Unbearable heat and humidity have not inspired me to go fishing of late, but with cooling winds and cloud cover promised, I ventured out this morning to my local pond at Braybrooke recreation ground. Arriving after 9 am, I found the banks deserted and chose a swim that would keep me in the shade all morning. Not having fished Jeane’s pond since April, I was pleased to see activity all over the surface. Rudd were investigating every piece of wind blown flotsam, that had landed on the surface, while perch were scattering fry in every corner.

My swim was fizzing with bubbles thrown up by feeding fish and I couldn’t wait to plumb the depth and start fishing. There was about 6 ft, 4 metres out and I set the float to fish just off bottom. Once again only having the bread punch available as bait did not phase me. I decided to feed four balls of wet crumb straight in, putting one close to the lily bed and three in a line 2 metres wide in front of me.

First drop in the float sank without caution and the elastic came out in response to a hard fighting rudd. It felt warm in my hand, the pond must be like a tepid bath.

For the next few minutes smaller roach and rudd had invaded the heavily baited swim, then the float settled and registered a bite that cruised under, the strike setting the size 16 hook into a net worthy roach, that stayed deep.

Due to the depth, I had concentrated the shot in the bottom 18 inches with a 9 inch tail, which was sending the bait straight down. The float cocked and sank again. Unmissable, another quality roach was pounding away against the elastic and I took my time bringing it to the surface.

Back in again and the elastic remained out. This was not a roach, or a rudd, the surface boiling as the fish fought against the elastic. I thought it was a tench, but got a surprise, when the long dorsal fin of a fat crucian carp scythed through the water. It would not give up, diving and running, but eventually on its side I netted it.

The run of big roach went on…

And on…

Yet another big roach. They were just sitting there over the feed.

Eventually the big fish were mostly in my net and the average size began to fall.

The sun was coming round and more rudd were taking near the surface.

I took a chance and made up one more stiff ball, watching the rudd attack the moment it hit the water.

A few more small roach and rudd got to the bread first, but then success and I was playing another decent roach.

I scraped up the last of the wet crumb and put it in, bringing round a few better rudd.

At 12:30 I stopped fishing, just short of three hours, the sun was now over the trees and the temperature had risen again. It was time to pull in the keepnet. I hoped that I had over 10 lbs, but missed the target by a pound, but with the quality of fish landed, who was complaining?