Chasing Shadows and Day Dreams

I remember the day clearly. I was dropped off at the local day ticket water. Being ten I clutched onto that little box of maggots as if my life depended on it. I walked around the many roach filled lakes. I was trying to find the shoal I had seen the week before.

Finally I came to a place I thought was suitable and into the tackle box I delved, trying to find my lucky float and hook. Soon found in the special little spot at the back- the rig was set-up and attached to the end of the rod I had borrowed from my dad for good luck. The lid was prized off the maggot box and a few big juicy ones threaded onto the speckling hook. Silently I dropped the rig into the water and a good day began- roach after roach graced the bank and I had hit the shoal- just as I wanted!

It was then the water was turned into a boiling cauldron. I stuck my head over the bush covering the spot and saw something I had never seen before then- the mysterious carp. I cast to the spot with my best maggot. It was ten minutes later that the float disappeared. The little match reel screamed in agony as the carp made its break for freedom. I clung on for dear life but felt sure the fish would snap me. Twenty minutes later and it was wallowing in the bottom of my net. I couldn’t believe the size of it and from then on I wanted more of these legendarily powerful and beautiful fish.

I was hooked now! All I could think about was the pull of that carp and the beauty of it. I would sit in school staring into space and day dreaming of the monsters from the deep, and eagerly counted down the days until I could go fishing again.
When the time finally came I hurried out of the car and went straight to the peg that I had fished last time. It didn’t quite have that sparkling, magical quality I had built up in my head as the place that I had landed my first carp, but it still holds a special place in my heart.

I cast my delicately set-up float into the margins and sat back and waited, and waited. A slight twitch on the float and I was ready to strike, the float settled again, and I relaxed listening to the birds and watching others and the way they chased my dreams as well. It was then I heard the scream of my reel as a carp took the bait and made a bolt for freedom. This time I was expecting the power and braced. The fish took me on a merry dance and was immense fun on probably too light gear. It was a 6lb carp and the biggest fish I had ever seen and still is one of my favourite fish as I had done it all myself.

The next day I bought my first carp fishing magazine. Flicking through the pages I was amazed at the beauty and size of the fish that people were holding up for the camera with cheesy grins on their faces- I wanted to be like them.
It was then that I stumbled across adverts for lakes in France. My heart was now set on a holiday to catch a true monster from the deep. However my dad had other plans and I was devastated when he said we weren’t going to go this year as I wasn’t experienced enough- time to show him I thought.

All my efforts went into my fishing for the next two years eventually getting the fabled “double”, probably owing more to sheer grit and determination than angling talent- but I learnt more about fishing for carp than I could ever had from reading the magazines. The fish was a great birthday present as well. I rang my dad and an even better birthday present was offered- that trip to France I had always wanted.
I counted down the 400 days until we were going, ticking them off on my calendar.

Slowly I acquired the gear to properly carp fish and eventually I was ready and more excited than ever. I was up at 3:00 am the day we were off and with massive excitement we loaded the car and set off on the long journey. The trip seemed to last forever and only when I got there did I realise that it was still another day until we were fishing as we were staying in a B&B the night before we fished. That night my dreams were filled with massive carp and I could almost reach out and touch them. I was interrupted by day break and I don’t think I have ever got out of bed and dressed quicker in my life.

When we arrived at the lake we were informed that we would need to use a boat to put our baits in. That first day in the boat was amazing- there were carp basking everywhere and we came right up alongside them- It was like a dream. Before long it was night and I settled down for my first ever night session- only to be woken by a screaming take at 9pm. The line glinted in the sunlight and I felt like I was ten again- holding onto a monster- not sure what to do. A massive back rose out from the margins and one of the biggest commons in the lake slid over the cord of the net and kissed the spreader block. Now I was the one holding a monster to the camera with a cheesy grin on my face. The day dreams had come true and the fish was no longer a shadow.

Chasing Shadows & Day Dreams