Getting back in the routine. February turned out to be another month that I had difficulty in getting out on the bank, my promotion at work has worked out well for everything else in my life apart from my fishing.

For the first January since my Barbel obsession took hold I didn’t fish at all, work, xmas, my lovely lady, family stuff and the bug that swept through everyone I know kept me of the bank, and the few days I did get free were scuppered by the big freeze.

Bad weather and a strange occurrence. November had been a bad month for me getting out on the bank due to work and the bad weather.

After a nine day stretch at work I had a window for a quick overnighter so arranged to meet my pal Matt Marlow for another social, this time meeting on the section of the middle Trent I’d been successful on in Oct.

Contrasts and a big new moon. I’d had a lovely surprise weekend away in Suffolk, good company and nice food and felt fully re-charged.

PB’s... I had the evening and night to myself but had work in the morning so it was down to the Ouse for a local overnighter.

A month of highs and lows. After a week of nights at work I drove up the M1 looking forward to two nights on the Derwent.

Barbel from four different rivers. After a brilliant June and eight days at work I was itching to get out fishing again.

The 16th and a Derwent PB. Last season I had decided not to go back to Fields End as it didn’t appear to hold my target of a “local” 3 pound Crucian…

A red letter morning and a trip to Spain. The Barbel Society show was again held at Chesford Grange Hotel, Warwickshire and as last year it was a great day out catching up with friends old and new.

PB’s starting to tumble. I’d planned to do some Spring Carping on a local lake called Gingerbread and popped down for a walk round on the Saturday with a view to fishing the night.

The end of a magical season. Work was taking too much fishing time again and it had been over a week before I could get out again.

February – It’s Show Season. Following a few frosty cold nights the weather went cloudy and mild in this crazy winter so I thought this would be the window for a Feb double…

A difficult month! Once Xmas and the New Year festivities were out the way I then had a week of nights to contend with, I really don’t like working them but after 77 hours I get a weeks rest days so it’s worth it in the end.

Another two red letter Trent sessions. I took a week’s break from fishing to recharge my batteries after the Spanish trip and after finishing work on the 1st I packed the car and drove up to the Trent raring to go again.

A red letter Trent session and the trip to Spain. I drove up after work as this was my only window before my trip to Spain to get my November double.

If you’ve been following my diary pieces you’ll know I was due to fly to Spain for 19 days fishing at the end of Sept, but due to circumstances out of my control I had to unpack my bag and cancel the trip the day before leaving.

I got to the river for 21:30 hours, the weather was unchanged, cloudy and warm with showers. The river levels were still up but the swim looked like it was getting to much attention, a lot of the foliage had been cut back opening the swim up to much inviting others to fish it.

River Ouse - When I arrived the river at 16:30 hours it was still 27 degrees, cloudy with a strong south westerly wind. I went in the weir swim, the river levels were back to normal and it looked perfect.

This was my first chance to fish after having been away on a course with work for a week so I was itching to get on the river.