During the festive period I visited a local club water called Lakeside for a forty eight hour session. The first day and night passed quietly without even a line bite! I thought this was strange as the venue is pretty prolific and I expected to catch a few. During the second night I had a 14lb 8oz common at 10pm, the bite was a flyer and the fish put up a good scrap in the moonlight. I was more than happy with the result!

Just after midnight my left hand rod roared off and I shot out of bed and pulled into the fish. It stripped loads of line off my reel as it kited half way down the lake. When I finally got it in the net after a forty minute battle, I saw it was the biggest fish in the lake called ‘Seven Scales’.

On the scales the fish went 39lb 6oz and I was buzzing as I held the fish aloft for the cameras. I couldn’t believe it my new pb was an English thirty, what a way to end the year!

After slipping it back I got my rod back out and had another little common of 13lbs. My end tackle consisted of three feet of Gardner Tackle Heavy Plummet leadcore, a Covert Lead Clip, five inches of Gardner 15lb Subterfuge Super Soft and a size 8 Covert Mugga hook.