Ghosts of The Deep

When carp fishing isn't difficult, it's extremely difficult. The story is, of course, different in heavily stocked waters and lakes with freshly stocked or naive fish. Hook-happy fish are also easy to catch. But mostly, the cunning and old carp of the deep are like the creatures of imagination.

When you catch such a creature, the moment is like a dream. And when the fish swims away into the abyss, so disappears the image of the fish from your mind. The only evidence for that the fish was real are your photographs.

What I really love in Finnish carp angling is that most of the fish in any given lake have never been caught or ever will be. They will remain ghosts of the deep. I will remain happy not catching them all.

I just love looking at old catch photos. They keep me sane on blanking streaks...

Change of plans - blanking is good

I've taken up gardening. It's good for your mental health. You can't be blanking with sunflowers, can you? You won't get your tackle smashed by roses? Plus, the travelling isn't a problem.

In my garden I have found some lobworms, and they are said to be good as a fishing bait. Sunflower seeds are also good when soaked and cooked. Good for carp! And that leads to my subject of the day. Carp.

Well... My last trip was a blanker. It's nice to have them once in a while. It makes catching feel a lot better. When I had good fishing, and I was catching EVERY night for a long period, it made me want bigger fish. And in an unhealthy way. It was like smaller fish (8 kg or 17½ lbs) weren't what I wanted. And when you start thinking that way, boy you seriously need some blanking!

Fishing for pleasure comes down to two things: fish welfare and fisherman welfare. If you are not feeling good about what you are doing: stop. It can be a long and treacherous way of going. You just forget why you are fishing in overall, and start focusing on wrong/trivial things, like the weight of your catches. And soon, you loose the love for fishing. Just because you weren't reflecting what you were doing.

It's nice to go out for some good carp fishing. It's more than you can ask for when you are having a grill full of salmon fillet and garlic potatoes. After that you have a warm cup of tea and rest your eyes on a moonlit pale silver lake. And listen to the silence of the night.