" Still, Clear, and Bright - Ideal Bream weather"

A last minute change of plan left Nicholson with the opportunity to team up with 'oversteer' Nicholls for a Butterley classic.

Texts exchanged at 5.12am, Nicholson doing what do bears do best 'a la fresco' 40 minutes later on arrival. Both anglers had scaled down to ' Butterley' essentials Feeders , Rod , Reel , Bait bits...and nets. It makes the walk a little easier but still feels too much somehow.

The lake was shrouded in a dense mist and was very still not unlike Sleepy Hollow. Unpacking the kit the temperature was a comfy 14 degress, it was going to be another suprise late summer day...

Nicholls arrived in chavtastic style in the Zetec S on loan since the demise of the ' suede elbow' wagon.

Arriving in the pegs following the now familiar ' viaduct of death' Nicholls suggested it might be good to move ' one along' - how crucial this was to be.

By 6.38am first baited casts went in after 15 or so with feed of pellets / corn / and a new Bream Mix.......it was very still and very very quiet....you could hear the feeder splash even at that distance...lovely conditions.

Slowly rising to our left the Sun looked strong and clear, there wasnt a cloud in the sky.

Butterley traditionally takes some time to get going with the first hour almost always being a coffee / bait up time, today was different and within 5 minutes of the feeder landing nicholson missed a bite. The next cast and a clonking 4lb Bream almost pulled the rod off the rest. 15 minutes in - missed bite & 4 lb Bream....the rule book was being re-written,

In the next 45 minutes Nicholson put together a further 4 Bream with Nicholls increasingly vocal in his concern. 5-0 up after an hour??? Butterley? Whats all this about?

Nicholls to his credit stayed true and kept the feed going in at around 50 yards. Eventually taking a Bream of his own, and another not long after to make Nicholson start to get nervous. Had they moved on? Had Cliff prompted it? The lead was being eroded...

With the sun and temperature rising it was like a July day,T Shirts on and red faces guaranteed.

With the scores 5-2 it became clear that fish would be taken ' here and there' and anything now possible in the remaining two hours or so.

Nicholson took a further 5 fish at even periods to Boilie and Corn, with Nicholls managing two more also. 10-4 it finished. The sun killed it, and the weed growth continues to be a longer term concern.

A good win on an 'away' ground for Nicholson, it can easily go either way here. They turn up or they dont...