Today was my travel day home. However, my journey takes me past this little pool in Wessex and I often drop in for a few hours before getting back on the long road home.

I fished in the same place as yesterday,  I knew I had already ground baited it.

I setup in the dry and cast out. It was not long before the rod was bent over. Roach after Roach were caught often “on-the-drop” from around the baited area.

The weather was somewhat different to the 17^th. Today showers were forecast and actually quite welcome. However, the wind was blowing directly at me. I am not very proficient with the ‘Wallis’ cast to begin with and my first cast landed back at my feet. The wind was so strong at times that I had to employ a kind of “Nottingham” style cast with an overhead chuck as hard as possible and the float and bait landed managed just about in the right spot.

After about one hour catching lots of Roach I suddenly began to catch Crucian’s. Very tentative at first.

The heavens opened, I got very wet.

I then did something I do not normally, I changed my hook and down and to 2lb line which had an instant effect.

The swim simply bubbled as if id tipped a box of washing powder into it.

Luckily the rain was a warm rain and the fish were not put off at all. If it were a cold rain, that would certainly have been different.

I fished from around 14:00 until 20:00. I spoke to a friend on the phone who told me to wait for the seventh chime of the church bells and I would land a 2lb Crucian. This did not happen. The church bells did ring seven and the rod did indeed double over, it was not a Crucian. A tremendous battle ensued and I was convinced I had hooked Moby (the one and only Carp in the pool). I could not get the fish to the surface to see what it was. I then remembered that I was now also fishing with 2lb line so was super cautious. I eventually won the day and heaved up a tremendous Tench which was slightly longer than my 18” inch landing net. I reached for my disgorger to see that the line had snapped the second I had landed the fish. This was truly a miracle.

It would be fair to say I photographed over 30 Crucian’s and two Tench. No Perch today and the Roach outnumbered the Crucian by 2:1.

Around 20:00 I saluted the pond and said a thank you, as I placed the final items into my car the heavens opened again. I smiled all the way home.