The holiday park has now reopened and the tranquility of the last couple of visits is now but a memory. Despite only three cars in the visitors' car park the lake was busy. My preferred spot was occupied and I settled in what I call the reed corner. Once my preferred swim, the reeds on either side have over the years narrowed the opening and it is now very difficult to prevent larger fish seeking refuge in the reed beds

I had set up a float on my 10ft compact float rod, leaving the longer rod at home. I was experimenting with the lift method. I found that I needed to change the float after a few casts but once settled I experienced the problem of many missed bites, the shorter rod not helping. These were almost certainly roach and I managed to hook a couple.

At one point bigger fish came off and I suspected that it might have been a crucian carp. I used to catch these lovely little fish quite regularly at Fields End but of late they seemed to have disappeared. Just after 10 o'clock I landed one of 1lb 11oz. (photo).

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As for the bigger carp there was no sign and it seemed that only a few fish were being landed around the lake. The conditions were really perfect. Mild and overcast with a light oncoming breeze.

Just before midday, as I cast the line bunched around the reel spool. I was sorting it out when a fish took and tore off. Fortunately I had just cleared the line tangle. I struggled to get it in and discovered that it was in fact foul hooked. This presumably accounted for the almost instant bite because I assume that it had brushed against the line. The 7lb mirror was to my horror hooked just below the eye. I returned it as quickly as possible hoping that its vision wouldn't be impaired.

Things again went quiet but around 14.00 I noticed a carp sucking at some bread in the reeds. I had rigged up my float on a sliding clip link and replaced it with a surface float that I had fashioned by piercing a wine bottle cork with a piece of fine wire. This stopped the clip link sinking the line.

I cast a few yards out in the centre of the open water and almost immediately a carp rose up and took the crust in one lunge. The take was unmissable and after a bit of a battle an 8lb 6oz leather was on the bank (photo).

Almost precisely an hour later a mirror of 5lb took crust by the reeds on the left of the swim. And again, about one hour after that, I took a leather of 7lb 1oz (photo) on float-fished luncheon meat, the bite coming as soon as the bait had hit the bottom.

And that was it for the carp. However, I was getting a lot of bites from roach by the reeds to the right throughout the afternoon and landed a couple of around 4-6oz. But I also had the hook hold fail on a couple of other fish, presumed roach, that felt and looked heavier. I saw their flanks flash as they shed the hook.

The longer float rod would have been a better bet for these roach but on the other hand I would have had no chance of landing the carp on such light tackle.