Someone said my lack of success was spurring him on the other day – as in, he was pleased to find he wasn't the only one who's struggling at the moment.

While I'm not sure I totally share the sentiment, you only have to look around the drains and rivers to see how slow they've been fishing. Hardly a soul on the banks, just the same few die-hards sticking at it.

I've fished several of what you might regard as being among the better pike waters of late. There's no doubt they still hold pike – even if the smaller fish seem mysteriously absent from one or two.

Without the jacks you used to rely on to save a blank, it's bus stop fishing – as in sitting there waiting for one of the bigger fish to come along.

An abundance of prey fish might be good news for the pike, but it makes catching them much, much harder. For the easier they find it to locate their trough, the less chance of them picking up our baits. I wonder if this is the answer to what's going on out there – it would explain so much.

Cold winds have put other species off the feed, with little in the way of action on the river apart from a few tench.

Lynn AA are staging a memorial match on Ten Mile Bank to honour one of their stalwarts on Sunday, November 18.

John Russell was a regular on the water for 40 years. The match takes place between Modney Bridge and Church Farm.

Entry is �10, with �5 optional pools and all proceeeds to the RNLI. To book, call Chud Harris on 07506 703151.