Spencer Wright left it late on a recent over nighter, a blank looked very much on the cards until it all kicked off just before pack up time…
‘I didn’t get to the lake until late in the evening after a last minute work disaster cropped up making me stay there against my own will. It had been quiet with two anglers on and just one small fish to show for it, the previous day.
I quickly shipped the rods up and got them on their respective spots, making sure the close one was moved along the bank on a single bankstick to achieve a better line lay as I had a bar, directly in front of me.
Fish were quite active in the night, but with no takes forthcoming I was keeping my fingers crossed that I could nick one out before my 8am curfew.
Half an hour before reeling in, I noticed a fish show, close in on some reeds and then pummel the bottom, obviously taking advantage of the natural larder it was swimming in. I toyed with moving a rod, but had bubbling over all three so left them as they were with the intention of investigating the new spot that I had seen.
Five minutes later, my margin rod bleeped twice and by the time I’d reached it, I noticed the rod nod, so quickly tightened into it, where-upon the fish charged off into open water, in an attempt to reach its freedom.
After 15 minutes of steady pressure, the fish, which I thought was small, suddenly grew in stature and I was a little shocked when an upper 30 mirror lay beaten, in the folds of the net, just in the nick of time before I had to pack up for home.
On the scales, the mirror went 38-1 and glistened in the early morning sun. It fell to my standard devastating Reverse combi Anchor set up of a size 6 connected to a short length of 20lb ESP Stiff Rig Bristlement / 15lb brown Camo Sink Link tied to a Double Ring swivel, fished drop-off Style on a 3oz lead and a short length of 45lb ESP Leadcore with tungsten putty pieces pinched on up the line.
The snowman hookbait consisted of a Red Northern Special / Custom Pacific Tuna bottom bait, over heat-treated whole and chopped CC Moore pacific Tuna freebies’.