Nic and Ross had an 'away' day this week, to a new public water an hour or so from King HQ.
After arriving just before first light the pair stood on the dam wall and took in the atmosphere. It didn't take long to hear one give away it's location a few hundred yards up the arm, that was enough for Nic and off he trotted up the bank. Just as he arrived at the spot a second one poked it's head out. There were bream and roach topping everywhere so it was a lively looking area and a good place to start.
Nic went on the right side of the point and Ross on the left with a baited area in the middle for them both to fish to.
A good hundred or so King Squids were sticked out all over the area, and a Squid bottom bait was topped off with half a Crabino pop up on a D on one rod and an Acid Candy topper on the other.
Ross fished free running Chods just off the left of the baited area.
After an hour or two Nics rod in the middle of the baited area pulled up tight and held there. After a powerful battle a solid common went over the chord and was soon hoisted up for her photos.
A few hours passed quietly and they were just thinking of a move when Nic's middle rod, again on the Crabino topped Squid absolutely melted off, and even after picking the rod up it still couldn't be stopped and and took another 40 yards of line. Nic mumbled, "this is either a 20lb cat or a bionic common!"
Eventually Nic got the upper hand and a very long common made its way into the net and onto the mat. He certainly wanted that hookbait with the size 4 Chod hook a good inch or 2 back and smack in the middle of the bottom lip.
As Nic lifted him for the photos it was clearly a few lbs bigger than the first one, and with such huge fins it was obvious where all that power had come from!
After slipping that one back the rods were redone and Ross freshened up his Chods, opting for Crabino Pop Ups on both. Before he even rebaited the second rod, the first one was away with a powerful fish kiting a long, long way right! So much so they managed to pass the rod under all three of Nic's, eventually netting the fish 100 yards down the bank.
A totally different looking fish to Nic's, the mirror was a great result and ensured both anglers went home happy.