After a month or so of planning, bidding for tickets, charity auctions on ebay, arranging fancy dress costumes and a lot of nagging for sponsorship, it was finally here the 'Back on the Landing Net Autumn Charity Match 2011' in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Steve and I headed towards Todber Manor in Dorset to fish the doubles match on Little Hayes but the weather was unlike normal October and when we left Swansea at 3am it was already quite warm and the temperature just kept going up and up as we travelled.  

We arrived well ahead of schedule with about two hours to spare before the draw, our first idea was to try and get a bit of sleep but that didn't happen as we were a bit wound up after the drive and decided to take a walk around the lakes at Todber.

Sunrise at Todber Manor.

We walked round every lake on the complex completely soaking my shoes in the morning dew before making our way back to the shop ready for the draw. Back at the shop we were greeted by a medley of youtube bloggers and some old and new faces from the last match.

The peg we drew looked good and there were fish showing in the swim as soon as we'd arrived but things were not going to go our way.

We set up the gear ready for the all in then once all the rods were out changed into our fancy dress outfits, we were Danny and Sandy from Grease! unfortunately the costumes didn't stay on very long as in was so hot they became unbearable.

Carp, Coarse and Swansea do Grease.

Chris and Jay aka Batman and Robin setting up ready to overview the match.

Steve was the first one to out of everyone fishing the match to hook up but it came off after putting a bend in the rod, then I had a screaming run off a zig rig I put out next to the island but even though I was on the rod almost straight away I simply connected with nothing, this was then followed up by Steve hooking into another fish only for it the throw the hook when it was nearly ready for the net. On the plus side we both managed to land a small Perch each on Maggots so even though our total match weight was still zero at least we hadn't blanked.

Steve not a happy bunny after losing his second fish on the match.

Chris and Jay stopped by after I nagged them for group photo.

The night was even worse on the fish front with me only getting one run and even though I was up and out of the bivvy without my shoes I still connected with nothing. On the plus side we had a cracking home made Chilli from Margot off Cookin and Carpin and we did have a bit of fun releasing some sky lanterns which mostly didn't make it further than Little Hayes and the ones that did get airborne ended up in Big Hayes, a bit of a disaster but a good laugh.

Stevie boy struggling with the sky lantern instructions.

The second day of the match arrived and I wish there was more to write about it was another boiling hot October day and for me there was nothing no action absolutely zilch, I tried everything from boilies, pop-ups, zigs, dog biscuits, pellets and maggots but nothing worked I eventually gave up and went for a walk with the camera.

Steve had a slightly better second day than me, but I use the term 'slightly better' very loosely as the only difference between Steve and myself was that Steve managed to hook and lose his third Carp of the match.

This rounds up all our action for the match, we had a few chances and missed them all, in a perfect world things would have been so different we would have banked all the fish that had set off the alarms and none of the fish would have thrown the hook but the reality of it was we finished without a Carp on he bank coming joint last.  

All the winners.

All the guys who attended in fancy dress.

Leaving with our Back of the Landing Net medallions.

Again Chris and Jay were true hosts and made everyone feel welcome and the money raise for Cancer Research UK totalled over £3000 which is a staggering amount. I almost feel guilty for blanking after all the effort these guys put into the event.

All that's left for me to say is Well Done guys and I'll see you at the next match...oh yeah...Back of the Landing Net!

Living in Wales seems to mean that we take a back seat in the publicity of angling and considering that we have some amazing fishing both sea and freshwater Wales always seems to be an after thought to the organisers of big angling events.

When I found out that the Korda run Carpfest was holding their final event of the year at Celtic Lakes in Lampeter I was pretty excited at the prospect but sadly when I arrived at Celtic Lakes I found the whole event had packed up and gone home due to bad weather!

To be fair I was annoyed especially after checking the Korda website before making the three hour round trip, wasted close to £30 in petrol and there wasn't even a representative left behind to give any kind of explanation. The staff at Celtic Lakes were left taking all the flack which in my eye was a little unjust.

Around twenty to thirty people turned up after me which did make me feel at bit better especially as one guy had travelled all the way from Oswestry in England. It did get me thinking that most of the guys running the event were supposed to be hardened 'all weather' Carpers and one of the displays was supposed to have been a company that prides itself in making bivvies that can withstand anything British weather can throw at it so it does seem somewhat feeble that a wet and windy night should see them abandoning the event.

On a more positive note I'd chucked the rods in the car in the off chance that if there was a spare peg available I'd get a line wet but I knew this was not a certainty. Lucky for me that most of the anglers had packed up when the Carpfest guys left so it gave me loads of choice.

I waited for a break in the weather and moved in on a peg that I fished the first time I ever visited Celtic Lakes back in 2008, I'd been told numerous times that it was a good peg to fish from but I'd never really got the chance to fish it again until now.

Set up with my back facing the wind.

I got everything ready and decided to go for the all or nothing approach spreading close to a kilo of boilies over the two spots I'd placed my hook baits. I had a bit of trouble hitting one of the spots as the wind was stopping me get the distance I needed but I'd seen a fish crashing over the area so I wasn't too concerned about not getting enough bait out.   
The weather was the same as it had been all day with grim looking clouds giving the odd shower and the wind was almost constant. I finished off my sandwiches and settled in the bivvy with a coffee waiting for signs of life from under the waters surface.

It was around nine o'clock when my alarm first sounded. I bolted out of the bivvy to find the line tight and the tip of the rod bending slightly, it was strange, almost as if the line had been tightened up against a snag. I hung back for a few seconds before the rod tip began to move. I picked up the rod, struck and woke up something awesomely powerful as it took off literally tearing forty yards of line as I held on. It was too dark to see the fish as it broke the surface at almost double the distance from where I'd originally cast the bait. It continued to thrash about making long runs before it all went slack! I was totally frustrated and couldn't believe that after that immense display it had just come off!

I reeled in to find the hooklength had come off as the Korda quick link had opened. Although I was thoroughly annoyed it does seem pretty apt for a Korda product to let me down especially as the only reason I was there was to visit a non-existent Korda event.

I tied on a new hooklength, this time without a quick link and cast the bait back on the same spot. Knowing that there had been at least one greedy monster over the baited spot I decided to get another good helping of free offerings around the hook bait.

Once I'd settled down I got my head down and got a good few hours kip which is what really needed as I'd been on the go all day.

It was the early hours before anything happened on the fishing front. At around 3am I had a few beeps on the alarm then just before 4am I got a proper pick up from the same spot as earlier. What a wake up call! just like the last run it began by the fish powering off and ripping line from the reel I began to think I'd hooked into a Cat but this was short lived as it seemed to tame after the initial burst and I began to reel it in. Thinking it was only a matter getting it in the net I dipped the net in the water and then it seemed to wake up. It battled away under the rod tip until eventually I managed to guide a nice looking common into the net.

It had taken a while but I'd finally got one on the bank and it was a cracking fish, an almost pristine Common Carp weighing in a 15lb 3oz. The trip was finally worth it!

A lovely 15lb 3oz Common Carp.

I was now happy that I managed a nice fish on the bank in hard conditions. I climbed back in the bivvy hoping for another run before the night was out. 

It was dawn before the alarms sounded again and I was out of the bivvy again, this time it wasn't a powerful battle but none the less it was still a welcome fish in the net. A little common weighing a surprising 5lb 7oz. The rain seemed to spoil the moment as I was eager to get the fish back in the lake and back under the cover of the bivvy.

A little chunky Common weighing 5lb 7oz.

The lake just after sunrise, if you can call it that when the sun isn't visible.

The morning came and I'd had two fish out so it wasn't all bad and after a little breakfast I was happy to start the pack down, even though it had been raining most of the morning the wind had dried out the bivvy making it a fairly easy job.I kept an eye on the black clouds passing overhead but I was lucky not to see any more rain while I loaded the car. 

So, what started of as a wasted journey turned into an OK session, I'm still gutted that I lost the first fish I hooked into as it felt like something special but if I was meant to land everything I hooked it wouldn't be fishing.

Well, it had been a while since I'd ventured out down the Fendrod. I'd spent most of August chasing Tench as I hadn't really targeted the species properly and after visiting three different locations I was yet to see a Tench in the landing net and still no closer to achieving the 2011 target of a four pound Tench.

I decided to put chasing Tench on hold and hit the Fendrod firstly to try out some new boilies and secondly to hopefully get a bend in the rod.

I arrived and quickly set up as the light was fading. I got the bivvy up and the rods out then huddled inside the bivvy as the wind picked up followed by scattered but heavy showers.

I'd had a few beeps during the night but I put all of them down to the wind ripping through the swim. At twenty to five I finally heard the alarm give out more than a single beep. I quickly threw my boots on and dashed out of the bivvy towards the rods.

I picked up the rod and could feels a fish pounding away on the end. My initial thoughts were a Bream but then it began to kick off but it still didn't feel right and I started to think I'd hooked a small Carp that was trying to give me a bit of a run around. I couldn't believe it when I first saw the fish as it looked like a Tench and knowing how unsuccessful my attempts at targeting Tench had been I was eager to get this in the net.

I looked down in to the net and was still in shock. The last thing I'd expected to catch was a Tench. I knew there were a few in the Fendrod and I've only ever heard of about three or four being landed since I started fishing the lake.  

I left it in the net while I got the sling and scales ready. I weighted the fish then rechecked the scales as I didn't think it looked as big as was showing but it weight the same both times setting a new P.B. at 5lb 1oz something I am more than happy with and am still amazed I'd caught it on an 18mm dumbell bottom bait.

New P.B Tench weighing 5lb 1oz

Very welcome surprise.

I done a bit of a video blog and took a few pictures then my biggest Tench ever was safely back in the lake leaving me with slime coated hands but very happy.  

It was almost as if the weather gave me a break to deal with the fish as once I was back in the bivvy the wind and rain picked up again and this time it was torrential.

I tried to get some sleep in between the downpours checking the water level every so often as it seemed to be rising fast, by the time the sun was up the water level was already over the top of the peg which meant that I got my feet wet when I rebaited the rods.

Extreme fishing.

I had scattered a good few baits over the two hook baits and it paid off. About half past ten I got my second run of the session. I run to the rods splashing through the ankle deep water covering the peg and hit it. It was a powerful display from the start as soon as I'd connected the fish tore off ripping line from the spool, I was not used to such a savage take from the Fendrod.

I battled for a long time and it felt great to be connected to something that was really fighting back. I eventually won sliding a nice big mirror Carp into the net. My first thought was it was one of the newly stocked fish from the earlier in the year but since checking the pictures of the stocking the scale pattern doesn't match any of the new fish.

I lifted the net and placed the fish on the mat, and its mouth only showed one other scratch that looked more like a tear than a hook scar so potentially I could be the first person to have banked this fish. It looked big but common sense told me that it wasn't a twenty but it didn't matter.

The scales confirmed the weight at 17lb 9oz, not a monster in some peoples eyes but good enough for me.

Nicely rounding off the session with a high double mirror Carp.

My biggest Fendrod mirror Carp to date at 17lb 9oz

While I was doing my video blog the skies opened and I was left scrambling to get the camera out of the rain. I gave up trying to stay dry and knelt down in the water to get the fish back. I did think this made me look a be crazy when I was editing the video but its not the first time and it definitely wont be the last. 

After yet another downpour I decided to wrap things up. I had had a pretty good session with lots of single beeps from the alarms keeping me on my toes but more importantly my biggest ever Tench followed by a respectable mirror Carp. A good session for the Fendrod especially considering the weather.

I left the lake very happy and was also pretty please with how the new baits had performed on the first try. I packed up the car and made my way home to start the job of hanging everything up to dry ready for my trip to Celtic Lakes next week.

Check out the video blog of the session.

Well it was just over a week since I'd fished Celtic Lakes and I was still on a high from getting my first ever Catfish and I was also on a good run with the last few sessions producing a meadley of outstanding catches and new species so, I thought I'd try and push my luck with a session on the Fendrod.

I had a few new toys I wanted to try out and I also had a bucket of prepared pigeon conditioner that needed to be used as it had been left to soak for a week and it was getting rather pungent and a few more days and I doubt it would be fit for anything.

I arrived at the Fendrod and there were already a few anglers on the lake which made me opt to fish down in the trees. I dragged everything down to the swim and spotted a Carp cruising in the margin which spurred me into setting up a rod to free line but the few moments it took me to get the rod together it was gone.

I continued to set up and bait up, I spread the particle mix around a patch of lillies in front of me and then launched the rest out in to the right hand margin before dropping my baits out.

I then settled down in the bivvy to nurse the nettle stings I had acquired on my legs and backside while putting up the bivvy. 

New toy one - A LED strip light, this should make those night time video blogs a bit more visable.

New toy two - A bottle of Jungle formula, hopefully I'll be less attractive to the blood suckers.

The night arrived and even though I had a few fish showing right over where I'd been baiting the hookbaits remained still all night.

At one point in the night I visited by a hedgehog, it was a noisy little beast rummaging around my bivvy for ages I didn't mind once I realised it was a hedgehog as I first thought it was a rat trying to burrow its way under the bivvy. Once I realise it was a hedgehog I filmed it for a for about a minute then dropped a hand full of boilies down for it and after making light work of the free offering it was off down the bank. 

Not long after sunrise I was awoken by the clicking of the reel from the rod in the right hand margin. I was quickly on my feet picking up the rod but I was almost instantly snagged up. I tried everything in an attempt to stay connected to the fish I was moving around and changing angles but nothing worked. I eventually let the line go slack and hoping the fish swim free of the snag meant that it was also able to shed the hook and I was left with a piece of a branch for my efforts.

I couldn't believe that I'd been woken up by the just the sound of the reel clicking, I checked my alarm and it seemed that the battery had died during the night. So I'm guessing I was lucky to have heard the reel clicking as the last thing I would want to it leave a fish snagged up while I slept completely unaware of the pick up. 

Mr Robin visiting the peg.

After losing the only run of the session I got up and tried to work at getting another bite. Fresh baits and PVA bags of crushed boilies and pellets just didn't do the job. I ended up spooking the only real chance of getting a fish on the bank and finally resigned myself to a blank session.

I should be used to blanking on the Fendrod but with the runs of better session under my belt I left the lake thinking I could have done better.

I'd been on the bank for twenty four hours and had a bit of action and even cracked a new PB, well it has to be a PB as its my first ever Grass Carp. I had another twenty four hours left on the bank and my confidence was high.

The area I'd baited was showing signs of activity with fish topping and fizzing, this visible display soon vanished during another downpour.

I decided to check both my rigs and get some fresh hook baits, I continued with the Mistral i40 boilies on the Carp rig and the Cat rig was baited with a fresh double 22mm Halibut pellet. Tipping them off with PVA bags of crushed i40 boilies and mixed pellets.

Not long after the rain had started to die down I was wetting the net again. The heavy baiting was starting to work with another Mirror Carp picking up the bait, this was the biggest Mirror Carp of the session so far weighing in at 11lb 2oz.

Fish number 5, Another Mirror on the bank.

As the light started to fade I was getting line bites fairly often and I was in two minds to reels in and check the rig but it turn out I didn't need to as yet another Mirror Carp made the bite alarm sing. This time it didn't break any records weighing 7lb 8oz but it was another fish on the bank and the final fish to be landed on my birthday.

The last fish of my birthday, awful photo and I only took one shot.

As the night settled in the swim went quiet. I cooked myself a Chicken Jalfrezi in the frying pan , then zipped myself up inside the bivvy to stop the hoards of midges eating me alive, on the plus side got a few hours kip before the main event of the night. 

It was about three in the morning when I was woken by the sound of the bite alarm from another swim. I got up to see what was happening as there was a bit of a commotion. I walked over to see what was happening and one of the guys fishing in the next peg to me had hooked into what he thought was a Cat and it was running him all over the place. I'd been with them for about five minutes and the fish was just taking line, the other angler said that I think it nearly over by your peg when on cue my bite alarm made two single beeps.

Thinking that his fish had swam through my line I started to make my way back to my peg. I picked up the rod with the single boilie hook bait and reeled in the slack until I could feel something pounding away. I genuinely thought we'd crossed lines. I didn't really apply much pressure and was calling back and forth to the other angler telling him I was letting out line. He then shouted 'I can see it, it's a Cat' I really didn't expect that as I knew my line wasn't running anywhere near where he was saying his Cat was and then the reality of the situation struck home.

I had not crossed lines and there was something on the end of my line that I'd been giving an easy ride for a few minutes. As soon as the penny dropped I tightened up and pulled back. It suddenly began to fight back and all I could do it let it run. It was by far one of the hardest fights I have ever done in the dark. It was like being connected to a true leviathan, I would make a bit of line back then it would tear off cutting along the margins and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was a long hard battle where I would think that I was making progress and then it would just power off and I would be back where I started.

After what felt like hours I pulled the biggest fish I had ever seen into the net. It was so big that I couldn't get the whole fish in the net without folding its tail into the net.

Result! I had done it! I was absolutely worn out, I was out of breath and my arms were aching but it didn't matter. After nearly fours years since my first ever session trying to get a Catfish I finally had one on the bank, and it was massive!

It was one ugly beast! a massive head, massive mouth and a slime coated body. I was in awe of its sheer size. From what started out as a mess with potential crossed lines and me leaving it run round without fighting back I couldn't believe I finally got one on the bank. I don't know what surprised me the most actually getting one or the fact that it was so big or the awesome fight it gave. I've never had anything fight back with such power.

It was longer than my weigh sling which made weighing it a bit of a task so, with one side of the sling zipped up and the tail hang out of the other end I managed to get it off the ground safely. The scales slammed round to 31lb and 8oz

So happy!

The beast was longer than my weigh sling.

A collection of photos showing that a 30+ Catfish isn't the easiest fish to hold.

And finally a mat shot before a powered off in to the night.

I done my bit of video blogging and took a few photos, I have to say that it wasn't the easiest fish I've ever held but it was certainly the heaviest. Once I'd taken my trophy shots I placed it in the weigh sling and lowered to down into the margins. I thought that it would need a while to get its strength back but that was not the case, as soon as its head was in the water its tail started flipping back and forth. I simply opened the sling and it was gone.

I was buzzing and worn out. I lied back down on my bed but didn't drop off to sleep for ages.

I felt like I'd only been to sleeping for a few minutes when the alarms woke me and I was back on my feet and into another fish. It was to be my first lost fish of the session as after a long battle in open water the fish steered itself into the marginal lilies and threw the hook. I had seen the fish and it was a Mirror Carp and it look a bit bigger than any of the previous Carp I'd landed, but I was still on a high from landing the Cat so I wasn't too disappointed.

The morning mist from my swim.

I checked both rigs and put them back out with fresh PVA bags and then tried to get a bit more sleep.

My final bit of bankside action arrived at about half past nine when a real hard fighting Common graced the mat, another double weighing 10lb 9oz, a great way to round off the session.

The final fish of my birthday session another double to end a truly brilliant session.

After the fish was back in the lake I cooked up some breakfast and then started the inevitable pack down albeit a slow one. I haven't done a session longer than 24 hours in a long while so I was expecting the 48 hours to feel like ages but it didn't.

By about midday I'd got nearly everything packed up and only the rods left to bring in. Unlike most of my fishing sessions I wasn't trying to will another take or hoping to get one more fish on the bank before I left. I was happy to leave Celtic lakes without any regrets and for once in a long time I didn't have any niggling thoughts of I could have done better.

This was by far the best birthday session I'd ever had which left me thinking how will I ever stand a chance of topping it on future birthdays. This trip had seen two new species to grace the bank which in turn provided two new personal bests and also my biggest fish ever! All in all a session I don't think I'll ever forget. Lets see what happens on my next birthday session.