With the road to Willows and Alders being closed for repairs this week, my Tuesday evening fish needed a new location, so I cycled to Bellwood the night before for a recce. I've fished it twice before, once for a blank, and a few small roach, perch and bream on the other. It was a lovely evening and there were just two anglers, both set up for the night ahead. They were lovely guys and very generous with the information and tips for a novice like me. I repaid one by photographing him with the 20lb common he had in a retaining sack, the second of the carp he'd caught in the hour since he arrived.

Come Tuesday afternoon however, and there were around 20 cars parked. I guess other members had had the same idea as me. There was only one swim left, close to the car and not one of the several I'd earmarked from the night before. It was around 30 degrees and free of all shade,  and on the top of the water I could see maybe a dozen carp cruising. Wow. I pinged out some biscuits right on their noses, but they weren't bothered. It was just too hot. With no point trying to catch them on the surface, I decided to fish the margins, and dropped a method feeder to the left, and a light float and maggot to my right. I found that while the swim in front of me was soon around 10ft deep, the marginal shelf was more like 4ft, so I set the float for 6ft on a very slow sinking shot pattern and hoped to catch them on the drop and on the slope. 

Bites came in pulses, with roach of 5oz (1), 4oz (6), 1oz (1) and perch of 4oz (1), 2oz (4) and 1oz (4).

The method feeder was not touched. I'd hoped that as evening drew on into dark and the temperature dropped a little, the carp might start checking out the margins, but if they did, as much as it's always fun to watch a star-light float as the stars come out and the bats swoop, they left my baits well alone. 

By the time I packed up there was only one angler left, but of the several that passed me on their way, most had not caught.