Fishing - Anglers Net - UK Angling Website, Magazine and Forum: Last Cast Success For Jim! Last Cast Success For Jim! ================================================================================ Elton Murphy on 23 April, 2009 07:01:00 I bet we all do it - when it's time to pack up, we urge that last cast to produce a fish. I know I do. In fact, I'll pack away everything I can and delay reeling in for as long as possible. It rarely results in a fish, but us anglers live in hope! Imagine, then, your last cast on your last trip on a water that you've fished and loved for years. Now imagine catching your PB common on that cast! That's exactly what happened to Jim Kelly, as you'll see from his report below. Nice one, Jim! Tight lines, Elton Murphy, Editor Catch Details Species & Weight: 36lb 1oz common carp Other fish caught: None Venue: The Mangrove Date of capture: April 2009 Tackle Details Rod (make, length, TC): Century armalite SP, 12ft, 2.75 TC Reel (make, model): Diawa Emblem Line (make, B.S.): Shimano catana 12lb Hook (make, size): Kamasan B745 size 6 Hooklink (make, B.S., length): Mantis 12 inches Lead (make, size): No idea, 3oz Rig Details: Bottom bait, running rig, anti-ejection ring free sliding on the shank of the hook. Bait Details Bait Firm: Quest Quest shelf life boilies Flavour: Rahja Spice Angling Situation Baiting Situation (eg no. of freebies):All 4 rods cast to a single marker float 50yards straight out. Approximately 2lb each of hemp and pigeon mix plus 120 baits Quest Rahja Spice boilies baited close to marker float, all four rods fished in the baited area. Length of Session: 4 nights Range: 50yds Feature (if any): Slightly harder silt Other relevant information: I have been a member of the Mangrove for the last 8 seasons, this season I decided to drop out as I needed to fish other waters. If I am a member of the Mangrove I just wouldn’t go anywhere else. I was down for my very last 4 nighter on this wonderful water. I changed swim 3 times during the 4 nights following the wind (it would have been 4 times, but the wind was just too rough one of the days to move as everything has to be moved by boat). I started in the stream mouth, but blanked. Moved to lightning tree for two nights, but had not had any action. For the last night I decided to move back into stream mouth for four reasons: a) For nostalgia, I caught my first Mangrove carp from this swim. b) I caught a 30lb common from it a couple of weeks before. c) I had baited it up the first night I fished and thought fish may have moved onto the bait. d) The wind was hacking into it. Well, there was no action during the night and the Mangrove does not fish in the daytime except in the winter, so come 8:30 am I started to pack up. At 8:40 I had a couple of beeps on my right hand rod and I was into a fish. I knew straight away that it was a good fish by the way it was fighting. After visiting a couple of beds of rushes I managed to slip the net under a good common. My last ever fish on the Mangrove and it was a common of 36lb 1oz a PB common for me. What a way to finish, a half hour later I would have been packed up. Thank you Mangrove, Quest bait and all the carp gods.