I’m back from an amazing two weeks in the Emerald Isle, from alpaca trekking near Kenmare to fantastic road trips along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Sampling the local drinks.

Sampling the local drinks

To amazing senary.

To incredible sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

It was a fantastic relaxing two weeks away.

It’s time to dive into the Autumn season, prepare my swims, familiarize myself with the carp’s habits, and build up my Winter knowledge over the next three months. I’m thinking I might not fish Airfield Lake again this year, but we’ll see.

I arrived at the lake around 13:14 after dealing with a flat barrow tyre. Let’s hope that’s fixed. Upon choosing my swim, I discovered that one of my bivvy poles had broken after the initial setup. I went to see Roger, who always has a solution to any problem. Armed with a saw, some duct tape, and the location of some hazel, he fixed the issue.

I wasn’t entirely sure whether to fish Meadow Lake or Airfield Lake on the way here, so I decided to check which swims were free and evaluate my options. There was only one car in the main car park, so I took a quick walk and found that the four main swims were occupied. This left only Canada Bay, but with the wind due to change, that was a no-go. The Gap Swim was free, as was all of Canada Point. With the pads still being an issue and not fancying The Stump Swim, it came down to The Gap or Airfield Lake. I opted for The Gap, which was a straightforward setup—something I appreciated since I had caught a nasty illness while in Ireland that was still lingering.

I spread my bait over two spots this trip, aiming to distribute it more widely as we head into winter.

Once everything was set up, I visited another member for a chat before casting out my rods.

At 05:30, the left-hand rod was away, and it kited hard to the right, crossing my other line without any issues. It was clearly heading towards the lily pads to my right, trying to shed the hook, which is exactly what it did. Not the best start, I must say.

By 05:50, the other rod was away. I couldn’t believe my luck—another chance so soon! I guided this one straight into my swim and played the carp out under the rod tip, which felt like a lifetime, but it eventually found its way into the net. Success!

26lb 9oz Common

I got the other rod back on the spot, as I hadn’t managed to do so before my second take. I then sorted out the camera gear and weighing kit before taking some photos.

By now, it was getting light. The misty morning had passed for about 30 minutes before it rolled back in. I managed to get a couple of photos of a very pink dawn.

I lay down on my bedchair and quickly fell asleep in my sleeping bag around 09:15. I must have drifted off again as I’ve been exhausted lately from the illness I caught on holiday.

The wind is pushing nicely into this swim now, and there’s a good chance of rain over the next couple of days, which might make packing up on Friday a bit problematic. The pressure is dropping nicely until it rises again on Saturday morning.

Fingers crossed for a bite or two today.

The weather was a mixed bag—sunshine, overcast, calm, then windy—with a rainy day expected tomorrow. Along with a couple of bites last night, I put another half bucket of boilies out over my two spots and saved the rest for Thursday if there’s a dry period.

In the late afternoon, I started seeing carp showing, which boosted my confidence. They weren’t near my baited area but were in open water. Unless you can cast 35 wraps and risk losing the fish over the plateau or getting tangled around the corner, it seemed pointless.

At 22:05, the right-hand rod was away. It came in nice and slow but found something that locked my solid for about a minute. I kept the pressure on, and it eventually came through, but moments later, the hook pulled out, just like the previous night. I’m starting to think there might be some lily pad roots or something out there.

I sorted out the rod and went back to sleep.

At 06:15, the same rod was away again. This time, the carp broke the surface in open water, hopefully avoiding the snags. I hate playing carp like this, as I find the hook often pulls out. Thankfully, daylight allowed me to see where the carp was heading, and it went straight into the net without a fight. Photographing it was challenging, but we got there in the end.

30lb 15oz Common

That will do me nicely. I got the rod back on the spot, and rain was due to arrive by 10:00, continuing on and off for the next 24 hours. Hopefully, I’ll get a few breaks during this time, as the carp prefer it, and it would be nice to pack up in decent weather. Ian postponed his arrival until tomorrow, and I would have done the same. If you can avoid a day stuck in the bivvy, it’s always best.

The rain arrived on time, and I hoped for a break around noon to get the last of my bait out and be set for the final night.

At 14:30, I managed to get the last of my freebies out with fresh hook baits without getting wet—a real bonus. I turned on the stove to dry out the dampness inside the bivvy. Unfortunately, I had a puddle in the doorway as I forgot to roll the groundsheet back a couple of feet. It was like sitting in a dripping shower earlier.

Fingers crossed for something special tonight for my efforts.

At 02:02, the right-hand rod was away after a drop-back at 23:15 and a recast with fresh bait. This carp tried desperately to find the pads in front of me and made a good effort to get under the overhanging trees to my right. But I had it under control and finally slipped the net under it.

23lb 11oz Common

It was now 02:30, and the bed was calling.

I woke up around 06:30 and found it wasn’t raining. I checked the weather apps and realized I could pack up and leave before the rain really started. Quick pack-up, into the car all dry—though I’m not sure if it will be the same when I get home.

Until next time,

Richard

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