(December chub taken on lob worm)

Sat sipping a glass of warming Taliska on a damp December evening, watching fishing programmes trying to get some inspiration ready for our next trip (Thursday).

I find myself being sucked in to believing that "chicken flavoured, pink elephant pellets" (or whatever they are) are the best, and only bait to catch big fish. While watching one of these carp experts aerodynamically pack and sculpt a method feeder so that he can 'wang' it 400 metres across a gravel pit with 3 different size pellets, and a popped up hook bait to try and tempt a carp to hang itself on the line. Whilst watching this demonstration my girl friend looked up and said "Why do they have to make it so complicated?" All I could hear in my head was my uncles voice saying "Just stick a bloody worm on a hook and leave it.."

I can't say anything really, after all not so long ago I took to the tackle shop and came away with a hefty bill of £40. All spent on daft baits, only to be out fished (consistently over the summer!) by tins of co-op home brand luncheon meat.

I've learnt my lesson, simple from here on out.