Finally managed to get out - first trip since november! Had planned on fishing through the winter, but the lake not being "bendy" for much of it put paid to that. Still, at least it means it's spring and I've got a freezer full of bait to use up!

Got down at the normal time after work, it's great that with spring on the way it's not dark till just after 7 down here so I've got time to get the rods out and see where they are landing! Tony the owner had a walk round, but didn't...

Glorious day down here, so me and dad popped down to dig a bit of bait and go and stand by the sea - won't call it fishing as it was flat calm and not a bit of swell! It was warm too, we went with thermals and goretex etc, but ended up taking it all off!



Never guess it wasn't summer.....

You get about 3-4 hours on this spot depending on the swell, about an hour before low and a couple up. Bait was lug...

Got down for the first time in a couple of weeks, the forecast was dry and mild, it turned out windy, wet and cold by morning!

I fished a part of the lake I haven't fished before, but it's got the deeper water. As it was properly dark by the time I got there, I settled for a big PVA bag of maggots in the margins, 1 a couple of metres short of an island, and with the other rod I cast around until I could find a hard area, over which I fished a snowman over a scattering of baits. Bait...

Managed to get a whole 36 hours in at Furzebray. 5 Takes, 4 fish (so quadrupling the previous efforts!), the biggest of which was a lake record at 29.08! All from the "Plan B" choice of swim too......

Not sure that you can call it a week off though!
Had to go and pick up some maggots for a trip later in the week, so as my daughter had been nagging me that I haven't taken her fishing, I took them down to Stafford Moor for a couple of hours.

It was kept simple, a 5m whip for her, my stalking carp rod for him (though you can't keep him off the whip for long!) and a bit of groundbait. Jay took first dibs as i "hadn't set his rod up yet" and was quickly into the swing...