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I managed to nip down for a cheeky midweek day sesh yesterday. My pre-baited area is still not happening which is really disappointing but that didn't stop me doing whatever I could to catch one of those old originals. I managed to keep track of the fish as they clearly reacted to a brand new south westerly. A well placed pop up with about 30 freebies did the trick and I was very happy to land another old'n. Really nice long fish. A repeat, but I could never be disappointed with a carp that's older than me.

August has been kind, let's hope September continues the theme 🙏

On Thursday I popped over to the res on one of my weekly baiting trips, with a day sesh due on the Friday. As soon as I arrived I just knew I'd struggle to sleep that night (due to excitement for the next day). It looked absolutely BANGING, there is just no other word for it. I saw a couple of carp show, and there was fizzing on my spot. It was almost a shame to ruin it by chucking spombs all over the place but that's what I was there for so that's what I did. At home afterwards the Mrs got a right earful about how confident I was, what I was going to catch, etc etc. Poor girl lol. I did

Had one this morning just as I was about to pack up for work. Not massive, guess around 18lb. 1st one this year from this lake.

Just had a pb. Tench 9lb 7oz Let's hope the carp are nearby.

A couple of my highlights from this weekend 😁

23lb12oz and I really need a haircut shows off my hair island 🏝️🏝️😂

14lb 8oz Shame about my face 🤣🤣

Tonight I will mostly be sleeping in a bush lol. Baited up last night with chickpeas and already seen a show over the bait. Fingers crossed.

18lb on the nose.... PB too... This was not slipping away.

Had a go at an arty rod shot with my camera the other day 😁

Shop's open for business... love the new(ish) bivvy... tons of room...👍

There isn't a lot of point going if you aren't positive about it, I was gutted to leave earlier it felt good for a bite but the kids had had enough, I think I may have accidently hit a rolling carp with a catapulted boilie 😕 Going to smash em next time though 👍😁

Lack of rod shot 😁

Slightly off topic but I gave some kids a night to remember. I was all night barbel fishing right out in the sticks when at 3 in the morning I heard some kids on the far bank coming down from half a mile away singing what could be described as "racist rugby songs". When they got opposite to where I was fishing, I dipped my isotope underwater and let out a piercing werewolf howl! They absolutely crapped their selves and and a few more howls had them running away. Well worth disturbing the swim I was fishing at the time and I dare say tales of the "Beast of Wiltshire" still get told!

Hopefully lol it’s looking good I’ve seen a few signs they are in the area

Another blank but still learned a few more bits of the puzzle

Not a carp but a nice fish all the same... Always nice to get a late season Tinca

Lol, the swear filter thought I was being racist 😂

Day sesh yesterday went brilliantly, 3 carp including one of the real big originals. And the baited area finally did me a bite! Will put some pics up when I get the time on Monday.

This is the 11lbers tail 20lb4oz both sides The 15lber I regret not getting a proper photo with And the stunning 17lb blank saver Not a bad weekends work, shame about the other 3 nil pointers though, but a lot happier than before the 17lber this morning, I am convinced that first one I lost last night was one of the bigger ones, we will never know though so I will just have to try and catch it again sometime 😉

Well is this going to be the day, I'm excited, nervous, tense, worried that the spot I've been baiting for a month will be taken when I get there, I can but try and pray it is free , it feels ready and I need to be there, bait is prepped, done some fresh rigs, charged everything, I will be getting there as soon as I can, praying those fish that visited the other day are keen for another feed, I feel a bit like braveheart ready for battle 😁 Now I've just got to get there, littlun has a stay and play at school then I'm hoping to sneak out this afternoon, this is what it is all about the buz

I keep thinking this is the one this weekend, every weekend I think that lol, when is one of those bigguns going to get netted? . surely I havent used up all my lives and they have slipped my grasp, I'm getting proper addicted at the moment, I want to be there all the time, I am buzzing like an old fridge, because I am going today to try and tempt one, I have an overnighter locked and loaded, just the usual anxiety that the swim is available now, just need the green light from Mrs P and I'm away they saw bait Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday this week, cos I am letting my foot off the gas,

1st 15lb one looked a lot darker in real life This one was a real scaly one, I had an occurance on my rods 😁 2 hook pulls though need some fine tuning I think this week, especially as I've had a few lately and lost a couple of real good uns 😢

Good decision to come this morning got a nice dark one in the retainer 😁 Not a massive one but pleasing on the eye 👁️

All coming together nicely, I like the sound of a REAL BIG ORIGINAL 😁 Well done Yonny 👍 I've often been tempted to try a water shot lol but I'm usually on my own, so don't bother, I would always get one on land first just incase, you will have to catch a bigger one mate keep your chin up there is still time for more 👍

Just had 17lb Common... Weighed... wriggled off mat..Good job 2 mates here to witness it... 😭😭😭😭

Hopefully a good 12hrs day sesh...

Few hrs with 2 mates, 8 fish between us (nothing massive)... I had 3 fish Mate 1-3 fish, Mate 2 - 2 fish.. I had the biggest 13lb 7oz.

20lb 4oz lovely colours again though I seem constantly amazed how big twenties are still, I did think it was a mid 20 at least till I weighed it, if I ever catch a 30 I will think its a shark, hope one slips up soon 😁 3 20s in 3 overnighters I can take that though happy days

Advanta headtorch as my Nash fell to bits after nearly 20 years..... stuff hardly lasts anymore does it....???

1/2 pint of maggots 2 disgorgers 1 bath eel and one bath perch and a flameproof lighter 😁 The bath eel is going to school as my littlun is starting tomorrow and she is putting it in her all about me box, 👍

Looks carpy 😉

Mine was free I won it on carpolgy website. The bed, 5 season system and pillow, excellent bit of kit. 😁👍

Sonik Vader X 2 Rod Pod Sonik Gaiter

Run out of time on the end, had to settle for a Consolation breakfast from mcdonalds I think I am done in that swim for now its been nice while it lasted but I feel like I know it too well lol, I thought that this morning when grabbing my rod and lead in the standard way to avoid the over hanging tree after wrapping up the rod, I've become too comfortable and have stopped looking elsewhere, it's good to know but I need to delve deeper to find the bigguns, I can always revisit at times but I don't want to end up just going through the motions, I've had a nice run and had 11 carp to

I’ve realise after reading this and looking at the great pics I need to go fishing... so just got off the phone to postpone a decorating job and me and a mate are off to Linear for a 48hr on the 28th of this month. .... Thanks Yonny

Imo pulling the lead back is the kiss of death. There is a significant chance you'll foul or even blunt the hook, regardless of what substrate you're fishing over. The obvious answer is to go to a heli set-up with the top bead set to cope with any of the substrates out there. You mentioned that everyone is doing this - there is a reason for that. By all means keep your options open in terms of differentiating yourself from others, but make sure you have the very basics (presentation of a bait to a carp) right first. You're over-thinking it imo mate. This water sounds tricky enough

Yay Congrats mate on the PB great stuff really chuffed for you 👍

Sounds like you've got them rocking with 3 fish last night. I wouldn't be slowing it down. If you can't fish then fair enough but try and keep the bait going in. It's only going to get better at this time of year.

I made one out of an old water bottle 😂 Had a 15lb mirror in the night just did literally one mat shot and I had an occurance on my middle rod so I quickly put it back and struck into nothing,feel a bit bad this morning that I couldn't be bothered to photo it properly,although it had managed managed to take 2 rods off the dancefloor I managed to get one back on last night, 1but a quiet night after that, redone them all this morning and had a couple of savage liners, so there is hope still Just when I wrote that last bit the rod ripped off and there is now a chunky mirror in the net

Cheers buddy, hope you get out soon, Its weird I took my time setting up bivvy first , got everything ready, 4 casts to get 3 rods out, my catapulting couldn't have gone much better, I've seen signs, loads of fizzing to the left in the weed, if it doesn't happen tonight I may cry, I don't think I could've done that all much better tbh, even my reel handles are pretty straight 😁 I had best have a cuppa I think One just crashed out in the weed about 1 rod length behind the spot 👀👀

I did a slightly unusual defrost last week added a couple of cups of boiling water and glugged them at the same time and left them overnight,not. Enough water to cover them but enough to leave some excess, i was quite pleased with the result tbh bit washed out but oozing with gloopy stinky goodness then I soaked up the excess with pellets 😁

Mine isn't going as well as I'd hoped. We're still seeing serious issues with algae, the fish aint acting themselves. Despite that the naturals have exploded this year (last week I bought 17 x caddis back on one hook bait 😲). There's too many tench/bream to bait with naturals so that's out of the question. I'm putting hardly any boilie in my mix as I'm not convinced my spot is being visited with any regularity and I don't want the spot going sour. Instead I'm just putting bits in that can be cleared up by anything. Conditions are improving which will help no end but the weeks are ticking by an