Second time at the lake this week. Taking advantage of reasonably mild weather and lack of wind. The Tree Corner was calm being protected from the light SW breeze. The morning was bright and mild; almost spring-like. The birds were in song and it was difficult to believe it was mid February. The wind dropped completely at midday after which it became colder.

I had a fairly sensational start to the day. First cast, first bite, and I was into a carp. After a tussle it turned out to be an 8½lb leather, foul-hooked in the pectoral fin. Fortunately I had upped my line strength to 4lb after losing a carp on Monday.

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The heavier line didn’t seem to discourage the roach and I caught probably a dozen or so throughout the day; although things went a little quiet during the early afternoon. Most of the fish were again in the 3-6oz bracket. I took hempseed and regularly baited the swim with this and sweet corn. Hook bait was sweet corn although I did take a few slices of granary bread and some worms. I actually caught a small roach on worm. Towards the end of the day, at 16.10, a nice roach of 1lb 4oz took bread flake.

I also managed a couple of tench, both on sweet corn. The first, at 10.00, was 3lb 10oz (photo) and the second, at 10.55, was 2¾lb.

During the afternoon I was getting positive bites that I just couldn’t hit. I assumed that they were small roach but at 16.40, near packing up time, I landed a 1lb 11oz crucian. It was only just hooked in the edge of the top lip and I’m wondering if the unhittable fish were, in fact, crucians. They are notoriously shy biters, and while I seem to hook them without too much trouble in summer, it may be that in winter they are even more finicky.

So next time I perhaps need a new strategy for the crucians.