''Will you''

With the new season looming, are you making plans already. Perhaps to try a new approach, new bait, or different venue? And if so will that be based on last seasons results. In other words, is the learning curve still progressing.

Iv'e just made a long watersythe to do some weed clearing on a venue close to me in order to run a float thro. I'd do it now but a pound to a penny someone would be in the swim on opening day before me.

At the end of each fishing session I tend to spend about 10 minutes thinking back over the day, the baits and methods used and evaluating the results (usually over that last cup of tea or coffee) and then try to take that into my next session.

I really have found that I seem to think more clearly at the water side rather than wait until I have driven home.

My fishing year however does follow a distinct pattern as I don't fish for coarse species during the Close Season preferring to fly fish for those months, and then again on into late July as my local rivers tend not to fish that well so early in the new season.

So, while the pattern doesn't change I still try to learn new things from each visit, or maybe just to reaffirm those that I already knew.

I shall be spending far more time on the river in pursuit of the huge stripeys instead of barbel, I know where they reside and I've reviewed a few things from last season based on experiences to date.

As long as I'm on the river I don't really mind to be honest.

Back to where it all started for me, 20+ acre water that holds lots of Roach including some big ones, it will be interesting to find out if the old methods and baits work as well as they used to and how much the topography of the lake has changed. looking forward to it.

I really can't say I alter much, my methods change according to the weather/seasons.
I fish a numbers of different ponds where the tactics alter but the pond I fish on any day dictates what methods
I know exactly what I'm going to do when I chose which water to fish and bait is dictated by the water.
I consider myself too long in the tooth to learn anything new. It's not that I think I know it all but I can get into enough trouble knowing what I think I know. I don't think anything is new just rejigged old methods.
I do fish differently to how I used to fish like the slow sinker but even that is only fishing on the drop.

Yep I am counting the days to return to my old nemesis, The Wandle.

I've had good results there in the past with dace and my 9oz pb comes from there, but I'm damned if I can ever catch Wandle chub or barbel. I know they are there as I've seen them and one Fishbrain member always does well catching chub, barbel and trout.

So that's my mission. I've got some new tactics sorted, swims scoped out just 23 days to go.