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Managed a couple from Bluebell's Swan Lake and lost what would have been a large catfish, mussels in the weed getting people cut off unfortunately. Will be going back soon 😎👍

Well I am joining the July Party with the One and only BOX COMMON 😍 After my prebaiting efforts of the prior week, I arrived to find the chosen swim in use. I had a big long look around and couldn't really decide, one of my friends was having a cheeky stalking session and after a chat with him I decided to set up in "no carp corner" a couple up from my prebaited zone but I said I would wait til he had finished stalking before I thrashed the water with the MARKER FLOAT 😳 Got the bivvy up sorted the rods out and once a tench had destroyed his chances I found 3 niceish silty clear spots that felt pretty smooth, just got 2 rods baited and ready to go, when the phone rings, my wife has a car in limp mode about 20 miles away, eventually I realise I am going to have to save them. Leave my gear set up and it's to the rescue, had to drive it home and they went in my car, head back to the lake. it's about 6pm now 2 of the spots are fairly close to one another, so go with one each side of the marker rod. All 3 proper jobs on spinners the best rig for the job, then I catapult a good couple of kilos of boilies around the area. Nice it was only when I went to do the 3rd rod I realised I hadn't checked the pop up on the middle rod before I cast it out, I sorted my left rod out first cast to float then sent out the boat with a big heap of home made particles and some boilies, I left the middle rod for a while but the nagging won, it was nearly dark by then so I thought balls I'll send it out in the boat with a healthy dose of particles 😂 Nothing through the night and slept like a baby. Woke up to a nice sunrise, made a cuppa and was just settling back down for a little doze, when the middle rod (the one I had redone) burst into action, at first I thought it was a tench as there was little resistance then I caught up with it and I thought possibly a small carp, then I saw it, mid double common, bit of a tussle under the rod tip but thankfully I didn't realise what it was til I looked in the net and I thought that's a wide mid double. And it grew and grew until I said that's pretty blooming massive. Unhooked it and put it in the sling for a rest and got my bits together and put the rod back out etc. Asked my neighbour to come and take some photos for me he got some great ones, weighed it first 36lb it was then I knew I had the one, The Box Common, the biggest common in the lake and the one I thought I had previously lost, the one I chose to use a nut bait for this year and the one I thought I would probably never catch. But I blooming well did 🎉🎉🎉 down in weight a bit after spawning but I don't mind I am still buzzing 😂 Happy flipping days.

Decided to try and fish one of the new lakes on the complex this year, first time out had a walk round and found the motherload of the fish all tucked away and chilling had to barrow through a swamp and lots of flooded pathways but when my rod ripped off this morning I knew it was worth it, what I realised pretty quickly though was it felt pretty heavy, when I saw it I knew it was quite heavy, I chucked my other rod in the reeds and made sure I wasn't going to lose it by playing it as delicately as I could, I needn't have worried it was nailed on the ever faithful spinner rig, as I sit here contemplating what just happened I've realised I still haven't had a proper cuppa yet today so kettle on and chill time. 31lb not bad for a first night on a new lake 😊

Quick overnighter last night, set up in “catfish corner” at Hawkhurst main lake (swim 6) and baited the island margin with the new improved boilies I make at home, as it got dark, I had a strange twitchy run, when I struck, there was nothing there, but the lead had moved about 20ft to the left, I was holding the rod watching it kite across but the strike came up empty, still early days! Next run produced a 16lb common that flapped out of my arms and landed cleanly in the lake without a picture! Still the wonders of self timing photography! I then lost a fish when my right hand rod one noted, but it kited right around the back of a small island and slipped the hook, but you can’t win them all. I then had a savage drop back that produced an 18lb mutant common carp one only it’s mother could love! Next take was a bit odd, I had a twitchy run, one or two bleeps then nothing, when I got out to investigate , I found the clutch spinning and the bobbin jammed against the neville, preventing the roller from spinning! I struck, I could feel a weight, but it didn’t feel “attached” if that makes any sense, I ended up with my rig in the tip ring and loads of old line running into the lake - I’d picked up a trailer, so started hand lining it in, but the fish slipped the hook about 5yrds out, shame it couldn’t do that earlier rather than dragging this big ball of line and twigs about. As I was dozing off, another twitchy take developed into a one toner - I’d moved the butt eye to just in front of the buzzer, so the bobbin couldn’t jam in it again, which made all the difference, this resulted in a 16lb catfish it went through my other rod meaning a total retackle of both as it was a twisted mess of tubing, leads and catfish slime! I finally got both rods out fishing again and tried to get some sleep, it was nearly 6am by now… at 8am the left hand rod melted off, a powerful fight saw me being ran all over the lake, as the take just one noted from the off, I hoped a big carp was responsible, but another catfish was the result, going 28lb. I’m now lounging on the cocoon bedchair contemplating a wet and soggy wrap up in the rain! I’ll give it 30min I think…

Just back from an overnighter 2nd uk 40 and pb of 42lb 14oz

Bit of a looker from a social on the awesome Wraysbury 1.

After a couple of blanks recently I managed to get back amongst them, hopefully there’s more to follow.🤞

Managed to get out for an overnighter on Friday. A little syndi water I joined last year. I managed a night in September and lost one in the weed which was a bit rubbish. Not had the chance to fish it again until Friday so I was buzzing to be back. Anyway..... it was quite busy when I turned up. Managed to find the carp pretty quickly, shoaled up in front of a swim that was taken 👎. Closest I could get was a swim down the way which was v tricky to get to. Loads of mud and puddles 6 inches deep meant that not many were prepared to fish it. On go the waders and I manage to get my barrow there eventually. The swim itself was underwater so it wasn't the most comfortable session. Found a spot for the brolly back behind some trees which was muddy but doable. The swim was weedy as anything but managed to find a couple of little spots. Choddy but clear enough for a pop-up. The rods went out nicely and I put 2 spods over each rod. Not much happened in the day but I saw enough signs to think the night would give me a chance. Popped a couple more spods over each spot ready for the evening ahead and settled down for the night. Sometime in the night I started to get liners on the right hand spot so was pretty confident of a bite. Couple of hours later off it went and a nice little mirror ended up in the net just before first light. A lovely little fully scaled thing. Thirty mins later the liners started on the left hand rod so I was expecting another but it just didn't materialise. Disappointing but hey, I'd just caught my first from the water so can't complain. Showed the kipper pic to the syndi group and no-one recognised it. One chap said he might have had it on opening night in the 2015 season (!) so it looks like it's a rare'n. Not a biggun but a very, very pretty fish. Not sure when I can get back now which is a shame as I really like the place despite all the mud!

Reporting from the social, I decided to move on Saturday morning had a walk round with Dale and decided it was best, I moved into Bogmageddon and after a slog with the barrow, fannied about and found some spots, it soon became apparent I had made the right call when I saw one bosh to my left, then another to my right, got the rods tried to throwing stick some boilies out as I managed to lose my spod in a shimano faulty bail arm incident, that the others didn't rinse me for at all 😂 Of course within minutes there were a flock of seagulls trying to eat every last one. But I figured I has some in the zone, within an hour I had a weird bite lifted One bleep dropped right back then lifted again, and I was in, went right to get behind an island then went left to get behind another, then wstsyed deep to try and lose me over the massive plateau betwixt us, but I got it over, it tried to go through all my lines and eventually I netted the beast of bogmageddon, all 27 and a half lbs of it, Leon (commonly) came to assist with the photos and as actually managed to make me smile for one 😬 As I write it's lashing down the swim looks like a wet Glastonbury and I'm not looking forward to packing up but it's been fun and eventful, maybe time for another but it doesn't seem as likely today, hopefully I've pushed them down for Leon to have a busy night tonight.

Got out today... over me club lake... a nice scrappy common got in on the act and gave me a good tear up all the way in from about 30 yards out... Rod was a 9'3" Sharpe, reel is an Abu 77 Cardinal, had a smaller carp which didn't stay still long enough for a shot... also had the scabbiest Bream in the lake...🥴

I recently snuck in for a cheeky overnighter, Didn't get there til 6pm found some ripples cast a marker float and spooked one off the spot then just went with 2 rods minimum fuss, just a cast and an underarm plop and a few handfuls/pouchfuls of reaper nut mix, just after sun rise my left hand rod was away, lifted into it walked back away from the pads, went through some weed and had an annoying pendulum of slime on the leader knot but I eventually won the battle 27lb 12oz, job done packed up a lot happier.

After an 8 month hiatus from catching fish I was more than pleased to get the net under this pair last weekend. Caught off two different spots which was satisfying the bottom one fought like a big fish too, really slow and ploddy and stayed deep, if I had lost it I would've sworn it was a monster.

This morning was busy with 3 takes off 2 different spots. Back home now planning my next session.

A common from early this morning, over 24 hours left. Another full moon tonight 🌕

Nice to be woken up to this little 19lber. Not often I get in a catch report.

Just back from 3 nights on Kingy Sunday till Weds, was tough going as always, tried the margins, out in the middle, bottom presentations, adjustable zigs but not a touch, then a sighting on Tues afternoon meant another change and some jungle warfare. I got done on the last night but reset the rod early morning and when the sun came out late morning I managed a 2nd take having to jump down from the tree and run in fully clothed and wade out to fight my prize. First time I've jumped from a tree to a take, and being right at last knockings made it a mega buzz. 28.10 of old knarly mirror, perfect!

Managed this lump last thursday, (Sites been offline so couldn't post... Invalid cert) Christened my new Korum mat bag in style, I had no scales but my buddy had it out at 26lb in april... a real scrapper had the handle creaking on my 8' Sharpe...

Is June a quiet month? I'm shell-shocked, I've just had my first ever 30lb common, beating my previous common best by 2lb. Those Rod Hutchinson Infusion Naturalz producing on the Multi-rig.

Am I starting something in May? I set up in 'my' baited swim on Tuesday, but after a blank night felt a move was in order. Another blank last night, but today I had fish showing so stayed where I was. Got swanned out on 1 rod, but the left hand in the shallower water by the island margins was left alone. Had a rather nice take on a little RH Infusion Naturalz as the sun set. This little fella at 20lb 2oz was stocked in January at 17.

Best one of a three fish hit on a midweek sesh. 👌🎣

Did a quick overnighter on my winter estate lake last night, wind hacking into my face, mild night, overcast with showers on and off. This lake is a typical mixed fishery, rather than an out and out carp fishery, but has a good head of carp to 25lb(ish) the frogs were active in the margins, a sign spring is springing. I had a hectic night, with 14 carp landed plus 2 bream from 18 takes, a few low doubles, a smattering of singles and a couple of 20s to top it off. 15lb 20lb ghostie 22lb 14lb

Had this cracking mirror after a move for the last night on the social at Ashmire Fishery. What a cracking venue, would love to go back there. Great company really enjoyed it, thanks to everyone who came along and got tangled up in my dogs cable lead, you're all good at skipping! 🤦‍♂️🤣

Buzzing 👊 had this little beaut within 15 minutes of getting the rods out. Was just about to put the first spomb out and it ripped off. Real strong fighting fish, wondered what I hooked into at first 🤣 anyway lads I'm off the mark 👌👌👌

22.5lb 👌 😂

Hot day, blazing sunshine, fishing very slow but I managed a 15lber my son also managed a low double hard work though

picture doesn't do it justice but the scales did say just under 20 🤣

Recently joined a syndicate in Newbury , run by Mark Simmonds and Kev White, and what a fantastic well run syndicate ,0ne lake 19 acres and the other around 6 acres ,The syndicate being called Carptonic . I have had a few fish ,but was fortunate enough to catch one of the big ones, named the FFS Mirror @ 33:11 a month or so ago. Sitting on a bucket is so much easier for photographs ,😁

Reward for working the adjustable zigs, after a frustrating 1st 24hrs I finally found a combo that bought a take on the 2nd afternnon, triple NS1 8mm black, pink and white. 2.5 feet under in 20 feet of water. Get in!

Just back from a 48hr social at Fenland fisheries. Great venue, choice of lakes, facilities and takeaways nearby. A slow start for me, finally bringing in a couple of chunks on day two, to save the blank. Fitting to have red, white and blue R3's for a coronation capture!

Caught a new club water, 2lb even... delighted🥰😍

My son joined me, he had 4. 20lb on the nose 18lb

last session of the season on the estate lake off to pastures new come June 16th

Same swim, 2 weeks later. I've been putting bait in when I leave, and although I had a walk around didn't see anything to make me want to go anywhere else. Last week I did have 2 tench over the bait, biggest an estimated 5lb

Back down for another 3-4 nights potentially, picked back of the wind based on what I saw last trip and after setting up I saw several shows to my surprise, showing me where to put the rods, fingers crossed might get lucky - think I've dropped right on them unless they're passing through, some chunks to - fingers crossed 🤞

1st trip of the year to the syndi, looks like a blank but you never know 🤞

A trip down the river... caught nowt...😒

Caught this one yesterday on a quick day session. Beat me up on the way in and on the mat also 😅

I think it's fair to say none of us would be very good influencers/bloggers. Not sure why, but I think this maybe my longest write up. Sorry if I'm waffling on. Hopefully one of the others can fill in some of the gaps?? So, we arrived Friday morning to glorious weather, carp showing all around the horseshoe shaped lake. A bit disappointed to discover we would need our own boat to get to the island swim. Walked the lake a few times, and did a draw. Surprisingly, we drew 1-5 numerically.?? It seemed a good omen. In 2nd place I was lucky enough to pick one of the favoured swims. It had a bit of everything, overhanging trees in the margins, 2 channels opening into the rear of the lake, off the back of the island with a long chuck of around 20 wraps. Rods set up, time for the marker to find some spots. Oh! Every chuck for the first 20 minutes plugged in thick blanket & Canadian weed. When I say plugged, I had to line the rod up with the lead and walk backwards?? This wasn't going to be as easy as I'd first thought. Luckily it was clear in the channel to my left around the lillies, so put a bit of bait out & a rod on each side of the channel. I flicked around a light lead with 1 ft zig on the 3rd rod to try and pick off the fish that had been fizzing in the swim. @kevtaylor went in next to me on the gate swim, with the road bank to himself. Fish showing at range, but not safe to fish for them due to the channel & island. Rods out, set up camp, sun was out. Just messaged the others how nice it was to do a bit of sunbathing & it poured down for half hour😄 We ordered the kebabs that Elmo kindly went to collect, had quick munch, beer and a chat. Then back to matter in hand. Elmo had a mid double that night, fishing in the garden swim on the opposite side of the lake to me. Well done mate. Next morning, no shows in front of me so I went for a wander. @chillfactor had a small tench & similar issues with the weed, that we were told was upto 8 ft deep!!!! @dalej2014 was having a nap, so went round to see Elmo. Interesting to watch his approach with the boat and Deeper. As far as I could tell, the baitboat was a very effective way to fish this venue. I could just see @chillfactorwith a nice bend in his rod, so made my way back to see his capture. Which turned out to be another little tench with 10 times its weight in weed. Headed back to my swim with Elmo to find @kevtaylor bent into a lovely looking mid double mirror. Nice one. We ordered fish n chips, delivered to the gate. Chewed over a few stories between us and thoughts for the night ahead. I had a lead around at the long chuck and found a clear spot. Put 2 rods out there and about a kilo of chops. Woke up Sunday about 6.30, looked around. Beep, pause then a screamer, the bobbin hit the rod hard and I soon had the 19lber on the long chuck. It was an unusual scrap as the fish tried to bury itself in the weed. But I had a good hook hold and soon had it in the net. It was a big relief having been in the favoured swim and not caught yet. Everyone had had a carp (or tench) by then. Elmo & @dalej2014 were heading home that day and everything went really quiet. The wind had picked up & changed direction. That was enough to make @kevtaylor & @chillfactor make the move to the middle of the lake. @kevtaylor had quick payback with his mid 20 cracker. Well done sir👍& thanks for getting out of bed to take a few pics of my fish. I didn't have much activity in front of me and considered moving, but felt it was silly to move having caught this morning. So I continued to keep the chops going in every few hours on the long chuck, occasionally a sprinkling on my margin rod. The lads had spotted an otter causing havoc at their part of the lake at dusk. I was woken around midnight to a screamer on my margin rod. Without my head torch I proceeded to trip over my other 2 rods and grab the screamer. I had a lovely bend in the rod, but something felt strange. Rubbing almost. I played the fish until I saw the surrender of his mouth out of the water. I couldn't quite net it??? I jumped in and scooped the net under the fish. I could then see that during the fight my line had wrapped around an overhanging branch. Fish secure I cut the line. Quick weigh up without my glasses looked around 14lb. Quick mat shot, didn't seem fair to wake anyone up for this little fella. All quiet for therest of the night and morning. I had small fish showing on the long chuck, but no bites. Slow pack up and home for dinner time. It was the first time on this type of social for me. It was kind of like meeting up with old mates after so many years on the forum. I'd definitely go again, take care gents and be lucky!

14 lber late last night. Mat shot as I don't do self takes & didn't want to disturb the others for this little one. Last few hours fishing, so hoping to meet his granny🤞

My little contribution to the weekends captures along with a tench. Sadly I blanked last night, no wonder the pub chucked at a showing fish mesh bag didn't produce the goods came in looking like that, Cracking weekend though, lovely lake, good to share it with some of you guys, hopefully will get to have a return match sometime. Good luck tonight guys, hope you catch a few more belters. 👍🤞🤞

Another session on Kingy, took over a corner swim Sunday in the scorching sun and the banker rod was sorted straight away with big numbers of whackers chilling out under the willows. Baiting pole coming in very handy, pushing a rig under the canopy. Right rod went next to the pads. Middle rod out on an adjustable zig 1ft under the surface. Early evening one mouthed a leaf just underarm distance right in front of me so I fired some mixers out in the hope of getting something going. The rain came and the mixers kept going out but with just one greedy fish it was hard, he mouthed the fake mixer a couple of times but didnt like it. I swapped back to the adjustable zig and set it at around 1.5ft under, kept the mixers going in and just when a couple more fish joined in I was away. A good fight as it tried to reach the marginal trees but thankfully it went in the net. At 29.2 it was a good start, but the smile faded when I realised it was a repeat from a few weeks ago - unreal! I got a better picture though and no blank. Next 2 days the fish were in those snags just feet from my rig but no take, no surprise as it gets fished almost daily, weather became unsettled and no more surface interest. A very exciting trip again, love watching fish in trees, could do it all day.

Right lads, I can’t say that this write-up will be anything like my usual slog of a session (I was limited to one swim on a social after all), but it’s a great opportunity to review the venue which was the island on W1 South Lake. Let me start by saying it’s hands down the best social venue I’ve fished. Absolutely brilliant place. It’s not cheap so not best suited to regular trips, but as a special occasion or a bit of a treat it’s awesome. Me and five of my pals arrived at midday as required by the venue rules and crossed the bridge to the island. First thing we did was take a tour of the island which holds a fire pit with benches, an undercover area with BBQ, tables, worktops, electric points, a fridge, wood, and coal. About as luxurious as you’ll find in the UK. There are 5 swims around the island, well-spaced to avoid anglers interfering with each other. Three of the swims offer open water fishing, one has its own bay, and the other faces another island. All of them have access to funky margin spots so between them you have access to all types of fishing. Something for everyone. We did several laps in preparation for the swim draw and spotted the odd fish round the whole island. Numbers were drawn from a hat and 1st place really struggled to choose. All the swims looked good, and the consensus was that we’d all be happy in any swim. I came out of the draw 3rd and got my first-choice swim which was swim number 3, an area of open water facing southeast. As there were 6 of us, 2 had to double up which isn’t so much of a problem in that 3 swims are double swims. The afternoon was spent leading around to find spots and this did take time. It’s a very weedy lake and I’d say not suited to anyone that’s not seasoned in fishing heavy weed. With all those leads flying about we kind of knew that a take on day 1 was unlikely and so it proved as the carp we were seeing went to ground. Hardly any sightings for the rest of the day. With all that said, I was lucky in that my first cast found the spot I wanted to fish. A bit deep for this time of year at ~13ft but nice and solid, and surrounded by weed. Line lay was brutal due to fishing over a bank of weed bigger than my house but hey, needs must. So, with rods sorted we open the beers, chill out, crank up the bbq and light the fire. As the sun goes down, we do the odd lap to soak in the atmosphere and check for signs of carp. I did spot one off the back of my spot, so I was confident. The night was tricky for some of the group and a couple of takes got lost due to hook pulls in the weed. The sun came up and tbh I couldn’t believe I hadn’t had a take, such was my confidence the previous night. It was 08:30 by the time my right-hand buzzer finally told me a carp had made a mistake, so I consequently picked up the rod and beasted this carp over the majority of the weed and played it out under the tip where I could keep an eye on it. After 10 mins plodding about in the margin, I scooped it up and had a quick peek. It was a minter, black along the back, chestnut flanks, with half linear scaling. I secured the net and called for my mate but as soon as he came over his buzzer went into over-drive, and he had to leg it back to swim number 1 to have his moment. His was another cracking mirror with irregular linear scaling, and we got to share the moment with the lads as we held a photo session in the morning sun. Brekky time so we got the BBQ on and let rip. Another pal lost a fish in the weed at 11am which was disappointing, but it meant that every swim had done a bite which was promising for the next 24 hrs. We chilled for the day, redid the rods, and swim number 2 did the next fish at around 7pm. Another dark coloured linear. The quality of these fish is right up there. As we headed into darkness, I was a little concerned that I wasn’t seeing anything of interest in swim 3, and I was kind of expecting a blank night. So it proved but the action continued elsewhere with one more lost and 2 more banked by the lads. One was a nice fat black linear mirror and the other a gnarly little fully scaled mirror. By 10am we were due to leave, and we were already planning next years trip. Action had been consistent (although I do think that now we know the swims/spots we’d probably have quite a few more on the next trip). All swims did bites, and the fish were well spread out. Not great for competitive feeding, but great to give everyone a decent chance of a take. The quality of the fishing is good, but it’s the quality of the fish themselves that really sets the place apart. The majority of the fish are quite young but to look at you’d think they’ve been there forever. All black and scaley and awesome. So, to summarise: excellent place, great facilities, pretty swims, nice and secluded, good fishing and GREAT fish. Too pricey for a regular venue, but as a treat: awesome.

23lb on the nose, felt like I hooked into a submarine 😂

One from a recent session.

The boy and I managed one each yesterday, both had hook pulls from cats playing with the baits

Had a few of these on me hols in Docklow

6 and a bit will do for me today. The over half a year blank is over 🤯🎉🎉 They were literally ripping it out of me for hours this morning, topping, fizzing and making me think my rigs were broken etc etc etc. When finally it went into meltdown and tore through a good few pads along the way, I'm off the mark, come on the carps, bloke next door had a 32lber this morning that was a lovely fish I want one of those next please 🙏

Just got set up. Lovely little venue. Nice to put names to faced on the social