By mid-morning, around 10:30, I decided to move swims and set up in what can only be described as a crazy, wide-open spot with absolutely no natural cover. It wasn’t the most comfortable decision in this heat, and I spent as much time as I could shelter beneath the trees before retreating into my bivvy, where my “air conditioning” was working overtime. Even with the fan blasting away, the heat was absolutely blistering. I honestly don’t think I could have coped with those conditions for more than a day. It was one of those sessions where simply staying cool became just as much of a challenge as catching the carp.
I’ve decided to brave the heatwave again, simply because I’m not sleeping at night and, after the last few trips blanking, there’s a good chance I’ll get some much-needed sleep on the bank. With the gardening work on hold, I headed down to the lake on Monday evening at around 1900 hrs to avoid as much of the heat as possible. Swim selection was all about finding shade and having the wind in my face, as a gentle breeze was forecast for most of the session. The first 40 hours were filled with plenty of Tench action.
They simply love the EnerGize Boilies and Jurassic Particles. I started off using large Godman Angling mesh bags filled with soaked pellets, but eventually reduced them down to two single 18mm boilies, crushed into 18mm PVA mesh. I always like to have something close to the hookbait for that extra bit of attraction.
Fifty hours after arriving, I finally had my first carp, a 22lb 12oz Common. Happy days! It had been a long time coming, and within the hour, I’d had another bite. Unfortunately, the hook pulled on that one.
The night was silent until the Tench moved in again. It was then that I decided to move into the swim next door for the last night. I’d kept seeing carp show there, but the issue was that it’s completely open and exposed to the full heat of the sun—something that’s simply not for me.
I moved by 1030 hrs and was completely finished by midday, which was the perfect time to go and hide somewhere nearby until the shade from the trees over my bivvy did its job.
Not a bleep came from my rods over the next 24 hours. I couldn’t quite believe that was possible. In the end, the move wasn’t really worth it, but I simply felt the urge to give it a go. It was still a lovely few days on the lake, with a refreshing cool breeze, although at times it was blisteringly hot.
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.
After another restless night at home, with barely four hours of sleep, I’ve decided to head back out for a late evening setup rather than my usual early morning start. With a refreshing breeze blowing across the lake, it feels like the perfect place to escape the heat and hopefully enjoy a few hours of proper sleep. If all goes to plan, that peaceful night’s rest will be interrupted just before first light by the sound of a screaming alarm and a carp on the end of the line. Here’s hoping the cooler conditions encourage the fish to feed and make the decision to come back out worthwhile.
