What began very slowly in 2011, gradually turned into a relatively successful year with a couple of significant milestones reached in my own fishing, ultimately culminating in the capture of my very first UK thirty. Having dreamed of banking such a fish for over twenty years, it was a huge moment for me & one that will live long in my memory. After spending just over two & a half years fishing Oakwood without a single fish to show for my efforts, I was beginning to question my own mental resolve & ability to catch these fish. Having hooked & lost three fish within that period, it will come as no surprise that I had started to lay plans to move off the lake & fish elsewhere in order to catch my target fish. With the help of a good friend, that opportunity came & I was presented with an excellent chance to join an exclusive syndicate. Unfortunately, due to circumstances completely beyond my control, I had to relinquish this golden opportunity & as a consequence, I am wholly focused on next seasons campaign on Oakwood.

Back on the canal, it was starting to look as if I was going to experience an outstanding year of surface captures after finally banking my target fish - 'the big ghostie' & a 21lb 8oz common within a few weeks of each other along with a string of high upper double figured fish. Whilst I was pleased with these captures, I had several good chances to bank certainly three separate 20lb+ fish - each of which just didn't go my way for one reason or another & such is the way of this sport, I honestly felt as if it just 'wasn't to be' on each occasion. My final target fish was found a new home in which to reside, which seriously made me question why I even went fishing in the first place. Its disappearance has been well documented so I will not bring it to prominence again here, but the episode brought an abrupt end to my campaign for it. In retrospect, I effectively wasted a complete winter fishing for it when it was probably not even there...