After a non-fishing weekend last week, which ended up with a monster loft clear-out and a full car of stuff for the tip.

It was absolutely stuffed full, including 4 old TV sets! It’s amazing really how much rubbish you accumulated over the years. I also feel a few bits of fishing tackle going on ebay soon.

I was hoping to enlist one of my free Wednesdays to go fishing, but the teacher’s strike put pay to that again. The local crazy golf course and tea rooms were happy, though!

On to this week’s trip, I arrived at the lake just before 9 am. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to carry on to the Airfield Lake, which had opened the other day, or stay here. After finding out that a few carp had been out and the conditions for the Airfield Lake aren’t that favorable. Despite the 7 other anglers on, I felt it was worth a go, plus one of my favorite swims was free.

The carp had been spotted at range recently, so that would be my focus for the first 24 hours. I may well consider a short-range rod for the second/third night.

With a little help from the wind, I also managed to get some freebies out there. Within a couple of hours, I was greeted by a few bleeps on the bobbin and it going up and down. I first thought it was the tufted ducks and then perhaps a carp? This turned into a Bream halfway across the lake.

This isn’t a great start. A positive point is my spot is a feeding one and the ducks like it. I think it goes hand in hand with carp sometimes. I’d spombed out about 10 middle-size loads, filled with 12mm Catalyst boilies. I would see how the first 24 hours go and then move on from there.

Hook bait wise, was a 12mm White Catalyst pop-up and a 12mm Masala pop-up on the other rod, which was the one that produced the bream.

The weather conditions were pretty perfect with a good South Westly blowing, warm days and nights. The pressure gradually rising was really the only downside from 1006 to 1021mbs over the next 72 hours.

I witnessed a couple of daylight-hours carp today, which is a first for a long time, with at least 90% of the winter carp being caught in the dark hours. This is a real turning point, and Ian, who had pitched up next door, we stand a real chance of a carp or two each. Bold statement, but we shall see.

I woke to a very misty morning, along with a bleep-free night, but with the daylight hours takes yesterday, there’s every possibility that it’s going to rip off at some point today. It will be difficult to judge when to rebait and whether to top up my swim or not. I’m definitely going to prep the right-hand spot, which has produced well in the past for me. Deciding to leave both rods at long range is going to be the hard one.

The day was spent either in the wonderful warm sun or overcast. I made the choice to bring in one of the range rods, as having both rods on the same spot hadn’t paid off. That rod was repositioned to my right and a few large spombs were dumped over the top.

I couldn’t believe our luck, just as tea was ready, the heavens opened. I couldn’t move the Weber as it was way too hot, my chair was getting soaked, and the food was cooling down.

Across the valley was in sunshine, that was it until way after dark. With the traps adjusted, I was feeling confident about a bite tonight.

What a rubbish night that was, one single bleep around 9pm. That could’ve been anything.

The weather forecast has changed again for today, and it’s likely to rain all afternoon. It originally was supposed to be sunshine, which would have been nice.

I’ve really got to put a lot of thought into this. I’ve got an early pack-up to head off with the family to visit the mother-in-law, as it’s Mothering Sunday. An early pack-up isn’t floating my boat at the moment, but also being stuck in the bivvy all afternoon isn’t great either, as well as the carp who are just not playing ball. If I’m going to miss the rain today, I need to be all packed away and in the car by noon. Unfortunately, it’s nearly 9 am and it’s only just stopped raining since early evening yesterday. Ironically it’s forecast for blue skies and sunshine tomorrow, but that could well change at the last minute. It would be great to get paid to predict the weather, if you get it wrong, there are no issues, imagine that in other industries!

The friendly Ducks are still about, which is lovely.

This is more like it, sunshine and blue skies. I’ve still not spotted a carp, which is a bit off-putting, I’m starting to think that they just don’t show themselves that often anymore.

2 bleeps were my reward for last night’s effort.

It’s certainly nice to see the sunshine out first thing in the morning, and I think it’s time to get onto the Airfield Lake.

Until next time

Richard

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