Daren ‘Tinpot’ Norman used some quick thinking to save the day and help catch one of Roach Pit’s most prized residents. Well done Tinpot!
The grin says it all!
‘It seems like my luck is definitely in on the last day of the month at the moment. On the last day of March I caught a lovely 44lb 2oz mirror from a big kent pit , the photos of which are being held back for an exclusive in ACF magazine.
Then yesterday , on the last day of April , I landed one of Roach pits A team. I got down for a two night trip and did my first 24 hours in a swim where the bulk of the fish had been seen for the previous few days but after a quiet night I fancied a change so packed up to push the barrow around to a corner opposite me where I’d seen a couple of fish show.
On the way I had a look in another corner and spotted three fish, one of them looking big so I put a rod together and swung a single white krill pop up onto a little gravel spot only 12 feet from the bank. Over the next two hours more and more fish joined the original trio until there were fifteen fish in the corner and I was getting a bit excited.
Everything came good and I watched the original three hovver over the spot then all of a sudden I could see the big one shaking it’s head with my white pop up in its lips before it shot off on a powerful 50 yard run!
Disaster struck and my reel totally seized up so I had to ring George Benos, and get him to ring Hobbo who was the closest person to give me a hand. Hobbo sprinted down the bank in his chestys and I got him to hold the rod and spool whilst I took that reel off , took another reel off another rod, put that one on the rod with the fish on, spool on and we were back in buisness ! After another 5 minutes it was all over and I let out a huge sigh of relief, as she rolled in the net.
I was proper chuffed to see it was Orange Scale, one I dearly wanted and at 40lb 8oz I was grinning from ear to ear!’
Tackle included E-S-P Syncro Loaded 15lb mainline, Anchor tubing and the business end was a hinged stiff rig incorporating a size 5 Stiff Rigger and Soft Ghost boom.