As expected the dreaded cold has got me, however not allowing it to get me down too much l still managed to venture out a couple of times, although the night sessions were cancelled.

I have still been managing to drop some bait onto my marks at the tench lakes and decided, more to get some fresh air than anything to pop down and chuck a couple of rods out onto the shallower mark. The weather on the Wednesday morning was far from ideal with bright blue skies and an easterly wind, but worse still was the ice that covered the car window at dawn. I didnt arrive early, but did manage to see a few fish move so my confidence lifted slightly. The five-hour period past, and a series of line bites had the adrenalin running and proved that fish were in the vicinity.

Thursday morning was far more appealing, gone were the frosts, replaced with a mild ten degrees over night. Over cast with a nice southerly l headed back down to the Silver Bream water with more specialist methods. After seeing Mick land two whoppers last week the pole stayed at home being replaced by a feeder rod. It gave me a chance to try out the Preston Method mould in which l loaded it up with damp 2mm fin perfect
feed pellets and placed a new Sonubaits 4mm Soft Hooker Pellet within on a short hooklink. Half an hour later my fifth fish turned out to be a personal best silver weighing 2lbs 1oz. Thinking l was on a winner and had found a method that was going to slaughter the place l rushed the photo and regretted this latter as although loads of fish fell to the method including another of 1lbs 15oz, one bigger failed to show. The pellet was alternated with worm and maggot cocktails, which saw around forty greedy perch to 2lbs, hit the net plus the odd carp, tench, roach and seven other silvers over the pound. A great days sport, especially when l arrived late, left early and missed the best times of the day. I can’t wait to get back.

Friday l have to shoot a photography session on Summer Pit with Sam trying for tench so will pop down and pile some bait into the tench lake as well as seeing how Alan Stag is getting on after his first night of three, dedication or what.