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Hat-trick Of Twenties - Michael Stewart
This weekend saw me and Jeri (my dog!) back on my Cambs water, in the same swim I’d fished in my last session, and the opposite point of the island where I’d had fish from previously.
The rods were soon out on the same three spots as last week. The first and left hand rod was fished around 20 yards out in-between the weed beds, a good ‘donk’ on landing had me satisfied. Rigged up with a hinged stiff link and baited with a 15mm white Crave flavoured corkball, a hundred or so freebies were added over the top.
The second and middle rod was cast towards the point of the island and was rigged up with a short Chod, baited with a 12mm white Crave flavoured corkball fished over 3-or-so kilos of my crumb mix.
The third and final, right hand rod went mid-channel towards the island and landed with another solid ‘donk’, this was fished blow-back style, with a 14mm Crave dumbbell tipped with half a 10mm pink Crave pop-up to critically balance it. Over the top went half a kilo of 10mm and 14mm dumbbells and a few pouches of 10mm Halibut pellets.
With the rods sorted I settled in and got the kettle on.
With most of the takes I’d received previously coming on the second day or evening of a session, I was rather taken by surprise when the island rod pulled up tight around 7pm. The line sliced through the water to the locked up clutch, with the fish finding sanctuary in a nearby weed bed, however with steady, constant pressure I eventually got it moving out into open water. With a fair clump of weed still on the line there I was a little uncertain if the fish was still attached, but after a few moments the weed dropped off and the fish really woke up! After a spirited scrap I eventually guided a lovely looking Linear to my waiting landing net, which on the scales, went bigger than I thought, at 27lb 13oz, not a bad start at all!
Nothing more happened Friday night or Saturday morning so I wound in around midday and went back to the car for some more bait and supplies.
I freshened up the rods and added a bit more bait to each of the spots and by early afternoon the traps were reset. As evening slowly descended I sat watching the water, there was the odd fish rolling, but nothing to write home about, so I decided to get my head down for an early night.
I was awoken by a couple of bleeps on the right hand rod, my first thoughts were that it was just a liner, when all of a sudden the bobbin pulled up tight and the rod tip started to bounce! As I picked up the rod I only felt a little resistance and initially I thought I’d hooked one of the few resident Tench, so I was a little surprised when a Mirror popped its head up in front of me and went straight in the net.
I unhooked it and let it rest in the net, while I got the rod back out and waited for some better light, it was 6am and dawn was just on the horizon. It was a peachy looking Mirror and weighed in at 27lb 10oz, not a bad alarm call at all!
After quick snap for the album I slipped her back and popped the kettle on, 2-3 brews later and after a spot of breakfast I slowly began to pack away.
9.35 and the third fish of the session was hooked, the middle rod pulled up and the line ‘cheese wired’ out to the island, as the fish hit the surface, scrapping away in the upper layers. After another spirited fight I finally landed the hatrick, this time a chunky Common of 25lb 11oz.
Three takes and three twenties, better than a kick in the nuptials, that’s for sure!
