Well it's been a while since I last blogged, mainly because I had a couple of trips that deserved an article so that took priority.

Graham's retirement do has made me think (probably due to too much alcohol) and I've realised that I'm becoming obsessed with barbel which is not a healthy state of affairs. During the session at Boundary I had a decent bream of...

I can only take so much carp fishing. I think I maxed out on it in the 70s and early 80s and now it doesn't take many trips to get my mind drifting on to other fish. My usual tench water has been dyed a rich, deep aquamarine blue (thanks Leeds and District, maybe a steady stream of pink dye into Asenby will make it look nice) so I was at a bit of a loss until Adam Perkin...

My commercial odyssey continues.... I'd heard good reports of Raker Lakes at Wheldrake so I decided to give it a go. First impressions were good with well maintained mature lakes which offered some nice secluded swims. I plumped for Acorn Lake which is the furthest from the car park and set off on my mammoth 200 yard trek.

Only 3 other anglers had risked a heart...

The conversation went something like this:

"What you fishing for mister?"

"Carp."

"But you've not got carp rods."

I showed him the writing on the butt of my rod.

"Why's it made of wood and who's this Mark guy? Is he famous?"

I contemplated throwing...

Not too far from where I live the earth is flat. It is a place of huge skies, roaring winds and far horizons. It's just to the right of Doncaster looking North. These northern fens don't quite have the cachet of their southern cousins, but they can offer fishing just as good.

Caught in the no-mans land between the end of the river season and the start...