Another less than perfect day.

I started at 07.00 and conditions were good, with a light NE breeze that was at my back, making casting and line control reasonably easy. It was colder than it had been but by no means cold. At the reed swim again.

I threw in some feed pellets and rolled-up bread balls while I was tackling up. Starting with a waggler and flake I didn't have any quick positive 'carp' bites. Striking on some less positive bites I felt a couple of fish, and brought back a large fish scale, which suggests the carp were brushing against the line rather than feeding.

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I hooked a fish just after 08.00 but lost it in the reeds. I had changed from centre pin to my old Mitchell 301 (using 8lb main and 6lb hook length) and the clutch was set to loose. At 08.45 I landed my first fish - a 2lb 10oz tench on float-fished flake.

The next few hours were quite dead and there didn't appear to be many fish being caught around the lake. There were some fish on top but these were difficult to tempt and the presence of smaller fish attacking the floating crust didn't help. I also tried floating pellet but the fish were too cautious. Letting the pellet float closer to the reeds produced a firm take only to lose the fish, which broke the 7lb hook length as I tried to stop it burying itself further into the reeds.

I kept alternating float-fished flake/luncheon meat with similar baits free-lined and floating crust/pellet. Finally, just after 3 o'clock I hooked and landed a well-conditioned 7½lb common carp on float-fished flake.

This was to be my last fish! As the afternoon merged into evening sure enough the carp started feeding on the surface, but they were very cautious. Crust was nosed until it disintegrated off the hook and while free pellets were taken, pellet bait was swiftly ejected before the hook could be set. Very, very frustrating.

This is the first season when I've fished the lake regularly and what is becoming clear is that the fish have lost their early year abandon and are now becoming very astute. For the next trip I will tie some proper hair-rigs with bait bands to try to improve bait presentation. I've been lazy up to now with pellets simply attached to the hook direct with a bait band but clearly this is now a far too coarse an approach. Until next week then.