Distraction therapy proves the best medicine when things get particularly tough for Ian Chillcott in the last piece of his current series…

B Y IAN CHILLCOTT

PART 6 NOBULLSH*T,JUSTSOLIDANGLING

CAPTION A new PB common of 46lb 10oz… I love it when a plan comes together!

Whatever we get up to in life, it is very often the surprises we are confronted with from time to time, which make it all so exciting. From the day we started unwrapping Christmas presents as children, we all hope life will present us with an occasional, unexpected smile. It is those special moments which have the ability to take away any serious or sad thoughts, even if it’s just for a second, and isn’t this exactly what fishing does for all of us occasionally? Having to suffer a few blanks along the way has always had the habit of leaving us a little down. All it takes however, is the sound of an alarm, or maybe it’s simply the fact that we’ve spotted a carp at last, reminding us that they do actually live in the water we are fishing… whatever carp angling has in store, it always drags me out of the mire I sometimes find myself in, and unfortunately the years of 2012 and 2013 would be dire examples of this.

A picture that represents everything the amazing Farriers meant to me

1 SURPRISE, SURPRISE

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

For many years my wife, Lindie, has suffered with two life-altering cancers, amongst a whole host of other debilitating problems, and life had once again brought her to a very important juncture in her treatment. There was one other incredibly important issue to consider. My mother, all the way down there in Plymouth, had been diagnosed with cancer and multiple sclerosis. It had rocked me to my core, and in many respects, carp angling didn’t matter so much. Try as I might, and at the insistence of my wife and mother - bless their hearts - I just didn’t have the willpower to relight my dwindling fires. I had spent several thousand of pounds on tickets for 2014, but none of them added fuel to the now flickering embers.

I can usually become incredibly bloodyminded and keep marching on, but feeling so bad about the situation, it didn’t take me too long to realise that everything in my life had become a frightening roller coaster. However, I did find some solace which partially took my mind off the worries that faced the people I loved. It came by way of Fishing TV, who had been asked by BT Sport to make an angling series. It was to be twelve episodes, and to be honest, I couldn’t wait to get started. We had to cover all forms of angling in this country, including carp fishing, and this is where it all started.

We opened the show by catching carp from one of my local lakes, I also caught trout on the fly, limped painfully across the North Somerset beaches, and had the pleasure of spending time with the colourful Des Taylor. And it was just before I went barbel fishing with Des on his beloved River Severn, that I received a surprise a little unlike any other I’d had for so long. The Carp Society informed me that I had, at last, got my ticket for their water in the Cotswolds: Farriers Lake.

I had no idea about the water, really. I would have to embark on a journey of discovery - just the way I like things to be. However (and I don’t say this too often), there were the people who fished the lake… all, bar one, were the most fantastic company and they made the next year of my fishing life one of best I had ever experienced. And if I forget at the end of this time to thank them, then I’ll do it now. They will never really understand how much they lifted my spirits and poured copious amounts of fuel onto my fires! It would be remiss of me, of course, not to thank the carp that called Farriers home. The water, and its inhabitants, were a remarkable addition to my fondest memories.