Water hazard.

I knew the lakes were there but the opportunity to investigate did not arise until the golf course was sold to developers.

And therein lies the rub – acres of land (18 holes) one lake and the four ponds will be destroyed with 300 odd houses, roads and paving.

As Joni Mitchell sang on Big Yellow Taxi;

“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.”

So this particular Sunday I was with Mel and the twins as we set about exploring the course and the waters.

We settled on the banks of the largest lake with our snacks and as the twins played in a bunker (I’ll bring a bucket and spade next time!), and Mel caught tiny frogs, I tossed some bread crust and hemp glazed Sonubaits floaters onto the water and watched a light southerly push them across the surface.

It took about 40 minutes before there was a tell tale boil under the offerings and sure enough a set of carpy lips began slurping up the crust.

It was a pretty mirror carp of about 8lb. A few more appeared but this one seemed to be the largest that feed during the hour I watched.

During this time I also investigated the margins with a bulrush stem. One foot at the southern end where there was some weed growing and three at the north where the fish feed. The bottom was a thin layer of silt over clay and probably littered with golf balls!

We walked on and found the ponds but they were choked with weed and devoid of fish.

Our route took us back to the lake when Mel released her captive frogs and I throw in the last of the crust and floaters telling the girls we would be back the next weekend with a proper picnic and fishing tackle.

Floaters for the top, a method feeder, some bright pop-ups and yellow sweetcorn – not a big yellow taxi but yellow all the same.

Tightlines and fun times.