Simon Wright - A Trip to Etang Rendezvous
That first step onto a new lake is always one to savour, with the alarm clock set 30 mins before light every day for the week we had ahead, I wanted to see if I could quickly work out what the carp were up to. Pitched at one end of the lake, as that’s where I’d spotted most of the fish when we arrived, I found some spots and it wasn’t until around midday the following day that I received my first take in the shape of a 25lbs common.
My eyes had been glued to the lake that morning and by the second morning it was apparent that the fish were using the far margin to move from one end of the lake to other, simply following the sun as it rose and warmed up the opposite bank.
Being on the end of their route meant I was only picking up bite’s late morning to mid-afternoon & I knew I needed to position myself better to intercept them as they passed through, so after a mid 20 mirror that morning I went for a wander. I managed to spook several fish from under the bushes on the opposite bank tight to the margin, which quickly confirmed the pattern I’d been seeing. I rapidly upped sticks and moved round to the opposite bank that was being heated by the sun each day. The swims on this side were rarely fished as the bank was narrow and you had to be ultra stealthy. Setting up a few swims down I was hoping I could pick up an early morning bite and then follow the fish down the lake and ambush them again in the afternoon sun where they were heading, then again later in the evening as they made their way back up the lake.
The plan worked to great affect and the next morning I had a 48.8 common languishing in the folds of my net, this was quickly followed by a 43 common, both caught under the marginal overhanging bushes to the left and right of the swim. I then followed the fish down into the bay where the sun was at it’s warmest in the afternoon and between two us, we were able to land a further six fish up to 46lbs.
The theme continued through the week apart from a day where a heavy storm that descended upon us, but getting everything spot on and ensuring we were in the right place just as the fish moved down, I was able to keep the bites coming.
It wasn’t until the last morning at 5am following a bright full moon, that I saw the right-hand rod that had been precisely dropped under one of the bushes starting to sing. Thankfully for me it made its break out into open water instead of trying to snag me down the margin. A long spirited fight ensued that led me left to right in front of the swim before finally breaching the water for a large gulp of air where she was carefully slid into my net….result.
I took a huge deep breath and upon peering into the net I could see she was very shapely, however the daylight was still trying to break through, so I secured her for 30 mins whilst I tried to compose myself and get everything ready for some pics.
I called my two mates who were down the other end of the lake, I’d tried to weigh her myself, but she’d bottomed out my 60lbs Ruben’s, so we needed the 120’s to get an accurate reading. They reeled in quickly and hot footed it round with the scales and we popped her up on the weigh pod.
We watched the needle spin round and hold at an awesome 73lbs 12oz. Dazed, confused I shook my head and couldn’t believed what had just happened. She looked huge in the cradle, so we set about getting some water shots and video footage before she was returned safely home.
All the fish were caught using a mix of Sea Monsta & Pro Marine Boilies, Sea Monsta Amino and Sea Monsta Liquid Extract, Maize, Pellet and Himalayan rock salt. Critically Balanced Double Cornz & Pink Sea Monsta Fluoro critical hookbaits, fished on a Slip D Rig.
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