After last week’s successful trip with my two assistants, my wife is happy for me to go again, as long as there’s someone close by. I’ve been getting on with a few gardening jobs, and things have been going very well. I’m not doing full-on gardening for 5 hours a day, just an hour with a 2-hour break to build things up nicely.

My choice of swims is still limited to a point, but after speaking to a fellow member about Airfield Lake, I found out there’s one particular swim in one of the car parks where the carp seem to be stocked up. Normally, it’s the “40 wrap guys” that fish there, but I can’t handle that distance. I’ve fished it twice in the entire time I’ve been a member but could never get my head around fishing so far away from where the carp are showing about 90% of the time. However, things have changed. The weed has grown, and the carp are pretty close—actually very close—and I should really make the most of it.

I arrived just before 11:30 and drove around the lake. To my amazement, there was only one other angler fishing, and that swim was free.

It didn’t take long to spot about 10 carp. I thought I’d better lead about first just to satisfy my curiosity since I’d been told there were a good few clear spots out there. Yep, plenty.

I noticed a large round area out there that was pretty clear, but with strong winds forecast, it would be problematic to be 100% accurate. Since I was only fishing in 3 feet of water, repeat casting would certainly spook the carp easily, which isn’t good. Using bags would be an option, but the strong crosswinds were not going to help. I like to be as accurate as possible, so I concluded that spreading the bait across this area and being as accurate as possible was the way forward. Because of the depth and potential issues with wildlife, I was apprehensive about throwing out the full 5-kilo bucket straight away, which is my normal approach upon arrival in my chosen swim.

My approach was sorted, so now to get everything set up—the bivvy and my traps all sorted. This was all done at a nice, slow pace, and I was finally finished by 13:15. I started to prepare my new lifestyle lunch: salmon and avocado on toast. But before I’d finished the last slice, the right-hand rod was away. With the carp’s tail flapping out of the water at about 60 yards, it was all pretty exciting. The carp held its ground, then proceeded to take line into the open water, allowing me to avoid a large weed bed. However, the carp wasn’t up for that and just ploughed into it. I kept the pressure on and slowly gained ground until about halfway towards me. It freed itself from the lump of weed I was bringing in and headed right, going for the bay to my right. I coaxed the carp away from that idea and into my margins, slowly playing it out and into the net.

25lb 13oz Common

What a start! I’d be happy if that was the only one I caught. I hadn’t blanked again, and I had broken my duck, so I was feeling a lot more confident about this swim.

At 16:15, the same rod was away again, with the carp behaving very similarly to the last one. If they all do this, it will be a great help.

13lb 1oz Common

Lovely golden colours on this one. You can’t complain about that. The rod was soon back out there, and I was starting to think they both needed to have Catalyst wafters on the hook. I was doing very well before I pulled off to fish Meadow and the dreaded heart attack, but you can never tell if things have changed, and you simply have to find out.

17:55 – The left-hand rod rattled off just after I thought of switching hook baits. I’ll have to hold off on that one until tomorrow, I feel. This was also a simple fight, involving weed beds and gently coaxing the carp towards me, then them breaking free of the weed and charging off. I played it out until it was ready for netting.

21lb 11oz Common

An absolute beauty this was, and worth all the fun of landing it through the weed.

A fresh classic corn wafter was put on, so I’m not going to switch over yet.

06:05 – Unfortunately, no joy overnight. I was up early, getting more bait out for the day, putting on fresh hook baits, and sharpening the hooks. All set for a few bites today. There’s drizzle around today and less wind, so I’m hoping the carp still fancy mooching around the weed beds looking for food. Only time will tell.

08:45 – The right-hand rod is away, with a rocket attached. It wasn’t interested in stopping anytime soon, which was a bit problematic with all the weed it had just gone through. It took me some time, but eventually, I netted the carp and a ball of weed. Not something I like to do, but unfortunately, this carp didn’t break free as the others had done.

16lb 13oz

09:40 hrs – I just had a heavy liner on the left-hand rod, which resulted in me picking up the rod. It’s now back on the spot, but the carp have certainly moved in again.

09:55 hrs – The right-hand rod was away again. I pulled into the carp, but it had gained ground, gone right, and picked up a load of weed from somewhere. I was still gaining ground when the hook pulled out. Bit of a shame—it was a fresh hook as well. It made me think it could have been the change in lead size from a 4oz to a 3oz, which I have more of. I’m dropping a lead every bite currently and going through my lead stock rapidly. If this happens again, I’ll have to switch back to those 4oz leads.

11:15 – My right-hand rod was away again. This carp did the same as the last one, but it felt like a better carp and managed to escape the big weed bed, but found one on the way to the net, resulting in me having to drag a large lump of weed plus the unknown-size carp into the net. While trying to get rid of as much weed as possible before getting the carp and net onto the unhooking mat, the carp went crazy and filled both my wellies with water. Such fun.

I unhooked the carp, did the snaps, and returned it to its home in the pouring rain. Sort of wished I’d put my waders on. Oh well.

19lb 3oz Common

11:45 – Before I’d managed to get the other rod out, the left-hand one was away. Unfortunately, this resulted in a hook pull. These things happen, especially on Airfield Lake.

15:36 – I’d been wondering when one of my rods would go off, as they’ve had plenty of carpy signs. Once the rain had died away, this little beauty was the first carp that actually came into the net on the left side of the swim. All the others had kited right.

10lber Common

15:59 – The rod wasn’t even cast back out from the last carp when the right-hand one burst into life. This carp was the first for a long time to shake the weed off it, which made it far easier to play out before netting it.

14lb 15oz Common

It was now certainly time for a brew and to type all this up while it was fresh in my mind. It was starting to look like we might get some sunshine, and I could possibly dry out soon.

17:19 – I couldn’t believe I was away so soon after those last two. This one also came in completely weed-free with no issues—just what the doctor ordered.

10lber Common

The evening drifted by as I soaked up the atmosphere of the last night until September, as it’s now family fun time. Two weeks away in the Emerald Isle will be fabulous—a week near Cork, then a week by the beach. What more can I ask for?

The night was only moderately interrupted by a single bleep that never amounted to anything. I was up by 06:00 hours again, debating whether to put any more bait out or hang on, as I was planning 09:00 hours reel-in so I could get home at a reasonable time. I have a lot to do, and rushing things these days isn’t allowed. I have to break things up still over the next few months, and then I will be fighting fit again.

That was it, folks. No morning takes, but what an amazing trip out on the bank this was. I was happy with the first carp, but to go on and land 8 was a perfect two nights on the bank.

I’m off to the Emerald Isle.

See you all soon,

Richard

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