Arrived to find a frozen lake. I tried to break up the ice in the Tree Corner by casting a leger weight but it was too thick. The swim to the left had some open water so I moved there. Plumbing the depth showed there to be quite deep water 2-3 rod lengths out. I used sweetcorn again, baiting the swim little and often.

This was a new pitch for me so it took a while to find my way around. At first I did’t get a touch and was starting to have some doubts. However, after an hour or so I started getting touches similar to those experienced in the Tree Corner last week. I suspected small or wary roach. Finally at 10.50 I got my first roach, a fish of 4-6oz. After this the usual pattern of missed bites and occasional small roach unfolded.

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At 13.15 my conviction that there are better roach in the lake was rewarded with a lovely fish of 1lb 5oz. When I hooked it I knew it wasn’t a tench or a carp, and was elated when I saw it approaching the net.

More small roach followed. My float stem separated company from its base at one point and I replaced it with a heavier insert waggler (3AA as against 3BB). This proved to be a good move since although the float was heavier it cast better, and gave me more control in the breeze. Bites seemed no easier or harder to hit, so nothing lost. At 14.15 I got a roach of 9oz, which was a bit better than the average. I then lost a fish that felt heavier and could easily have been another pounder.

As the afternoon passed the temperature started to drop and I was getting very cold. I was still missing many more bites than I was hitting and must try to improve my hit rate. Towards the end of the day I tried laying a BB shot on the bottom to counteract a slight drag and this may actually be a better technique. It left the float sitting higher in the water and this helped me to avoid striking on taps rather than firm pulls. Something to develop next time.

Once again I had the lake to myself all day, which I suppose was hardly surprising given the conditions.