Return to Calvo....

With leaves beginning to fall, and the mornings a bit chillier the decision was agreed to revisit an old stamping ground.....Calvert Springs.. aka Grunt / Al packa / Calvo....

At 6.50am there were 5 cars awaiting entry and when the gate opened it was a free for all....

Rain continued to come and the promise of a brighter morning seemed a faint hope. Derek arrived with no hangover and seemed chippa...Nico tired and wondering if it was rose tinted returns land..



The old pegs were vacated by the Lidl and Deckchair brigade and in we were...perched high over the water in muddy conditions. The poles went out at approx 10 metres followed by cups of pellets and the odd maggot. First put in...Rudd, Roach, Skimmers....things hadnt changed.

With Buster Bloodvessel chatting to our right, and the Luminous brothers behind us the hot air from Buster and the rays from the suits warmed the heart.

Nicholls persists with the " i can can it all on Blue Hydro" strapline.....he hit a carp that almost took 20 yards of blue then lost it in the near side lillies 4 hours later.....think the carp was bored.

Nico was putting together a few decent skimmers and roach and a particularly plump Rudd. Nicholls again bumped a carp....blue?

Nico's swim was jacuzzi like with skimmers but eventually a Carp took a 8 mm pellet and the back hyrdo netted it in minutes ( derek take note).



Swims went hot and cold and even the Deckchair gang had a carp.....

Nicholls lost another and then bizarrely decided to go short and on maggot....the obviuous happened....fish fingers

Nico happy to restore faith in Calvo and a bonus Del had one of those days that have become his own trade mark...

Oh and I fell on my arse in mud in front of 12 people....Happy Days...

HORSESHOE COMES GOOD EVENTUALLY!!!!

Update From John Nicholls - Shropshire Correspondant

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A visit to Springlea on a beautiful Autumn day (no rain sign Rich isn't here) proved a delight eventually.
Match on Orfe and after a miserable day on Mallard during the Festival opted for Horseshoe.
After a feeding regime BOB GELDOF WOULD OF BEEN PROUD OF (just kidding) nothing was coming
except bits (roach,gudgeon,perch& ide),all on red maggot.Tried corn,pellet&meat nothing was happening
@ 8m. in front and the margin,appart from a few bream about 1-1 1/2 lb.Dinner approached and I was
going to pack up but thought I'd give the margin one last try and then it was margin mania. Firstly a run
that stretched the black hydro virtually to the other but after 5 mins bumped it off without seeing it then
5 nice carp (3,2@4 &2around8-9lb) and lost 2 more carp to boot. If only I could catch like this when you 2
are here.Perhaps concentration is key THE BANTER WILL HAVE TO STOP.anyway with about 40-50lb bagged
up it was a cracking days sport from peg 2 by the way.Pictures of the 2 biggest carp to follow

Derek's Summer comes to an end....

6.23am and the shakespeare top box was proving a bonus light box with legs as i made my way over to ' the rocks'

Derek wasnt far behind as the night retreated into the horizon and another clear day seemingly developed. Cerise skies slowly emerged from the noir curtain.....

Shorts didnt seem such a great idea as i made my way through the blackberrys and nettles to what were left of the '80's' on the rocks, previous red letter days now choked by an aquatic noose...

After awkward setting up out went the feeders at around 40 yards. Superteam 13ft Feeder getting its first taste of butterley. ......there were lots of " its shit" and " i am wasting my time" by this stage.

Coffees and banter commenced ....Derek was still on a come down after his brush with Capt Sensible. 90 minutes in, and neither tip had moved....shell fish boilie and distance feeders the weapons.

Derek then proceeded to lose three lead weights from his Nisa feeders in around an hour....email and examples available for scrutiny.

Nicholson started to suss the new rod and eventually put 5 casts into a close perimeter....the first bite followed with a typical 3lb bream nodding its way in.

Around 20 minutes later another followed of around 4lb and Nicholls had started to worry ......so much so he tried a longer tail and even considered ' closer in' ....radical times indeed.

Nicholson's third Bream came soon after,... again around 4lb and it was game up for Nicholls. In fairness it could have gone either way, but today was Mansfield's and Nicholls couldnt lay claim to a firm bite in 3.5 hrs.

Long overdue victory, but worrying signs regarding Butterley and Autumn draws near