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This is another favourite of mine that changed my overnighter from nightmare to dreamland. I pulled up at my syndicate lake on the Saturday afternoon a bit early around 3pm but was gutted to find the fullest car park ever! No real surprise as it was May bank holiday if I remember right. Rather than look for one of the two remaining swims I decided to drive on to Bluebell for a look round before giving up for home. 30 mins later I'm in the shop asking for the numbers on Kingy and Swan, to my amazement I hear Kingy is fairly quiet by usual standards. I take the gamble - pay up and go for a walk bucket in hand. Approaching the first corner I can't see anyone on the far bank - central. I speed up not daring to believe the situation, glance up again and I'm right - my 2 favourite swims are free - result! 😊 The right of the 2 swims looks bang on for the conditions - right on the back of the wind - on the line where the chop starts. Down goes the bucket and I'm off for the barrow - semi running, yet trying to look carpy as you do. I had a lead about and found what I was looking for - clean and smooth as glass - just off the end of one of the bars. So little resistence that I stumbled backwards - that's the one! I put half a bucket of 3ml pellets and boilie crumb out and a few whole baits - tight with the spomb. 2 rods on that and a 3rd 2 rods lengths off the spot. I settle down cook dinner and chill - feeling strangely confident. At around 11pm I have the first take - a massive drop back, I'm on it fast and after a lot of fast reeling connect with a chunk that plays hardball. After a good battle out in the waders I net what is a monumental fish for me personally, a very rarely caught kingy 40+ common from the venue that had seemed impossible and awe inspiring when I had first visited some years before. At that time I felt so far away from the guys on there - so a real milestone. I had 2 more drop backs after that and missed both - those fish are so cute it's a brilliant water.

Unless I'm with a mate, or there's someone in the next swim, I don't often bother weighing or taking pics. This was my eldest sons first overnighter, as above, as a dad, it has to be up there as one of my most memorable & enjoyable trips. It was 2 summers ago, & he's still going on about the cat! I don't like them myself so tend to avoid venues with them in.

This 22lb linear, only a stocky, from my 3 years on current syndicate, known to be one of the hardest lakes in the country.. Was I buzzing when I caught that??? Hell yeah!! I know the picture is a bit naff, but like a lot of my captures, I don't need a puffed up pic of me holding it, laid on the matt is fine by me for the memory of the battle

my favourite capture wasn't a carp it was my first double figure barbell from a small river call the soar 12lb 2oz and fought like satan him self, couldn't stop smiling for about a week.

The story’s have gone quiet, hoping to kick start it again. Found a couple more favourites. My pb commmon and then a very unusual day time capture for me. I’ve never managed the moody blank expression in catch pictures. Normally too shocked and euphoric!!

Same got some very memorable barbel captures , a brace of doubles back in the 90's stand out from the Severn & my first doubles from the wye . Was quite the barbel hunter back then driving about trying all the different rivers, good times 😎

Hopefully this year my lad will be with me more.. Also going try try Lakemore Fishery (Crewe) this year for a Cat..

But it still caught!! We’re all delusional I’m sure!😂

Just thinking of another one, on of all days a Friday the 13th. I had been doing fire extinguisher servicing calls around Sudbury and Halstead area, and turned up a single track road. As I drove up the road a female driver coming the other way drove past the passing place and continued coming, forcing me in the van up onto the verge as I had nowhere else to go. As the van tilted the side of the van scraped across the cars roof, heavily denting my van. I managed to swap insurance details etc, and then went to my next call at a veterinary practice in the area before finishing up and driving back to the company office in Wymondham. I then had to switch all my existing stock and tools into a spare van, along with my weekly top-up. From Wymondham I then drove back to Ipswich, put my fishing gear in the van, and drove via a customer call on the A120 to Nazeing. When I arrived at Nazeing I was shattered, it was about 10pm, I had been up since about 6 that morning driving and doing customer calls as well as stock swap. Somehow I managed to get set up, thank heavens for Fox EasyDome, bivvy up in minutes. By 11.30 I was set and sorted and just crashed out when I had a proper screamer. I can't remember the fight, but I can remember the 28lb common at the end of it. This was the last picture I took on 35mm film, so this is the scanned copy of a print. Later that same night I had a 23lb common, which I was sadly so tired I didn't photograph.

Love it kev

That fully scaled is stunner 😎

My 1st ever Carp on carp gear... Look at state of that (1st ever setup)...compared to what i use now.

I think this one is the smallest I have had out of my lake but it is definitely one of my favourite pictures