Because of work on my pond and going on holiday at the end of June, I actually didn’t go fishing during June. Last outing was 27th May. To get me back into the fish I decided to go to Fields End, where catching is almost guaranteed.

The reed swim was available and it now sports a new platform as the old gravel-filled base was collapsing.

I hate platforms and after half an hour installed myself at its side, sitting almost in the water in a narrow gap between the platform and the bank side vegetation. It turned out to be a good position as I had a much better sight-line down the reeds to the left and could play the fish away from those reeds more easily.


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I started with my barbel rod and 12lb line having been broken so many times by the first fish in this swim. This worked and I soon had two carp between 4-5lb, one on flake and the other on luncheon meat. Luncheon meat was to prove the bait for the day as bread was being attacked by smaller fish, as was the luncheon meat although to a lesser extent.

I caught throughout the day, as now summarised:

I started off using a sliding weighted waggler, as described in my diary entry of 27th May.

07.25 - Mirror 4¾lb - flake
07.40 - Mirror 4½lb - luncheon meat
08.10 - Mirror 3lb 2oz - luncheon meat

I tried my Hardy Avon with a waggler at this stage but the small rudd were too much of a nuisance. Returning to the barbel rod I lost my waggler; I think a fish dragged the hook into the reeds. I continued using a free-line.

09.45 - Mirror 3¼lb - luncheon meat
10.10 - Tench 3lb 3oz - luncheon meat
10.25 - Tench 3lb 10oz - luncheon meat (picture)
10.35 - Crucian 1½lb - luncheon meat
11.10 - Rudd about ½-¾ - luncheon meat (plus other smaller rudd)

I changed to my compact 10ft float rod with a pellet waggler and biscuits as the chap in the next swim had the fish on the top. I got the fish feeding almost immediately on free offerings but had great difficulty getting them to take a hook bait. Eventually I had some success.

11.50 - Common 4¾lb - biscuit
13.50 - Common 6lb 14oz - floating pellet (picture)
At 14.30 I lost a fish after the hook-hold failed.

The wind had now freshened so I changed to my barbel rod with a light Arsley bomb leger. I started getting bites every cast and some came so quickly that I abandoned using an indicator on the line and instead held the rod and felt for the bites, although some were so powerful as not to need feeling for.

15.15 - Mirror 7lb - luncheon meat
15.30 - Tench 2¾lb - luncheon meat
16.00 - Barbel 4lb 2oz - luncheon meat (picture)
16.20 - Mirror 4lb 14oz - luncheon meat
16.30 - Barbel 2lb 4oz - luncheon meat
17.00 - Common 5¼lb - luncheon meat

I then lost two fish, one after the hook-hold failed and the other in the reeds, where it transferred my hook to a reed stem.

17.55 - Mirror 6lb - luncheon meat
18.25 - Mirror 6lb 2oz - luncheon meat
19.15 - Common 4¾lb - luncheon meat
19.30 - Common 5lb - luncheon meat

At this point I decided to pack up. I had been on the water for 12 hours and although it wouldn't get dark to around 10pm the conditions were not ideal, with the wind freshening.

It was, however, a good day after such a relatively long break, and it has set me up for a more challenging trip where the fish may not be quite as obliging.