Friday: A bonus early morning 3 hours. Despite being put off seeing a guy fishing topless in shorts while I was considering running back to the car for a third layer, I was warmed by two sparkling mirrors of 9lb and 8lb 15. It was one of those mornings where the quivertip was trembling throughout, but despite changing baits, I didn't manage to convert the action to bites. Lost one at the end which would have made it a great sneaked session.

Saturday: 7:30am til 2:30. An autumnal misty start with hard fighting early mirror of 11lb 15, commons of 5lb 6, and 5lb (my third one-eyed carp here...?) plus a bonus crucian that didn't give a bite but was there on the end when I wound in. When it went quiet I swapped to a float for an hour and chucked hemp and maggot close in for 18 roach (all tiny except for 2 half-pounders and a clunking 12 ouncer) and 9 perch between 2 and 6 ounces all seemingly with pot bellies. 

With an hour to go I switched back to method feeder to attempt a final carp, but within minutes there were carp cruising along the surface pretty much everywhere.

That's when it happened.

Thinking it wasn't worth bottom-feeding for them, and having no surface baits nor aptitude for fishing this way, I kept the feeder unit on, but replaced the 4-inch hook length with a 3ft one from which to suspend a home assembled yellow foam zig.  I had no faith that any carp would be taken in by such an artificially shaped, madly coloured, atrocious bit of haberdashery floating 6-inches under the surface, but with only 45 minutes left thought there was nothing to lose. Blimey. Two minutes later the rod was virtually pulled in and thus started a ten-minute battle of man v fish as it made run after run against the drag. I was so relieved to land it, and could not believe it was a common of 'only' 7lb 9, it fought like one twice its weight.

Boy, I was the self-appointed King of Fishing. I felt like doing a lap of honour showing all the other anglers my measly little rig and showing them the attached picture of my reward. So I didn't catch any more in the remaining half hour or so, but my smile was, and still is, fixed.