02 | Boat Club Lin | Franky Tricarico
After finishing work early one day, I arranged to meet Spencer over at The Aqua Shack at around 4:30 pm that afternoon to collect some freshly rolled bait.
Whilst Spencer finished off down at the rolling house, this left me a few hours to kill. Knowing there was a real gem floating around in a low stock pit not too far from his, I decided to take a stroll around with the potential of popping back if I’d found them.
After a couple of laps around the lake, I managed to find the fish tucked up in a weedy bay. I spent the next few hours observing their patrol route as they travelled along the snaggy tree line. They’d swim along the tall Canadian weed stems that were growing on top of a small bar, before making their way back round and into the cover of the snag again.
Time flew by and it was time to meet Spence for some bait. With it being warm already I got the usual order of the deadly hot shrimp, along with a few pots of hook baits. This time opting to take a pot of the washed-out orange Aqua A Corkballs, feeling they’d be a good shout for a spring bite. After a brew and a good chat about my findings over the local pit, it was time to return. Spencer wished me luck and saw me on my way.
I arrived back at the lake in good time and found the fish exactly where they were when I’d left. I’d already made a conscious decision given the time I had to get the rods out quietly and then bait on exit if I’d had no joy. After a quick lead of a couple of spots, I was happy with what I’d found. Three hinges were deployed, one in the cove on the snaggy tree line where I’d watched them earlier in the day, the other two put out in open water off the back of the weedy bar. The night was quiet in terms of bites, but the fish were still clearly present. With work calling and an early pack up on the cards, I stuck to my guns. I baited on exit with 5kg of hot shrimp 18mm boilie, knowing full well the carp wouldn’t resist it!! With the view of returning a few days later once I’d finished up with the job I had booked in.
The moon was in full swing for my return and conditions were completely different with low pressure and a massive downpour due in the night and forecast to continue into the following morning. I watched for a while before I spotted the first carp which wasn’t far from the cove in the snags I’d baited before leaving a few days prior. Before getting the rods out one showed in the cove, assuring me they’d had a look in. I took my time setting up the rods making sure everything was perfect, again three hinges were deployed. This time I had a bit more time on my hands and with confidence levels high, I was sure something was going to happen over the coming hours.
The night passed fairly quiet and the weather was brutal, but I was still mega confident that something was going to happen. It wasn’t long into the morning when the middle rod in the open water off the back of the bar let rip, a slow plodding battle perused but the closer it got the harder it pulled back. Slowly rising in the clear water, shone a sight revealing what I really wanted to see, a big golden glow and a row of apple sliced scales flanked the surface before surging back down again, it was almost beaten. After one last run up and down the margin the fish surfaced again, this time I managed to scoop it up in the net, I already knew what it was…. What a buzz!
Spencer came down to do the honours with some lovely shots of the old linear. It was great to share the moment with Spence and we chatted away about the history of this fish, emphasising what a truly memorable capture it was.
