We arrived early and had a good look around as always, the Junction 12 carp aren’t always that active in terms of shows so it wasn’t surprising not to see too much. After a few hours and a couple of laps we saw a few shows and with bite times being during the day headed around to quickly get some singles in position. After an hour or two and no more shows I had itchy feet so left Nick with his two rods on the deck and headed off for a walk. Arriving at the car park end the easterly had kicked in properly now and within minutes I’d seen two, twenty minutes later I’d seen half a dozen so ran back to grab Nick. On arrival he got rigged up with some yellow Signature Squid Pop-Ups and waited until another before getting the first one out. 

The cast was perfect, literally in the rings and unbelievably, within 45 seconds and before the rod was even on the floor the line whipped up tight and the first one was on! After the usual fraught, epic battle from the hard fighting J12 carp it went in the net. That one was a lovely 31 pounder, only Nick’s third ever 30 and he was understandably buzzing! Within two hours he had had two more, a mega deep, plump Italian looker of 33.14 and another beautiful clean 30.14. 

Understandably blown away we worked through some more tuition bits, rig tweaks, spot finding that evening and tactics and got the rods settled for the night. 

Having got proper spots sorted now the rods went out for the night with Signature Squids Wafters onto clean, firm silty gullies between the fresh beds of Canadian that were pushing through and followed by 60-100 ‘heat treated’ 12 and 16mm Krill Freezer boilies, laced with GLM, sea salt and Betaine after each bite. By 8am, unbelievably, Nick had added another three lovely thirty pounders to his tally, a brace of 31’s and another at 31.04 – I laughingly suggested we’d fixed his scales to a predetermined 31 pound!!! 

It had already been a mega trip with six thirty pounders on the bounce for Nick, and then a lovely plump 34 for me to get in on the action as well, having chucked them out away from the activity so as not to disturb or impact on Nick’s angling – the tuition trips obviously always being about maximising the client’s result, my fishing being a token gesture! 

The day unfolded with another three for Nick, a 29, another particularly beautiful 34.12 which was just a few ounces short of his PB, and then a 38.02 to break it that night. That one was on old friend for me and it was the kinky backed fella I’d caught whilst filming for Sticky last year at 34lb, four pound up on last year. I moved up the other end late that evening and nabbed myself three more, a beautiful leathery 34 and a gorgeous dark 33.14, and a mad upper twenty with big fins, one pec and two tone to boot – he had it all going on! Nick nabbed one more at the death too, another lovely 30,04 to take his tally to ten, nine of which were thirty pounders. 

With my three 30’s that took our total to 12 30’s, and two twenties in the 48hours. 

Undoubtedly a session of a lifetime for Nick, and the big smiles say it all. Lovely big mirrors in the spring sunshine!!!

More info about Gaz’s tuitions can be found at www.garethfarehamangling.co.uk