In pursuit of an angling dream

I was back out on "The Levels", yesterday, accompanied by the complete ensemble of my yesteryear challenge! The Bruce & Walker 10' Mk IV glass fibre rod, a Mitchell 300 reel, with my, recently renovated, Heron bite alarm - the head being fixed to an original "Efgeeco" steel and aluminium adjustable rod rest - classic stuff.

Only a very select band of "Old farts" will appreciate the significance
of this image - angling history in 2015?

I was very happy with my two chosen spots (the intimacy of the venue dictating the number of rods that can be fished effectively) and baited up accordingly. I had arrived at around 16.30 hrs and was fishing within fifteen minutes - I gave it five hours before packing up! The sum total of my efforts - a fast six inch lift on the Mk IV indicator - I got done! I reeled in to find nothing amiss, no weed on the hook or marks on the baits; very strange - but I knew that I'd been had over!

This image is not all that it seems! It is my version of the combi-rig - Korda Sub-line attached, via the Albright knot, to
Kryston  Silkworm super soft braid. The hook is a size 10 Korda wide-gape, tied knotless knot.
My 10mm flouro pop-up is above (a rather dried out) chick pea - the whole rig given balance by the small split shot below the hook.

I've spent all day, today, going through what I'd done and what can I change to rectify the problem, if there is one? It was the first bite I've had on the combi-rig - was I presenting it properly? There are masses of questions floating around in my head. I'm not entirely sure that the Heron bite alarm wasn't partially to blame for the aborted take?
It certainly wasn't a wasted trip, the wild life was excellent. 19 Common Swifts went south, accompanied by hoards of Sand & House Martins. I recorded two Common Buzzard, a Peregrine, several Reed Warblers and a "barking" Fox whilst I was sat in my swim. There are plenty of worse ways of spending a few hours?

With the camera gear close to hand, I was able to get a few shots of a Caddis Fly sp. - which was doing it's best to convince me that it was a micro moth!