After the unsuccessful trip on the 9 October I decided to revert to the reed swim and try some float fishing in the margins with the hope of some perch or roach, and perhaps a stray carp. I took some maggots, a very rare thing for me these days.

Well, the day was a disaster. The float fishing yielded minuscule perch on maggot, and the only success was when I tried float-fished sweet corn and picked up a small carp.

To make things worse I lost a carp in the reeds in the morning and then later in the day, having not had a touch for a long while, the rod was wrenched around while using free-lined luncheon meat and I was late to strike. The fish was hooked but was already buried in the reeds, with no real hope of getting it out.

The frustration increased when the chap next to me brought in a 17lb fish and I watched another chap opposite lose a number of fish that had obviously hooked themselves on a bolt rig, given that he was sitting in the back of his car with the door open and had to clamber down the bank when the bite alarm sounded.

All in all a thoroughly disappointing day.