PB Bream; double figures finally after 30 years

Yesterday (09/10/10) was a day forecast for sunshine and unseasonably high temperatures, it wasn't. It was fairly windy, overcast and, though still not cold for the time of year, a bit chilly.

I arrived early, it was still dark, expecting the usual October-Weekend-Piker-Influx, which like the predicted hot weather (maybe because of) didn't happen. I had toyed with fishing right round the back of Coate today, in the often unfished, yet very 'carpy' swims. However when I turned up my 1st choice swim was the only one of the 'front' end ones to be taken, so I had a reasonably free hand, gutted though I was to miss out again on the exact one I wanted.

I chose instead the swim from which I caught the 22lb-er on a previous visit; it was the next one along from the elusive fave one, has a lot of water in front of it to fish in and is a very comfortable, spacious swim to fish in.

Still dark as I set up; so out with the head torch when attaching rigs, baiting up, adding stick mixes and, more challengingly, casting out. Having fished the swim before I had targets on the treeline on the opposite bank to aim at, and although, I couldn't see exactly how far the baits went, all 3 rods hit their targets well. I felt the leads down to the bottom and each seemed to land on a soft-ish, but no overly silty or weedy bottom.
I had the following rigs out:
- Right Hand rod: 12mm banana nut boilie, size 10 wide gape, kd-style

- Middle Hand rod: 18mm banana nut boilie (topped with fake corn), size 8 wide gape, kd-style

- Left Hand rod: 18mm banana nut boilie, size 8 wide gape, kd-style

With the rods out, I got on with the usual tidying up, organising and setting up the shelter. As with a previous visit, half way through setting up the shelter, my bobbin on the left-hand rod started doing the "a bream's picked up the bait" dance, and it was so surprise to reel in a less than energetic bream. It looked fairly hefty, possible the double I'd been after since a young teenager? The scales however only gave me an 8lb 10oz, so not quite.... yet.

Re-bait, re-cast to the spot which was obviously right where the bream were feeding, as 5 minutes after it hit the water, the bobbin did it's dance again. Similar fish again, maybe slightly smaller, but it flipped off the hook a foot from the net, no problem though.

Re-bait, re-cast, 10 mins later the bobbin rose slowly, then the bait feeder spun; a carp? Nope, another bream, but this one was energetic and pulled back a bit. At the net it looked bigger; "thicker", and I was convinced, before weighing, that it was finally the double. The digital scales scrolled through multiple values between 8lb 3oz and 11lb 10z, before settling on 10lb 2oz. That'll do me!

The day continued quietly, I stayed until after tea, but no more bream or any carp were forthcoming. I've got another trip at the end of October, am undecided as yet whether it will be for carp or pike; will wait and see what the weather brings.