A Month In Carp Fishing

Dan Murrell recounts a recent session where everything went wrong from the word go. Nevertheless, sticking to his guns and focusing on the job in hand, he soon changed events.

- Dan Murrell

Forget the title, this piece will be about one overnight session – more a night in carp fishing, if you will.

Richard Shenton and I were scheduled to head north up the M1 to join Martin Ford for a day on the bank as we focused on stalking. Although it wasn’t the scorching weather we were getting used to, the slight southeasterly breeze and intermittent clouds made it a much cooler and more enjoyable day, with the feature being a proactive one.

I love spending time out with Martin. Not only an experienced carp angler, he also knows the world of carp journalism like the back of his hand, so it gives me the time to pick his brains and ask for his opinions in a bid to further myself and Total Carp.

The feature went extremely well and we really gained an insight into Martin’s approach and learnt how this exciting and time-effective tactic could help all of us put extra fish on the bank.

As it drew to a close, Martin was kind enough to offer Richard and me a swim on his syndicate for the night, to save us driving back in the mad rush-hour traffic. It also gave us the opportunity to do some much-needed filming while on the bank together. Believe it or not, having worked alongside each other for over seven months, we had only ever fished together twice prior to this trip.

It all began as I headed to the car and thought about getting my kit and putting the rods out. We were losing the day quickly and I wanted to get everything done in an organised, efficient manner, but that wasn’t to be the case.

As soon as I opened my back doors I was hit by a feeling of dread. I had left my entire tackle bag on the front room table, having tied rigs in preparation the night before. I didn’t need to look for it. In my head, I could see it sitting proudly next to the TV remotes smack in the middle of my living room. Never mind, Richard would have some terminal tackle and I was sure I could get by.