Diary of an average angler

A return to Earith after three weeks away from the bankside. I had not been feeling too good but tests following a visit to the GP all came back negative, so although still not feeling altogether normal I decided to have a few hours by the lake. A beautiful warm spring day in an idyllic setting certainly lifted my spirits.

The carp were very active spawning in the margins. I wasn't planning to target carp and had hoped to catch a few tench or bream. But despite what appeared to be very favourable conditions my bobbin remained unmoved during the first hour.

I had lightly groundbaited with crumbed seedy bread and was using the same as bread flake on the hook. There were a few small drop-backs on the bobbin but nothing then developed. Striking on the drop-back yielded nothing.

This was the order of the day until just after midday when I spotted a carp at the surface in the lily pads just in front of me. A free offering of crust was taken so I removed the small bomb leger and fitted a cork, casting a crust to the same spot. But in the time that I was setting this up the carp appeared to have moved on.

The crust remained there untouched for a long while when, quite unexpectedly, a carp rose from the depths and took it. I grabbed the rod from the rod rest and was battling a very insistent fish that tried everything to get off in the lily pads and reeds. But I prevailed and eventually landed a slim wildie-looking carp of just over 7lbs.

After the excitement of the carp things went back to much as they were before, that's to say knocks and small drop-backs on the bobbin. However, I eventually hooked a fish after a somewhat more positive indication, which turned out to be a small but very spirited tench.

That was to be my last fish, but I did miss a couple of very positive bites. I had cast close to the central reeds having seen a lot of reed movement that was clearly caused by fish movement. This resulted in one very positive bite that sent the bobbin crashing into the rod but I was late and missed it.

I then cast to the same spot again vowing to be more prepared next time, only to miss a similar bite that occurred so quickly that it took me by surprise. These two bites were to be my last chance on the bobbin.

I did, however, nearly bag another carp that had arrived in the marginal lily pads. Once again I put in a free offering of crust and it took it. Quickly removing the leger weight I dropped a piece of crust almost on its nose, not bothering to attach the cork buoyancy aid. To my surprise the fish took my crust without hesitation but the strike didn't connect. And that was my last chance of another fish.

In the end there weren't a lot of fish but just sitting by what is a very pretty lake for a few hours was reward in itself.