Not sure if the weather is in my favour tonight, however you have to be in it to win it.  I have my bait in deeper water, at the back of the wind and hopefully in the warmest part of the lake.

The wind chill is not to pleasant but I am quite sheltered and tucked up in my bivvy.  I have the stove on, the door half down and when the sun is out it’s lovely.

I’ve been playing around with this combination –  FW Miracle berry wafter with a Evolution Carp tackle washed out pink maggot Clusters on a Ronnie Rig and a single 12mm natural pop up on the other rod.

They all have a mix of Betafin Pellets and Particle blend, with a few dead maggots and some Catalyst stix mix to bind it up a bit.  I have put 6 small Spombs on each spot and hopefully it will produce me my first fish of 2018.

Don’t let the blue sky trick you – it’s pretty fresh out.

At around 1545, the left hand rod gave a few bleeps, the swinger pulled up and stayed there.  I was out the door like a whippet and on to my first fish of the year.  After a long fight (and an argument with the right-hand bush, which is normal in this swim), it was safely in the net.

19.11 lb Common, that will do me.  The rod was re-baited and back on the spot.  It was time for a brew and with in less than an hour the same rod was off again.

Which was a nice surprise, I got the rod out on the spot again, did the photos and slipped her back.

This little combination is doing me well today, don’t forget the party mix and the stix.  This is all in the lake and I am hoping for something bigger through the night.

With not a single bleep through the night, it was soon pack up time.

INSIDE

And it was a cold pack up with a very wet and smelly car.  It was nice to drive home and arrived in day light.  Spring is not too far away folks.

Until next time.

Richard

Please subscribe to my Video Diary