Onegav

One of the things I love so much about fishing, is that it brings you so close to nature.

Carp fishing I think in particular, which is the form of fishing I do most, brings you really close to nature. Carp fishing you see, is largely a quiet, waiting game. For long periods you just sit, and watch, and wait.

Sitting so quietly means that the wildlife around you is more comfortable with your presence, and last night I came face to face with squirrels running around my bivvy, ducks, coots, Moore hens, mayflies, dragon flies, ladybirds, rabbits, geese, seagulls, swans, bats and of course, fish!

Waking up to the sun rise breaking over a big lake is a pleasure I never tire of, and I genuinely feel blessed every time I’m treated to it.

I lost a fish in the early evening yesterday, and that feeling is absolutely gutting. I don’t know what happened, it just dropped off; it happens from time to time.

When it happens though, it gives you that horrible sickly feeling in your stomach, that I can best describe as being like when as a kid you did something that would really disappoint your mum; and then she found out……..

As I drifted off to sleep last night, watching the bats fly within inches of my bivvy door, I hoped I’d get another chance of a fish.

Waking up at 5:30am, the sun was already on its way up, but my rods still stood silent.

8:30am rolled around though and I had a bite! I landed the fish, and instantly that feeling of losing the fish the previous night vanished. I called my mate Matty over, and together we smiled big cheesy smiles.

We took some quick photographs, and returned the fish back to its watery home.

It is amazing, what catching a fish can do for you!

Learnings – I actually learnt loads about photography during this fishing trip, and I have a load of photographs I want to share!

Remember me telling you about the swans I photographed yesterday, using my long lens at full 300mm reach, with a higher f/stop number? They came out pretty well, I’m super pleased!

I also photographed loads of other wildlife, insects and birds mainly; and in the bright sun we had it posed an interesting challenge that gave me a good test, and some nice photographs at the end of it.

All in all, a brilliant trip, I loved it!