Anyone else had a disaster of an angling trip ? I have had some great ones, but one I had to france in 2000 was a catastrophy. Sounded great, big carp and the lake to our selves for the week. All the criteria were there.

a) a group you don't know apart from the friend who is a mutual friend.

you arrive to discover that there has been no swim draw and those that arrived a couple of hours before are all set up at one end of the lake.

c) the local river is in flood and so is one third of the lake in terms of swims being under water

d) the preordered bait is not there and no ETA is available

e) The flood means the kitchen and club house are underwater

f) The toilets don't work due to flood and neither does the shower.

g) The very fastest of french trains zip though 30 yards from lake

h) The very loud and long diesel trains use that line over night.

i) The people who got there first caught lots of carp all week between 19 and 39 pound, and lovely fish they were.

j) The five of us at the other, imposed end, of the lake did not even get a line bite in 7 days.

k) The water level dropped mid week, I moved swims, following day awoke to see my video camera bag bobbing gently past my bed chair. Moved back to one of the carp desert swims.

l) Could not seem to get the phrase "swim rotation" translated into a language the occupiers of the other end of the lake understood.

It would be nice to know I am not alone in an experience such as this.

Cheers

I remember, some time ago, arranging a trip with my mate. We have an arrangement, he brings food - I bring bait. I spent half a day preparing paste, sorting worms and maggots, opening tins of luncheon meat and corn and transferring them to boxes. put them all in my bait bag ready for the morning. Got up bright and early and off we went. got to the water about an hour and a half later, set up and discovered I'd left the bait at home!!