With the forecast for a light NE breeze I decided to go to Fields End Water, my local pit, and fish the NE corner. I was fortunate to get the spot I was aiming for, at the end of a reed bank, which I know often attracts carp as well as offering good sport from rudd. As it turned out the rudd didn't oblige, other than small fish that gave me unhittable bites, although I managed to hook a couple. In view of this I decided to target carp.

I fished the margin no more than around ten yards out. Having given up on the rudd, that were frustrating me on both sweetcorn and bread flake, I changed to luncheon meat and decided to wait for a carp to take some interest. And if a better quality rudd, or perhaps a crucian came along, all well and good. It turned out to be quite a wait, even though reed movement indicated that carp were almost certainly rummaging around the reeds.

Finally, at around half-twelve, the float went away and I was into a screamer that shot off out into the lake taking yards of line, with the handles on my centrepin whacking my fingers as I tried to slow it using my left hand. But the excitement didn't last as the hook pulled when the fish was about 20 odd yards out into the lake. Very disappointing.

I persevered and about an hour later I was into another carp. This one tried hard for the margin reeds but I managed to turn it on a number of attempts, and once in open water played it to the net. A 5lb fully scaled fish that battled really hard. The blank had been avoided!

The next fish I hooked again went for the reeds and this time succeeded, burying itself and shedding the hook in the process. Unfortunately the hook remained well and truly stuck in the reeds and a break off was needed, which resulted in me losing the float and end tackle.

Given that two fish had now gone for the reeds I decided to change to a light leger, comprising a single SSG shot on a loop of line, stopped by a nylon stop pulled up the line. Less to snag and less to lose!

I was using a cork bobbin and had a few knocks and lifts but nothing really positive. I decided to change from luncheon meat to bread flake to see if larger rudd might be interested, but after only a short while a positive lift on the bobbin resulted in hooking another carp. It again tried for the reeds but I managed to turn it away on a number of occasions. At first I thought it was of a similar size to the previous one but as it approached the net I realised that it was somewhat larger. It weighed in at 8¼lbs and was again a fine conditioned fully scaled fish. It was now 3.00pm.

The reeds continued to show probable carp movements and I was hopeful for at least one more fish. But it wasn't to be and I fished on to just after 4.00pm, at which point I was getting a bit tired and quite warm after being in the sun all the time.

So what started off as a potentially disappointing session came good in the end.

And I was amused throughout by a female mallard and her three small ducklings - really cute.