At ease …

Or should that be missing THE action? I’m missing the action. At the time of writing this year has been a rollercoaster.

Backtrack to the start of the year and all was going well. Four blogs in:

Twenty Twenty Vision – setting out the play for the year.

Scaling Down Down Down – the fashion for sawn off rods in the margins.

Frozen Two – do you want to catch a snow carp?

Catching The Moment – the first carp fishing trip of the year.

Then Covid-19 hit and hit hard with a nationwide lock down at the end of March and an end to any fishing aspirations for 2020, or so it seemed.

With the tackle sitting ideal in the shed I was busy working from home, cycling to get fit and stay fit, looking after family and home schooling the children.

The lockdown became a sort of ‘closed season’ so I did not mind. Reminded me of being a kid waiting for the 16th. Sure enough everyone was allowing back to their waters in June.

But not me, I was focused cycling and keeping fit, and the prospect of fishing with hoards of frustrated anglers thrashing the water to a froth filled me with dread and Covid was still a real danger.

There were occasions when it crossed my mind – the club record for a mirror carp was broken in July, and I did tinker with the gear every time I got the lawnmower out! But the spark was not there.

Other things take over and you just have to wait for the compass to swing back and not force it. Much like in 2018 – Writers Block – I waited.

By now the summer was over autumn was here and out of the blue then I tested positive for Covid-19 at the end of October. I had been away with the wife, developed a cough and thought nothing of it, but decided to get tested. Total shock and 10 days of isolation.

No bike rides and just myself and my thoughts. And my thoughts turned to carp fishing. I watched a couple to videos, sorted out the kit and bait, bagging up some Baitworks shelf life boilies into the freezer, soaking some pop-ups and of course bought a couple to bits!

I was ready to start planning some winter tips.

Then Covid got serious again, with a national lockdown scheduled of November. Following my brush with the virus and a few days of illness – thank goodness the cycling got me fit and a stone lighter – I know it is real and not to be messed with.

Fortunately in #LockdownTwo the government has decided angling makes a positive impact to mental health, and as long as social distancing is adhered to fishing can continue.

With renewed enthusiasm it is back to the lakes for me before the year is out. And back to writing the blog.

Despite not fishing and writing there has still been a steady stream of visitors – having said that there have been a fair few from China so I think that is phishing more than an interest in my fishing!

No doubt those readers will melt away much like the carp often do when fish but we can all hope.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Tightlines and future good times.