5/8/10 Arun Afloat and an Unexpected Visitor

Dave was meant to join me for today's boat trip on the Arun but unfortunately his leave was cancelled, so it was left for me to go solo.I can't actually ever remember doing a solo boat trip on the Arun before.
I set off at HW 0700 and first stop was at the top of the Ford straight on the west bank.VERY few fish were showing in the clear water which didn't give me a lot to aim for, in fact, I can't remember why I selected the first port of call.Things were slow at first but,after sometime a whelm appeared,followed by a bite, and the first fish at 2-14 was boated.A similar sized fish threw the hook  in the same swim so a move was in order. An hour later ,the east bank in the same general area produced a 3-03.Things were going  well.
I then decided to attempt to get up to the Windmill straight above the mud flats where I'm always seeing fish whilst walking the banks .By now the ebb was in full flow,and reluctant to waste too much time struggling against the tide,  I abandoned my idea after noticing a nice calm stretch, with an ideal pace for trotting, a few hundred yards before the mud flats.A couple of possible bites ensued,then a slow drag under and I was hooked into a good sized mullet.The fish took a while to subdue and I was relieved to boat my best of the season so far at 5-00 on the nose-very satisfying fish indeed.
A couple of casts later, and something very odd happened.The float buried itself and I hit into something very solid.At first it felt like another strong mullet but then,surfacing In the centre of the river,I spied a golden fin.It seemed to take a very long time indeed to coerce the fish close enough to the boat to have a peep,especially on the light float rod,but eventually she appeared-a beautiful common carp of around 12lb -a rarity indeed this close to the sea.
Sadly I never boated her.I managed to play her alongside the hull,then fluffed up with the landing net, and she broke off just above the hook.Thankfully I got a real eyeful- a cracking looking clean fish.Usually coarse fish in the lower tidal are a bit 'tatty'.Slightly disappointed not to get a picture but,If it HAD been a mullet I would have felt a lot worse.
I finished with my fourth mullet of the session, a 2-08, at the top of the A259 straight on the west bank at LW slack, and then called it a day,arriving back at the slip at 3-00 p.m.Some very exciting fishing, and certainly one of my better mullet days in the boat.Launching and recovering solo was a breeze,helped no doubt,by the convenience of being able to park the van right next to the 'Look and See'.
Unusually for this time of year,there was little boat traffic on the river.However there were a couple of guys trolling for,and catching bass between Ford and the A259 at slack low.Something to bear in mind.