Not Feeling The Love.......

Due to me having to work on the Saturday, I never managed to get behind the rods on Friday night as planned.
After work on Friday I popped down the syndicate for a mooch and upon arriving my worst fears were confirmed as I was greeted by a full car park.
Never the less I parked up and walked the bank in the dark, passing a bivvy in almost every swim. By the time I was half way round I recognised "Tones" laugh from the back of a bivvy so popped my head in for a chin wag, after putting the Carpy world to rights for a good hour I bid him farewell set off to find "Russ" further up the bank. We had a good chat and I told him my intention was to be back down by 4pm the following day and I asked him to keep me informed on bank space - which as always he agreed....I then set off home via the kebab shop to get the kit sorted ready for the pursuit.

Russ with the "Big Common" last winter.....

I arrived at work the following morning on edge, all the while wondering if a) I could get on and b) would they be feeding in this freezing northerly? The day past slowly, I was constantly checking my phone for updates and then it happened at a little after 2:30pm.....I got the text I really didn't want. Somebody was hovering around the "3rd middles" [my No1 choice swim] and one of the only free swims on the lake, this knocked me for six! At 3pm due to a few technical issues the boss gave us the go ahead to leave early so I was out of the door in a flash! I jumped straight in the van and made the very short hop from the office to the lake in seconds, almost forgetting to stop and open the gate!

I arrived in the car park to be greeted by a member saying, "you fishing then, I'm going in 3rds!" and that was that, I put my tail between my legs and walked round the lake to Russ and had a sulk, Russ put the kettle on and we had a chat for a while, by this point I decided I wasn't feeling the love and after a brew said my good byes and headed home without wetting a line.

Last winter under the Oval......

That night whilst sulking on the laptop I decided to purchase a bivvy, I fished through the whole of last winter under my oval but after suffering from several bouts of flu and enduring temperature's down to -9c I decided I would be a little wiser this winter.

I have been looking for a new one for a while but it needed to tick 2 main boxes, it needed to be light and also able to be stripped back to just a shelter for the summer months and after being impressed by Russ`s latest purchase I opted for the Chub S Plus Max and got one at a bargain price too!

Hopefully my new purchase will make life a little more comfortable on the bank!

I've also managed to convince the wife to do her first night on the bank this weekend, very brave of her to do her first one at the end of October!
That bring us pretty much up to date, as I'm working again on Saturday Trudi & I shall be heading down the syndicate at about 4pm on Saturday, I've promised her a bottle of mulled wine and a Chinese so it should be a pleasant evening on the bank and if one of the "Jewels of the lake" makes an appearance.........well it would be rude to knock it off!

Until next time,

Smithy