VINCENT

It was November the first and as usual it was the 2am start for the journey down south. As I eased the van off the drive I looked up at the night sky and could see it was very clear, cold and starry. It immediately sprang to mind the description that Tim Paisley gave to the cold clear nights in his book From the bivvy. It was taken from the Don MacLean song "Vincent" and I've always savoured that very apt description of the words in the song "starry starry night".

This was definitely a "Vincent" and I wondered if it would affect my chances once I got there.

I arrived in due course to find the farmer had closed the approach track for the winter. The reason for this is to prevent mad carpers getting their vehicles stuck in the winter mud. This is fine but it makes it a marathon push through the mud with the barrow fully loaded and when I go for a few days again I do a "Tim" and take everything. It's no use when you are the best part of two hundred miles from home, so it's got to go with you. It takes two barrow loads to get all my gear to the pitch then start and set it up.

I was very keen to try out the new bait Fruity Trifle as on my last visit I baited all round but as yet not fished on it. So full of confidence I baited all rods with and put half a kilo in each of the action areas.

Eventually I'm ready for the off with all rods in for 10am and the kettle on. I was just having my tea when I noticed a big guy pushing his barrow down the track making it look so easy that I wondered what I was struggling at, then I looked at him and realised he could probably give Iron Mike Tyson a run for his money you definitely want him on your side that's for sure. I knew most of the lads down there but not this one so I let him get set up and went and introduced myself. He turned out a real nice guy by the name of Kevin and was the landlord of the local pub,(handy)!

We had a chat and I found out that he had been fishing there for quite a few years but our paths had never crossed.

I can say that I learned more in that half hour chat about the water than I had in a long time while I'd been in the syndicate; he certainly knew the water and his carping.

For saying it was November the first it was a beautiful day, no clouds, sun out and a good ripple on the water, brilliant for a late Autumn picnic but totally unsuitable for carping. I sat back on my chair messing with some rig ideas (as you do) just hoping that the night would bring a drop in the pressure.

Lunch came and went and I couldn't see any signs of carp anywhere, in fact there were no signs of any kind of fish.

I looked to my right and I could see Big Kev nodding on his bed chair and wondered what I could do to induce a take. I had thought of using a big bunch of maggots on one rod but never bothered to get some and now I wished I had. The more I thought about it the more I was convinced that it could be the answer. I suppose in the end I started to get a thing about it but in reality it was just plain laziness that I didn't get some

I glanced at my clock on the bivvy table and it was quarter passed three and I thought it was about time for another brew then decided against but I don't know why  I just had the feeling I should be near my rods. Then the right hand rod bust into life.

It wasn't a fast take but there was no hesitation about it, it just kept going when I hit it and stayed deep and low all the time taking line off the clutch.

Big Kev came down and stood at my side and I didn't want to give it too much pressure in case the number ten pulled out.

This baby really did give me a run for my money it just would not come up in the end it slowly grudgingly came up, Kev said "shall I net for you?" I said "of course" he smiled a confident smile and waited net in hand. However, the fish was to have one more try as it sensed Kev with the net it made one more push for freedom and went hard to my left toward the bush making the clutch buzz as I hung on. I managed to stop it just before the bush with rod under full compression and finger on the spool.

For a short moment all was still and I thought then this is the time I'm going to lose it, then all at once it turned and went deep again and I knew I was in with a chance.

Eventually the fish came towards the net and Kev netted in one confident movement and then it was all over.

The relief washed over me and Kev weighed it and pronounced it at 39 spot on.

After the photos we watched it swim away and it was DEFINITELY time for tea!

It did not seem long before the sun went down and the start of the long night began, I put fresh baits on and resisted the temptation to make my evening meal purely for something to do in the dark. Already it was getting to me.

Later on I lay on my bed chair just looking at the water for signs of fish and noticed the sky and the stars again yes; we were in for another "Vincent".

I started to feel sleepy even though it was early but I suppose after an early start and the night before I couldn't sleep for excitement because of going fishing I dozed off.

At first I couldn't work out the noise and I then realised it was the wind battering the bivvy it was a real gale force strength and pouring with rain too.

I'd fallen asleep with the door up and the gale was blowing the rain straight at me on the bed chair. I scrambled out to roll the door down and start the mopping up operations.

It felt pretty miserable being soaked but the upside of things was the drop in pressure.I managed to get dry after a fashion and had some food and a hot mug of tea and settled down to the waiting game feeling more confident now the weather had changed.

Half past one in the morning it was still raining but warm with it when the left hand rod was away, a real flyer.

I swept the rod up and was answered by a very angry pull back taking quite a lot of line from the protesting clutch. If I had lost this fish I would have said it was a whacker so after a fair few anxious moments I was surprised to net a bristling mirror of 23lb 06oz in its lovely autumn colours.

The pitch it came from is a difficult cast in the wind in daylight... and in the dark almost impossible.  It had got to be almost under the bush, any further out just did not produce. I put a big pva bag of chopped boilies on to give me some weight to counteract the gale and made a hurried cast because of the pva melting. It went straight in!! I couldn't believe it, I tweaked the line to make sure it was clear of the lower branches and all was well. Time to dry off and celebrate with a mug of tea!

It was a while before I settled down, sleep was impossible. The gale was making a terrific racket on the bivvy and the rain just hammered down.  4 20am the bush rod was away again and time for another soaking this time for another mirror of 22lb 8oz - this, I said to myself, is worth getting wet for.

This time I struggled to get the bait in under the bush.  I lost count of how many times I tried but managed it nearly there.  It was a bit further out from the bush than I wanted it - but it was easy to say to myself ok because I was so wet and tired.  I waited until late morning to recast all the rods as the early morning is usually a good chance time for a take.

The day struggled on with the rain, and I did too, but was well pleased when the bush rod went at bang on four o'clock. This time it was a beautiful double figure common of 11lb, not a mark on it and shiny as a new pin and with the red fins glowing.

The rain eventually cleared and then it was back to "Vincent" again that night and although I felt confident of the bush rod the common was to be my last fish of the session. I was treated that night to a clear sky and a decidedly chilly view of the stars, truly "Vincent" stuff.