It rains, it pours....

My mind was set just to angle from Saturday morning till Sunday morning but after doing a milk run to a carp angling buddy and viewing the lake I suddenly got the urge to wet a line.

So Friday tea time saw me dashing home, having a swill, mixing some bait and loading the truck and heading to the lake via the Chinese with my dinner in tow!

The lake was quite busy but was always going to be with it being bank holiday weekend.

My sweet and sour chicken and rice set me up nicely and I then began to tackle up in a nice little bay that does not get too much attention.... it is a deep bay with sloping margins and a few hanging trees that drape down to the waters surface.

The time was ticking away and I eventually got the rods placed and baited by 8.30.

It was now time to sit back, pour a cuppa, have a smoke and watch the water for any movement but most of all chillax.

This session I decided to head to the opposite end of the lake to last week as the bream were still making an appearance and I needed a little sleep!

All was quiet when headed for the sleeping bag and the confinement of my shelter, although the clouds were starting to collect and aiming our way.

I'm sure some anglers that go night fishing are actually scared of the dark?

The light pollution to my right caused me to turn over and face the back of my shelter, "turn em off lads" I don't want to see it!

No sooner had I got settled than the left hand rod bounced and shuddered into action as something tore off with my corn offering, it was now raining and looking very angry up above.

Into the net went a bream roughly six pounds in weight... was I in for a night of it or was this the lone ranger?

Rod re-baited, sod it, I'll have a cuppa and if a few had moved upon me then I might just get another quick bite. Nothing else happened until 1.30am and this also turned out to be another slab of around the same weight, it was now raining a little heavier and from the opposite side of the lake I could hear the sound of a fellow anglers alarm "that's good" I said to myself, "I'm not the only one to be getting pissed upon"!

While on the myth subject of it being good for fishing in the rain, I for one seem to struggle in the daylight hours while it pours but occasionally catch the odd something in a wet darkness.

But as for it being the best time to go, let me tell you " it ain't for me"!

I managed a couple of solid hours sleep before the same rod sang its tune but this time the culprit was a roach of around 12oz. I will just say here that I'm expecting to catch all sorts while fishing the method I am so will have to take the rough with the smooth and after all... a fish is a fish!

Back in bed by 4am and it was there I stayed till roughly 5.15 when again the left had rod was attached to something that was adamant on getting into the nearby bush that was hanging to my immediate left.

A little bit of pressure applied and yet another bream was lying in the net and although I didn't actually weigh it, she looked to be near the double figure mark. It mattered not and it was from this point onwards I decided to stay up, re-bait both rods and also set up the float rod and try some early morning pellet fishing to see if I could entice my quarry a different way?

At 7am, just as I was pouring my third cuppa, the right hand rod took on a slightly faster take and straight away I knew it felt different.

This rod had been placed down my right margin and across a bit next to a small bush, of which it tried its hardest to reach, but old Birdy weren't having any of that!

And it was maybe this that caused what was about to happen next?

On grabbing the net and looking down into the margin I could see my target just taking its last gulp, when all of a sudden my stonze weight, flew over my head causing me to duck n dive! The tench was gone and although not huge, I guessed it to be roughly five pounds or so?

This was what I was after but luck this time was not on my side. "Can't do nothing about it now, its gone" I muttered to myself. All good things come to those who wait and lets be honest here, one day it'll happen?

Saturday turned out to be quite a nice day weather wise, but some anglers went and other anglers arrived. I sat and dabbled with the pellet rod enjoying the sun and even managed to catch a good few roach, oh and even a couple of hungry gutted pike that found a liking for my prize as I wound them in.

The rods on the feeders went quite during the day so it wasn't until 6pm that I baited and set the traps for the following night.

Job was done and I then set about cooking my dinner which consisted of (for those of you that are interested!) sausages, potatoes of the new variety and some peas!!

Come nine o'clock that evening, a couple of rumbles of thunder with an odd lightening strike had clapped above me. By ten I was in my cozy bag watching rain drops bounce from the waters surface, my little radio could not be heard due to the noise being made as it hit my little nylon house.

Sod this I thought to myself and decided to get some sleep just in case anything decided to go on the munch.

Nothing did and the rain stayed on all night even to the point of filling my footwear up as I'd left them to near to the bivvy door in case a sharp exit was needed!

Like most, I hate packing up in the rain and by 10 am I was loading the car soaked to my skin and still tenchless!

It rains, it pours!