moved to my main swim on the Saturday. Once again that night was very quiet so after packing up I put all remaining bait out on the 3 spots. I recall the long range forecast and it had a proper wet and windy one coming in the following weekend. I was back down again on the Wednesday and I gave it 1kg of boilie on each rod and half a bucket of hemp per spot as well. So the following Friday arrived and I got down my usual time for a friday. True to the forecast and it was certainly a strong wind , very mild and a bit wet. On arrival I saw a fish show about 150yds up the lake. My main swim was bang centre of the bottom bank right at the bottom of the lake and from there I could see 85% of the lake from my swim. The only part I couldn't see was the car park bay. So being encouraged by the sighting and the wind howling I was quite confident. I certainly heard a few crashing out, the wind carrying the sound to me so I wasn't entirely sure how close they were. Seeing that the wind was properly howling now the loose weed that was on the surface around the lake through decay or from being uprooted was blowing into my lines as I'm right on the end of the big south westerly. Back then my Neville alarms were continually beeping through the weed as the wheel would rock back and forth with each wave. 10-30 that evening and the right hand rods single beeps turned into a one noter. Picking the rod up and I recall being flat rodded instantly and the clutch spinning which was done up quite tight due to the odd weed beds that were still around. The fish was feeling heavy and with its power it gave me a proper scrap. To my right was Reed bed which the fish headed for once I got it closer in. Luckily all the weed that had blown down formed a raft before the reed bed and once the fish found that and got covered in weed it stopped fighting. With that ,steady pressure applied and I scooped the lot up. Even with a net full of weed the tail was curved up the side of the net, holy **** this must be a long fish. Get my head torch and peel away the weed and there lying in my net is " the long linear " also known as "Bernie's linear". So I weigh the fish and it's a new PB for me so I sack the fish and go to see my mate. Being the time of year and the big wind the oxygen levels should be high so my mate suggested to sack the fish up until morning. I wasn't so keen but by this time it was near on midnight as I'd cast back out , had a cuppa etc before going to see my mate. I didn't sleep a wink that night worrying about the fish, constantly checking it, making sure it's up right and gills moving etc. As soon as there was a hint of light coming I told my mate to come round. So pictures done and a new PB, catching "Sandy"a couple of weekend's before my poor season was slowly getting better. The rest of the weekend past without a bite. I did see the odd fish but that was it. A few more blank weekends followed this fish. Mid December though and another big wind was forecast. So pre-baiting continued through rain or shine , blanking or catching, the bait would still go in no matter what. This particular weekend I saw fish on the friday again but no joy. The Saturday was to see the wind pick up even more. To the point that I didnt sleep for one minute due to fearing that my bivvy would either be blown away or the tree next to my bivvy would blow over. My Neville alarms were continually beeping , driving me mad so I decided as I wouldn't be getting any sleep I turned them off. Around 3 or 4am the wind eased off just slightly and I crashed out. I was awaken by a phone call, one of the lads up on the back of the wind was calling me. "Hello " I said, all he said was " thank god for that, you're alive". No word of a lie the wind being in my face was that hairy through the night my mate was genuinely concerned for my safety. Phone down and the next thing I hear is my bobbin smacking the butt of my right hand rod. I'd forgot my alarms were off. Pick up the rod expecting the fish to be out to my right and the line pings up through the water and starts heading on a 45degree angle to my left, what the hell. Anyway this is just a solid and unbelievably heavy lump. No line being taken just very slowly moving towards me. A mate further round the lake sees me and comes to see me. Slow steady pressure and all we see is a weed bed the size of my bivvy coming towards me and my line going into the middle of it. Weed bed in the margin and my mate is tearing at the weed bed. All of a sudden a rod length behind the weed bed and from the depths a right kipper swirls on the surface. The line pulls tight as the fish makes a lunge. This weed bed is so big and so entangled my line just isn't coming out of it so I play this fish with my rod top to the weed. I get the fish back in and just within netting range, it rolls on top, its "paw print " and looking huge. Lower the net and it makes one last lunge and with it the line parts at the weed bed. #### absolutely gutted. I had caught this fish before in my first year on there at 32lb but it was most certainly a lot bigger, last out at 39lb so being winter it certainly looked 40 but I'd never know, or would I? ..... to be cont'