Hi, my name is Tyler Lane. As you may already know from my last blog, last year I entered the British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship (BYCAC).

My eliminator day was on a Thursday, so we drove up the night before. On the morning of the eliminator I went down to the marquee. I was nervous but excited because it was the first time I had entered a competition. I was 4th last in the draw and drew Peg 17.

I wandered back to the car thinking about how I was going to approach the swim and what tactics to use.

I was unpacking my gear when I heard a loud bosh in the swim and ripples came from about 65 yards away, so I immediately stopped and looked out to the clear blue water and the surface showed numerous carp’s lips protruding. I was itching to get my rods out and start fishing.

I carried on unpacking my rods and getting a couple of solid bags tied up. I was looking at my floater tackle because I had seen them in the upper layers. To one of my rods I attached one of my solid bags, which consisted of a braided hook-link material, which was three inches long, with a size 8 Kaptor Kurve with two pieces of pop-up corn with a shot under the hook to keep it counterbalanced. I was using Mainline Response pellets – different sizes – with a little bit of groundbait to compact the solid bag. I trimmed off the excess PVA and stuck the corners in to make it aerodynamic. I set up my floater rod with a 50g Bolt Machine on four feet of Zig Line and a size 6 hook and a cut-down Hybrid pop-up.

The hooter sounded and the adrenaline kicked in. I got my first solid bag bang on the spot. My floater rod was made up but I didn't want to cast it out straightaway. I wanted to build up the swim so they were eating confidently, so every five minutes I would put out two or three Spombs.

When the time was right I cast my floater rig past the mouths and dragged it in to the centre of the showing fish.

After 90 minutes I still hadn’t had a bite and was wondering what was wrong with the rig and how it was sitting. At that moment Ali Hamidi came and asked me how it was going. Although I was a little starstruck, he gave me a few tips. He wasn’t allowed to physically help but he told me to me lengthen my zig line and make sure my hair was tightly whipped to the hook, and to cut a groove in the back of a cut-down pop-up and place the hook in it and maybe add Goo to top it off. I listened with my mouth open and tried what he told me.

It had come to the last five minutes and my rod bent round and I struck in to it. I got it halfway and the hook pulled. I was devastated but I kept my head up and reeled it in and cast it straight back out, but it was too late. I was so frustrated with myself but there was nothing I could have done.

Not enough people caught to qualify for the final so we had to go to a cast off. It was an underarm flick, which wasn’t my strong point, so I was terrified. My cousin Billy went first and landed just outside of the target. Then it was my turn. It was silent and I knew that all I could do was my best. I got my momentum going I let go and it landed right in the centre of the triangle; I was amazed. Billy and I went through to the final – yaaay!

The following morning, we had a certain time to use our watercraft and choose our swims when our names were drawn. Mine eventually came out and I had one of my choices – Bay 3.

I had plenty of confidence in the swim and hopefully I could snare lots of carp.

It was 11am when the horn sounded to start baiting. I didn't put any bait out because of all the Spombs going out at the same time. I was hoping they would come to my water as safety.

The 48-hour final started at noon and I wacked two solid bags out tight under the tree.

Two hours in and I hadn’t had a bite, so I put two spombs out of just hemp corn and boilies to see if they’d react to the bait going in.

My first bite came at 8pm. The rod ripped off and I was into to my first carp of the competition. I was putting steady pressure on the fish because I didn't want it getting caught up in the snags. I managed to get it out of the bay and into my landing net. I was so happy to catch a fish in the final; it was 8lb on the button.

My other rod ripped off five minutes later and I was into a hard-fighting carp that was trying to take me in the snags. However, the pressure that I put on was just enough to steer it out of the snags and into open water. I finally got it in to my net and it was 8lb 4oz. That was it for that day.

I got up about 4.30am so I could see where the fish were and if there were any in the swim. After having a cup of tea and watching the water I decided that I’d put out some more bait but the day brought me nothing other than cold feet from being in the water spombing (I had no waders at this point).

I was having dinner and thinking about putting more bait out at about 7.30pm, so that’s what I did. I put 10 spombs out, so there was enough bait out there for the night.

Shortly afterwards the rod roared off, taking me around the snags in the bays out into open water. Finally it made its way in to my net.

We had to sit and wait for the marshals to come round and while waiting my recast rod ripped off once again. It was an easy fight and it fell straight into my net. I slipped it into my retainer and when the marshals came round the first one was 8lb 6oz and the other 8lbs exactly. Although not big, I was catching and happy.

In the morning I thought: “I’ll have a bite soon.” Fifteen minutes later my rod had a massive drop back and took me straight in to the snag. It was completely snared up so I got John, my marshal, to come round and get it free. After all that there was nothing attached to the rig but I didn’t give up.

Jake Wildbore came to see me and made my day by saying how well I was doing by not giving up.

The hooter went and it was over. It was the best thing I had ever done in my fishing career.

Exhausted, I packed up and went to the prize giving. My name was called and I came 19th, which I was very pleased about on my first-ever BYCAC. I received a medal, T-shirt, bucket of pellets, goody bag and a Mainline hat and Navitas hoodie. Well done to Dan Price who won it, he worked extremely hard.

This year I hope to gain a place in the top 10 at least. Thank you for reading, until next time, tight lines.