Typical, last night was the first Wednesday night I’ve not nipped up to the Top Pool for a quick overnighter and the weather forecast last night said it was going to be one of the warmest on record for this time of year for us Northern lot. Ho Hum.

That said, they gave out today as a scorcher as well, so who knows, I may just sneak out for an hour after work to try and sneak an October carp off the surface. Yes, mad I’m sure you’ll agree but I’ve set myself a challenge to try and bag a fish off the top during each month of the year and I’ve only got five days left to do it for my October fish!

Lisa spent a few days over in Lowestoft with her Nan over the weekend which left me to get the hallway and landing completely stripped of woodchip and fit a new window in the bathroom. After getting back from The Blackwood Carp Match on Sunday morning (which incidentally I think I may have won with one 7lb mirror!) I cracked straight on and after working all day Sunday, Monday night and Tuesday night the job was complete. Although it was hard work the steamer I got to do the job saved the day - I never want to see woodchip again!!

The upshot of all that is that I’ve got ahead of my schedule and may yet get an away-pass for a session on Capesthorne Main Lake at the weekend. I did my first ‘proper’ session on there last Saturday and although I caught nothing I learnt a lot by just sitting it out on the Garden Pool and watching the water. In the past I’ve only done quick stalking sessions, and whilst these have proved productive with fish to 25lb+, I think as winter approaches I will swap to a sitting it out for a few hours approach. Nothing came off the Garden Pool whilst I was there although a couple of scraper twenties were banked on the other side of the bridge so I’ll definitely have a mooch around up there at the weekend if I get chance.

October always seems to be the month for Top Pool rumours; last year it was a supposed 37lb mirror, this year it’s a 30lb mirror with one eye! I’ll wait for photos to turn up before I believe that one!

Oh well, time to crack on…

A Few Pictures; one of the Main Lake on Saturday, and a couple of the bathroom and hallway woodchip free and ready for plaster...