SCOTT PHILLIPS ENJOYED AN INCREDIBLE SESSION ON LINCH HILL’S STONEACRES, CATCHING A NUMBER OF FISH AND BROKE HIS PB IN THE PROCESS.
SCOTT PHILLIPS ENJOYED AN INCREDIBLE SESSION ON LINCH HILL’S STONEACRES, CATCHING A NUMBER OF FISH AND BROKE HIS PB IN THE PROCESS.
Ever since I began fishing on Christchurch, I always wanted to fish Stoneacres. The vast expanse of water looked so inviting! Thankfully I secured a ticket after a few years waiting, but I never really got to grips with the place for my first two seasons. In truth I never gave it my all, and so as autumn came around, I decided enough was enough.
Autumn is my favourite time of year, with the colour change of the trees, cooler water temperatures and longer, drawn out nights. It seems so far away from the hot, sticky days of summer and it is a joy to be out. Not only that, the fish are in their prime, looking plumb and ready for their winter hibernation as it seems to be on Stoneacres.
Ever since I began fishing on Christchurch, I always wanted to fish Stoneacres. The vast expanse of water looked so inviting! Thankfully I secured a ticket after a few years waiting, but I never really got to grips with the place for my first two seasons. In truth I never gave it my all, and so as autumn came around, I decided enough was enough.
Autumn is my favourite time of year, with the colour change of the trees, cooler water temperatures and longer, drawn out nights. It seems so far away from the hot, sticky days of summer and it is a joy to be out. Not only that, the fish are in their prime, looking plumb and ready for their winter hibernation as it seems to be on Stoneacres.
I had a week booked in October, a prime time of year for most lakes. With the van loaded, I set off down to Oxford, full of excitement and anticipation. A friend told me that there was an area of the lake where the fish were spending a lot of their time. One swim in particular seemed to be where they really favoured and, in all honesty, I hoped that luck would be on my side and the fish would be there and I’d have a chance of fishing it.
Upon my arrival, the lad fishing the swim had caught one during the night and was off that day. It was a no brainer, I had to get in the swim and make use of whatever it was that they were doing out there.
The fish were clearly using an area out at range. The spot itself was slightly deeper than the surrounding area, where the silt had been dug down to the gravel. Whatever it was that was down there, these fish wanted it desperately. It seemed to be a natural feeding area and with the help of anglers’ bait, everything that the carp wanted was there, on a dinner table.
I had a week booked in October, a prime time of year for most lakes. With the van loaded, I set off down to Oxford, full of excitement and anticipation. A friend told me that there was an area of the lake where the fish were spending a lot of their time. One swim in particular seemed to be where they really favoured and, in all honesty, I hoped that luck would be on my side and the fish would be there and I’d have a chance of fishing it.
Upon my arrival, the lad fishing the swim had caught one during the night and was off that day. It was a no brainer, I had to get in the swim and make use of whatever it was that they were doing out there.
The fish were clearly using an area out at range. The spot itself was slightly deeper than the surrounding area, where the silt had been dug down to the gravel. Whatever it was that was down there, these fish wanted it desperately. It seemed to be a natural feeding area and with the help of anglers’ bait, everything that the carp wanted was there, on a dinner table.
IT SEEMED TO BE A NATURAL FEEDING AREA AND WITH THE HELP OF ANGLERS’ BAIT, EVERYTHING THAT THE CARP WANTED WAS THERE, ON A DINNER TABLE.
SCOTT'S SIMPLE MIX
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
TOP TIP
I went in with a 10kg mix of hemp, chopped tigers, a few whole Manilla boilies and a good helping of chopped too. I nipped out in the boat, dropped my balanced wafter rigs and proceeded to deliver a feast over the area. The beauty of having the boat and the water being so clear, I could check the following day to see how much or little the fish had eaten. I went into the night, full of anticipation. The swim had produced a number of fish in the weeks leading up to the session, as well as a few of the bigger ones too. However, there were still quite a few due out, including the lake’s biggest fish.
I went in with a 10kg mix of hemp, chopped tigers, a few whole Manilla boilies and a good helping of chopped too. I nipped out in the boat, dropped my balanced wafter rigs and proceeded to deliver a feast over the area. The beauty of having the boat and the water being so clear, I could check the following day to see how much or little the fish had eaten. I went into the night, full of anticipation. The swim had produced a number of fish in the weeks leading up to the session, as well as a few of the bigger ones too. However, there were still quite a few due out, including the lake’s biggest fish.
In the early hours, one of the rods pulled up tight and the clutch slowly began to tick. It felt like dawn was near as I was stood out in the water, playing what felt like a slow-moving weed bed. It didn’t really do a great deal, so I gradually pumped the fish back through the weed beds. As it got closer, it gave the odd head shake and short powerful runs. It neared the net and in one motion I got it all in one go. I flicked the torch on and saw a good fish, full of scales! It was one known as Baby Bungles, one of the gems over 37lb at Linch Hill.
I couldn’t have wished for a better start to what was going to be a week stint in the swim. I went out to the spot that afternoon, armed with another bucket of bait, in case the fish had ransacked the spot. As I drifted over, it was quite clear that they had, with the odd broken piece of tiger left out there. I didn’t want to hesitate, I had a plan and wanted to stick to it. I put another 12kg of mix over the area, hopeful that they would be back for another feast.
In the early hours, one of the rods pulled up tight and the clutch slowly began to tick. It felt like dawn was near as I was stood out in the water, playing what felt like a slow-moving weed bed. It didn’t really do a great deal, so I gradually pumped the fish back through the weed beds. As it got closer, it gave the odd head shake and short powerful runs. It neared the net and in one motion I got it all in one go. I flicked the torch on and saw a good fish, full of scales! It was one known as Baby Bungles, one of the gems over 37lb at Linch Hill.
I couldn’t have wished for a better start to what was going to be a week stint in the swim. I went out to the spot that afternoon, armed with another bucket of bait, in case the fish had ransacked the spot. As I drifted over, it was quite clear that they had, with the odd broken piece of tiger left out there. I didn’t want to hesitate, I had a plan and wanted to stick to it. I put another 12kg of mix over the area, hopeful that they would be back for another feast.
Like clockwork, just before dawn the same rod was away, again resulting in a pretty subdued fight. I slid the net under a really long mirror, clearly one of the bigger ones. As I peered in, I recognised it as a fish called Dropscale, a really rare one for the lake. The lads came around an hour or so later to give me a hand and we weighed her in at over 41lb. I was buzzing to have caught two incredible carp in as many nights, from a lake that had been kind to me on so few occasions, it was such a rush of adrenaline.
I followed the same procedure as the days previous; I introduced another bucket of bait over the spot and carefully placed both wafter rigs either side of it. The spot was cleaner, and I knew the fish were fixated on that area.
Like clockwork, just before dawn the same rod was away, again resulting in a pretty subdued fight. I slid the net under a really long mirror, clearly one of the bigger ones. As I peered in, I recognised it as a fish called Dropscale, a really rare one for the lake. The lads came around an hour or so later to give me a hand and we weighed her in at over 41lb. I was buzzing to have caught two incredible carp in as many nights, from a lake that had been kind to me on so few occasions, it was such a rush of adrenaline.
I followed the same procedure as the days previous; I introduced another bucket of bait over the spot and carefully placed both wafter rigs either side of it. The spot was cleaner, and I knew the fish were fixated on that area.
I WOKE EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO A BITE, THIS TIME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPOT. THIS FIGHT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT, AND I HAD TO TAKE TO THE BOAT TO GIVE MYSELF ANY CHANCE OF LANDING IT.
I woke early the following morning to a bite, this time on the other side of the spot. This fight was totally different, and I had to take to the boat to give myself any chance of landing it. After taking 30 yards off me on the initial run, everything ground to a halt as it found a weedbed. I got above the fish, applied pressure and it began to move. The line burnt off the spool as the fish towed me across the pond. I caught a couple of glimpses of the fish as the mist rolled across the lake on a very eerie dawn. When I finally got the chance to put the net under it, thankfully it went in first time, which is never easy when you are in a boat. I dropped the rod, looked up and thanked everyone I could for my fortunes. I peered into the net and could see it was a good fish, but I wasn’t totally sure on the identity of it at that point. I got back to the bank and rang my mate who was fishing in the swim next-door. We waited for the light to get better before we did anything and it was her, Kev’s linear, the biggest fish on the Linch Hill complex. A few lads came around as they do to give me a hand and wow, what a moment. She went 48lb 14oz, a truly huge beast of a carp and a memory I will cherish forever.
I kept the bait going in, nipping to the shop to boost supplies and the bites just kept on coming. I have never used so much bait in my life, I used over 80kg throughout the trip. In the last four nights, I managed to catch a further five-fish, which included mirrors of 33lb 7oz, 32lb 8oz and 33lb 12oz. I also had two commons of 30lb 10oz and 32lb 9oz. It was an incredible return for the effort I had put in over the three seasons.
I kept the bait going in, nipping to the shop to boost supplies and the bites just kept on coming. I have never used so much bait in my life, I used over 80kg throughout the trip. In the last four nights, I managed to catch a further five-fish, which included mirrors of 33lb 7oz, 32lb 8oz and 33lb 12oz. I also had two commons of 30lb 10oz and 32lb 9oz. It was an incredible return for the effort I had put in over the three seasons.
