Trip 30 Carp Fishing – The Double Gravel Swim – September Session After a good look around the lake earlier in the week, backed up by studying my old records, I decided the Double Gravel swim was my best bet. It wasn’t an easy decision, but with no other clear signs of carp activity elsewhere, it stood out as the most logical option. This swim has produced for me in the past, often with a bit of patience, and it’s one I’ve built confidence in over the years. The first thing I always do when settling into a swim is to get the marker rod out. Even though I know the area well, I like to double-check that everything is still as it should be. Weed shifts about, silt builds up, and there’s nothing worse than assuming a spot is as clean as you remember only to find it’s changed. The rod whistled out into the wind, clipped at the right distance, and the lead hit down with that firm, reassuring thud of clean gravel. A couple of drags confirmed it. Perfect. The long-range gravel bar was still there, sharp and defined, while the closer line I’ve favoured before was equally inviting. This time, though, I wanted to tweak things. Normally, I’d fish further out, but my gut told me to bring one rod shorter. It felt like a gamble, but sometimes carp fishing is about breaking habits. The plan was simple: one rod fished closer with solid PVA bags, the other at long range on a proven spot that has a knack for throwing up the bigger carp every so often. That second rod, however, would be fished with single hookbaits only. Tight lines and be lucky!

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