Farriers PB
Just a quick update on my last Farriers session peeps. I’ve been busy in the house so couldn’t wait to get back there after a few weeks break. I got to the lake early Friday morning hoping to beat the weekend angling traffic but as I’m entering the code to the gate I quickly realise there’s already quite a few vans in the car park. After parking the van I make my way to one of the car park swims that overlook most the lake, the weather looks spot on southerly overcast with light drizzle. I can see a few swims available, as I’m about to go take a look I hear an alarm sound, it’s the swim opposite (Windy) and the angler is in, I walk around to see if I can maybe lend a hand with pics etc. and realise it’s Steve another TeamNash angler and a newbie on Farriers like myself. 
He’s landed a mid-twenty common. He tells me he’s off at 10 after just doing a quick night, after a few pics and chat I go about walking the lake looking for signs of fish. Most swims seem to be occupied and the only signs of fish seem to be between “party point” and slowpy’s, although Tanti in peg10 over the far corner is having it right off with eight fish over two nights. With not a lot showing I eventually decide to park some gear in “Windy” and go for a chat with Mr Tanti. 
Once back in windy I say fair well to Steve and setup camp, This swim commands a lot of water and with slowpys next door having produced some good fish recently I’m feeling quietly confident. There are some obvious regularly fished spots in this swim but having a lead about without thrashing the swim to a foam I’ve found one or to others so decide to put the rods on two different areas, ones on quite an obvious clear silty area and the other between what seems like a long but narrow channel with heavy weed either side, I put a kg of 4g squid over each rod there’s a large shallow bay opposite this swim about 150 yards away which always holds fish through daylight hours so I’m hoping as night falls they drift into open water and towards my baited areas. The night is a quiet one though apart from a few liners and by morning the cloud has passed and it looks like it’s going to be a warm one so it’s out with the zigs. There’s nothing worse for me than being on the bank when it’s this hot but the forecast promises heavy rainfall and a drop in air pressure this evening which I’m hoping will get them feeding. Later that day I’m joined by one of the lakes bailiffs Ian who sets up next to me.
I’ve topped up both spots with an extra 2kg each just before the heavens open right on Que. This looks more like it. I’m looking across the lake past my waders which are next to the rods thinking this looks just right. After some food I lay back on the bed listening to the radio and must have drifted off. I woke about 12.30 to the sound of rain drumming on the bivvy the radio is still on but can hardly here it the rains so load, still it doesn’t stop me turning over and dropping back off. 3am I’m woken by two short sharp bursts on the alarm before it starts to tone off I can’t get to the rod fast enough. I get control straight away giving the fish no line at all with so much weed about and barbless hooks you can’t afford to give them an inch. I try to get into the waders but I’m trying to keep a bend in the rod and worried about losing what feels a good fish I just can’t get in them, with the margin being so shallow it’s a case of pulling up the joggers and getting in. Almost up to my thighs I’ve got the fish done and I’m so relived to get it in the net. It defiantly looks a bit of a chunk so after collapsing the net I slip the retainer under it to lift onto the mat. By this time Ian’s woken up and before I know it he’s out giving me a hand.
Once on the scales I can’t believe my eyes its 40lb bang on new PB and what a feeling. Ian takes some stunning shots for me and to be fair was a great help. We share a brew whilst flicking through some of the pics. I don’t think it was much more than an hour later when the other rod rips off and I’m into another, Ian is as keep as mustard into his waders, waist high net in hand ready to scoop the next one. It’s another common just over 27lb.
As light starts to break through the clouds I can see fish showing over the spot I had my last take from and by early morning I’m into another good fish, it’s playing hard to get and finding every area of weed until it locks me solid close in. I walk into the margin and try another angle it’s literally yards from the bank. Suddenly as I start to get it moving the hook pulls,,,”GUTTED”. I’ve always said my favourite all time bait that I had confidence in taking anywhere was Nash Scopex Squid and when they decided to discontinue it amongst others I knew there had to be an exceptionally good replacement and this 4G is starting to give me the same relaxed confidence as its past cousin. The rest of the day was quiet but to be honest I was still buzzing with the 40. I drove home with a Hugh smile.