I was sure that the rise in water level would entice the snakehead to spawn but so far this hasn’t happened. Or if it has happened they are not out and about yet. On my hunts I’ve seen some small freerisers, not large enough to make me want to stop and fish for them. And I’ve also kept my eye out for gourami, but this week nada.

Strange really. It could well be that in the next days things change. And of course maybe it’s happening in some other part of the lake. Around here you don’t know until you find out! And so I’m moving around a lot at the moment to see what’s going on. I would be amazed if we don’t get snakehead babies as a result of the recent rain. Time will tell.

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From talking with fellow anglers, practice represents something not so fun, or at least it pales next to the fishing. The benefit for me has been a big lift in fishing success as my technique has improved. Still doesn't get me out of the legwork. Walking, travelling, boat prep and gear organisation. All that still has to happen. After all there are other elements to the fishing success too.

There were bikers behind me doing tricks. I wondered, briefly, if I'd hook one of them on a back cast. That'd run out into the backing.

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On Sunday the BFCC hosts its first casting day of the year in Dodleston, Cheshire. The venue is just a few minutes off the main A55/A483 Chester junction, so easily accessible from the north-west or from the south. Attending will be Mark, Chris and Nick who will be available all day for casting tuition, although I'm hoping Nick can sneak off occasionally to enter the competition events also. This gives fly fishers, or those thinking about taking up fly fishing, the perfect opportunity to learn or improve their casting skills for very little outlay. We'll be there from about 9am (setting up) till about 4pm (although some addicts will probably be casting later), so you can arrive pretty much at any time and we'll still match you with an instructor.

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Given it’s the right time of year for it I thought I’d give you a mulberry pattern I use for carp that, I imagine can be adapted to use for other species eating other soft fruits that may be falling on the water’s surface.

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This week has passed my by fast, very fast. A lot of the time has been spent in meetings with the Swedish casting federation with talks about the upcoming World Championships and preparation of materials around those discussions. Not a day too late so to say. 

And I have been fishing a little. Me and Ronja took a walk to a trout lake in the forrest to check out if there were some action going on. A little bit some waking fish and some caddis hatching. On our way to the lake I saw a common slow worm. Ronja didn’t see it and just walked right over it. Interesting name slow worm. In Swedish it is called copper lizard or copper snake. It is apparently a lizard, without legs and looks lika a snake. And it can lose its tail, as it is a lizard.

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Concern over the tip of my left pinky, tingling since my December 31 visit to Malaysia, has gradually escalated with time. It feels a lot like a funny-bone excitation but has persisted for nearly 5 months. It began when I arrived in Hong Kong after the 16 hour flight leg from Los Angeles. Ulnar nerve compression is a frequent enough byproduct of long, red-eye flights. It’s not because I’m old. Resting the cubital tunnel on an armrest whilst ye sleeps is bad. Once squoze it’s tough to get the toothpaste back in the tube. The most alarming result is some muscle wasting in the hand. As the nerve jangles non-stop, it blocks signals that keep the muscle web between the thumb and forefinger activated and toned. Muscle disappears and in some cases is replaced by fatty tissue and thus may not be rebuildable.  Yikes. My advice to everyone - be careful with this stuff. It’s an injury without obvious trauma but is subversive for sure. Move around on long flights. Go light on the sedatives and gummies.

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