UNLUCKY FOR SOME – BUT NOT FOR ME!

Big-carp season is really living up to its billing now, with a number of large fish reported to us over the past few days.

Despite being in ill health, Ashley Lorraine received some good fortune on a day he might least have expected it – Friday the 13th! Just as Ash was coming towards the end of a 48-hour session, he was called into action by one of the lake’s most-coveted residents, Starburst, for the second time this year, and for the time on Secret 7.

This time the fish weighed in at 41lb 4oz and was looking as magnificent as ever!

Ash said: “I really wasn’t feeling up to going fishing, as my dialysis hadn’t been going well, but my mate Paul asked if I was up for going for a 48-hour session and because the weather was bang on and my wife said I should, stating it’s better to feel rough by the lake than sat indoors, I decided to get the rods out – and I was glad I listened.

“The lake was really busy, so I didn’t have much choice of swims and ended up tucked away at the top end, yet I still managed an 18lb linear from that swim. However, we managed to move down the Mill end on to fish after that, and at 7 o’clock on the final morning of my session, which just so happened to be Friday the 13th, my 18mm Secret 7 Corker was picked up and an epic battle ensued, before Stardust succumbed to my net once again. Starburst must really love the S7!

“Both fish were caught really close in on small, clear, flat spots I had found. I had no bait prepared, so I baited with just a tiny scoop of leftover SLK chops.”