I took the Mk IV for an outing this afternoon, I travelled light. Just the rod, a landing net and some bait. There is nothing finer than a B James Mk IV Carp and a Mitchell 300 for carp fishing. The breeze was from the South and the air was clean, a lovely April afternoon.

I walked the bank until I found a group of carp, luckily the wind was from behind me and a gentle underarm flick was all I needed to reach them. They are crafty fish but I fed them to gain their confidence. Or so I thought.

Eventually a carp couldn’t resist the floating piece of malt loaf and I connected on the strike. I miss most takes. The split cane soon tamed the fish, the barbless hook dropped out in the landing net and the fish was returned without the fuss of an unhooking mat, scales and camera which so many carp anglers insist on using. I only had two slices of stale malt loaf but crusty white bread was just as good. I had three more carp from the shoal before they disappeared. They weren’t monsters but it was good fun. I celebrated with a pint in the Surrey Oaks.

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