Fleeting Summers.

 Far too many plans and far too little time to indulge in them all, dreaming of spring mornings with the Tench bubbling uncontrollably and Carp sifting the surface for whatever they can find. All sounds great and so often it is, the balance of working as self employed electrician, fiancee and everything that else that goes with it makes time fairly tight, some of the dreams in the Spring did come to fruition and as the summer wore on I continued to get amongst some fantastic fish of various different species. Some of which will remain a target as the season meanders to its close next March.

 Plenty of these sessions have been extremely enjoyable with some not so for one reason or another (usually atrocious weather when dressed for something a little akin to the summer)"when will I learn". My Spring started off with a variety of fish, most of which were lake dwellers as the rivers remained closed for all coarse species (although Brown Trout are fair "game"). Golden Orfe, Tench and Crucian Carp were among my early targets, some would have you believe it would be easy, like stealing candy from a baby?, not likely, well for me at least, plenty of casting about to work out the depths and drop offs/shelves on Enton, weed beds and clay plateaus on Newdigate. All homework but to be successful it's all vital undertakings to achieve the very targets that I set myself.

 A few weeks into my fishing and nothing really seemed to be paying off apart from my childhood ability to catch good Carp almost closed eyed, not that it was easy but easier than the other waters I was concentrating on, could I have done better? anyone can always do better, maximum achievement is never achieved because when you begin to think that and improvement can not be pursued then surely the enjoyment would cease, that for me would be the ultimate nail in the piscatorial coffin. Maybe, if that day comes I'll invest in some waffel bats or golf sticks. Seriously hope it never gets to that hence my eagerness to embark on the next trip, typically thinking about it whilst already heading out or on a fishing trip already. My fishing brain working ahead of time !

 As the temperature crept up fishing started to become slightly better with plenty more showing on various venues, by May I'd already had a few decent Carp to mid-20's (best 25.03 by this point), the Tench started to show and G.Orfe started to slip out of their winter coma, nothing big but all a start and leading up to bigger and better things, by mid May I could honestly say achieved what I wanted on the G.Orfe front, after nearly a dozen trips I smashed my previous personal best which now sits at a proud 6lb 12oz, job done and the Tench were up next but these proved a little harder and if I recite correctly I blanked nearly as many times as I caught, since the good Tinca times are over I have located a water that I believe holds the potential for my dream "double figure specimen", watch this space for 2018-2019 season as I will endeavour to make good on my plans.

 A few more quality Carp made their way albeit not willingly, with June approaching fast my flowing fix was about to be quenched but not before some awesome looking canal Bream showed up, along with some stunning Crucian's from Marsh Farm to 2lb 9oz, a frantic morning on the pin and fined down gear was great, not always like that I will say although sometimes I feel it's my approach that let's me down. Then the season started and it delivered big time, a Chub just "two ounces" off my personal best graced my net in what was probably my best ever opening day capture, 6lb 8oz of pure awesomeness, absolutely perfect and boy would I love to catch that in the depths of winter with snow on the ground.

 My recent trips up to the Fens were continued in July but found fishing rather difficult due to an immense amount of weed cutting, not great but managed some to a smidgen under 2lbs, not massive but the Somerset levels picked up the slack and proved why fishing off the beaten track proves to be a success more often than not. A snap decision to take gear down whilst on way to Cornwall to see my sister shows why the opportunistic angler will always catch, the effort just needs to be applied and over time the rewards will come, I firmly believe in that, some are naturally good at being lucky, I seem to have to earn that right but only happy to graft, a 2lb 5oz Rudd taken in less than ideal conditions proves why opportunities never go begging.

 Then a double figure Bream pops up and makes my season all over again, not everyones cup of tea but for a canal, stalked in gin clear water after casting a million times at the same fish is madness, relentlessness is my middle name and for those who know me could probably vouch for that statement, last cast? yeah, maybe tomorrow.....is usually what I'm thinking, so often it has paid off and it has this season a couple of times. Barbel and more big Chub have featured as my quest for a 7lb specimen is still firmly in mind, just waiting now for the temps to drop and the rains spark the fish into feeding more than they have of late, anytime from now to Christmas is going to be a busy period for fishing, can I achieve a couple more of my long standing goals? only time will tell, Summer? It was certainly fleeting this year but feel I made good of it for the time I had available.