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.
