Alex West enjoyed a very succesful trip to Sutton at Hone in Kent recently, bagging three of the lakes jewels, well done Alex!
‘After returning from catching my first Thames 30 on the Sunday morning i quickly got my tackle ready for a 3 day session and headed down to Sutton at hone that afternoon. I arrived on the lake and after a quick walk i found some fish feeding on the edge of one of my favorite areas. The fish were feeding confidently on one of these spots, even in the middle of the day. The weather leading up to the trip had finally changed for the best with rain and lower pressure, freshening things up.
I started trickling in some 20mm and 16mm baits (Manilla and Krill) over the two spots and set about getting my rods ready, I continued a little and often baiting approach with no lines in the water. The feeding continued over the next few hours, mainly over one spot. At around 5.30pm i positioned both rods with minimal disturbance. At 7.15pm i received a confident bite. After playing the fish for 15 minutes she rolled into the net. This fish is known as the Baby Peach and weighed 32lb. This was my second 30lb common from 2 different venues within 18 hours. To say i was feeling confident with the new bait was an understatement.
I didnt receive any more action that evening, although fish were still evident over the spot. I pulled off at 10.30pm due to the days only rule, baiting again just before i left. I set about finding somewhere to park the car and catch a few hours sleep before returing to the lake at 4am the following morning. I arrived at the gate to find 3 other anglers in the carpark. After a quick discussion we it became evident we all wanted to fish different areas and i was able to drop back in to the same swim.
I waited for first light to get the rods back out to ensure i could hit the spots quickly with minimal fuss. The second cast landed perfectly and the traps were set. I soon fell asleep on my bed chair. Within an hour i was woken to a bite on the same rod. After a quick 5 minute battle i slipped the net under a massive common. On inspection i realised i had ‘The Peach’. The biggest fish in the Lake and one of the few ‘A Team’ fish i hadn’t caught. The fish went 41lb. This was now my 3rd common over 30lb in just over 24 hours. I had no more action that evening, fish were still rolling over the spot. After umming and arghing about returning home due to supplies running low i spoke to a friend who convinced me to stay on for one more morning as i was in the Zone.
To cut a long story short i had another bite that morning resulting in another original fish i had previously not caught. ‘The little Beast’ at 29lb. I returned tired yet very happy angler indeed’.