Apologies that this weeks piece is a week into the month. I’m finding myself getting busier and busier without realising.

Thankfully the suns rays have put in a early appearance and although the winter was nowhere near as bad as the past couple of years. It’s still lovely to have some sun on your skin and to have the prospect of some fair weather fishing to look forward to. I’ve finally managed to sort all my rods out. As you may recall I lost a set in the Grand union canal last year, when a Dutch barge dragged them off my rests. It’s taken me ages to finally acquire another set and last month I had one of my brand new rods fold on the very first cast. You’d be forgiven for thinking that I’m in some way cursed when it comes to rods. However as you’ll see later on in this piece I don’t restrict myself to rods!!!

As I mentioned I’ve become very busy recently. From the age of 5 I was always passionate about playing football. I was determined to play as a professional and remained dedicated and focused towards achieving my dream. Until I managed to have a trial for Cambridge United (then of league 2. Which is today’s league 1) at the age of 18. I attended the trial which consisted of a large game, played on a small 5 A-side pitch. I was playing against players who’d recently been released from other professional clubs and hadn’t been offered professional contracts. The highlight for me was scoring passed a keeper who had been released from Leicester City F.C in a 5 A-side goal.

I was kept back with 2 other boys after the trial and told that we had impressed the coaches, but as we were 18yrs old we would have to be offered players contracts and they didn’t think we were better than what they already had in the squad already. Kinda like a shit sandwich!!! Your as good as what we have but not good enough to be given a opportunity.

I lost focus with football after that and semi retired early, after meeting my now wife and started my family. The relevance to this story is that I’m now back playing football at the tender age of 30. Stupidly I thought I’d be as good as I was before I stopped playing and the fact that I’m not is driving me once again. I’m playing twice a week now which isn’t doing my waist line any harm. I’m lifting weights everyday and also helping out by running the teams social media formats and producing videos. Couple these new responsibilities with family life, hot tub renovations, CC Moore filming and I’m a very busy man.

I’ve managed only one session on my syndicate water during February. It’s a very special place and the energy and excitement I felt while I sat behind my alarms was something I haven’t felt in my fishing for a while.The water is a no publicity water, so I’m not filming during my sessions, which is actually really nice. You’d be surprised just how much effort can go into producing short videos, both during and after your fishing sessions. It’s just nice to put the rods out, sit back and watch the water.
Sadly I didn’t manage a capture during my trip, however I met a couple of members and one of the lakes bailiffs. By all accounts, although the waters not easy once the fish begin to move around and start feeding harder. I should start on my 2014 syndicate album.

I’ve fished my first proper session with the CC Moore cameras, this month. When I fished on Orchid lakes with Joe Jagger. Joe was brilliant company and a top angler. We got through loads of filming for the new CC Moore TV monthly format and we NEARLLY managed to catch for the cameras to. I say nearly, as no sooner had Alan Welch arrived and Joe’s left had rod was away. You could tell he was connected to a big fish, as his rod doubled over. The issue was that this fish was headed to the left. It was hooked at around 90yrds range and practically in the centre of the lake, off the Alamo swim. There was a tree in the water between Joe and the fish and the big carp was heading right for it!!!

Joe’s line was now round the tree and I knew we would need to change the angle on the fish to stand any chance of netting it. I quickly left for the boat but Marley wasn’t in the office. Thankfully there was a angler waiting to pay and fish so he kindly rang for the boat and I returned to the Alamo swim. Joe was still doing battle to my surprise. His rod tip shuddered repeatedly as he tried desperately to get the fish back on the right side.  Joe wound down his rod and slowly lifted it to retrieve some more line, as disaster struck!!! The fish was off and it was all over! Literally as Joe wound in his rig to realise it was his hook-link that had snapped and not his line. Marley arrived with the boat! Sods law!!
After Marley left I realised that I had lost my mobile! I checked the usual places and when I still couldn’t find it I retraced my steps. I wasn’t walking long before I found my poor mobile face down in the dirt. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FRESH TYRE TRACK!!!!

That about sums up my month, but springs here early and there will be plenty of opportunities to set the record straight.

Well hello once again, to another ‘Marks month’. I submitted January’s bio half way through the month. So not much has happened between now and then, unfortunately.

I’ve only managed 1 day session out on the bank since and that resulted in a blank. I need to stop going with Ian to be fair as the fish are shoaled up, and because he found them I’m of the mindset that it would be wrong to fish the area, when he’s there. This often results in me just dropping in and netting his fish for the day.

I’ve decided to move off the club water reservoir anyway and I’m going to start to target some of the bigger fish waters. We have been very lucky with the weather this winter and these lakes have continued to do the odd fish. So I’m going to move over and see if I can get amongst them and start my spring campaign early.

As well as fishing I have also started playing and coaching with Cranfield F.C. My brother plays in goal for the 1st team who is captained by Korda’s media man James Armstrong. So it’s a good laugh and I’m enjoying being back involved in football. I’m also losing a bit of weight which doesn’t hurt either lol. I played my 1st game the other day when I came off the bench against Potton United reserves. Thankfully we were winning 2-1 by the time I came on and thankfully won 2-1 when the full time whistle blew. Needless to say I was dog s**t. Sadly I’m not 18 any more and really struggled to keep up let alone make a impact.

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On a more positive note I have been speaking to Alan at CC Moore about the monthly series of films, we are producing for the CC Moore TV format. I now have 2 dates in the diary, which will include all sorts of different features and films. We are starting to film at the end of this month. I’m scheduled to meet Alan at the CC Moore bait factory for a look around and then heading off to a local water to fish and film.

The following month and a few weeks later, I’m then scheduled to fish 48hrs on Orchid lake in Oxfordshire with Joe Jagger. I’ll be interviewing Joe and the lake owner. As well as filming the fishing sessions, methods, tactics ext. Its all very exciting stuff. Joe has also fished my current syndicate water so I’ll have the opportunity to seek some advice and tips for my personal fishing, for the year ahead also. Thanks once again for reading my monthly bio.

Tight lines