It’s now the first of October, and the countdown to the Airfield Lake closure has begun. With the end in sight, Ian and I had agreed this would be our last social of the year. Once November rolls around, Ian switches over to day sessions when the weather suits him. I must admit, every winter I get that little bit closer to following suit, but I’ve yet to decide if I’d actually be happier sticking to daylight hours. There’s something about a night on the bank — the stillness, the waiting — that’s hard to give up.

As usual, our late-Tuesday chat stretched into Wednesday afternoon. We went over the forecast, our swim options, and broke it all down into first, second, and third choices, just as we always do. After last week’s session, where the sudden weather change completely knocked the carp off feeding until Ian’s final night, we both felt the same swim made the most sense. Without even discussing it at first, we’d both come to the same conclusion — Tower Point, fishing back into the big lake again.

By mid-morning Wednesday, I arrived at the lake to find it still and quiet. A cool northeasterly breeze brushed across the surface, pushing the early autumn leaves against the margins. The swim was free — perfect. Ian rolled in shortly after, and we both set about getting camp sorted.