Hello there everyone its Luke here! First of all I would like to apologise for the lack of blogs and social updates for the first part of January. As many of you know both Riki and I are in our final year of school and we have a lot of coursework and upcoming exams. So we have had to be preparing for these exams and coursework due dates. Anyway back to fishing! Back on Thursday 2nd January we had our first session of 2014. We thought that we would have the session at one of our favorite local lakes, Newton Park! There is something about the lake that we both really like. At times it can fish hard but over the winter it has been fishing very well. So we were hoping to catch our first fish of 2014! We arrived at around 9:30am after having to get our 2014 Bathampton Angling Association membership at the local tackle shop. When we got dropped off there was only one car in the car park. As we walked with all our gear and approached our favorite pegs that are usually taken, we see over the hill that they are free! So we managed to get our two favorite pegs on the lake! So far, so good! After getting set up and casting out our friend Sam arrived! He was fishing on a peg which he recently had success on, catching a Newton Park 20lber!

He was fishing with his friend on the straight bank. I can't remember our peg numbers but we call it the style pegs because you used to have to climb over a style before they put up a new fence.

Once we were all set up and cast out within minutes of Riki putting his left rod out, he sees his line start kiting around and the tip of his rod bending around. He picks up into it and unfortunately the hooked pulled. He had lost the fish... Gutter! But things looked hopeful as the rods had only been out in the water for a matter of minutes! As the hours flew by it was very quiet for us. Apart from that one run at the start. But over other on the side of the bank, our friend Sam was on the fish! Within the space of about 3 hours he had 3 carp to 18lb. So, all of the action was happening over there but we decided to stick it out on our pegs. Our plan was to stay all the way until the end, and I predicted that things would pick up towards 4pm. As the opening and closing times had changed for January I knew that most of the action was gonna happen around 4pm and after. In December the lake closed at 4pm and as we were only 2 days in the fish would still turn on feeding after 4pm. But as its January, the closing time is 4:45pm. So we had an extra 45 minutes, which we would hope would be full of action. But the question is, was our theory correct? Just before 4pm Riki's rod sprang into action! He picked up into the run and hooked fish successfully! After playing something that he felt was quite big, 5 minutes later we got it in the net! What a beauty it was as well! 15lb on the dot!

After returning the fish back to where it belongs! I set up the camera recording my rods. At bang on 4 o'clock, I hear my rod alarm going. I was fishing to a far margin so had to be on it quick. It was such a nice feeling have a bend in my rod, I had been waiting all day for this moment! After getting it in the net, it was this little stunner! My first fish of 2014!

Only a little one, but big isn't always best! Especially when they look as good as this! Shortly after returning my fish, your never guess what happened? Riki had another fish!

I can conclude our session like that! What a crazy last hour of fishing! It was worth sticking it out, for those cracking results! Rigs & Bait Both Riki and I choose to keep our rigs simple, just a standard hair rig made from Korda N Trap Soft and Supreme Baits Orange & Aniseed Boilie tipped with fake corn, seems to be a killer at Newton Park! A few days after we returned to Newton Park, and it was fishing hard. I caught the only fish on the lake all day, and there is nothing much to else report about that session...

Thanks for reading our latest blog! Watch the video of the session by clicking play below!

  Tight Lines & Wet Nets! Luke