When I awoke this morning there was a distinct crispness in the air as I stepped outside onto the balcony to view the clear blue sky, not a chill but it felt as if the summer had finally passed for another year. This brought a little sadness as an angler, as I was hoping to catch a central London carp from the canal just outside of our home. Over the summer I had had a few chances, on one occasion hooked and lost one but ultimately I just didn’t make the most of the opportunities. Next week we move so the chance to fish here again is zero as the wharf is private property. The good news is, we are moving further up the canal and close to the river Lea where I have been successful but this current spot will be lost forever.

By mid morning the temperature was rising and it appeared that we had an extra day of summer. Another natural occurrence that reflects warm weather was a green skin of floating weed across the canal, giving the carp a false sense of security…I had to have one last go. I started by throwing in small handfuls of mixers over a period of about three hours and gradually signs of life were showing. Small patches of water appeared from the green carpet where one, perhaps two carp gently slurped down their lunch.

Being a Monday I was officially working from home so the initial feed was done by throwing mixers from the fifth floor, this went on until around 3.30 pm when it appeared that the lurkers were feedng with confidence and happily I spotted an old friend, one of the fish swimming down from the main Regents canal and into the wharf, one from earlier this summer, the albino mixed common.

The plan was to wait until five and then fish but with missed opportunities over the summer I didn’t want this last chance to be lost and lost forever so with rod and net in hand I went down to the canal side. This year my fishing has been sparse but satisfyingly simple, usually only a single swan shot on the line or only a hook for any floater fishing. The most complicated fishing this summer was using a cage swim feeder on the River Severn which resulted in a 7 1/2 lb barbel but the rest has been simple and creeping up to the the waters edge I knew there was a carp just below my feet. With the green weed all I had to do was drop the mixer in and wait, unfortunately I made a classic mistake and let my shadow cast over a tiny gap in the weed and a huge swirl opened up the green carpet as a lurker left for safer water, I had not even cast in!

With my first mistake made I cast further out adjacent to the boats and try and connect with a carp that had not been spooked. I sat and enjoyed the warm air knowing this was pretty much the last day of summer here in central London. After about twenty minute a little nudging in the weed around my bait signalled another carp by my bait, I sat low and made sure that I was totally hidden and this time not allowing my presence to be know. Then a great swirl opened up a huge clearing as a carp must have been spooked by the hook? I struck but nothing, no resistance and no carp! I’m not too sure what happened as the weed did cover the bait,  I was hoping the line would have been my indicator as it zoomed off, it didn’t!

I’m now holding out for another go this week as the weed is a good cover, the weather looks to be staying warm, tomorrow is Tuesday maybe it will bring me luck.

Looking out from my balcony this morning I saw the return of two familiar shapes, in my hand coincidently was some left over mixers from yesterdays fishing trip. I was clearing up the tackle and about to throw the pre-soaked mixers in the canal when the lurker’s halted my actions.

Below me the dark shapes looked hungary so I catapulted a few mixers into the air, raining down over sixty feet from the heavens onto the two carps heads. They were not bothered by the rain feast and after two minutes they were on the feed, so immediately I picked up the Aspindale and Slater Latch from yesterdays fishing trip and made my way down to the canal side.

Keeping low and throwing in a few more offerings (now with only the largest of the two carp starting to slowly move around) she started slurping down the mixers with startling confidence, I was hopeful she had no idea of my presence. I was now caught between the electric shock of excitement and  trying to keep calm enough to cast out a bait without spooking the lone carp at my feet. The landing net was slowly set up, a mixer placed on the hook and then I crouched low beside a tree only five feet from the carp in preparation to cast. With nothing on my line apart from a hook and a bait, the cast  landed two feet in front of her, she immediately came up and engulfed the bait, “one, two, three” I counted, hoping the bait was not ejected. I then struck, the carp turned and set off towards the canal boats just fifteen feet away on the far side, I thought “how easy is this?” Looking down on the carp as it propelled away, my rod hooped over and gave me a sense of her power for two seconds,  with a final shake of her tail she was gone, the 10 lb line had snapped like cotton!

Knowing the commotion would have disturbed the carp’s  confidence, I returned home to rest the swim and set up a new stepped up rod  and centre pin with 12 lb line, the palomar knot was double checked and then laid to rest in the corner of my balcony ready for round two.

These carp can be caught and I shall catch one soon, I have no interest in day ticket stockies, this is the type of angling that truly excites me, the only problem is, it ain’t easy!