There’s a certain freedom that comes with two nights on the bank — a kind of rare permission that makes every cast, every move, that much more purposeful. I’d been granted that freedom once again, thanks to the understanding of my wife and family, and I wasn't about to waste it. After a couple of tricky sessions that ended in blanks, I was determined to get it right this time. If the carp were going to make me work for it, I was more than willing to put in the effort.I pulled through the gate just after 9 a.m., taking my time as I unpacked. There was no mad rush — the fish hadn’t really been on the feed lately, and I knew the conditions still weren’t ideal. We were enjoying a slight rise in temperature — the kind that gets you thinking spring might finally be here — but the wind was doing its best to convince me otherwise. That persistent easterly was still biting, bringing a chill that cut through layers. Forecasts predicted gusts up to 30 mph, and I’d experienced enough blank nights recently to know I didn’t want to be sitting head-on into that wind again.Tight lines and be lucky!