29 November 2010 - Abbey Winter Wonderland
With Abbey lakes in France producing some nice fish it was time for a four night trip over the English Channel. On arrival I spoke to some lads who told me the fishing had slowed up over the last week due to the cold weather. I picked a swim in which I could cover as much water as was possible, I put my baits out with my bait boat with the echo finding some deep water, my bait for this trip was MAINLINE CELL Dumbells tipped with MAINLINE 10mm pineapple pop-up, in a large korda pva bag filled with HINDERS ELIPS (med), MINI COMBO and 10mm BETAINE pellet. The first night I caught a 41lb 4oz and a 45lb 10oz, the second night I had 3 x 20lb fish up to 28lb. After the second night the cold wind turned in to my face and it was time for a move to get on the back of the bitter wind. By now the weather had took for the worst and at night the temp was dropping to -4 degrees, but despite the freezing conditions the 3rd night a 56lb 8oz graced my net, with one more night to go and it snowing hard, I was already happy with my catch. As it got light and was still snowing, my right hand rod ripped off and after a 25 minute battle I bought a prime 31lb mirror, so after 4 nights at Abbey I had 3 x 20’s, 1 x30, 2 x 40’s and a 56lb 8oz under my belt with 2 fish lost. There were another five anglers on the lake while I was there and they had no action, thinking about it I was the only one using the HINDERS pellet.

21 October 2010 - Wet Weather Common
I managed to get back to the park lake for a quick overnighter. I fished 85 yds to a silty area, where I spodded 2 tubs of Hinders Salamis hemp mixed with various sized mainline boilies on test at the moment. Hookbaits were fished with pva sticks of Hinders crayberry multimix with crayberry dip. The weather was very wet and when I received a vey fast take to my left hand rod at 1am in the morning whilst playing the fish, I thought I must be mad but when I landed this 27lb 5oz common, it made up for it and getting wet was the last thing on my mind.

10 October 2010 - Park Lake Cracker!
I could not wait to get back to the Park lake and I found myself there for a couple of nights. After a good look around I opted for a swim I have fished a few times with mixed results. I found a silty area at 80yds range 2 rods were clipped up to the spot and I spodded out 2 tubs of hinders salamiz hemp with mixed various sizes of a new mainline bait on test at the moment. The first night was very quiet with no fish caught at all around the lake. I topped up the spot with the same amount of bait as the previous evening as I was sure some of the bait had been eaten. The early part of the night was very quite but around 1.30am I started to receive liners but it was not untill 3.00am that I was out of bed playing a hard fighting carp. My mate Tim came down to give a hand with the netting and it was not long before Tim lifted the draw cord over a big mirror. On the scales she went 36lb 12oz. I sacked the fish so that we could do the photos at first light and the fishing club are in the process of chipping all the lakes carp to avoid fish thefts. It ended up that the fish had already been tagged and had put 2lb on in 4 weeks and had the name Clover.

4 October 2010 - Rob Marsh and Lee Merritt at Chateux Moulinl
Rob and Lee have just got back from filming the new Free Spirit Dvd in france, Autumn Moon. The lads caught more than their fair share of fish. Hinders pellets and multimixes in conjunction with Mainline New Grange boilies did the buisness for the pair. Lee took carp to 48lb and Rob to just under 40lb.

13 September 2010 - British Carp Angling Championships Final
What had been a good year for myself and Lee turned bad as Lee became seriously ill and having been hospitalised was not going to be able to fish in the final. It was agreed between us that rather than pulling out, I would fish the match on my own. Now these matches our hard enough with two, so my job was going to be tough! Everything was prepared before the match, Pva solid bags and mesh bags were tied using Hinders Mini combi and 3mm Halibut pellets. Hookbaits were Mainline fluro Dumbells and the new Mainline bait. The draw was quite good, with fish in the area, I was confident It was only 50 minutes into the match when I hooked my first carp only to lose it in some marginal pads infront of my swim, which accounted for 4 more lost carp during the match but i did managed to land 7 fish to finish 5th, only missing a podium slot by 1 fish but myself and Lee move up the rankings now to 2nd and 3rd in the uk, which is a great acheivement in itself.

8 September 2010 - Park Lake Biggie
I found myself back at the lake this week for another over night session. I got into a swim that I had caught on my last visit, rods were cast to a silty area at 90yds and I baited with 2 tubs of Hinders salt and pepper hemp and various sized mainline boilies that I am testing at the moment, Hinders crayberry multimix for my stick mix. At around 10.30pm, I was playing what felt to be a big fish, after about 20 minutes she rolled infront of me and she was soon in the net. On the scales she went 37lb 2oz, we got the photos done and I slipped her back. That was the only action 'till I packed up for work in the morning.

1 September 2010 - Park Lake Ghostie
I managed to get back down to the lake for another over night session. After a couple of walks around the lake I saw a couple of fish show in one area of the lake. After some carefull feature finding, I found a promising area at around 90yds range. I spodded 2 tubs of Hinders Salamiz Hemp and various sized mainline boiles on test at the moment. Both rods were fished to the spot. At 1.30am I was playing another hard fighting carp but it was 30 minutes before she rolled infront of me, I reconised the fish straight away as a ghostie common that I caught over 15 years ago, as a single figure stockie whilst fishing for some of the large originals of the time. She was soon in the net and on the scales she went 28lb 4oz, pictures were done and I slid her back.

27 August 2010 - Park Lake
I returned back to the lake for another overnighte,r the weather conditions were perfect with another southerly and the area of the lake I fancied - amazingly free. I got set up as quick as possible. I found two seperate areas to place my baits, I then proceeded to spod out 4 tubs of salamiz hemp to the two spots, the new mainline boilies were mixed with the hemp and then I used Hinders crayberry multimix for my stick mix. At 10pm I received a fast take. The fish fought like a demon and after 30 minutes I still had not seen the fish. I had to wait another 15 minutes before it was in the net. As I lifted her onto the mat I could see it was a good fish, on the scales it went 35lb 10oz. Photos done, I got the rod back on the spot and spodded another 10 spods to the area. I had just got in bed when the other rod was away! After another good battle I slid the net under another good mirror, on the scales she went 29lb 15oz. Photos done and I got the rod back out and baited with another 10 spods. After being asleep for a couple of hours I awoke with a rod in my hand playing another carp. It turned out to be a 19lb mirror and that was the last of the action before packing up in the morning.

23 August 2010 - Short session success
I found myself back at the park lake for another early morning session this week. There was a lovely south-easterly blowing into a bay I had not fished much before but after 30 minutes a large plated mirror lifted itself out of the water, just 20yds out infront of me. I placed one rod where I saw that fish and the other rod was placed on the marginal shelf a rod length out. Both rods were baited with a new mainline boilie on test at the moment with hinders crayberry multimix and pva freindly hemp sticks. I placed 50 baits around each rod. After an hour, and a couple more shows in the area, confidence was high and it was no surprise when the margin rod was away. After a good battle, I slid the net under a cracking looking mirror, on the scales it went 26lb 8oz, a couple of pictures and I slipped her back. I was just about to get the rod back out when the other rod was away! After another great fight, I soon landed another cracking carp. This one went 27lb 14 oz, a couple photos done and I slid her back. All the comotion had pushed the fish out of the bay so I got packed up for the day.

17 August 2010 - Park Lake commons
I arrived at the lake at 7.30pm and with an hour and half until dark, finding the fish was upmost. My mate Tim was at the lake doing the same and after a couple of laps of the lake, without seeing a thing between us, we decided to fish a couple of swims we had had success at last week. I fished both of my rods at 70 yds to a silty area just over a gravel feature. The rods were baited with a new mainline bait and I got them positioned just before dark and then I got my house up. Carp started to show out infront of myself and Tim. I then spodded 3 tubs of hinders salamis hemp with various sized mainline boilies to my spot. Tim came round with a cup of tea and we sat chatting. We got our heads down but it was not long before Tim rang asking if I could photo a 35lb mirror, with that done I got back to bed. When I was in, before my head hit the pillow, my rod went. After a good battle the fish was rolling in front of me suddenly my other rod was away, I quickly got the fish in the net, which looked to be an upper 20lb common. The other fish was still on. Tim came round and netted the second fish for me, it was another common both went 26lb 13oz 20lb 7oz. I put another 10 spods out and got my head down at 3.30am. I received a fast take, only to get cut off after a short while. I received no more action and went to work a bit tired but happy.

11 August 2010 - Park Lake Success
I have been doing a bit of time on a local park lake with mixed results, losing two big fish but also landing a few nice fish to 31lb+. I have just managed to land this chunky 27lb 12oz mirror on a recent overnight session, again the mainline new bait with Hinders salamiz hemp spodded to gravel area at 60yds range doing the buisness.

5 August 2010 - Short Session Success
After a blank night at the start of the week, on one of my syndicate lakes I was gagging to get back down on the lake on Wednesday night after a really bad day at work but when I got home the kids and Mrs had other ideas about me going fishing. The weather was cock-on with thunder storms, so I decided to get up at 4.00am the next morning and fish for a couple of hours before work. Normally I would not bother but the lake has really got hold of me, especially as I have lost the last two carp from the lake, one being a very big fish. I spent an hour fishing the centre of the lake, hopefully able to move on to any fish I might see but nothing showed. Time was running out, so I moved to a small bay, fishing to some overhanging willow branches .My two rods were baited with the new mainline boilies and Pva bags of pva freindly salamiz hemp and chopped boilies. I was just talking to a local angler when the rod bent round. I managed to get her out of the branches but soon she was solid in a large weedbed. I had to go in. I managed to wade round up to my chest, to get to the other side of the fish. After steady pressure, I started to gain line and she was soon in the net .On the scales the mirror went 31lb 12oz, a couple of quick shots and I was off to work - job done!

30 July 2010 - Hinders Whitelakes
After finding a couple of waters close to my home for nights between work, I thought I would give one a chance, going there armed with pva funnel web bags filled with HINDERS elips and mini combo pellets, my hook baits were a MAINLINE plum pop-up dumbell, within 3 hours I had 2 fish on the bank including a low twenty, I had to be away early in the morning for work so was packed up by 6.00am, I ended up with18 fish with four twenty pound plus fish to 23lb and some good fish just under twenty, I’m sure this is the first time these fish have had elips pellet put in front of them 'cause they loved it and at one point I couldn’t keep a rod in the water.

28 July 2010 - More overnight Syndicate Success
With my success the other night, I made sure I baited my spots before I left for work in the morning in hope I could drop back in the swim that night. I baited with a tub of Hinders salt 'n' pepper hemp and 1 kilo of Hinders Mini-combi pellet, plus around 1 kilo of the new bait from Mainline in various sizes. The day was hectic and when I got to the lake car park there were plenty of cars present, so much so, I did not even bother getting the gear from the van as I was sure the swim would be taken. I did not really fancy any other areas of the lake so I grabbed a bucket from the van and made my way to the lake. As I turned the corner, to my surprise the swim was actually vacant. I was well confident and I got the rods out just before dark and got my head down. At 3am one of the margin rods was away and I got the fish close in, only for it to fall off for no apperant reason. I got the rod back out and got back in the bag. At 4.45am I was in again from the margin spot, this time it did not fall off and on the scales she went 30lb 7oz. I got the pictures done and got off to work for the day.

26 July 2010 - Overnight syndicate success
I managed a short overnight session on Broadoak, one of my syndicate waters, the lake has been fishing slow with only smaller fish being caught recently. I opted for a swim I have fished many times, fishing two rods to my right under the marginal trees, the other, 40 yds to a spot myself and mate Lane had done very well from, catching some very big fish. The margin rods were baited with the new mainline bait that we are testing at the moment and a couple of scoops of Hinders salt n pepper Hemp with Hinders mini- combi pellet. The open water spot, I baited with a kilo of mixed sized boilies and then fished a small bag of pva friendly hemp. At 12.10am I received a fast take to one of my margin spots, after a good battle, I slid the net under a 25lb 12oz mirror. I got the rod back out and got back in the bag. At 5.30am I was in again, this time to the open water spot. After another good battle. I slid the net under a big framed mirror which I reconised as a known thirty on the scales though she only went 27lb 14oz as she was well spawned out but I was more than happy with my results.

19 July 2010 - BCAC Finals, practice session
With myself and Lee through to the BCAC Finals at Broadlands Lake and with a magazine feature for Crafty Carper due, it made perfect sense for us to combine the feature with a much needed practise session. it's our first time back at the lake for a long time it has turned into a cracking carp lake and it only took 30 minutes to open my account with a lovely double-figured mirror, before Lee even arrived - being stuck in traffic. We ended up with 25 carp between us to upper doubles, which was an excellent result. The baits were all from the Hinders and Mainline stables.

14 July 2010 - Overnight Success
I managed an overnighter on my local syndicate last night. I arrived at the lake at at 8.00pm only to find 7 cars in the car park, busy for midweek and they were spread all over the lake. My only option was to fish to the far margin in an area I have had a few fish from. All 3 rods were cast 120yds to the far margin, I scattered some 18mm Mainline boilies I am testing at the moment over the area. 14mm bottom baits tipped with fluro corn soaked in Hinders Betalin with small pva bags of Hinders pellets and chopped boilies. At 4.00am I received a fast take to my right hand rod, after a long battle I slid the net under a cracking mirror, it was not one of the big girls but at 22lb 12oz, it was more than welcome and after a cup of tea I got packed up for work.

6 July 2010 - British Carp Championships
It was this weekend that myself and Lee took part in the first semi-final of the British carp champs at Barston lake in Solihull. With a really strong field of anglers taking part this year, it was certainly going to be tough and a good draw was definately the order of the day but as we watched our top swims disapear as the draw went on and we finally came out 12th out of the hat, we chose peg 25, a swim we thought that we may be able to qualify from. We used several different methods during the match from fishing Betalin soaked plastic baits for zigs with nutz sludge and a new bait from Mainline with a matching dip with hinders blitz and pva freindly hemp. The match was hard work with virtually no sleep during the event but we managed over 400lb taking 6th slot and qualifying for the final at Broadlands Lake. Also our other team members, Pete and Ian, managed first place, so with our combined scores, we managed to secure the Team championships for the fourth time and hopefully that won't be the only silverware this year. It will be the first time back at Broadlands for me and Lee since the late 80s. We will let you now how we get on in practise.

1 July 2010 - Lee Merrit
With a good afternoons fishing a couple of days ago, it was time to get back down to Broadoak fishery in Kent for a couple of nights, after moving swims 4 times, I finally saw a fish showing itself, I have had very good results using HINDERS pva friendly hemp in a large funnel web bag, so this was my bait along with a new MAINLINE bait, dipping the whole lot into a new dip that I'm testing, within a hour my left hand rod was away and after a good fight, I landed a lovely 34lb 8oz mirror.

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