The Sessions - April 2026
Monster Crucians & Roach Headaches
March was a much better month than most of the winter with some good barbel fishing with fish to 14-02 to finish the river season, Swan wrestling on Johnsons and a good start to Spring at Walthamstow with Bream to 12-05, with the highlight of the month picking up my new VW Transporter 😊
4 April 2026 – Walthamstow
After an 11-day marathon at work I was looking forward to time on the bank and drove down to Walthamstow full of enthusiasm, but my luck on the draw had only improved by one place, I came out second last!! But as last time I still got the swim I wanted, with it being one of the better Bream swims the Carpers don’t tend to call it and I was next door to Simon so good for a social and helping each other with photos (hopefully).
The weather looked perfect with a strong south westerly, cloudy and quite warm, but the water seemed to be carrying scum which I hadn’t seen there before. I baited with a mix of dead whites / micro pellet and some 10mm boilies all soaked in molasses and put three rigs on the spot at eleven wraps. I used the same rigs as my last trip with 10mm boilies on two and a yellow wafter on the third.
The wind got stronger as the day went on and it was strangely quiet with no Bream showing and nothing caught as far as I could see.
I topped up the spot with another 15 spombs of mix at 18:00 and went into dark fully expecting some activity.
The only bite I had was just before midnight with a Common at 22-11 that I slipped straight back. I checked in with Simon in the morning and he had blanked.
One thing we both noticed was the scum gathering on the mainline and an undertow that was dragging the rigs way of our spots, what looked like great conditions had turned into a poor session.
9 April 2026 – Johnsons Lake, Marsh Farm.
I had planned on Bream fishing for three days on Walthamstow but with no night fishing it involves a lot of effort, driving and early mornings which I normally don’t mind but it just wasn’t fishing well so I decided on another go on Johnsons. It hasn’t been good for two springs now but there were signs last summer it may be recovering with multiple 3’s being caught and I was sure there was at least one big girl left in there, so with two nights free I drove down arriving nice and early at first light.
I didn’t expect it to be busy but the car park was pretty full, does anyone actually go to work anymore? I grabbed my shelter and went for a walk, with the wind as it was I knew where I wanted to be and found my forth choice swim free so set the shelter up, I’d done well in the swim previously and there was no one set up to my right so minimal disturbance and the angler to my left was my pal Jamie, he’d caught six over two nights so it looked promising. I went back to the van for my gear feeling pretty confident.
It was warm and clear with a light wind, I got the swim set up and put six spombs of hemp and caster onto my spot at 11 wraps, that was followed by two method feeders with double fake caster and I sat back and put the kettle on, you can’t beat a cup of tea in the morning whilst looking out from a bivvy with the sun coming up.
The bites started mid-morning and by teatime I’d had 7 Tench all over 5 pound, a mid-double Common and my first Crucian of the session at 2-14. As forecast the cloud had come over with a strong south westerly, really good conditions for the swim I was in, I topped up the spot with another six spombs of mix.
Shortly afterwards both rods went with more Tench, I recast the rods and the left went again and straight away I knew from the fight it was a Crucian and a good one, I gently played it to the net and when it popped up it looked big, she went in the net first time and I left her to rest while I got the rod straight back on the spot, the feeding spells can be really small so you have to maximize them by getting the rig straight back out. Once the rod was set, I popped the fish on the scales and was so pleased with a big fish at 4-03 in great condition. With no big ones for two seasons, we all thought the waters time had passed for big Crucians but my suspicions were true there are a few left and this one didn’t look an old fish 😊, Wil the bailiff had told me there were a number of 3’s out in the summer so hopefully the lake will recover to its former glory.
4-03
I had two more Tench to 7-09 and reeled in at 21:00 for some sleep.
7-09
Friday 10 April 2026
I was up at 04:30 and recast the rods followed by six spombs of mix, it was cloudy and cool with a south westerly wind with the ripple on the water looking perfect.
The first take came within an hour and really had me going, it felt like a Crucian all the way to the net and felt heavy and when it rolled on the surface I thought I’d broke the record again, it went in the net and I got all nervous until I lifted it onto the mat, it was easily over the new record but was clearly a Cru / Common hybrid 😒
The next take made up for it, again I knew it was a big Crucian, and this one was definitely a true Cru at 3-12. I had another three Crucians through the day and lots of Tench to mid 7-06, it was a brilliant enjoyable session and much needed after my winter fishing.
7-06
3-12
I put more mix in at 18:00 and decided to leave them out over night with only one Crucian coming in the evening.
Saturday 11 April 2026
I had two bites in the early hours both being Tench, one of them was huge for Johnsons at 8-09, the photo doesn’t do it justice, it had a huge head and slim body and could be very big when full in late May.
I fished through until 11:00 and packed up very happy after a brilliant session with x8 Crucians to 4-03, x26 Tench to 8-09, x2 Carp, and a handful of Roach and Rudd. Johnsons is a great fishery and I love fishing there, a ticket I definitely won’t drop.
Drennan Cup
The Drennan Cup is something I’ve always followed and admired being a multi species angler, and seeing people like the late great Terry Lampard catching big fish at will, and in more recent years people that I know well, Tony Gibson, Alan Stag, Simon Daley all winning the DC, some multiple times, gave me something to aspire to.
Over recent years I slowly started picking up weekly awards and loved receiving the Drennan headed paper come through the letter box, its done on email now in line with the modern world, still good but a shame you don’t get the letters anymore.
Some how this year I was in the frame for placing in the top four and getting my name on the trophy, some thing I never thought I’d be able to do but very exciting to think it could happen.
As I went into the new season I have planned my fishing year with an eye on the DC and got my first weekly award for the Johnsons Crucian so I’m off to a good start and that shaped my next session, but I will need a lot of luck along the way as I certainly don’t have the time I think I need……….
Saturday 18 April 2026 – Highbridge
With another 10-day stretch coming up at work I knew this was my last session of the month, and with Walthamstow still not fishing well and having two nights free I drove over to Highbridge for my first visit for the huge Roach that reside in there.
I’ve never been a huge fan of chasing big Roach until this year, seeing some of my pals with 3 pound plusers got me thinking and I had three trips to B1in winter and blanked each time. I weighed up the money I’d spend on day tickets against a syndicate fee, and it was a no brainer, I joined Highbridge. I will thank Stephen Gibbons for the info and helping make my decision, I’d heard a lot of bad press about the place, but he said different and I have to say when I got there I really liked it straight away.
I walked round the reservoir for my first look, it was full (level wise) and looked nice, and I settled on an area halfway along the bank I’d been recommended to start on. I set the swim up and got the leading rod out, I’d been told it was weed free but it’s always worth checking yourself, I then put the deeper out and found and flatter area at 19 feet deep, I checked again with the lead and it was a clay bottom, nice and smooth and quite firm, so I clipped up the spomb and three rods on the spot.
I had a plan how I wanted to fish and put three maggot feeders out with 3 maggots popped up on a short fluro hooklink, it looked good and the shoal fish thought so too and hammered me, I couldn’t keep a rig in and had to have a re-think.
After a lot of messing about with rigs I set them up on the Korda method feeders and 3” hooklinks with two rods on10mm boilies and the third on two fake casters. I put seven spombs of maggots / hemp / 10mm boilies out and felt I was fishing properly by 16:30.
I had a Bream and two better Roach to 1-11 on boilies and felt I had the right method going into the night. Unfortunately, the 7-8 pound size shoal of Bream moved in over the groundbait and hammered me, it got silly by 02:00 so I reeled in for some sleep.
Sunday 19 April 2026
I got up early and put eight spombs of mix out and recast the rods and had Bream straight away, so I knew I had to have another rig change. Gibbo had arrived early and started catching good Roach from the off to 2-04 which was very encouraging. He was catching on heli-rigs with similar hooks and hook links as me so I made the change, I’ve written before about my thoughts on heli-rigs but having watched Gibbo catching on them it would have been silly to ignore it.
I changed over to 50g window feeders, with 3” 7lb Mirage hooklinks to size 12 MWG hooks and 10mm boilies, the feeders would carry just enough groundbait for a bite and hopefully not draw in the Bream.
I put some more spomb mix in mid-morning, and I started catching straight away with Roach to 1-07, Gibbo was still doing well and definitely had the shoal of bigger fish in front of him and he had fish to 2-05.
Monday 20 April 2026
I didn’t fish the night and was up early again and put more spomb mix out, I carried on tinkering with the rig and found it worked best with the float stops set 10” above the feeder with most takes resulting in hooked fish.
I fished until 11:00 and caught lots more with Roach to 1-14, an enjoyable learning experience that I want to get right ready for Jan / Feb when I’ll give it a good go for a monster Roach.
Until next, tight lines and be lucky 😊
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