Fried bread

College Reservoir third trip - August 1989. 

Arrived to find the water level exceptionally low

Roger Stanger, drove down as a passage with Mark. 

Decided to try a lazy sit and wait approach. At random, fancying a try on new part of the lake, I chose a swim right in the middle of the main open area of the res, piled in lots of bait and sat on it. On each of the two previous visits I had moved, three times out of choice the first time to find the fish (3 times) and get away from the excessive weed that year in the shallow bay area, then a forced move on the second 

The fishing proved to be a very slow affair. Mark caught more than I did. We were hopeful even during the post baiting up lull that every day the fish would get more and more attracted to our baited area but it never happened and all that I got were 4 carp, mark twice as many and Roger about the same as me? 

By this latter period of my angling career I had gotten myself into some really lazy habits. By this time I enjoyed just sitting and waiting for the fish to come to me, all well when they did but at other times it ruined any chances of a good catch. When more ?? it was better to hoick your gear round to where the fish might actually be. It was hard work but was better than sitting around twiddling your thumbs as I did for so long during this particular weeks stay. 

Mark set up right alongside me with Roger a little further along the same bank.

desperate dan sized two inch thick Steak ... so large that we often had nothing else on the plate. In truth these slabs of meat were so large that even after Mark had expertly barbequed them there wasn't too much room left on the plate for much else? No doubt a few extra mars bars would be posted afterwards knowing me? I hold the world record for Mars Bar consumption ... the record is lost to me as I write but it would probably be measured in tonnage? 

Helpful locals - bait in freezer etc

I found the bait recipe

7.5 kilo mix

1 Kg Robin Red

1 Kg 200 mesh Casein

500 gram Lactalbumin WG

2 KG Sluice bird food

1.5 sardine (dense)

1.5 tuna meal (lighter/fluffier)

Two 7.5 kg mixes? Didn't roll bait on the bank too often, took most bait frozen in cool boxes. helped out by locals ... a customer in those days. Name long forgotten. 

In the end a very windy storm arrived and Rogers bivvy got annihilated (I think?) so, given that the fishing hadn't really got going, we packed up and headed for home a few days earlier than was planned.