BECOMING A KRILL CONVERT
3rd April 2020
Ben Jones takes us back to the very first time he became an avid Krill user, banking several Linch Hill relics in a memorable session over at Christchurch.
Ben Jones was no newcomer to quality baits but once he’d sampled The Krill there was no going back, here’s his confession from when he became a Krill addict back in 2014:
“In the summer of 2014 I paid a few visits to Christchurch on the Linch Hill complex which turned out to be a struggle but that was all going to change in the near future, after an initial conversation with Dan and Jake Wildbore about The Krill that Sticky had just released.
“I must admit, I preferred a nut/milk-based bait, so I just saw The Krill as just another red fishmeal but how wrong was I. A few more trips passed and after a few more looks and smells of The Krill, along with seeing what some of the other boys using it were catching, I decided to order some for the last few trips I had planned.
“Armed with my supply of the new bait, I arrived mid-morning on a Sunday as all the weekend anglers slowly dispersed. After a chat with Jake Wildbore again it was clear the lake had fished hard over the weekend but I opted to jump in the swim he was in called Lifebuoy and my dad who was with me went next-door in the Plate swim.
“After a lead about I found a lovely glassy area in front of a band of weed that ran along the middle of the lake and it was clear the fish were holding up in it, so I fished as tight as I dared.
“With the fish in Christchurch known for been cute, I opted to fish a 12mm Krill Pop-Up, a 12mm Pineapple & N’Butyric Pop-Up balanced with putty plugged in them and a tiger nut on the third rod on the edge of the baited area. Over the area I baited tightly with only ten spods of mix, which consisted of 12mm Krill boilies, chopped 16mm Krill boilies and hemp with a good helping off blitzed up tigers. This was all finished off with Pure Salmon Oil and Pure Hemp Oil.
“In summer 2014 I paid a few visits to Christchurch on the Linch Hill complex which turned out to be a struggle but that was all going to change in the near future."
“At around 4am the next morning I received a one toner on the middle rod on the pineapple hook bait and although my clutches were almost locked up, the fish managed to weed itself and unfortunately after some positive movement the hooklink cut at the net.
“Gutted was an understatement, but I decided not to re-cast the rod as to not disturb the area which, after half an hour or so, was clearly the right decision because we started to notice fizzing all over the spot and it soon become a full on jacuzzi.
“Inevitably it wasn’t long before the remaining rod on the spot was away and after a spirited battle, I netted my first fish of the trip, a stunning 29lb 12oz fully scaled. A typical Christchurch stunner and I was feeling a little bit better about the early morning’s loss.
“Opting again not to disturb the area by re-casting proved correct because within twenty minutes my remaining rod pulled up tight and I was in again. After a battle that could only be won from the boat, there in my net lay a 39lb 12oz Oxfordshire gem. This was what we came to Christchurch for I said to my Dad! Nick, the bailiff, identified the fish as one known as the Long Fish, a real old looking character that had certainly been around a bit.
“After a day of clearing weed and resting the swim the next night went like the previous one with three more Christchurch bangers gracing my net including mirrors of 38lb 10oz and 36lb 12oz, but it wasn’t until my last night that the true highlight would come!
“Going into the last night, I opted to try something different with the rod off the edge of the spot and scattered just a few Krill freebies over the top of it. At around 4am I received a couple of bleeps on that rod followed by the bobbin rapidly pulling up tight. I jumped out of bed and was on it in a flash. Straight away I put the pressure on to coax it away from the thick weed at the back of the spot. Deep, heavy, powerful lunges told me it was one of the better ones and I prayed it did not weed me up.
“I donned the chest waders and made my way out into the shallow margins to be greeted in the moon light by what looked like a large common. With my legs shaking, it went over the drawn cord on the first attempt and I was absolutely buzzing as it looked around the 40lb mark.
“With a few of the lads coming around to see what all the commotion was, we agreed to stick it in the retainer for an hour for better light. It was at that point, as I stood at the back of the swim and looked on my Dad, Martin and Jack all at the waters edge with a cup of tea, anticipating what was in the sling and awaiting to photograph the moment for me! It was one of those moments when you just realise this is what we do it for and why we get such a buzz about it when surrounded by good people.
“As the day broke, we parted the sling and straight away Nick recognised it as the Box Common, on the scales it went 40lb 4oz and after some mega shots from the lads I returned it to its home.
“The action didn’t stop there either with both my remaining rods going not long after at the same time resulting in although not the biggest mirror, but perhaps the best looking one. What a way to finish, with a stunning Oxfordshire half linear.
“After what had been one of my best ever sessions and certainly one of my greatest moments in angling with my old man witnessing me catch a forty pounder how could I not have 100% confidence in my new bait?
“So that was it, I was straight on the phone to Dan ordering more Krill admitting I’d been converted. Fast forward to present day and I have used The Krill for the past six years and it has completely transformed my fishing. Not just the numbers of fish but the size of the fish too.
“It’s an instant bait that just gets better and better through application and it seems to dominate wherever it is used in quantities but never blows, like many baits do. There are many good baits out there and I have used some other good ones but The Krill really is something else, you only have to look at the anglers using it now and look through the catch reports each week and each year, to see it just keeps producing over and over again.
“Here’s to the next season and possibly an even better version in The Krill Active!”
