Jack Robertshaw, 16, recently went on a 24 hour session with his dad, Dirk, to Lychgate Fishery in Stoke Golding, Leicestershire. Arriving
at 4:00pm on 6th June, he fished on the specimen lake hoping to better his personal
best of 17lb 8oz. It was the first time he had fished this venue
Jack fished with two rods, one on a method feeder, and one on the safety clip
lead system. The method feeder rod involved the use of our BlackMagik groundbait around the feeder, with 8mm Halibut pellets for
hookbait. The other rod involved a safety clip lead system with a 2oz lead and
a self-tied rig that had a piece of Peperami for hookbait and a PVA bag of
mixed pellet with a small amount of Black Magik groundbait.
The clip rod was fished
at long range into a quiet bay that the wind was blowing into, but didn't stay
out there for long as after a few line bites, the alarm sounded and Jack
was hooking into his first of the session. The fish was a fully plated mirror carp
that weighed 13lb 4oz.
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| 13lb 4oz mirror carp caught over Black magik Groundbait |
Both rods were then recast, ready for the night
ahead. At 4:00am, with
just enough light in the sky to see the far bank, Jack decided to drag himself
out the bivy and into the pouring rain to recast the rods. He then sat next to
his rods, under his brolly until 5:10am when the alarm sounded again on the rod
fished at long range with a PVA bag. Oddly, the fish came in the first 30ft
like a big Bream, there was plenty of weight, but no real fight, but as the
fish came closer to the bank, it woke up, making several arm aching runs that
ripped line from the reel.
At this point his dad, Dirk, was on hand
with the net, but the fight was far from over, it took another 10 minutes
before the fish surfaced for the first time, this is when the pair knew there
was something serious at the other end, it was clear from the creamy golden
glow that this wasn't one of the resident sturgeon, but in fact a Mirror Carp
It continued to stay low,
but after surfacing for a second time the fish started to lose control, then
as the rain and wind stopped it seemed like nature held its breath as the huge
fish finally crossed the cord of the landing net. The fight was over but there
was no time for a break, as the fish was carried to the unhooking mat, the
barbless hook had already fallen out, the scales were zeroed, the fish was in
the sling and when hoisted up, they read... 34lb 5oz.
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| 34lb 5oz Mirror caught over Black Magik Groundbait |
Not only had Jack nearly
doubled his previous personal best, but it also set a new lake record. So after
a couple of snaps, Jack returned his stunning capture, and celebrated with a
nice bankside fry up for breakfast.
At 7:00am, the method feeder rod screamed off, and Jack
hooked into his third of the session, after making a quick dash for the far
margin trees, the fish fought hard under the rod tip for around 5 minutes,
until it surfaced, and found the back of the landing net. It was a 13lb 2oz
Mirror Carp, courtesy of the Blacksilver Baits groundbait, Black Magik.
Only one
more thing could have made the day better, and at 7:30am, it happened. Dirks
rod that was cast into open water with a large piece of luncheon meat, slowly
started to take line off of the bait runner, this was an odd bite, so after
taking more line, Dirk struck into a very powerful fish. It didn't stop
fighting from the moment it was hooked, but frustratingly remained glued to the
lake bed.
Neither of the pair wanted to say it, but they both had suspicions
that it may be one of the few Sturgeon that inhabit this water. After a lengthy
fight, they still had no idea, the fish was tiring under the rod tip, but
refused to come up, then after a couple more runs, the fish broke the surface
of the water, Jack put the net under the fish, and they both woke up the neighboring
anglers on the lake with the cry, "it's a Sturgeon!" The fish then went
through the same process as the rest, unhooked, in the sling, on the scales,
with the weight of... 30lb 2oz.
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| 30lb2oz Sturgeon |
Incredible, on their first visit to a lake they
knew nothing about, the father and son team managed to catch two 30lb fish. After
a few pictures, the sturgeon was then returned to the lake. The two anglers
then spent rest of the day reminising about two personal bests, about two
stunning fish, about a 24 hour session of a life time
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