I seem to have started to work backwards and vow to rectify this situation asap.  Yesterday it rained again, in fact it bucketed down all morning.  Luckily I managed to walk the dog whilst it was fine and we enjoyed a good walk around Miskin, through the cricket field and back past the Castell Mynach.  I had breakfast on my own.  Again, this is a strange sensation and one I'm not sure I could take to readily.  It was still raining, change that to hammering down, so I settled down in front of the telly to watch a film; this is so much not me!! In fact I felt almost ashamed.  The intention was to take the car and fill up with petrol then go to Bob's and buy some fishing gear, but no way was I going out in the rain, so I watched a film; even put the fire on; how so not me is that.  Anyway, by the time the film had finished, the rain had eased back so I levered my bum out of the chair, decided I didn't need a shave; I had no-one to impress, and went to Tesco.  There were  queues of traffic just about everywhere, but luckily I managed to sneak onto a pump, fill up, get into the kiosk to pay, and leave the complex without too much hassle.  How people can spend their leisure time queueing to get into shopping complexes, I'll never understand.  Back home,  I wound a spool of 5lb line onto a reel, made a flask of coffee, grabbed a pasty and a bag of crisps, opened a tin of meat for the fish, and after loading the car with fishing gear, set off for the lake.  There was a beer festival at the local pub, by the lake, and I feared that car parking would be difficult, but luckily most 'drinkers' hadn't arrived and I managed to park without difficulty.  I plonked down on peg 14.  I feel I know this peg; I've been fishing here all season.  It was overcast, but there was no wind.  I set up, keeping my brolly handy; when it rains, it rains fast and hard and I had no intention of getting wet.  Anyway it would give the fabric a chance to dry out.  I hadn't done this when I got home on Friday.  The session started slowly.  I used a 12s hook and fished a lump of meat on the bottom.  There was only young David on the lake beside me, and I waved to him across the lake.  The float dipped and I struck, feeling some resistance, and put the net under a tidy roach.  Well, if the session carried on like that I would be well satisfied.  The next fish was a bream, and this was followed by several plump roach, rudd, and finally, a thumping carp which dragged me around the swim before  coming to the net.  I estimated the weight at about 5lb.  David came for a chat, and asked would I retrieve some shears that Graham had lost in the water.  I promised to make a date to bring the suit and snorkel gear in order to search the area.  The sun appeared through the clouds, in fact it was turning out to be a nice afternoon.  I saw a bonus kingfisher, and had a little mouse for company that sat on its hind legs and gnawed a lump of meat that was almost as big as him, before scampering off with the remains.  When the float dipped next, I struck to be met with maximum resistance.  This was a big 'un'.  The drag on the reel came into play, and the monster set off across the lake.  I tightened the wheel; the fish slowed, stopped and swam towards me.  I retrieved line and lifted the rod ever so gently.  The fish responded, he was tired and came to the net.  I carefully lifted him out of the water.  The landing net pole was bending and the fish's tail was outside of the net but I managed to get him onto the mat and with a set of long nose forceps, removed the tiny hook.  He looked huge and just out of curiosity I decided to weigh him.  The needle on the dial swung around to 15lb.  I thought he was a tad bigger than this but hey, what the hell, I wasn't fishing for monsters.  I lowered the net to the water.  The fish slid out and disappeared under the lilly pads.  Just then, the bailiff  appeared.  We chatted for several minutes.  He's a nice old guy who very rarely fishes but just loves walking around the lake talking to members.  He always has a pair of shears and a big knife, with which he keeps the vegetation under control.  He asked me about banned baits and we looked through the permit.  Reading between the lines, I gathered, some evidence has been found that certain members are using banned products; well, that's almost inevitable with new members who probably don't read the rule book.  Len's strict though and they won't last long if caught and they will be caught, but this all night fishing can't help and makes rule enforcement difficult for the bailiff.  It was turning into a very pleasant afternoon; radio 4 had some good programmes, the fish were biting and the sun was shining, and, I had the lake almost to myself.  I enjoyed the coffee and the steak slice, but most of all, I enjoyed the solitude.  Another bite, and more resistance, surely not another monster.  I settled back as the fish took line, the reel buzzed and the rod took the strain.  Ten minutes later another monster carp was lying on my unhooking mat.  He was huge and I wondered how such slender fishing tackle could cope with the weight.  It's a compliment to modern materials; and not the 'skill of this angler; though I must admit that over the years I've learned to take my time and let the rod do the work.  I don't think I've had as productive a session for a long time and roach after roach, all plump specimens around the 12oz/1lb mark and several big bream had come to the net that afternoon.  And the beauty was that I wasn't doing anything special, just a 12s hook fished under a float; no ground bait and only a 34p tin of meat for hook bait.  I was tracking the time and decided to pack up around 5-00pm.  The crowd from the beer festival had gone home.  I parked on the drive, took ny net and mat and washed them off, retrieved my flask and towel from my box, then put my seat box and rod bag in the garage. 

Suki was ready for her walk.  She's not keen on being left on her own, but what can you do?  She made a fuss of me as I bundled her into the car and we set off for Penygawsi.  The weather was still dry; we walked across the field at the top of the cemetery, and down the lane before coming back across the land by the road.  On the way home I called in to see Peter S.  We discussed our proposed diving trip and I told him that the forecast wasn't too promising.  We were unsure what to do.  I got home, had a shower and a shave, (what a relief, I could never sport a beard) then did some ringing round.  Martin was unsure, but after studying several forecasts, (Martin likes to do things properly) we reluctantly decided to knock the diving on the head which was a shame because Martin could only get Monday off.  I carried on ringing round.  We decided to leave it until Tuesday; the forecast much better and there will be more members going down West.  Sandra phoned to say she would be delayed, another affect of the floods, so I took some gammon out of the freezer along with a baguette and put them in the oven then switched on the telly.  The news was all about the floods.  Apparently, there are some 350,000 people affected with water shortages, (yes, I know, it's ironic isn't it) and power failures, and their homes are just devastated.  How will the country ever get over this situation, and how will we stop a re-occurrence?   I enjoyed my supper; two fried eggs, gammon and a warm baguette, Coronation Street on the telly and a bottle of real ale.  Sandra came home about 10-15.  She was tired but had had a good time.  It had been an eventful day.  Shame about the diving being cancelled but, better safe than sorry and there's always Tuesday.  We went to bed at 11-00.  I tried to read but was asleep in no time at all.  Sandra was sleepy too.  No doubt I'll have the tale of Tattham Park over the next few days.