Amazingly on Sunday, for the first time in ages, l managed to wet a line, even if it was only for less than an hour, however when targeting probably just one roach in the swim the more bites l can get the better, as sooner or later she should slip up. Unfortunately l did manage a bite straight away but for reasons l cannot explain my hooklink broke without even feeling any resistance. I then headed downstream as looking into the roach hole all l could see was one small trout. Thinking that l might have been thrown a red herring, l tried a pool downstream, but the same result came along in the shape of two three-pound chub.

In the evening l dropped in on Frensham to bait up, much to the annoyance of my girlfriend who wanted to get home to watch Dancing on Ice, as you can imagine, l took my time!

The weather was ideal on Monday and l hoped for a big hit of rudd at Frensham as the southwest wind had been constant for quite a few days, albeit dropping in strength. The temperature was also holding up and within minutes of casting out l was playing a tench. The action then slowed, however as darkness fell l did see a big rudd come completely out of the water right over my baited spot. An hour into darkness the bobbins started to move and by 9.30pm I’d managed another four tench plus five rudd with maybe a scrapper two amongst them, but it was obvious that the best of the rudd action had past.

High pressure on Tuesday created the perfect day to complete a couple of articles for European publications and organise the perch tackle for a trip to Cemex Westhampnett on Wednesday.

Wednesday saw an early departure, however due to the odd mishap on the way we never cast our rods out till around 9pm. The first swims drew a blank before a move to another area produced eight perch which included six two-pounders and two three’s, the best being a new personal best of 3lb 8oz to my dad.

Thursday it was back to FBP but the tench were ravenous. Adrian had warned me about them; taking ten the evening before and within thirty seconds the first was hooked. A brief spell in which three modest rudd fell raised my hopes but it was short lived and the tench continuously came. At 9pm and with a total of fourteen tench it was time to call it a day. Last winter we had to reduce the amount of Sonubaits Hemp we were introducing because it was so good that it seemed to pull in tench from miles, looks like we will have to do it again.

Friday was a guiding day, and repeat customer Martin wanted an introduction to predator fishing and with the temperature being so mild it was off To Old Bury Hill. Arriving at 2pm, it took Martin all of two minutes to get his first bite that produced his first ever zander and weighing 5lb 13oz. Another zander came shortly afterwards which indicated that we might be in for another red-letter day but it wasn’t to be as sport tailed of. It was on dusk, after a move to another swim that bought the next bite. This time it was another personal best in the form of a big pike and shortly after this a zander of 6lb 11oz came along making it three best in a session! Dad had also come along and managed one zander of around 7lb 8oz. Martin was really impressed with the Korum Neoteric rods that l had set him up with and commented how enjoyable it was to play such fish on such forgiving rods.