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Ha! I’ve been lurking and not contributing for some time now but a new PB is worth sharing….. I’m still on a session at Dinton’s Black Swan as I type this………Arrived at dawn yesterday. Clearly lots of fish still in the big ‘winter bay’ despite being on the back of a big SW. Lapped a couple of times, debating where to plot up with 3 nights ahead. Decided to keep it simple and put my rigs where the fish were actually showing rather than where they might end up…… Cast 3 singles out for drops amongst the emergent Eel grass which they seem so attracted to. Decided to get my head down for a couple of hours-I’d set off at 2.45am. An hour or so later I’m woken by a screaming Neville. Lifted in to a very heavy feeling fish which was dogged rather than spectacular. Worryingly, it hit the surface about 25 yds out and started shaking its head at me as I led it in; with braided mainline I’m always anxious when they do this with no water depth to cushion the lunges. Fortune was on my side and I netted a Common that got larger with every yard I gained. With the assistance of 3 other anglers we weighed and photographed an amazing creature of 53lb 2oz! Blown away!

Caught my first carp of the year this weekend after a winter in which I did next to no angling for one reason or another. The weekend started well with 3 carp and a tench. Another bite resulted in a loss on Saturday morning but it was enough to have me blagging another night. Unfortunately, despite that warm sunshine, that cold easterly had them backing off and without a move on the cards I was stuck camping for the night. Still, a lovely weekend and I just hope I can get back out at some point soon. Here's the best of them. The linear is I think an original, typified by the little melted heart-shaped tail that most of the OG's in this water have. The common is I think a stock fish but no less welcome for it. Clearly one on it's way to being a real biggun.

Back on the res for a 48 hour, on the second night now and off the mark with this one 👍 Hovering just over 25lb 👍

Got out for a night over the bank holiday. The syndi is closed for spawning so I visited a day ticket down in the Nene Valley. It was absolutely rammed as one might expect given the timing, but I managed to find a few carp in a quiet corner. It was dead hot, so I flicked a couple of zigs out just under the surface. It was clear the carp were just sunbathing, so I was expecting to have to wait for the sun to drop behind the trees for any action. So it proved with a take around 19:30 which resulted in a lovely grey linear. Onto the deck for the night and I realised I had a problem – I’d forgotten the spod rod! I found one of those Wolf X-Spod jobbies in my bag (bought it ages ago and never used it) and bodged it onto one of my carp rods. It worked a treat…. those X-Spod thingys are great! I put 2 on the deck and left one up in the water. At 02:30 I was away off the baited spot and a nice little cricket bat common was landed. Re-did the rod and 04:30 saw an awesome chestnut linear landed - worth a pic this one. Photo’s done, I was half expecting that to be it but at 09:00 the zig rod went. It kited to my right past several other anglers and the hook pulled when I over-gunned it trying to stop it. Still, a good sign. In come the rods on the bottom, zigs on all of them, and back out they go. About 10:30 I get another take and another cricket bat common is in the net. I planned to stay a bit longer after that but as the heat increased, I decided I was happy with what I’d had so called it a day. A great little session in the end.

Managed to catch a PB at 35lb 0oz during a 48 hour session. After a quiet first 24 hours, managed to move onto fish and also had a 26-0. Took a CreAmino wafter on a slip-D rig.

Tough week in France, Brothers Lake. Weather was all over the place but not really doing anything, light winds going all over the place and temps freezing one minute, warm the next and regardless of that the fish seemed to migrate into the 2ft shallows every night - so odd. Was expecting to smash it on the dam wall in the deeps 🤷‍♂️. Stupid fish - anyway ended up with 7 to 45 which I said i'd be happy with before the trip. Nice lake and surroundings, would go again, recommend having 2 anglers although you can have 4. Special thanks to our Yonny for the camera advice, the final pic is my last self take with max blur it really pops, thanks mate, getting the hang of it slowly 😎👍

Couple nice ones on caught on solid bags, always good for a quick bite.

Done a mid double common yesterday and just done this one at 17lb 12oz, it's hammering down and my hood wouldn't stay up, it all went wrong 🤣 Anyway it will be my last night tonight, hopefully get another cat 👍

Had this belter this morning 👍 27lb 14oz, first carp from a new complex👍

Got down Fri night about 8pm, 3 of the swims down the windard end were taken and I didn't fancy fitting in between. I thought they might push them out anyway and with cold night temps they might make their way up the other end. Saturday 11am I see the first of around 15 - 20 shows over the course of an hour, some over the rods so wasn't a complete surprise when the left hander pulled up at 1pm. A low double common 12.4lb, female still full of eggs (fish are so behind due to the influx of cold water), so I was made up, another swim caught from and a spot found back in March. Sunday morning, they arrived at 10.30 with one crashing out against the island, then 3 subtle rolls at 11am just short of the rods. 11.15 I'm on the phone and notice the left hangers off and line out the clip but no bleeps whatsoever (no idea), pick up the rod and there's a weight on the other end and weeded up short of the spot, I pull it out and gain 10-20 yards and it's off, hook pull - damn! Interesting it was the left rod both times especially as the fish arrived from right to left. It was the only yellow bait - with corn in the mix so I'll take that forward next session, all 3 on yellow.

Fab weekend on the syndi - chose the windward end on a easterly and felt confident but by dawn I'd only heard one fish crash through the night deep working the bay on my left. I sat it out until 9am but couldn't believe they weren't having it elsewhere so I reeled in and drove to the other end (back of the wind) to see if they had popped up on top after eating down there at first light. After a quick walk about and speaking to the one guy down there it seemed they weren't there so I hurried back vowing to make the most of the spot I had, they just had to be there at some point. Walking back in the swim late morning I see one straight away passing my rods along the margin going into the bay, then another going the other way, I'd made the right choice afterall. I shot up a climbing tree to be greeted by many fish - basking in the sun, some of them proper units - right down the end of the bay sitting in a 5 yard gap between overhanging trees. Over hours I fed mixers into the scum that had gathered up against the reeds and waiting for my chance to wade into the reeds and cast out my hookbaits but fake mixers and cut down boiles were either being rejected or just missed completely. At a loss I went back to the bivvy and got my bag of bagels, a size 4 hook and off for another go. The fish had all but gone by this point but I tried for one in the scum line but quickly lost sight of the bait and that fish drifted away, I felt gutted all those hours feeding and having little casts here and there have lead to nothing. I was about to get out the water when I see one more fish drift in and under the scum line so I put on some fresh bagel and make a cast a couple of feet from the scum. A head pops back out then moves at speed for the bait, smashes it so I guess he's got it, strike and hang on for dear life as it tries to power away but I can't let it go anywhere, it tore through the right tree line but thankfully I just pulled like a mad man and got it back somehow, was lucky as I could feel it crating on the branches several times, proper heart in mouth stuff. Epic battle 26.14 Common in the net, made up. The next day was a real slog waiting all day for that one chance, somehow after not getting it right several times I finally managed to hook one of the stragglers like the day before but sadly lost it to a hook pull just when I felt that I was getting on top of what had been an epic and scary battle. Gutting but loved the trip can't wait to get back - I'm having em FACT - so buzzing for it this year. Best thing of the trip I saw my target fish, must be 4ft long, jet black linear, old as the hills, he's alive and kicking, and he's got some very large friends, more than I knew about. 👀

22lb common caught at 8am this morning

Not sure if I used @yonnyphoto class to its max, but it was piddling down, I had the camera in the bivvy and just went for it. Turned out pretty well I think, Thanks to @Higham1987for the night spodding advice. I redid the rods this morning with a fresh pop up on a classic Elmo spinner rig, fired about 20 more baits with a pult and 10 minutes later this was the result. Naturally I used mollasses in the spod mix and this 29lb 8oz common was the result I had worked so hard for. Confidence is king.

I'm still fishing until Friday. Went quiet today, but had this one at 24lb, 5 rod lengths out this evening, they do like the Monster Crab.

Rod Hutchinson Monster Crab pop-up working again. Proper wake-up call this morning, an absolute screamer from around 40metres out and a clear spot in the weed, so I can fish my preferred running leads, 27lb 8oz

Finally decided to start my river campaign only about 2yrs late! First night last night, one small carp seen cruising along the far reeds, another bigger fish breached and rolled mid channel and I got a few bream and a nice tench from under the bush to the top right of the shot. I spodded 3kg of hemp and 2kg of pellet just upstream and fished a 7 bait stringer over the top with about 50-60 boilies pulted around it. That was the middle rod sorted, the left hand was fished tight to the far reeds in 5ft of water with just a stringer attached. Right rod fished tight to the near margin on a 4ft shelf as a single, with a few broken boilies and a handful of 1mm & 2mm pellets over it. I was worried I’d over done the baiting/spodding on the middle rod, but it was the only one to have any liners or do any bites. Gonna be a challenge this venue, miles upon miles of wild water, an unknown stock of carp (a few come out along this stretch) plus limited and restricted stretches you can night fish stack the odds against me. I can only go to certain places, the carp can go anywhere they like! 🙄

Where I live there is an abundance of disused ,deep quarries,some are barren,and fishless...but a few have some surprises and have held carp and other species for many years .. When you fish these places,you have to think like a miner ,and find the galleries, which are mined ,and step down into unimaginable depths ,find the galleries and you find the patrol routes.. The weather was awful ,I had a river running under my shelter,at one point ,wind,rain,hail,thunder,lightning..and a big fear of falling branches made it interesting..,then all the mica,clay residue gets everywhere...anyway .. I found the marginal gallery, and fished very simple running lead tactics ,using the Ressi specials I use a lot..After the storm had passed ,I seen kingfisher,heard deer rutting,and woodpeckers, nature at its best ..

21lb 12oz common 👍

Off the mark with this mirror at 19lb 8oz, not the species I'm after but I will take it 🤣 nailed it on a size 2 wide gape double 20mm boilie 🤣

Went on a quest for my first catfish this weekend, I lost one the other night as it was steaming towards a bridge, I was felt a bit defeated lol. Anyway I carried on and managed this beauty this morning at 29lb 8oz 👍buzzing 👍👍 Anyway I feel like I got the bug for these things so getting some catfish rods ordered, I now want a bigger one but have learnt I need stronger gear lol. I'm wet and covered in slime, so packing up and going home 🤣 mission complete 👌

Just had this one at 24lb 4oz 👍

50 belachan pop ups and 50 maple pop ups rolled onto 10mm cork balls. the belachan is evil smelling… the wife wouldn’t let me air dry them in the house!

26lb 8oz at first light this morning 👌

Had a short session trip this afternoon 4hrs on the feeder, you can actually see the feeder I was using in one of the pics

Seeing how you all had fancy chairs, I've just ordered the new ridgemonkey umpire chair, it has really telescopic legs powered by a remote control so you can raise it up and look over the lake in comfort, and it drops down in a flash if you get a run, comes complete with rig board, carry bag and it's especially useful for casting zigs. Was expensive though £2019.99

Posting this on behalf of a my great friend Martin, he is fishing a low stocked syndicate lake in south yorks and has finally nudged his pb with this 32lb 5oz lovely common, pb was 29lb 7oz

Couple of shots from my recent 5 night blank on Swan Lake, Bluebell. A case of so near yet so far, the fish were smashing naturals in a tennis court sized area, moved to get the traps closer but chose a bad spot (felt feint gravel but the rods came back with a little silk weed on each) at ranges I shouldn't have been fishing so couldn't check the rods once in place - bad move in hindsight, thought I was being clever. 🤦‍♂️

Back on the res for a few nights 🤙

Gonna have to do this one in stages, but went for a 2 night trip with the kids and the dog, arrived at lunchtime after the usual struggle and then some, but luckily got in a lovely swim with plenty of space for our bivvies I had previous in this swim having fished it last time, although there were people fishing far side so I opted to come shorter, this was a good decision. And had 2 rods on it today. And one on my banker spot. Nothing happened the first night but I had done some good big baiting and had left some line free moments (mainly because I had forgotten cutlery and plates) got back from dog walking and shopping (dog friendly garden centre) and wanged in another 8 spods on each spot, and was quite surprised when it ripped off an hour Later in the afternoon, really scrapped hard this one due to its mega paddle. 22 1/2lb Tbc......

As many will have noticed I havnt been fishing in several months now and probably not more than 4 times in the last 18 months , but this Bank holiday I made the effort , and was truly rewarded. Started with a 33lb Mirror then a 14lb Mirror, followed by a 33lb Common then to finish off the Bank holiday a 44lb Common

I'm honestly blown away! I lost a fish after the 26, where the fish ran over the middle rod, when I recast I didn't check the line and got smashed. I recast it while Michael Hawes was down chatting and just after he left I had the dark 21lb mirror, on a different pop-up, a pink Nutty Bait. I hadn't even sorted that out and had another take, this was 29lb, back on the Monster Crab.

Off the mark with this14lb 12oz common 👍

I had one last weekend, 23lb, first time out with the new rods, and it was the rod with the new reel, (I have disproved the myth about blanking because of new tackle)

21lb common 👍 Done 9 nights in the last 2 weeks, had an amazing time and met some great people 🤙 lost 4 more carp and had a few more bream on the bank 🤣 Went thru 25kg of boilie and 10kg of tigers 🤣 I'm all out of bait now, need to order some more basemix ingredients and get rolling again 👍

25lb common

I'm in this month, a lot of hard work for the result so far. 4 hours of raking and baiting with hemp, sweetcorn and boilies on Thursday, this morning I had one of this years stock fish at 15lb on sweetcorn. It went in in January at 11lb 4oz. I knew there were fish in the area, the young coot that was diving on my baits kept on coming up looking panicked, running away then return to dive again, so the run was not a surprise.

A few out last night for the boy and I

A few hounds caught last night and a tope pup. This was the best hound and my best this year.

the view from the brolly

Had a run and got soaked 🙄

Just had an e-mail from a mate who has booked some trips on a new carp mecca water: We are pleased to announce that Britain's first indoor Carp arena will open in the autumn and we are taking bookings now.The venue is known as Mary’s Pool and the fish were stocked last week and are being fed with high protein boilies and pellets. The facilities will include a fully licenced cafe that offers deliveries and every swim has a cabin with an en-suite toilet and shower, kettle, microwave, air fryer, fridge, toaster and small oven with hobs. Other benefits include rear of swim parking with free EV charging points The 5 acre lake is inside a converted warehouse that has been insulated with thick layers of high efficiency rigid foam and is near Farkham Hall. The high-tech venue circulates the water using a bank of 150 metre ground source heat pumps incorporating oxygen saturation technology and will be kept at an optimum 24 Celsius, which will promote rapid growth of the fish. There will be 100,000 LED lights in the roof that are programmed to give 12 hours of day and night and are graduated to simulate dawn and dusk. There are also 200 wall mounted heated industrial wall fans that are strategically positioned to create an on-shore breeze and the strength of the fans are on a cyclic 360 degree power system so that it will encourage the fish to permanently move and so all swims should contain fish on a regular basis. The roof contains over 2,000 ten metre solar panels and the venue will be carbon neutral. “I’m incredibly excited about this new venture” enthused the owner, Rupert Chudley-Smith. “Thirty specially chosen fish with high growth potential are already in their new environment. They are all triploid fish as the eggs were subjected to heat and pressure shock on fertilisation and as such, they will not have the annual stress of spawning and associated weight loss. There are 10 forties and the rest are high 30’s and have a potential growth rate over 8lb a year and we are looking at UK 80’s within 5 years.” I know it won’t be cheap but after spending £400 on a winter ticket only using it 3 times and blanking every trip due to the weather, I’m sorely tempted.

Sat 22nd Feb - First night on the syndi, nothing seen or heard except the thousands of birds roosting - what a place, love it, fingers crossed for a good year! 🤞

Then I had to wait till 10:30pm for the next action, after some more spods and prepping as well as I could I felt confident, we had an all day breakfast for tea, I heard what could only be described as a pair of idiots walking around the far bank shouting stuff, luckily the girls were asleep, and then just as they were close enough on the far bank my alarm went into a one toner and I was battling with a demon fish and getting heckled at the same time, they run off after never to be heard again. But after thinking it was a catfish for a long time I finally got it in after an issue with my left hand rod, it had done a 50yd run and back before I gained any control, I only got control when it got weeded up but I had to bite the other rod line and reconnect it to get it in the net. Anyway it was a cool one, 27 1/2lb and i had to wake up my daughter for the pics. She loved seeing it though. Then all was quiet after a late night sorting and redoing and a couple of doubts I topped up with the rest of my spod mix and redid my banker rod and moved one back alongside the shorter rod as it was a nice clean channel. I had made the girls breakfast and just served my own sausage and egg sangers, one bite and the middle rod went into meltdown. My daughter netted it about the 3rd time of asking, 27 1/2lb again. Tbc....

Had a whale of a time down at Wraysbury on a social with @greekskiilast week. Between us we had 40 odd bites over 3 days. Conditions were PERFECT. Here's a couple of my faves:

20lb 4oz mirror

The new bait doing justice 🤙 26lb 8oz common 18lb 12oz mirror

Last weekend, same swim, same baiting - all 3 on the yellow, similar conditions. Took the baitboat in case I wanted to fish upto the island and find fishable ground with the sonar, but all this showed me was that my normal spots are deffo the one so left them there for the duration of the session no recasts just a bait top up for the 2nd night. Just a couple crashed all weekend - no feeding activity, got it wrong again lol Need these fish to spawn and be normal - taking forever with this weather. Maybe next time

Not a view from the bivvy door, but I just love how natural and neglected this pit is 🥰