When times are hard things become difficult and it is easy to loose faith. Covid has reeked havoc on the UK in more ways imaginable – lives, liberty, and legality have all suffered. With carp fishing encompassing these values.

Our lives are made richer for fishing, outside pursuits benefit both mind and body. We are at liberty to roam the countryside and further afield in search of carpy adventures. And with the law on our side we can fish most waters and fish them overnight or longer.

But at this moment in time the law is against us, our liberty is curtailed and as a result life is hard, harder for everyone not just the carp anglers. Under the current covid restrictions fishing can only take place during daylight hours and on waters local to you. This is at odds with the very nature of carp angling where you roam the country on weekend long (or longer) campaigns to catch your target fish.

Today was the second session of 2021 for Carppuzzle and with those restrictions in mind I set off for the estate lake at 6.30am aiming to be sat on the bank by sunrise. I am fortunate that both my club waters are ‘local’. Another angler had had the same idea and that made for two cars in the car park. A small Sub Surface Journal sticker on the other car told me this angler was keeping the faith and pursuing their passion.

I found him setting up on the east bank and during his short time by the water he had not seen anything. I carried on up the bank looking and listening but the carp were not giving themselves away. Two weeks ago we had seen sub zero temperatures and a lid on the lake but this weekend the weather was unseasonably mild (10 degrees) with a light south south westerly and I was sure the carp would be on the feed. Plus the rain from last week was still trickling into the lake from the various rivulets.

With the lake quiet I looked to the weather and wildlife for guidance. The south west corner was sheltered – calm water gave way to a ripple on the surface from the wind blowing over the treetops and the birds were down there sitting comfortably on the old jetty. I figure the carp could also be there. Plus I had caught three times form this swim in the passed, all in the morning.

I was fishing by 7.30am having kept faith in the Royal Marine form Baitworks, confident in my rigs and their positioning, and hopeful the carp were down here in the corner.

The left rod was my wafting pop-up (pictured left), the fluoro Royal Marine had been glugged and with a small PVA bag of boilie crumb it made for an inviting mouthful.

The right rod was a balanced bottom bait (pictured right) and a Scent From Hell lifting the boilie ever so slightly and counteracting its weight. The boom was fluorocardon ‘albrighted’ to a supple braid which secured the hook KD style. I believe this gives the hook greater rotational movement in the mouth and thereby hooking potential. Finally around this was scattered about twenty boilies.

Kettle on and now it was time to watch the water, the bird life, de-stress and enjoy being outside in the fresh air by the waters edge and keeping the faith.

Now this is where it can get tough – keeping the faith – as the minutes tick by, another hour, another recast, slightly to the left, or right, further out or closer in – searching and hoping. And after a few hours my mind starts to thinking about what the blog for this session will be about as the carp are not at that moment cooperating.

They were not down this end of the lake and from my vantage point looking across the water I could not see where they were.

By 12noon the session was over and time to head home for lunch with the family. I consoled myself with knowing I had fished well, faithful to my rigs, tackle and bait and confident nothing needed to change bar locating the carp.

Frustrating as the session was, it was great being out and re-enforcing the knowledge that keeping the faith will get Carppuzzle and all of us through these difficult days and nights.

The next session will be soon and you will know by the picture if my faith in not just the carps gods has been rewarded!

Tightlines for next time.