It feels like an absolute lifetime since I last caught a carp. It’s been about a month, which, for me, is quite some time. It’s been painful at times, but we finally made it.

Hope, Confidence and Another Lesson from Meadow Lake

I’m back out again this week, though not at the venue I originally planned to fish at. That all changed after taking a drive around Meadow Lake on my way to Airfield Lake.

There was just something about the place that kept pulling me back. The lake looked right, the conditions felt good, and sometimes you’ve just got to trust your instincts rather than stick rigidly to the original plan.

So, Meadow it is.

The rods are out, the kettle is on, and now it’s a waiting game. Will the decision pay off? Only time will tell, but that’s one of the things I love most about fishing – every session starts with hope and the possibility that the next bite could be something special.

Back in My Favourite Swim

My swim choice was a little limited, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The swim I ended up in is my favourite on the lake, and once again, something drew me towards it.

Maybe it was simply a change of scenery. Maybe it was because I wasn’t fishing the following week, so any information I gathered wouldn’t immediately influence my next session. Or perhaps it was because I don’t think I’ve ever fished Meadow this early in the season before.

Whatever the reason, it felt right.

My approach was straightforward: one area split over two rods.

The baiting strategy centred around a mixture of Nutrabaits Big Fish Mix 15mm boilies and some forgotten 12mm pellets I’d rediscovered in my fishing cupboard. They’d been soaking in liquid attractor and smelled fantastic.

To that, I added a few handfuls of Jurassic Particles hemp and buckwheat, mixing everything together before finishing it off with a dusting of Big Fish Mix Active Stick Mix. Just to mix things up even further, I gave the whole lot a coating of EnerGize Activator.

As for the hookbait, I’d received some 18mm EnerGize Corkie Wafters in the post just before heading off. Perfect timing, as luck would have it.

Conditions Looked Perfect

The weather forecast couldn’t have looked much better.

The pressure was 1017 mb and forecast to drop to 1013mb on Friday before rising sharply to 1024mb by Sunday. A south-westerly wind, the odd light rain shower, and maximum temperatures of around 24 degrees.

On paper, it all looked absolutely spot on.

Which, of course, is often when fishing reminds you who’s really in charge.

A Quiet First Night

At 00:56, the quiet of the night was interrupted by a take on the right-hand rod.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the target species.

A bream.

I stayed awake until around 02:30 hours, listening carefully for signs of carp activity. There were definitely a couple moving about in the darkness, but none seemed interested in picking up my hookbaits.

Eventually, I admitted defeat and got my head down.

Exploring and Re-Baiting

By 12:30 hours, it was time to top the swim up and take a walk around the lake to look at some of the other swims.

It’s always worthwhile having a wander. Even if you don’t move, you often learn something new about the lake or notice little details that can help in future sessions.

By 14:00 hours, the rods were back out, and lunch was on the go.

Now it was simply a case of waiting to see what the afternoon and evening would bring.

Confidence Builds

At 17:30 hours, as the afternoon slowly turned into evening, I got some food cooking and settled back to watch the water.

I’d seen a couple of carp bosh out directly over my spot, and my confidence levels were rising.

This was shaping up to be the night.

It would most likely be my last session for a while, too. I’ve got a full week of gardening work coming up, along with temperatures forecast to hit 30 degrees. Not exactly ideal conditions for either fishing or working, but needs must.

As darkness fell, I genuinely believed something was going to happen.

Another Blank?

At 06:30 hours, things were looking increasingly bleak.

Another blank seemed to be on the cards, which was a huge surprise considering how perfect everything had appeared at the start of the session.

The conditions had been right.

The baiting approach had felt right.

I’d seen fish.

Yet somehow, it just hadn’t happened.

That’s carp fishing.

Sometimes you do everything correctly and still come away scratching your head.

Never Give Up Until the Rods Are In

By 08:30 hours, it was almost time to pack up.

I needed to get home and sort a few things out for the weekend, but I wasn’t giving up just yet.

I’d spotted a couple of carp topping near my baited area, and as every angler knows, hope lasts right up until the moment the rods are reeled in.

My cut-off point was 09:30hrs.

Could something happen in that final hour?

Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

Looking Ahead

There’ll be no fishing for me next week as I’ve taken on an extra gardening job.

The timing isn’t ideal, especially with the heatwave that’s on the way, but realistically, the fishing is unlikely to be at its best in those conditions anyway.

So, it will probably be July before I’m back down at the lake.

That’s fine, though.

The anticipation will build, the weather will change, and before long, I’ll be sitting behind the rods once again, kettle on, waiting for that next opportunity.

Because no matter how many blanks you endure, hope is what keeps bringing you back.

Until next time,

Richard

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