I started a 72 hour session on the Small Lake, which I hadn’t fished it in a while. I set-up in a swim called gravelly, an area I have great confidence as I have yet to blank in it. I had feel around with a bare 3oz distance lead on my spod rod to find some suitable spots. After a few chucks I managed to find a spot I had caught off in the past, dead in line with a V in the trees at 50 yards range. As I was setting up my first rod it slipped off my bivvy and the hook went into my finger! Fortunately my mate just managed to pull it out, so I could actually fish the night and not wait in the hospital for hours.

As I was setting up my first rod it slipped off my bivvy and the hook went into my finger!

After the drama, I clipped up my three rods and got them out for the night ahead. I had two rods on my usual spot and the other was chucked about in holes in the weed with a solid bag. I started my spodding before it got dark and was interrupted by a screaming take. I pulled into it, but it managed to weed me straight away. I soon got it moving and my mate came over with the net. I had a big clump of weed on the line and I was starting to worry as I hadn’t felt any movement for a while. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw a carps head in amongst the big ball of weed. Due to the amount of weed on it we couldn’t get it in the net. It powered off down the margin, the weed eventually came off and we managed to slip the net underneath it. On the mat and recognised it as a fish known as the bream, which I was very pleased about as it’s only been on the bank four times in the past four years. We weighed it as 25lb 6oz, a good way to start the session.

On the mat we recognised it as a fish known as the bream, which I was very pleased about as it’s only been on the bank four times in the past four years.

I got the rods back out for the night and continued spodding. The night passed quietly, but I heard a few lumps jumping out and there was a warm wind blowing into the bay I was fishing. The conditions couldn’t have been better. I didn’t receive any further action during the day, however my mate next door had a nice lump so I was still hopeful. I spoded out some more bait, about 5kg of particle and about 3kg of Mainline Cell and Hybrid boilies. I recast my rods back to the spot and got ready for the night.

Kai's blow back rig essentials.

I awoke the following morning and I was surprised by the lack of action. I walked down to see if my mate had had anything but they hadn’t ether. At around 11am I had another take, which weeded me up soon after. After steady pressure I managed to get it all moving again and I was unsure whether I was still attached to the fish. As it neared the edge I could see a big ball of weed and somewhere in the middle I could just make out the head of a carp. It was slowly coming towards the net but as soon as the weed uncovered its head it shot down in the margins. After steadily leasding it back my mate quickly slipped the net under it. We instantly recognised it as Pablo and it weighed in at 31lb 6oz!

I caught the two fish using a blow back rig made from a long piece of Gardner Plummet Leadcore, a size 8 Covert Kwik Lok Swivel, Covert Lead Clip and Tail Rubber, 25lb Brown Sly Skin, a size 6 Covert Incizor and a 3oz Gardner Distance Lead brown. My hookbait was an 18mm Hybrid boilie tipped off with a 12mm Clockwork Orange pop-up.
We instantly recognised it as Pablo and it weighed 31lb 6oz!