Yateley Brace- Ryan Maxwell-Carless

I arrived at the lake around 6pm after work to find the lake fairly busy, as always! To my surprise, I settled in a swim I had done well in the past.  I quickly flicked 2 rigs to my known spot and baited lightly with Pacific Tuna in 10s, 15s and 18s. My rigs were both short, semi-stiff coated braid concoctions with size 4 Muggas, small pieces of shrink tubing and 2 hook beads holding a small ring swivel in place just on the bend of the hook. On the hair, I opted for a CC Moore Pink Dairy Supreme pop-up and a White Tuna on the other. Both were balanced by drilling out the bottom and plugging with putty.

The night was quiet, but as first light came, so did the fish and the fizzing was virtually non stop until around 11am. They must of cleaned the swim completely when my right hand rod burst into life. A spirited battle, snagging me in the weed and temporarily wiping out my other rod, I managed to put the net under my 6th fish of the season on my 6th night, a clean 24lb mirror.

I put the fish in the retainer and flicked one rod back onto the spot not wanting to make too much disturbance after the capture. I must have dosed off because an hour past and my rod burst into life again. The fish kited hard to the right taking me behind several weed beds. I kept steady pressure on and blinded with weed the fish came in nice and easy only really snagging me in the one weed bed. As it rolled over the net cord I could tell it was a lump! I ran next door and at the time I didn’t know Dave, but he kindly wound in his rods to come an assist me with weighing and pictures. A brace shot completed the morning as I packed up slowly with a grin on my face. In the hope of returning soon for more chunks.