Nick Kempen I arrived at the lake at 3am as I had been told by another member the swim I wanted was free and knowing it has good winter form it wouldn’t be free long, with luck and a early start it was still free so I got the bivvy up had a brew and got into my bed for a few hours sleep until it was light enough to get the rods out, by 9 am the three rods where all on spots I knew the left hand rod was fished a rod length out down the margin on a small gravel spot, the middle rod was fished 40yards out on the edge of some gravel but just in the silt and the right hand was fished about 20yards to the bottom of a island shelf, with the rods done and the rain hammering down I sat in the bivvy having a brew when at 11am the left hand rod was away, the fish made a it to an old patch of lilies about 20 yards down to the left but with steady pressure it was soon out and back in open water, after a good fight in the deep margin it was the net waiting to be weighed and have its photo done, with the rod back on the spot another member came round to help with the photos and a weight of 34-14 was recorded. The afternoon soon went by and it was dark by 4pm really windy and still raining hard and I was about to start getting some dinner on when the margin rod was away again, once more the fish found the old lilies and as before with steady pressure it was soon back in open water and fighting in the deep margin before slipping in the net, another good mirror was sat in the net waiting for it photos to be done, as before the rod was replaced before the member came round to do the photos and weight the fish at 35-8, once the mirror was safely returned I had to change my clothes as the rain was so hard I was soaked through and cold but with a change and some dinner I was soon warming up in the sleeping bag before falling asleep early. 4am and the middle rod is away with a very fast take but being in open water it was safe with no snags to worry about which gave me time to get my waterproofs on as it was still hammering down, on picking up the rod the fish was still taking line and was fighting hard in open water but soon kited to my left and once again it found the old lilies but just as the last two fish steady pressure had it in open water and in the deep margin before a lovely commen went in the net, I weighed it at 26-6 and did a few cradle shots then slipped it back leaving the rod against the bivvy and got back into bed as the wind and rain would make it hard to get it back on the spot. The day passed very quiet and by 3pm the rods where all back on the spots ready for the night but at 4pm the margin rod was away resulting in a stunning 25-8 fully scaled getting its photos done before being returned. With the wind howling and the rain hammering down still I got some dinner going but as I was about to start eating the right hand rod was away and a short spirited fight resulted in a lovely stocky in the net of mid double size having a few cradle photos and being returned. With the rod back out the best I could I settled down for the night but by morning nothing else happened so I paced all the soaking gear I the van and returned home happy with the five I had