Willows Lake - Thatcham

1800 - 2300

Overcast and breezy - clearing to cloudless skies as it got dark (the exact opposite to the forecast I watched in the morning!!) AT 19º-13ºC

6 (!) Tench: 5lb 15oz, 5lb 12oz, 5lb 8oz, 5lb 3oz, 4lb 11oz, 4lb 7oz. 1 Carp 7lb 13oz. 1 perch (small)

Another splendid evening's tench fishing. (And another 3lb of blackberries collected which are being converted into jam as I type!) All the action after 8pm (again!) save for the micro perch. The period from 9-10pm was particularly frenetic. Yet again gratifyingly few carp putting in an appearance and with the added bonus of the clear skies which afforded sight of a couple of early Perseids - including a particularly spectacular one which left a 2-3 second afterglow. (They peak this weekend so fingers crossed for some clear skies - conditions for viewing should be very good with a waning moon affording dark skies.)

Pics of a couple of the 5lbs - a male of 5-08 (bottom photo) and a bigger female with a very impressive caudal fin...