I’m very lucky to have a beautiful lake on my way home. This evening I stopped in on my way back from the office for an hour or so of stalking.

I did my usual walk round priming a few spots but couldn’t find the carp in the normal places. There was a cool wind that had pushed the carp into the middle. I didn’t have my alarms with me and nothing to bait up with so I decided to go for the tench. Id found them up the quieter top end fizzing up by the pads. In went a couple of handfuls of Vortex pellet and I went back to my car to get my gear. By the time I got back, the water had turned that lovely chocolaty brown… They were on it!

The rig I kept the same, short braided hook link with a size 6 SSBP, but I dropped the lead down to a 1.5oz. What to put on the hair? A Corn Stack cut down to 2 bits and a Maggot Cluster as the stop. Quick dip in some hemp oil and I lowered it into the jacuzzi.

I didn’t have time to sink the line before the first little tinker was hooked. Id forgotten how hard these red eyes pull! In and out of the pads, under branches and almost around the platform I was sat on. Safely netted, photographed and returned in no time. This cycle when on and on. The same hook, bait and only a scattering of pellet had kept the fish coming for an hour.

Sometimes a change of target does ya good.

Matt.