Firstly, I must thank my wife and kids for letting me out during the last few days of their Easter holidays. It’s week fifteen of the year and I’ve just only starting trip 10. I try to average 1 trip a week but this year hasn’t gotten off to a great start. We still have 37 weeks to go, so I better not write this year off just yet!

After my last trip, which really proved the carp really aren’t feeding heavily in open water yet. It was time to find an area where I felt the carp wouldn’t be too far away from me. I’m not into snag fishing these days, I’m too old for that.

After going backwards and forwards from a number of swims, I settled for the Gate Swim.

I'm back out after spending a week at home on 3 x 500mgs of antibiotics each day! Hopefully, this has finally kicked into touch my never end bouts of illness, I'm not 100%, but I feel 80% better than I was on my last trip.

I checked in with Ian on Tuesday about the weather and where would be a favorable area. With the wind blowing from the Northerly direction and the lack of sunshine, which would, unfortunately, vanish after the first day. We came up with a fair few options, and with not much coming out over the past few days, it didn't look brilliant. The daylight hours are getting closer to 12 hours, I feel this is the magic moment for the carp, when they really start waking up and getting their heads down.

The wife and kids are in Ireland to visit family, so I have the opportunity for a few nights fishing. Unfortunately, the ever lasting cough has reared its ugly head again since my last trip out. My youngest was also starting to show signs of her having it before I headed off last week. I was hoping to avoid it, but alas, it’s back, I’m still planning to come this week. I’m hoping it’s on its way out and once I’m pitched up, I can just relax and rest. Plus the weather has turned a lot warmer and a lot more favorable over the coming days.

I was hoping to fish the same swim as before, but margin fishing when you are coughing like I am isn’t going to catch carp. I felt a bit sorry for the other anglers on the lake, as there were quite a few, 6 or 7 of us.

I was now looking for a swim that gave me a good 16 wrap out away from the coughing lunatic that I must be, coming out fishing.

I arrived at the lake a lot later than planned, my youngest was off school due to the teacher’s strike. Only to find that I was only really left with one option for a swim unless I fancy setting up and moving the next morning or going home and coming back again. This option wasn’t very practical, alternatively setting up in a swim which didn’t feel right.

The choice was made and for the first time, in a long time I waited for a swim to become free, this is something I don’t really tend to do normally. I put a great deal of thought into this over the next 5 hours as I waited. It simply felt like the right thing to do with the way the weather was.

I headed off, at about 07.30 hours this morning, to the Airfield Lake and spent an hour looking about. I even set up my bivvy in one of the swims, but it just didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t looking carpy at all.

With the bivvy down and back in the car, I was soon at Meadow Lake. It’s no more than a couple of miles away by road. I was shocked to find myself only the second person there. This did cheer me up. I’d originally planned on arriving Wednesdays over the winter period, as there isn’t a great deal of gardening to be done. I think this is only the second time I’ve managed it.

I received some information from a fellow member on Monday morning about his success in one particular swim. It was the perfect spot to avoid all the strong winds forecast, plus be in with a shot of a carp.

After a non-fishing weekend last week, which ended up with a monster loft clear-out and a full car of stuff for the tip.

It was absolutely stuffed full, including 4 old TV sets! It’s amazing really how much rubbish you accumulated over the years. I also feel a few bits of fishing tackle going on ebay soon.

I’m back out after spending a week at home on 3 x 500mgs of antibiotics each day! Hopefully, this has finally kicked into touch my never end bouts of illness, I’m not 100%, but I feel 80% better than I was on my last trip.

I checked in with Ian on Tuesday about the weather and where would be a favorable area. With the wind blowing from the Northerly direction and the lack of sunshine, which would, unfortunately, vanish after the first day. We came up with a fair few options, and with not much coming out over the past few days, it didn’t look brilliant. The daylight hours are getting closer to 12 hours, I feel this is the magic moment for the carp, when they really start waking up and getting their heads down.