Smashing 'em up at Long Shaw

It was never going to be anything more than a social! Benno, Luke, Skunk (a new member of the gang) and myself rendezvousing at Long Shaw Farm for an afternoon's fun fishing. Since the start of 2015 there has been a new fishery rule introduced - no fishing with floating bread. (My favoured method!!!) But we'll just have to work around it - no big deal?
After arriving at the venue; I had a quick chat with one of the fishery owners, purely to establish what type of floating baits remained acceptable. Once that had been sorted, and I'd parted with my day-ticket money, it was action stations all the way. Benno and Luke are obsessed with fly rods and all things associated. They absolutely emptied the place today! Using zig-bugs as flies, they were constantly in action for the entire period we were at the venue.  The secret being to scatter a few cat biscuits on the surface and fish the zig amidst the floating feast. I employed similar tactics, but used very different tackle. A Diawa Harrier "Amorphous" 13' match rod, fitted with my Match Aerial Centre-pin, 7lbs b.s. line and a size 11 barbless Kamatsu Barbel Maxx hook - with a piece of soaked yellow foam (cut from Emily's bath toys!) as bait.

Benno and Luke in a double "hook-up" situation. A very familiar scene during the afternoon.

There is absolutely no point in taking this fishery seriously - it is all about pleasure angling,the enjoyment of bending a rod and being at the waterside. Skunk was quiver-tipping, with luncheon meat, taking a succession of Bream, Roach, a few Carp and a Chub! The rest of us were surface fishing for the carp!

If this were a pike I'd think that it'd been "stiched up"
An incredibly long fish which tipped the scales at just 12lbs 6 oz.
It wouldn't have been a good barbel in that shape?

By the time we packed up, you've got to be off the venue by 19.00 hrs, at least 30 carp had fallen to our joint efforts - they really are that easy! I took the best fish of the day, but Benno kicked my arse in the numbers game - it was great fun in superb company.