MY SECOND BIGGEST UK FISH EVER!
Acting on a hunch paid dividends for John Payne on his latest trip to the Monks Pit syndicate in Cambridgeshire, resulting in the capture of his second largest UK fish ever!
After opening his account for the year a fortnight previously with a couple of fish to 29lb-plus, John was straight through to the one of the big ’uns on his next trip, tempting this 46lb 2oz A-team mirror.
John said: “Arriving early knowing the lake was going to be busy over the weekend, I set out my stall where I hoped they would be residing and hoped the added pressure wouldn’t slow things down.
“With the four-rod winter rule still in effect, I split the rods, fishing two over known spots and two over an area I had a hunch would produce but hadn’t actually fished in the past.
“After a quiet 24 hours with very few shows, especially over my area and with the lake getting busier and busier, I wasn’t that hopeful of any action. However, going into the second night, the wind dropped and a few nearby shows were close enough to have me feeling hopeful of some action as I got into my bag.
“After a restless night, I was watching the water at first light and was encouraged when a huge slick appeared over my ‘hunch’ spot. I didn’t have to wait long before the swinger hit the rod and a one-toner signalled an angry carp had fallen foul of my trap! I always fish back-leads and fairly tight clutches, so was surprised to see line being taken freely and the tip alarmingly bent down. Upon picking up the rod, I almost had it ripped out of my hand and promptly had 50 yards of line stripped from me. Thirty-five minutes later, after a hard-fought battle under the rod in the deep margins, she was finally in the net! Peering down in the net and seeing the width of its back, I knew it was a good one and was going to be a two-man job. Fortunately, in the swim next door was Phil Candlish, another DNA team member, so with his help we got things ready for the weighing.
“Neither of us could work out the fish’s identity, but we knew it had to be one of the A team. On the scales it went 46lb 2oz and we were not surprised, as it looked every ounce of it. It was my second biggest UK fish ever and I was over the moon to say the least.
“The winning method was a solid bag of Crayfish Mini Mix pellets and Crayfish Meal powder pumped full of BetaStim and Crayfish Bait Soak, along with a Pink Peril wafter hookbait. This was fished over a bed of whole 12mm Bug and chopped 15mm S7 that had all been soaked in BetaStim and Salmon Oil.”
