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26th December 2007

Another Year Over

Well here we are again. Another fishing year over and what a year it's been! Between us, in 21 matches with an average of 11 anglers per match, we have:

• caught 10,215 lbs of fish which is a NEW CLUB RECORD and 3% up on last years record year
• caught an average of nearly 47 lbs of fish per angler per outing
• 3 of us caught over 1,000 lbs of fish each, and there were others not far behind
• broken, or set, 13 Club Venue Records
• raised £1,153 for ChildLine

There have been many individual achievements of note during the year including first wins for Bob Gaylard and Dave Barr but one angler has stood head and shoulders above the rest of us. I mean, of course, Bob Edwards. During the year he has:

• caught 1,768 lbs of fish
• won 11 matches including 8 in succession
• set 8 Club Venue Records
• won an Angling Times Advanced - Van den Eynde Weekly Clubman Award for catching 225-8-8 at Sumners Ponds in November
• won the Lee Green Angling Club Champions Trophy for the 4th year in succession
• won the Lee Green Angling Club Silverfish Trophy with 62-8-8 at Elphicks
• won numerous other Lee Green Angling Club trophies

That is quite an achievement by any standards. As the person who travels with him the most, I can also say that he has also been an all round P.I.T.A. (just kidding). I can also tell you the secret of his success. Put simply it is preparation, preparation, preparation. He spends more time preparing than most of us spend fishing! Well done Bob.

As for myself? Well I have had my best years fishing ever! After last years poor showing I was determined to do better this year and decided to get some education from the best and you cannot get much better than 4 times World Champion, Bob Nudd. Our outing in February was a turning point for me and I came back more convinced than ever that I could do better.

Thanks also to some great support from Bob E and Mark, I have managed to win the Pairs Trophy with (and thanks to) my partner Mark, win 2 matches in succession and break 2 Club Venue Records in the process, come 3rd in the club championship (behind Bob E and Mark), come 3rd in the club Individual Knockout (again behind Bob E and Mark), and to lift a couple of other trophies as well. Most of this has been down to plenty of preparation and hard work. I have also been fortunate enough to be able to field test Bob E's groundbait mix which has certainly produced when others haven't. Before anybody asks, I don't know what is in it. I just know it works.

BUT the most important and enjoyable part of the whole year is that everybody had fun and made sure that others did as well. There is nothing worse than having a good day yourself and then being surrounded by glum faces and that doesn't happen at Lee Green. I have always found that if you do well everybody is pleased for you.

As for the year to come? We have booked some great venues, and a few that we don't know so well but have a good reputation. I am even more determined to do better than this year. If I don't it wont be for lack of trying but I do know that I am going to enjoy it and I am sure that everybody else will as well.

Tight Lines

The Edge

16th December 2007

Coach House Lake, Nupers Hatch, Stapleford Abbotts, Essex

This is a smashing little lake and always gives us good sport in the Winter even when we have to break the ice and this year was no exception.

Everbody caught, some better than others, and everybody agreed that it made a very pleasant change from catching cotchells of carp all day, especially those fortunate enough to latch into some of the quality goldfish that are present.

I managed to give everybody 75 minutes head start because I overslept, and missed Florrie's breakfast, but even so I had a very pleasant day catching good quality roach including one of 14 ounces.

The match was eventually won by Bob Edwards with 38-2-0 which just broke his match record for the lake by 2 ounces and gave him his 11th win of the season. A fantastic achievement in itself. Those of us who managed to squeeze in a win or two during the course of the season count ourselves lucky.

The Edge

9th December 2007

Holme Grange Reservoir, Wokingham, Berkshire

We have been looking forward to our match here for quite a while as it has good reputation even in the colder months. A visit by 4 of the members in recent weeks had confirmed that there are some good carp in here with lots of silverfish as backup.

The weather forecast was high wind and squally showers which fortunately was wrong because we thankfully didn't get too much wind although we did get a bit of a soaking.

I was drawn in one of the swims which had been fished on the test day so it was at least a known quantity. On one side I had Bob E who had fished the swim on the test day, and on my other side was Dave who is my closest rival for 3rd place in the Club Championship. Fortunately I started catching carp from the off although I noticed that Dave was as well. Elsewhere it seemed a bit quieter.

Having caught steadily all morning I was rather disturbed to see that whilst Dave was still catching steadily my swim had rather dried up as far as the carp were concerned and I had about 2 hours where I couldn't buy a bite from a carp. After going through every bait I had with me I finally managed to get them feeding again but a bit too late to stop Dave winning the match, his first win with us and well deserved.

Everybody else caught but overall the results were a bit disappointing even considering the weather.

The Edge

18th November 2007

Park Farm Moat, Stanhope, Kent

One of our main priorities when selecting places to fish is that the sport should be as even as possible so that everyone taking part has an equal chance dependant on their abilities. Unfortunately this lake does not live up to that standard.

Whilst apparently it was always a good winter fishery, but nowadays if you are not drawn in permanent pegs 1 to 3 then you may as well give up after the first hour or so because the fish mostly just stop feeding. This was amply shown today when some fish were caught in the first 2 hours but after that they were very few and far between.

I arrived late and was still setting up for most of the early part of the match and in the end had just one bite which resulted in a carp of 3-14-8 and 5th place. Most of the others were not so lucky! I have never known a match where so many of the anglers packed up so early, me included.

However I must give hearty congratulations to our Chairman, Bob Gaylard, who won his first ever match with a splendid catch of 53-1-0 from peg 1. It was quite appropriate really because the match was being fished for the Chairman's Shield. Very well done Bob.

The Edge

4th November 2007

Sumner's Ponds, Barns Green, Sussex

Several of the members had been to this new venue to us in the weeks leading up to this match and all the indications that this was going to be a match to remember with 100+lb necessary to frame.  The weather leading up to the match had been quite mild but with an overnight chill.

The weather on Sunday was much the same, especially once the sun came out.  Unfortunately the fishing was not.  For once I managed to get an end peg so I was pretty hopeful although I wasn't pleased to hear that there had been a match on the Saturday, especially when we were told that the 4 anglers in the area I was fishing had over 100 lbs each.  Saturday matches can really kill off the sport on the following day.

I managed to get a carp and a few small silvers out in the first couple of hours but it definitely not living up to expectations except in one or two pegs.  As usual Bob  E was giving us his usual demonstration of how to fish but elsewhere it was very patchy.

In the end Bob E weighed in a superb 225-8-8 with Dave coming second with 72-13-0.  It was downhill from thereon in.

New member Martin McGuire, a convert from carp fishing, managed a creditable 23-2-0 and 7th place knocking a few of the more familiar names down a bit.  We will have to watch him!

All in all it's quite a nice fishery.  All the fish were in excellent condition and fought well.

Along the way Bob E won the final of our Captains Shield competition where he was up against Mark who had a very of form day.

Next match is at Park Farm Moat and if previous results are anything to go by, anything could happen.

The Edge

21st October 2007

Hookstead

The least said about this match the better.  A heavy overnight frost looked very pretty but left the fish in no mood for feeding on either lake even though the sun was shining brightly for most of the day.  A total match weight of 39-2-0 says it all.

Congratulations again to John who demonstrated that persistence pays off.

The Edge

7th October 2007

Arran's Lake, House Side

In our match at Arran's this time last year we had an incredible match where the total weight was over 1500 lbs so we were all really looking forward to this one.

The day started out quite chilly and took a while to warm up.  The fish took even longer to get going and by mid-day it was looking as though it was going to be a pretty barren days fishing.  We had all caught but it was much slower than we had hoped for, however, in the afternoon things livened up considerably and at the weigh-in, seven of us had caught over 100 lbs. with top honours going to Bob E, again, with over 170 lbs.  Roll on December when he has his knee op. so we can all have a chance.  He has been almost unstoppable this year.  It was really good to see Dave weighing in his first 'ton' since joining us with 133-8-0.  Well done Dave.

We have now fished 16 of our 21 matches this season so I thought it would be a good time to have a look at how things are progressing.

Bob E and Mark are running away with the Champions League  with me hanging on like grim death to 3rd place with Biagio and Dave hot on my heels.  Maureen and Bob G are close behind them and John is making a late run on the rails with two 'tons' on the trot.  Realistically Mark is the only one placed to possibly beat Bob E and put a new name on the trophy.  It's going to be a near run thing all the way to the wire.

The Pairs Competition is over, won by Mark with yours truly in support.

The Singles Knockout competition finished at this match, won by Bob E with Mark 2nd and me trailing in 3rd.

The last round of the Singles Handicap competition is just getting started and looks like it could be a close run thing.

The really nice thing about this is that all our fishing is done with great camaraderie.  Everybody is pleased for you if you do well and will do all they can to help out if you need it.  It's a great shame that not all clubs are the same.

All in all there are some excellent performances coming in from a lot of people.  We are currently 8% ahead of our total catch at this time last year so there is a very good chance of us breaking the 10,000 lb barrier for the season and setting another new club record.  Who knows, it could be next time out.

The Edge

23rd September 2007

Private Lake, Horsmonden

Unfortunately only 6 people were able to fish this match due to holidays and illness etc and too many things to do prevented me from posting a report at the time but I couldn't let it go by without expressing my hearty congratulations to John Noonan for an excellent win with 131-2-0 which very nearly broke our club venue record of 135-11-8.

John hasn't enjoyed the best of health lately and his fishing has suffered as a result, but it looks as though he is once again a force to be reckoned with.

The Edge

9th September 2007

Oast Farm, Buxted

As always I was looking forward to our trip to Buxted especially after our last visit.  Bob 'Golden Hand' managed to draw the peg he won the previous match from and I got the peg next door where Mark had come second.  Unfortunately the lake fished rather differently and, while Bob still managed to win his 6th match on the trot, I could only manage 6th place in spite of having the largest fish on the day - carp of 13-0-0 and 13-12-0.

Biagio put in a very creditable effort to come 2nd by only a few pounds while Mark came 3rd.

This meant that I have been knocked out of at least one competition and I have got to work quite a bit harder to stand a chance in those remaining.

Next match is at Horsmonden and anything could happen. 

Tight lines

The Edge

2nd September 2007

Manor Farm, Headcorn

I make no bones about it, I do not like this fishery.  In fact the first time I fished a match here, I packed up after about an hour and went to one of my other clubs lakes where I caught my first 'ton' of carp.

Unfortunately it was necessary for me to fish this match because it was the final leg of our Pairs Competition which Mark and I were leading by about 45 lbs from Bob E and John.  The good part about it from our point of view was that the catches here are usually so poor that it would be difficult for us to be caught.  On the other hand it is so 'peggy' that nothing could be certain if the draw went against us.  Bob managed to draw one of the few decent pegs in the lake and the rest of us got average draws but at least we were on the right side of the lake.

The fishing lived up to my expectations with the small carp just about playing ball, until lunch time anyway.  The silverfish were feeding steadily in my swim so I concentrated on them with the occasional reasonable roach making an appearance but mostly perch about 4 cm long.  I did finally catch a 2-12-0 bream to brighten things up a bit, but a total weight of 22-6-0 in 8 hours says it all.

Mark faired only slightly better so it was a bit of a nail biter but despite a valiant effort by Bob, who won his 5th match in a row with 70-6-0, Mark and I managed to win the Pairs by less than 10 lbs.  A very close run thing when you consider that between the 4 of us we caught a total of 1,183 lbs over the 3 matches of the final.

I hope that common sense prevails and that this was our last visit to Manor Farm.  It was certainly mine.

The Edge

12th August 2007

Chart Lake

I had never fished here before but by all accounts there was some good fishing to be had but, as I am fairly well placed in most of the competitions, I thought it would be a good idea to try it out beforehand so I organised a trip down there about 10 days before with Bob E.  After picking a couple of swims about the middle of the swims we had booked for the match we started catching and didn't stop all day, catching on just about any bait we put under their noses.  We were anticipating some big catches on the day.

By chance I managed to draw the same swim I had practised on so I got to work with great anticipation which is more than I can say for young Jack who after a heavy night the night before gave up after one small roach and slept it off in the car for the rest of the day.

As is usual, the lake fished very differently on the day of the match, and while the fish were coming out in fairly large quantities, they were a lot more cautious than on our practice day.

Bob E managed to draw an end peg, again, and proceeded to empty the lake, closely followed by Bryan and Mark.  I managed to come 5th with 82-2-0 which was a lot short of what I had wanted but still an enjoyable days fishing on a very well cared for fishery.  That's Bob's 4th match win in a row.  Its about time we put a stop to that.

Next match is at Manor Farm.  Not one of my favourites but Mark and I need to defend, or better still extend, a 45 lb lead to win the Pairs Competition.  Could be interesting.

The Edge

29th July 2007

Oast Farm, Buxted

I've always liked this fishery but it wasn't until I looked back at last years results that I realised that last year I set a new personal best match weight here of 121-6-0 while coming in second. I'm not quite sure how that got past me when I was reviewing 2006.

Anyway once I had found that out I approached the match with renewed vigour, particularly as I'm in the running in a few competitions at the moment. I prepared more bait and tackle than I have for a very long time.

The weather was kind to us and we actually had sunshine all day for the first time in weeks. The banks were dry and the platforms secure and the fishing was even better. I gave everybody my usual 10 minutes start - one day I will be ready when the whistle goes - and first cast on the feeder had a carp of about 4 lbs swiftly followed by a few of it's smaller brothers. I did eventually finish setting up my pole for some close in work but in the end gave it up as a bad job because as fast as I got the float in the water, I had another bite on the feeder.

At 1am I started using my second keepnet because it was obvious that the silverfish weren't going to get a look in. After that the fishing got even better with lots of carp around the 2lb mark. Although I could see plenty of fish coming out around the lake I was pretty sure that I was in with a shout.

In the end that man Edwards won again with a new Club Venue Record of 195-0-0 - and the Golden Peg again - Mark was second with 181-8-0 and I grabbed third place with 161-4-0 - another personal best - and Maureen was fourth with 108-2-0. There were lots of other good weights and even last place had 34-8-0 which under other circumstances would have been quite acceptable.

We are back here in September. I can't wait.

The Edge

15th July 2007

A12 Cuton Lakes, near Chelmsford, Essex

In the interests of marital harmony, I usually don't fish on the Sunday after our return from Bridgnorth but this year was a bit different.  With my partner Mark we are well in contention in the Pairs competition and, as I had already missed one match in the current round, I felt obligated to do my bit.  I'm also in contention in the Singles Knockout and Handicap competitions so I had lots to fish for.

A12 Cuton Lakes are new to us this year but they have a good reputation for bags of carp, bream and small silverfish so we were all quite excited at the prospect of some good catches but unfortunately the changeable weather had apparently messed with the fish's feeding habits and it all turned into a bit of a grueller.

I managed to come in 2nd behind Bob E and therefore kept my hopes alive in all the competitions so I felt that my decision to fish was vindicated even though I now face the prospect of some, long overdue, decorating indoors to keep the wife happy.

The Edge

7th to 14th July 2007

Bridgnorth

Saturday 7th July marked the start of our now traditional pilgrimage to Bridgnorth for a weeks fishing.  Unfortunately somebody had spilt a substance all over the M40 near Birmingham and our usual 4-5 hour journey turned into an epic 9 hours so we didn't arrive until after 5pm and then found that, despite the booking having been made over a year earlier, some of the rooms had been double booked.  Oh joy!  You may hear more of this later.

Because of the heavy rain over the last few weeks the Severn was well up on it's normal level but despite this Bryan and Biagio fished the river anyway and were rewarded for their efforts by several catches of barbel during the week. 

Several of us decided to spend a few days on some of the excellent commercial fisheries until the river level had fallen a little but eventually I managed to catch 4 barbel up to about 4 lbs. 

Mark decided to spend the last day, when it rained non-stop from 8am to 5pm on the river and managed to make a brilliant catch of some very fit barbel.  I had originally planned to spend the day with him but chickened out because of the weather.  Oh well there's always next year.

When I get the photos I'll post some of them on the site.

Despite the problems with the accommodation we managed to have a brilliant week and have already booked, elsewhere, for next year.  I'm already counting the days.

The Edge

1st July 2007

Leggats Lake, near East Grinstead

After all the bad weather we have had, nobody was quite sure what to expect here, especially as the forecast was for more rain and wind.  As it turned out the wind kept up for most of the day but the rain was restricted to a few heavy showers.  Just enough to make you get your brolly out before it stopped.  That assumed that you hadn't left your brolly brackets at home of course, as I had.  The sun even put in some prolonged appearances so it definitely wasn't cold.

I even managed to get what I thought was quite a reasonable draw down in the left hand corner with the wind blowing straight at me.  Not the most comfortable position but promising anyway.  Unfortunately, despite catching steadily all morning, the fish decided at about lunchtime that they had had enough and I hardly saw a fish all afternoon.

Bob Edwards managed to set a new Club Venue Record with 77-1-0 and I could only manage 8th place with 21-1-8.  I wish I knew how Bob manages it with his dodgy knee and back. Most of us struggle enough without those handicaps. Oh well.  Better luck next time.

The Edge

17th June 2007

Frant - Lake 6

It's a few years since I fished at Frant and I had been really looking forward to it but unfortunately, while everybody else was on their way to Sussex, I was travelling in the opposite direction for an exhibition at Harrogate in Yorkshire.

I'd had to apologise to my pairs partner Mark for letting him down but I needn't have worried. He did a brilliant job on his own. Not only did he win the match by a very large margin but he managed to keep us ahead in the Pairs as well. He also managed to set a new Club Venue Record at the same time.

I haven't heard all the gory details yet, as I have only just returned, but as soon as I have I'll update the match report.

Well done Mark!

The Edge

3rd June 2007

Moat Lake, Newland Hall, Roxwell, Essex

Newland Hall is a venue we all look forward to because of the prolific catches of carp which are a regular feature of our visits.  This year was no exception.

Fishing in the afternoon tended to be better with several of us catching over 2/3rd of our fish in the afternoon. The first four places all caught well over the magic ton.

After 2 first places in succession I was not surprised to come down the field a bit in 6th place with over 87lbs but at least I didn't break any expensive tackle this time out and, thanks to a sterling effort by Mark, we managed to qualify in top place for the next round of the Pairs Championship.

This is a bit of an expensive venue for us to fish but I'm sure we will be back.

The Edge

20th May 2007

Sandwich Lake, Elphicks Fishery, Horsmonden, Kent

The first time I went to Elphicks it blew a gale and rained heavily all day.  The wind was so strong that it was virtually impossible to use an umbrella so most of us got soaked.  It's not surprising then that this is not my favourite venue, especially as the weathermen had been forecasting similar weather all week.  They got it wrong! Again!  Brilliant sunshine and a gentle breeze all day.  Thank goodness.

I got a draw around the back side of the lake which is very shallow and generally unproductive on the float but at least I had fished it before so I new the ropes.  The swims around the back are on timber platforms which is fine but, why do fisheries rarely make provision for you to secure keep nets on platforms?

The day didn't start well.  I managed to break the tip on my favourite Daiwa Connoisseur float rod.  A bit later I broke the No. 5 section on my pole, and for the hat-trick I broke a landing net handle.  Deep Joy.  I am still recovering from the cost of replacing the breakages at Tyler's Common.

Anyway I started catching consistently on the feeder, apart from a short spell about midday, and realised that I was in contention.  My main worry was that apparently Dave and Biagio were also catching steadily and they were out of my site around the other side of the island.  Biagio has won our last 2 matches here so he obviously knows the water.  He also caught a carp of 16-4-0 which was very worrying.

He was the first to weigh-in with 70-3-0 and was obviously well in contention.  I new it was going to be tight.  There were some good weights all around the lake.  Maureen had a mixed bag for 67-1-0.  Bob E had 62-8-8 of silverfish.  Dave had 55-13-0 and Bob G and Mark both had catches in the high forties.  This was going to be close.  I had to weigh my fish in 3 batches and a bit of quick mental arithmetic told me that Biagio had won again but after several recounts it turned out that I had 73-8-0 and first place. 

Wow!  Two matches on the trot.  This is the kind of habit I like.  Now if I could just stop breaking expensive tackle .........

The Edge

29th April 2007

ChildLine Charity Match, Horseshoe Lake, Tyler's Common

As this was the first Charity Match we have held for some time we were all anxious to ensure a good day.  The weather forecast promised sunshine and 25 degrees,  Wrong as usual.  Shivering, overcast and windy was more like it, at least until the sun finally put in an appearance at about 3pm but by then I didn't really care because I had been catching small carp steadily all day and knew that I was in with a chance.

I was pretty sure that I was ahead of all those around me but I couldn't see anybody walking around which is usually a sign that everybody is catching so I paid an unusual amount of interest in the weigh-in especially when I heard that Maureen had a possible 'ton'.

Come the final reckoning I was delighted to discover that I had won by over 10lbs with 69-10-8 which, I have just discovered, is a new club venue record. 

Even better is that my Pairs partner Mark had come 3rd with 56-10-0 which puts us well in contention.

But better still is that in the process we have raised a few hundred pounds for ChildLine.  I'll let you know exactly how much when the final figures are in.

I've only got one problem.  What do I do with the bottle of champagne I had bought for the winner?  No doubt my wife will help me out there.

The Edge

22nd April 2007

Park Farm Moat

After the dire match we had here last year I was really dreading this one but the weather forecast was good and, for once, accurate.

I made my usual sedate job of setting up and gave everybody a 10 minute start but didn't really mind even when people started pulling out fish before my line was even wet.  I was though a bit dismayed when I found that the tree I was sitting under proved to be such a sun-block that after the first very pleasant 30 mins. I spent the rest of the day shivering in it's shadow while most of the others were basking in the suns rays.

When I eventually did get started I soon found that the only place I could consistently get a bite was within 6 inches of the far bank and that the only way to manage that was on the pole.  At least I only had to fish at 12 metres all day.  Some of the others had to fish at 16 metres and with much less to show for their efforts.

Entertainment for the day was provided by Bob E who almost spent more time in the tree next to him than he did fishing.  Didn't stop him winning though.  There's no doubt about it, if you put a good angler in a good end swim he will find a way to get the fish out.

Me.  I finished 5th with 33-14-8 which was a lot more than I had expected after nearly falling asleep about lunchtime when the fishing went off for a while.

Overall it fished a lot better than last time but I'm still not sure about it and it could certainly use some toilets.

The Edge

8th April 2007

Arrans Lake, House Side

This is a very prolific fishery with lots of hard fighting carp up to about 12lbs plus lots of small silvers.  One problem with this is that they don't like you keeping anything over 5lbs in the net so it can get very irritating when you are on fish because you have to keep weighing in individual fish.  We also have a midday weigh-in so that the nets don't get overfull.  Our total catch there last April was over 380lbs with top weight being over 67lbs but it seemed obvious to me that we were going to need to do the ton in order to frame this time around.  How right I was.

I got everything set up nicely and was just going to make a final adjustment when there was this sickening crack.  I had just broken the 3rd section of my pole.  "Oh bother" I said, "that's a nuisance".  Well that's a rough translation anyway. 

One thing that I learnt from Bob Nudd is that he always attacks the swim so I decided that this had to be my tactic for the day.  I had armed myself with plenty of pellet, paste, sweetcorn, maggots and groundbait and, apart from the feeder out in the middle of the lake I was fishing close in for the silvers and feeding in the margins for later on.  Fortunately I started catching carp on the feeder almost straight away with a steady flow of small silvers close in.  Further up the bank I could see others catching steadily but there were a lot of puzzled stares as well.

Come the midday weigh in and I had over 50lbs and was not disgracing myself for a change.

After the short break things had changed quite a bit and the carp I had been catching on the feeder had drifted off to my left so I decided to try the margins which I had been feeding all morning.  Nothing.  Back to snatching small silvers and hope that the carp drift back again which fortunately they did.

Apart from a particularly lively carp in the landing net which snapped the quiver tip on my rod before I could release the clutch ("Oh good!").  The afternoon was pretty uneventful for me.  Meanwhile, along the bank, I could see a steady stream of larger carp being weighed in.

Come the last whistle and I was unhooking a carp which I had landed about 5 seconds earlier.  Oh well I had done my best.  I thought that I was probably in the top half of the field but was delighted when I found out that I had actually weighed in 103-8-0 and come 2nd to Bob Edwards who had 160-2-8.  Well done Bob.  That last gasp carp had pushed me up one place and over the ton.

Our total weight for the day was a tad under 800lbs, more than double last years total with only 2 more anglers.  Brilliant.  Well done everybody.

If we carry on catching at this rate we will top 23,000lbs of fish this season which would be absolutely incredible when compared to last seasons total of 9908-15-8 which was in itself miles up on the previous year.

The really nice thing for me is how everybody is always really pleased for you when you have a good day even if they have had a bad one themselves. They really are a great bunch. Thanks guys.

The Edge

25th March 2007

Tylers Common - Ash Lake

This was my first visit to Tylers Common and I had heard good things about it.  A couple of members had fished it a couple of weeks earlier and had really good sport.  For those who don't know the venue, there are 4 lakes next to the local sewerage farm.  It is very open with little or no trees and vegetation.  Not the kind of place to fish in windy weather.

When we arrived it was very calm and misty but that soon changed and I ended fishing into the teeth of a strong diagonal wind all day.  You had to nail everything down otherwise it just disappeared.  By 10am I had already had enough and would have left if I hadn't had Jack with me on his first outing of the season.

In the end I managed to grab a surprising 5th place with 22-10-0 so I suppose I got it right somewhere down the line.  I just hope it's not as windy when we have our Charity Match there on 29th April.

The Edge

11th March 2007

Private Lake near Horsmonden, Kent

Our first match of the season and I had really been looking forward to it.  Although the weather leading up to it had been a bit "iffy", the weather on the day was good with plenty of sunshine but still a bit nippy even in the sun.

Unfortunately the water was still pretty cold and the carp were mostly not interested in feeding except for Mark Beard who won with 32-9-0.  At the other end of the scale I managed to come 11th out of 12 with 7-5-0 from a known decent swim.  Not the kind of start to the season I had been hoping for.

The Edge

Valentines Day 2007

Masterclass with Bob Nudd

I haven't had a chance to go fishing since our last match of the season at Nupers Hatch.  Bad weather and ill health had spoilt the days out I had arranged but there was no way that I was going to miss my outing on Valentine's Day.  It was arranged back in November as a birthday present from my wife and son who, as usual were at a loss to know what to get me.  In the end my wife suggested what was certainly the best birthday present I have ever had.  A days fishing with Bob Nudd!

It couldn't have been easier to organise.  Just an email to his website and a few days later my phone rang as I got in from work.  Probably one of my customers with a late order I thought.  I nearly choked when the voice at the other end said "Hello Ian, it's Bob Nudd".  I was certainly caught off guard.  Anyway after I had got the cotton wool out of my mouth we arranged the outing for Valentine's Day at Pisces Lakes, Welney in Cambridgeshire.  My immediate reaction was "What a nice bloke".

As the great day due near I was keeping a close eye on the weather in the hope that we wouldn't have any more snow or torrential rain although frankly I would still have gone even if we had to go through 10 foot snowdrifts and break 6" of ice.  Come the day and it was pouring with rain all the way there but, apart from a 40 mile detour around a road only 1/2 mile from our destination which had flooded overnight, the journey was mercifully uneventful.  Better still as we arrived the rain stopped and we didn't have another drop all day.

I should explain that I had asked Mark Beard to come with me.  Bob is happy for you to take a mate along and Mark spent many frustrating hours getting me fishing to a reasonably competent standard when I first started fishing again about 20 years ago so it was nice to be able to repay him in some way.

Anyway after the introductions and a walk round the 4 beautiful lakes, which are only available to residents of the site, we settled into a swim that was big enough for us to sit side by side with Bob in the middle so that he could easier instruct and look after us.  After cupping in some ground bait (we know the formula but if you think I'm telling you, you had better think again) he kept a steady flow of red maggots and ground bait going in all day. 

The maggots were some of the best I have ever seen and come from Ouse Valley Bait Co.  Unfortunately they only supply the trade but if you know a tackle shop that is supplied by them then you are dead lucky.

We had all thought that small silver fish would be our main quarry but how wrong we were.  After a bit of a slow start when we did catch a few silvers, my swim went very quiet although Mark was catching some skimmers.  It took about 15 mins. before the 6 lb carp, that was scaring off the smaller fish in my swim, finally took the bait.  That's more like it.  Then the bigger bream moved in.

For the next 3 to 4 hours we had a steady flow of fish, many of them bream to about 3 1/2 lb and everyone in tip top condition, mostly caught on single or double red maggot.  Then the sun came out and the fish decided that they didn't want to play much any more.

Mark and I ended up with about 60 lb of fish between us, mostly bream but with 3 carp and a few roach.  I think it was about honours even although he will probably dispute that.  Not a bad catch for the time of year.

But none of that mattered.  We had had a brilliant days fishing with one of the nicest people I have ever had the privilege to meet.  No questions were out of bounds.  Everything was clearly and patiently explained and we have some great photographs and memories that will stay with us for a lifetime.  He's not called "Gentleman Bob" without good cause.  Personally I think it should be "Sir Bob Nudd"

If any of you fancy a days fishing with Bob Nudd MBE and 4 times World Champion then click on the link to his website on the left of the page.  There are several options available and I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

The Edge

1st January 2007

Looking Forward to the New Season

We had such a good season in 2006 that it is difficult to look forward to 2007 without being really excited by the prospect.  I am sure that we will break the 10,000 lb barrier and along the way enjoy some really exciting sport and friendship.

For myself, I would just like to be a bit more consistent.  The number of last places I had in 2006 was a source of huge frustration.  It would also help if I could fish a few more matches...   ... and then there's Bridgnorth in July...

Have a Happy, Prosperous and Healthy New Year Everyone.  I look forward to seeing you at the waters edge.

Tight lines.

The Edge