This daytime shot from the Long Pads shows what I had to work with. It provided opportunities both in open water and along the far margin
To give you a very rough idea of the layout of Carthagena, I guess a good way to describe the seven-acre pit would be to compare it to a big crescent moon, with a small bay tagged onto one end. With its 15 to 20 main swims, the outer side is
where angling’s permitted, whilst the inner side was completely out of bounds. There were about nine pegs where it was possible to reach the far side, with casts ranging between thirty and ninety yards, although because the area is largely inaccessible to anglers, you can’t walk around to bait up, or get a closer look at what you are up against. Numerous beds
of reeds, snag-bushes and pads ensure that this area is a veritable carp haven, and understandably, this was where they would spend much of their time. It was an obvious starting point when looking for carp, especially for such an occasional visitor like me.