rav
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let the games beginthought id do one of these, never doen it before but here goes.
ill start it off with a quick rundown of the venue ive been fishing for a past few weeks. its a deep lake, alot of it is over 30ft deep. loads of features, gravel bars, silt channels, the margins  . and a fish a session is pretty good going.
well i started off 2 weeks ago, i planned a night and day over there. i was pretty sure how to go about it bait wise and rig wise. i turned up at 11am on a tuesday morning. had a look around and the fish were not at all visible, i walked for a good 3 hours before i saw somehing to go on. a fish crashed down the car park end so thats were i started off. i quickly went about getting the rods out, i trickled them down each margin and put a handfull of boilies over each rod. sorted.
time went on and nothing happened, i had no confidence at all to be honest. as i spoke to one of the bailiffs i saw a fish roll over the opposite end of the lake. then another. i said if i see another show im moving, as i said it, 'splosh' the rods were in, the barrow loaded and i quickly made my way round the other side. it became evident as soon as i arrived a few fish were out infornt. rods ready, down under the bushes each side of the swim. i was real confident of a bite. the day worn on and nothing had happened. i just couldnt place my finger on it but something was not right, even though i had a small fish through the night i really did think things were going against me.
i pulled my rods in the following morning and had a walk around and a chat with the other anglers. when talking i noticed every one was using boilies and have been since i started fishing the place some 2 years ago, and although i had had fish on them i felt a change was in order.
i sat at home contemplating what to change to on the friday night. i looked through my pics and one of my old winter ones poped up. that lightbulb above my head suddenly light up, i had an idea.
i went back on the saturday for a day session, the lake was rammed and i settled on one of the points that was free. i quickly went about getting my rigs tied and a few small pva bags tied. i plonked one out no more than 2 foot of the bank by a set of snags and the other on the back of the main gravel plateu in the middle, i really did not know what to exspect.
a few hours passed and i was away. my margin rod pulled tight and i lifed into the fish. i dont think it even know it had been hooked, it just came up thorugh the water like a plastic bag, i quickly grabbed the net from behind me and then the fish bolted off. a good scrap it was and 15 mins later, lovely mirror carp laid in my net. RESULT. she went 19.08 on the scales and i really was over the moon with my little change. and a nice fish to boot.
she was crapping out those red wriglers on the mat.
i done the night aswell, i just thought i had to but my mate turned up for alittle social and we never had anything between us.
now, i returned to the lake today for a short day sesh. a big, new northernly wind was pushing into the far end where i had the last fish from. i so i went back to the same plot and within minutes i saw a few fish crash out in open water. sweet. i went about putting my baits back out onto the spots i knew, both went bang on first time. the open water rod burt into life early on but it dropped off early on which was bit of a gutter.
a few hours past and nothing happened, and as i was re doing the open water rod my margin one pulled tight. i was onto it in a flash and the sam thing happened as last time, it just floated up like a pastic bag, i really dont think these fish even know they have been hooked. eventually it woke up a bolted off. she tried hard to get under the ush to the left of me but after battling it out for a good 10 mins she was mine. another good fish lay in the net.
the picture really dont do the fish justice but for my first ever self takes i cant complain. 23lb bang on.
i packed way happy as larry and with the club carp match coming round soon, i really think i have now got myself an edge that could bag me some big money, and some more mint carp.
oh and carthagena opening draw on sunday, cannot wait.
peace out 
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courtz
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Two cracking fish there rav!
Good luck with the year ahead
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Mac
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Well done Rav, and a cracking read too 
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CHADDY321
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Enjoyed that Rav...well done mate
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bigkipper
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good read rav and some nice carp there to. 
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02jlloyd
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nice one rav
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rav
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cheers fellas. off to the draw in a min. hopefully i get a plot.
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Mrmoo
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Well done sunshine,good luck with the draw,tight lines and you will receive real soon mate
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rav
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lets just say the draw was a disaster lol. didnt get a plot for the opening night, bit of a downer but o well. jusy have to wait untill someone pulls off.
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rav
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just looked at my plans for the next month. lets just say its gunna be a goodun, 3 weeks of near solid fishing. cant be bad ey.
may 3rd-9th cartha
8th-10th oxford carp match
10th-16th cartha
16th-18th club carp match
then another 5-7 days on cartha.
cannot wait.
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rav
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well i went fishing last night, just got back. session was a complete nightmare. lost a 25lb+ common in the snags, and another smaller one. got trouble off some muppets throwing bricks in, then to round it all off i bagged a swan at the end, nailed bang in the bottom lip. took a beating whilst unhooking it and thats when i called it a day.
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rav
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had a blinding week on my syndi.
took four fish.
27lb common
27lb linear
22lb peach of a mirror
and a 32lb leather. will do a full write up and get the pics up when i have a spare min.
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Mark Mann
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Rav mate you have fired me up cant wait til i'm down there on friday!!!!
Good angling lad
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rav
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the start of the season was on its way and i really was gagging to get down the lake. but not being drawn for the opening night really put me down. but none the less i turned up for the opening night planing to fish brooke lake untill some one pulled off the syndicate. little did i know what i was in for.
i turned up and strainght away was greeted by all the members, straight away they showed me the the pig spit roast. i wish i got a picture of it now but i was the dogs danglies. tasted awesome too. i then got speaking to jerry, the conversationg got going and he then said that someone wasnt turning up and a swim was available.smile back, only problem was that another fella neil was on his way up and fancied it too. he arived and straight away said i can have it. RESULT. i cracked open a beer and carted my gear over to my plot. 3rd beach. the night wore on and eventually everyone was in their swim by half 8 ready for the off. but on my return the mice had got hold of my baited rigs and destroyed them. nooooo, i quickly went about tying up another 2 but by the time i was ready it was pitch black and casting to the spots i wanted to was near impossible. so i just chucked em out as close as i could to the snags which was really the best i could do. i started off using long supple hooklinks laced to a esp size 5 big t with ucn enzymes as a hook bait.
the night passed and in the morning i reeled my rods in, both had been in the weedbeds.  through the day my plan was to bring my rods in but before i did i doen 2 casts to each spot with just a lead to try and gauge what was actually out there. turns out the bottm was silty, about 2 foot deep and silkweed all over the place. not alot of it but enough to blow bottom baits out the window. and from speaking to a few of the other members beforhand i found that they were right. oh but a 37lb common was bagged that night by tony moulder, top stuff mate, and a few others come out aswell.
so a chande of plan was in order, i was to go down the chod rig route. i have never really used them much in the past and didnt really have much confidence behind them. i got a few tied up but i was struggling to get them how i wanted, the curve just look cack and the hook was too small, and worst off all i didnt have any pop ups. but i figured a way how to sort the curves, with the aid of a little pasta pot from tesco, and boiling water i was getting the curves spot on. oh and i managed to ponse a few pops of daffi, cheers fella. i rested the swim for the day and at cartha its not always such a hard thing, the clubhouse has a pool table and sky tv. i got fishing at about 5 that evening and to be honest, not a thing happened at all.
another re think was away, what should i do, i didnt really wanna froth the place to a foam with a marker so i decided to stick with the choddies. but i managed to blag my nan to go to the tackle shop for me for some size 5 stiff riggers and another pack of pops. this is when it all strarted to go my way, things were starting to fall into place. i rested the swim for the day again but in the time i got a few choddies tied exactly how i wanted them. pukka, but again the night passed fruitless but at 5am i was awoked by a one toner, i was in such shock i couldnt get out of my bag, so i hoped to my rods and fell over next to them, grabbed the rod, a huge fiight was in place. some 20mins later the fish rolled over the net. one nobody recognised, a small male fish of 12lb. we took photos just for the records and returned her back to her watery home. i was really gutted,i just could nto believe my luck and no-body else could either.
i got an absolute grilling off my mates, 'been spining again rav' yeah righto, i took it under my chin and got on with it. but one positive i took from it, i had found were they were patrolling. 
i rested the swim again that day but by 3 o'clock i just could not resist anymore, those rods just had to get back out. a fe hours passed and the wind started to change, blowing straight down to the channel i was fishing, it was really looking good. i was jut moving my brolley when i got a bleep, i turned and jut thought it was the wind then i turned again and the tip swung round and the line just pulle out the clip, i was completley locked up, that fish was not going anywhere. simon saw me run for my rods and come over to do the netting, after a short fight my first legit hooked cartahgena fish was in the net. all i asked was it it fair and square. si just smiled and shook my hand, i really was buzzing. i ran round quickly getting everything together for the snaps. 10 or so people gathered for the photos and they really did come out the nuts.
my first of the season, 27lb.
and what a stinning fish, and one that jerry and the thers didnt recognise.
the rod quickly got re done and wacked back out to the spot and the boys and girls left me to take it all in, i was soo happy. then an hour later i got another bite, a real twitchy take but i lifted into the fish none the less, i had it on for a few minutes then it decided to kite left towards johnny lawnmowers swim, i knew it was pretty weedy infront of him so i tried to turn it, as i did i felt a little grate on the line and before i knew it i was reeling in line minus my leadcore leader, the rig and ultimatly the fish. i was gutted, i wanted to cry. it was getting cark so i just retied up some leadcore and got it back to the spot before dark, still really realy confident of a take.
no more than an hour passed and i was in again, the fish tried its best to weed me up but i was having none of it, this fish was coming in no matter what. she rolled over the net, i saw the linear scalesin the moonlight. yessss i cried into the darkness. well maybe not just that but theres no swearing aloud on this forum is there lol.
i knew my camera takes crap shots at night so i got lawnmower to watch the fish in the net whilst i ran and got gary, i knew he takes a pukka pic and he did just that. cheers mate, really appreciated, sorry i woke you up.
the pukka linear, 27lb, the best looking fish i have ever caught, a true stunner. and my first target ticked off the list
that rod stayed in for the rest of the night, i didnt want to spook of any others. nothing else happened that night for me but i was not fussed. in fact i was reeled in by 8am to rest the swim again for the day. and it payed off, after a social in the clubhouse with the other lads i got fishing again at about 7pm, i fell asleep early but was awoken and 2.30, my left rod had pulle dtight again. i cant remember much, i was in a dayz, all i remember seeing is some huge appleslice scales roll over the net.
i woke the other gary fishing next to me for some asistance, poor sod almost had a heart attack, i couldnt get him awake, so i hit my torch on the bucket next to his head. that woke hime LOL. he had a ba run of things that week, as he came to the gates he was filming on his video camera, gunn amake a mall dvd out of the openng week. he stopped indicated and got plowed up the *** by a van. and best of all, he got it all on camera, as funny as it was we all felt sorry for him, but he had a new nickname, car crash gaz. Lol. and he balnked, what a start.
anyway back to the story. the woodcarving at 22lb. the pics dont do it a 10th of the justice it deserves but it was the best we could get at the time.
another target off the list.
the sma eprocceddure for the next day.. rest the swim bla bla bla. but nothing happed for me that night, but johny lawnmower, now know as the carp catching machine bagged the parrot linear at 35+ and si had dobin at 33lb+. top angling from both.
the next night came around quickly and i had decided to call it a day the next day, i smelt like a river gypsy and i needed to sort my gear out for the weekend yacs match. the night passed uneventfull but at 6.30 i was awoked my yet another titchy take, it pulled out the clip and stayed still. i panicked thinking it had done me i stuggled out of my bag and hit it. the rod arked over thank god, a huge fight accured. it weeded me up early on but i managed to get i back on the move again. after about 25mins she was mine. i didnt quiet realise what i had actually caught untill i rolled it over in the net and seeing that it had no scales. the big leather, result. we weighed her, a bit down in weight but at 32lb i was not complaing. a corking fish, and most know on here i love my leathers, this was one i really did want.
i packed away a happy happy happy person, walked around grinning for an hour accepting the congrats of eveyone. then i was off, and after locking the gate on the way out i though, i love this place, got back in the car and went home.
ive got a few things to say, a big shout out to both gary's that done the pics for me at silly o'clock with no complaints. and for the pukka pics
to si, jerry and lemon for helping out with my fist fish, keeping me calm and getting me some pukka pics. cheers guys, and last of all daffi for getting me some pukka pics of the leather on his camera, mine had just run out of battery. and to the rest of the lads for making it not just the best fishing, but the best week long social, at the bbq graham nearly made me cry i was laughing so hard. and last of all and most of all my nan. she made it all happen, if she hadnt gone to the shop for me and bought that pack off stiffriggers and pops i would have blanked. cheers people i really means alot to me, that was the best weeks fishing of my life.
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rav
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wheres the pics of the leather i hear you say, dont worry i did take some, they are on my mates camera and he is on his way home now and will send me them later. ill ack em up as soon as i get them. peace out,
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Mark Mann
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richchappy
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awsome session mate, cant wait to see pics of the leather
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02jlloyd
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awesome rav well done mate
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bigkipper
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brilliant stuff rav, I'm made up for you fella 
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wuzy
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nice one Rav
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Mark Mann
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Here you go laddie!!!!
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NOSEY WIFE
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rav what a result hun well done buddy cracking pis and write up
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rav
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cheers mark. ill try and get the pic of the other side sorted tomoz, but im off now to bed. i need a good nights sleep. thanks for the kind words people, means alot.
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Ghost
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stunning fish and write up Rav,
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richchappy
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love that pic of the leather, bet you cant wait to get out there again, gonna be a hell of a season for you if you carry on
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Mark Mann
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bl4cky
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it was a top result rav mate. see you down there in a week or so to put the world to rights again lol. daffi
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rav
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about time i updated this i think,
done 5 more nights on carthagena since the start to no avail, well i did loose one in the weed unfortunatley. o well, but i did qualify for the finals of the club carp match, we struggled all weekend, my mate wasnt fishing the most productive spot correctley so i kinda took control of the situation and nicked a fish and also got my mate in on the action aswell and he had one. the place fish badly, alot of good anglers on there really struggled so im chuffed to have gotton through. the fish were taken on a ucn enzyme boilie tipped with a bit of cork to balance it out nicely. fished over a bed of maggots and boilie.
and to say the tactics work, went back there for an overnighter on monday and took 4 more of the smaller fish. bring on the finals i say.
no pics but im off on monday for a sesh so i might get lucky.
tight lines
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rav
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on a long sesh at the minute. been there since monday, had 3 bite. lost a small common at the net, nailed an absolute beaut and also lost another lump at the net, a certain 30+er, i recognised it as soon as i saw it. will tell you the whole story when i get back.
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craftycarper
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Well in Rav
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teynham_carp_angler
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 nice fish  M8 cracking write up too
once again nice one
Mark T-C-A
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rav
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yet another fish to the ucn enzyme.
26.04
will do a full write up soon, very busy at the mo.
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02jlloyd
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awesome rav 
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Mark Mann
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rav
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the story of the last fish.
after another 10 blank nights on the lake, i was well and truly banging my head against a brick wall, things were not going my way , i was struggleing and everyone one knew it. sooo frustrating when the fish are all over you but you cant buy a bite. just one of those things i suppose, but anyway, i planned another long session, and i had a different plan of attack. i arrived and found that the swim i had the plans for was free, i tried it out and blanked for another 2 nights, i didnt put much bait out myself, and it wasnt working. i had a ganders round the lake and on arrival to the entrance end, known as pump house bay i found a stack of big fish. and i mean big fish, i saw a huge common which i later found out was one of my main target fish. there in the area and the swim is free, no second thoughts, i was straight in there. i got set up quickly after a few beers with the lads a swim down who was celebrating a new pb. got the rods out by about 9pm. both out on a silt spot at around 30 yards.
early on i had a tench, rod back out and at about 3am it ripped off again, i lifted into what was clearly an angry fish, it stormed up and down a few times before coming up for the net, in the light of my torch i saw a small common on the end then the hook pulled. bit of a gutter but it wasnt one of the big ones so i rest assured that they were still out there. i rest the swim for the day, went round and saw one of my mates daffi, i saw he had his waders so i asked to borrow them, then marched round to my opposite margin, on arrival i was amazed at what i was seeing. see, round that side is a fallen tree, it goes about 20 yards out into the lake, its surrounded by snags and reeds but when you get to the end you can see out across the whole bay. well there was no need to look across the whole bay because right under the end of the tree was 5 big fish, the mint common which is one im after, tango (another big common) and when im talking big these are fish that have done 37,38's, and 3 other very big clean flanked mirrors. certainly 30+ fish. i ran back round to my plot and grabbed my bag of bait, which consisted of crushed ucn enzyme boilies and hemp, pretty simple but i really did not have a clue what i was in for. back out on the tree again i started to put the bait out. i put the best part of 3k out, 10 mins later the fish were back, absolutley troughing. i could not believ it, i have found a spot here i thought.
so later that night i got a bait over there, this is real hard work, it involves casting into the far snags, walking round, finding the lead, tieing your rig on, baiting the spot then dropping the rig out, all whilst standing on a skinny fallen tree. well i got it out eventually, hookbait was a simple trimmed down ucn boilie, tipped off with a bit of cork to balance it all out pukka. i got back round, got my other rod out, as usual a trimmed tiger on the other rod balanced out pukka with a bit of cork, and by 8pm i had my first take off of the spot, funny thing is it wasnt one of the fish i had seen there, it turned out to be the escape artist.(pictured above) and at 26lb this fish is one true stunner, never ever seen scales so big on any fish.
the folowing day i was back round baiting and baiting, i was on that tree for hours, but by the end of it i had the fish almost taking on the drop. i have never ever seen anything like it, and these fish are as hard as it comes, really old fish that have seen it all. well the next morning there was a bit of drama, i had my rod out bang on, of course it went, well it was weeded badly, i kept the pressure on and eventually it started to move, with the weedbed, i got it all the way back and i knew all along there was going to be a problem, i got it back and netted the weed thinking the fish was in it, dropped my rod, but it then appeard that my leadcore leader was looped over my net and the fish was sitting in the reeds a foot infront of me, i saw what fish it was and immediatly paniked, one of the big mirrors i had been feeding. it looked huge, i threw the weed out my net and went about scoooping the fish up, it bolted of and straightned my hook because my rod was still on the floor. i was well and truly gutted. i went on to loose a further 2 fish the following night because of the weed, and before i knew it the week was over.
rigwise, as always i kept it all simple, bit of shrink over the eye of the hook, and a bit 3/4 of the was down the shank. hookbait, on one rod a trimmed down ucn enzyme boilie with a bit of cork and on the other a trimmed down tiger with a bit of cork. and im getting takes on both.
so back home looking at the situation i still cannot believe it, the fish just dropped there guard soo badly, i got through 21k of bait in a week. and im not one for piling it in but thats alot for me.. i will be back for more.
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rav
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well, since then i have done another 4 nights, for nothing unfortunatly, on both occasions there was someone fishing in the swim where it all happened last time, buts that where the fish were and tbh, i couldnt get close to them, i was just sat waiting in the bottleneck part of the lake waiting for the fish to come through. the one day they come through i got wipped out by the tufties. bleeding things, but im baiting another swim and have seen a few fish over it so next plan of attack might well be in there. off tonight for a few days on the syndicate then a social on brooke lake. cant wait, will be nice to have a change of scenery
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Mrmoo
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Tell em about ya 28lber then mate,one of ya targets,come on,i wanna see this fish,and well done Rav
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Mac
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Great write up Rav
Unlucky on losing the fish mate 
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rav
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well that fish that i lost at the net, bagged it on thursday night.
to say im chuffed is an understatement.
head like a horse, a good 3 1/2 foot long, fighting machine, of a proper old stunning mirror. well spawned out at 28.08 but im not fussed. its one i really did want from there. it fell to a single enzyme boilie topped of with a bit of cork at 60 yards to a firm clear area in the silt.
dobin, 28.08
to be fair though, the pic has made it look a bit washed out, but the memories are all i need.
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Mark Mann
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good on ya lad i'll be over in the next few weeks!!! save a few for me!!!
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Mrmoo
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Well done matey,keep em coming fella
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JAFFA
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Cracking result Ryan and it was nice to catch up with you again at the weekend.
kind regards Jeff
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Ghost
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Top write up and pic's as always Rev, like the way you keep it real.
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rav
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cheers for the kind comments people. really appreciate it.
nice to meet up with you too jeff.
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craftycarper
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Well in
A fair few fish you've had
I guess I was wrong.. I didn't think you'd do so well... You proved me wrong haha good on ya
Can't believe how many fish are coming out compared to last season!
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Mrmoo
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Quality bait lets you concentrate on the rest of your fishing fella,confidence is the key to success in this game
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neil_hubber
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ouch at the losses ... but your doing very well from reading this Ryan, well in mate.
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