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Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley Complex 1600 - 2330 Warm clear night - temps still 14ºC when I packed up. 1 Tench 3lb 3oz. A doz+ perch & 2 rudd. This Indian Summer has persuaded me to have one last session here. The perch were really having the meat but switched off when it got dark. Tench on the stroke of 8 o'clock and 'bumped' another ½hr later - which proved to be the last bite of the session!

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 2100 - 0600 Warm, calm, overcast and muggy. 17ºC at Midnight and still 15º+ when I packed up - lovely evening to be out. 2 Tench; 5lb 5oz, 3lb 11oz. A couple of roach & perch. A very last minute decision to go - based on A, the weather forecast - lovely balmy evening. B, Jaq reminding me she was having a girls night out. And C, Paul having already planned an evening session here. Tuesday is one of my training nights - I coach athletics (stop sniggering at the back) - so it was well after 8pm before I'd thrown my gear in the car and found myself pootling toward Yateley. On arrival I was surprised to see 2 other anglers as well as Paul on the water (there had been 3) - which very much counts as busy! especially for a mid-week evening. The plan had been to fish with Paul - but the weed growth made that difficult so I dropped into the next swim - one I'd never fished before. However my hopes were high - I had a very good depth of water a rod length out and a nice hole in the weed I could find easily in the dark. Confidence was high. Alas it was misplaced! 3 hours later I'd had one bite - which I didn't even see as I'd nodded off!. Paul had to wait a while for any action too - but shortly before 2300 his float disappeared and a goodish tench buried itself into the weed. A huge ball of weed was then netted - Paul wasn't convinced the fish was even still on - but was gratified to discover a 5lb 12oz tinca in his net. Paul had to pack up just after midnight as he had work in the morning - something that I don't have to worry about at the moment. And has he had been getting more interest in his baits I moved into his swim and was casting out before he'd even left the car park! I too started to get some interest - mainly liners I think - but had a fish on the bank - the 3lber in under an hour of moving! The next fish was caught in somewhat bizarre circumstances - I had just cast out - and was edging the bait into position - and checking I wasn't hooked up on some weed when the 5lber snaffled the bait whilst it was still moving. Like Paul's 5lber this one buried itself in the weed - and I wasn't sure I still had a fish on until I examined the weedball in my landing net!! This fish was caught a little after 0200 - and was the last action I had. However there were fish rolling over my groundbait in the swim I'd vacated!!! Doh! Will definately be braver and give it that spot a full session next time.....

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1800 - 2315 A lovely warm evening under a hazy full moon. Temps 21º -> 16ºC. Shirt sleeves all evening and no mozzies! 2 Tench: 6lb 4oz, 3lb 13oz. The last Hurrah on this venue - bringing the curtain down on a splendid series of mid-week after work float fishing sessions. Won't be back here again until next june (unless we get an early October heatwave!). Fished a new swim - probably not the right time to be experimenting but it had to be done - and quite quickly had the 6lber on the bank, followed next cast by the smaller one. So just as 2 weeks ago - a brief feeding spell at dusk. Did have a few liners thereafter and fish topping in the swim - but nothing hittable. Both fish on float fished meat at a couple of rod lengths out.

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1800 - 2330 Still and mainly overcast - another lovely evening under the trees! 21ºC -> 13ºC 3 Tench: 6lb 10oz, 4lb 8oz, 3lb 9oz. Water seemed very lifeless with no bubbling or fish topping and for over 2½hrs it looked like being my 1st blank of the season as I waited for a bite. However, it switched on briefly and had all 3 fish - starting with yet another 6½lb+er - in little over ¾hr from 2045. All fish on 6mm S-Pellet in the margins - not a bite all night further out and no interest at all in meat - the complete opposite from the last few sessions here!

Pumphouse Lake - CEMEX Yateley 1815 - 0415 Lovely warm still night. Temp down to 9ºC in the car when I left but it must have been several degrees warmer in my little micro-climate under the trees - didn't need a coat or brolly all session. 1 Bream; 5lb 3oz, 1 Tench; 4lb 2oz, 1 roach, 1 perch. 5 hours of little activity, followed by 5 hours of no activity (followed by 5 hours sleep!). All fish caught by 2300 (could have had a lot more kip!) with no bites thereafter. Tench and bream on float-fished meat - tiddlers on maggot. All fish in the margins. Not a bleep on the lead all night (was fishing 14mm pellet).

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1800 - 2330 Clear and breezey after heavy rain in previous 12hrs. Cooler than of late, down to 12ºC but felt even chillier in the breeze! 5 Tench; 6lb 13oz, 4lb 15oz, 4lb 11oz, 4lb 0oz, 3lb 4oz. 1 Crucian; 2lb 3oz. Well, I'm certainly getting my money's worth from this venue this season! Another lovely evening's float fishing - this time by the light of a full moon. No bites until it started to get properly dark (2030) when it suddenly switched on and I had 3 tench (including the biggest 2) in a little over 20 minutes. Next 3 fish came about 45 minutes apart. All fish on meat at around 2½ rod lengths out - no interest at all in the margins.

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1900 - 0445 Balmy, overcast night - min 13ºC but felt warmer in still conditions - and sat under the trees - didn't need a coat or a brolly all session. 9 Tench: best 3, 5lb 11oz, 4lb 13oz, 4lb 12oz. All others between 3¼-4¼lb. 1 Roach. A busy evening - I had 5 fish including the biggest 2 by 2230 - followed by a quiet night. Kept at it, hoping for a crucian or two to put in an appearance but it was not to be. 5 fish on meat, 4 on 6mm pellet all float fished - lift method - great fun in the dark seeing the starlight lift and go flat. Dawn broke to a millpond surface with not a bubble to be seen - so whilst I had planned to fish longer, this sight plus the lack of bites in the previous 2 hours persuaded me that some kip followed by a late breakfast was the better option!!!

NAA Stillwater, Widmead 1830 - 0800 Heavy evening showers giving way to clearing skies - feeling quite cool by dawn (12ºC) 3 Tench; 6lb 14oz, 3lb 6oz, 2lb. 3 Bream; 5lb 3oz, 4lb 5oz, 4lb 1oz. 4 Carp biggest 5lb 14oz. 4 roach & 4 perch. Slow but steady night - quite a lot of activity which didn't translate to bites! Paul had a much quieter session ( he did sleep through most of it!) with just a blank saving bream to show before he packed up at first light! * All carp (and biggest bream) on the feeder, others caught float fishing the margins. Biggest ever tench from this venue. *Paul has asked me to point out that his half hearted attempts at trying to catch something were due to his ignoring his wife's advice (she's a nurse by the way!) not to go fishing when he wasn't feeling very well. A night on a chilly, damp lake bank is probably not the best cure for a streaming summer cold!

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1800 - 2330 Warm and overcast evening - still 18ºC when I packed up. Lovely shirtsleeves evening - though the mossies were a pain! 5 Tench; 4lb 11oz, 4lb 6oz, 3lb 13oz, 3lb 12oz, 3lb 3oz. 1 Crucian 1lb 15oz (and a bit!) Very pleasant evening's float fishing. Quite a bit of activity and loads of bubbling. 3 Tench and the Crucian caught tight (ie less than 1 metre) to the margins. All fish on meat over pellet. 1st Crucian from here for a couple of years!

Pumphouse Lake - CEMEX Yateley 1930 - 0530 Clear and chilly night - temp down to 7ºC at dawn - the thermal one-piece made a rare appearance!! 2 Tench, 3¼lb & 4¼lb Slow night, no bites until well after midnight - then a mini flurry when I had the 2 tincas - both on ledgered pellet.

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1800 - 2300 Clear and still. AT 20ºC -> 12ºC 2 Tench: 6lb 0oz, 2lb 13oz, 2 perch (small) Pleasant evening - though not even any sign of Crucians. Both tincas on float fished meat caught a rod length out as it got dark between 2000 - 2100. No bites before or after these times.

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley 1845 - 2330 Overcast breezy and warm - min temp 15ºC when I left. 3 Tench; 4lb 7oz, 3lb 2oz, 2lb 13oz, 1 roach, 1 perch Still no crucians!!! At least the tench came out to play - though all fish were caught after 2200 - must have a whole night on here sometime! 2 tench on meat 1 on bread.

NAA Stillwater - Widmead 0430 - 0930 Bright and breezy, 15ºC 1 Tench - 2¾lb, 1 roach, 6 perch. Caught float fishing maggot in the margin - not a single bleep on the lead!

Summer Pit - CEMEX, Yateley 1830 - 2330 Hot and Sultry. AT still 21ºC at 2330. WT 77ºF in margins (about 2' depth 4' from bank) 1 Tench - 2lb, 1 Rudd (Small) Another evening struggling for bites - made all the more frustrating by being able to see lots of Crucians cruising in the upper layers of the lake during the hours of daylight. Stubborn refused to even look at any bait that was offered them!

CEMEX Summer Pit - Yateley 1830 - 2330 Warm, overcast and muggy. Min temp 17ºC at midnight as I left. 1 Tench - 2¼lb Despite seemingly ideal conditions the lake was pretty lifeless with only sporadic bubbling and little of this after 2030 (around the time I caught my blank saving tinca). No crucians showing. Only had 1 other bite!

Newbury AA Lake - Widmead 1500 - 0800 Bright and breezy, calm and clear overnight, rain at dawn. 12 Carp - all between 5-8lb, best 8¼lb, 1 Tench, 3lb 1oz, 3small perch. This was meant to be a tenching session - and all seemed to be going to plan with a tinca first cast. Alas it was my only one - the carp obviously muscling in on the action. Bread, pellet and meat - all caught.

Newbury AA Lake - Widmead 1900 - 0700 Warm and overcast, temp didn't get below 17ºC all night (Just as well as I'd forgotten my shelter AND thick shirt!) 2 Carp (10lb 9oz, 8lb 15oz), 2 Tench (5lb 6oz, 3lb), 2 Rudd & a perch. Another slow night after tench in seemingly great conditions. Biggest carp early - on float fished meat other & tench on Method Feeder/Pellet.

Newbury AA Stillwater - Widmead 1900 - 0600 Mild (min16ºC) , overcast and drizzly - dry during dark hours, breezy. WT 19ºC 2 Carp (13lb 2oz, 8lb 14oz), 1 Tench (4lb 5oz), ½doz Perch - best 1lb 6oz. Very quiet night - place seemed lifeless despite conditions seemingly being OK for fishing! My night was rescued by a busy hour just after midnight when I had all three fish. Tench on float fished meat both carp on pellet. Perch on maggot in the morning. Paul fared no better - a solitary 6lb tench - caught early in the session on meat saving his blank...

Newbury AA Stillwater - Widmead 0500 - 0900 Bright and breezy - water levels well up after yesterday's rain - and lake looked rather lifeless. 1 carp (4lb 13oz), 2 tench (2-3lb), 7 Perch (one of 1lb 6oz), 2 Roach (13oz & 1lb) (!), 3 Rudd. Fished VERY,VERY tight to margins - hoping - in vain for a crucian. Most on meat - roach on floatfished bread.

Newbury AA Stillwater - Thatcham 0500-1100 Showery and breezy 15ºC 2 Carp (3-4lb), 2 Crucians (both circa 1¼lb), 1 Tench (scraper pounder), a dozen roach & perch. Slow morning. Long periods without a bite interspersed with short bursts of activity - even struggled for bites on maggot at times. All fish caught float fishing

Newbury AA Lake - Thatcham 1330 - 0830 Overcast and almost no wind. Light persistent drizzle started at 1600 and continued uninterupted until 0400 when heavy persistent drizzle kicked in! 12º - 16ºC 9 Bream ( best 5lb 13oz, 7 between 3.08 - 4.10 & a skimmer), 6 carp (smallest 5.08, biggest 8.01), 2 Tench 1½lb & 4lb 10oz, 2 doz roach and rudd (mainly rudd), 1 perch. Very pleasant session - despite the rain!! All carp on ledgered pellet but most other fish on float fished margin tactics. Red maggot or sweetcorn catching most of the fish. Paul had a similar haul of carp and bream - though didn't find any tench.

Summer Pit - Yateley 1915 - 2315 Mild, still evening, quite balmy under the trees. 17ºC ->16ºC. WT 14ºC 1 tench 3¼lb Last throw of the dice to try and get a late season Crucian. Water was pretty lifeless though and was pretty surprised to get a fish 1st cast. Not surprised that this was my only bite of the evening! Fished meat (which caught the tench), bread and pellet.

Knotts Lake 1900 - 0800 Warm and overcast - some breeze - no dew. 2 Tench (6lb 4oz, 5lb 7oz), 9 rudd, 2 doz perch - biggest 1½lb A VERY quiet night rescued by two nice tench either side of midnight. Biggest on pellet out by the island, 5lber on float fished meat in the near margins. Rudd and perch on maggot - some quite nice sized ones too. Lost a substantial perch (+2lber) at the net when the hook pulled - it lay motionless on the surface for second - just out of net range - bugger! Paul fared no better - a single common of 7lb 6oz saving his blank.

Summer Pit 1930 - 0000 Overcast and calm17ºC>13ºC 3 Tench ( 5lb 9oz, 4lb 3oz X 2 (same fish???)), 2 Crucians (2lb 2oz, 1lb 13oz) 1 Rudd. Lake looked lifeless - no bubbles or rolling fish - can't judge a book by it's cover! Biggest tench first cast on meat - one other tench on meat. Other tench plus the 2 crucians on bread. Also fished 4mm pellet for a short while - though this was just an invitation to catch the tiny rudd! All fish caught with the Lift Method.

Summer Pit (Yateley) 2000 - 0000 Clear and breezy after heavy afternoon rain. 5 Tench (3½ - 4¾lb), 1 Bream 4lb 10oz, 1 rudd That's better - nearly didn't go as I want to be there early but was held up getting home. And I forgot to take any bread. All fish on float fished meat - lift method. Lake is around 18 inches deeper than last year. No sign of any crucians. Lovely evening - had the place to myself.