SOME time ago, I received an invitation to sample the delights of fishing at Priory Farm Nutfield and on Friday was able to take advantage with some work colleagues.

It has been quite some time since I had a session with England star Steve Gardener and a friend on Hungerford Lake and witnessed early big carp catches on Priory Lake in various matches held there – Daiwa Dorking's Michael Sanders and Marcus Harrison were not even fishing seriously at that time!

Head bailiff Ray Smee greeted us at the Plant Centre and we set off to fish Hogtrough (pronounced Hog-troff) Lake, a mixed species water that has been in existence for about a decade. Ray, who recently made headlines for fishing following an unrealised heart attack, advised us to fish the left hand bank where the water is deepest.

Bryn Davies of Anerley set up a method feeder, a technique he has embraced since his recent return to the sport while another returnee Stuart Bolton of Purley opted to fish waggler and meat over hemp. I decided to fish either pellet or corn over groundbait.

The expert advice was that my swim had produced well at nine metres in a match and Stuart was soon into a bream. Bryn followed suit with a bream and then a small common carp while I was struggling. Maggot only yielded roach but my corn was being attacked by possibly crucians or tench. Eventually I connected with a bream on pellet.

The cold rain of Wednesday clearly was having an impact as the crucians and tench shut up shop but the swim was fizzing further out than I was feeding. Reluctantly, as I was recovering from a bad back, I set up another rig for 13 metres and it was obvious that it was a lot deeper. Another bream was hooked and landed and then I pulled out of a very good fish, possibly a tench and that was it.

Bryn caught a couple more big bream that were clearly old soldiers as they were quite thin and despite angling through to dusk the jewels of Hogtrough were safe from us.

My impression of the water is good and with three other waters to choose from the business model is that you fish by joining the club. The surroundings are very pleasant and if you are local, don't need the hassle of working parties, crowded banks but have good facilities then I feel the cost is worth it as most commercial waters charge around £10 per day.

There is a superb web site at www.prioryfarmfishing.co.uk, Ray has invited us back another time and I am sure we will do a lot better.

Warlingham DAS visited Hartleylands Farm to fish the Reservoir on Sunday where Croydon's Bruce Scott ran home the easy winner with 137-0-0 of carp to 10lb on pole and 6mm pellet over pellet from peg 14.

Two near neighbours from Elmers End took the next two spots, new member Tony Biddle had 126-6-8 followed by Les Griggs with 90-1-0.