A Dozen Scattered 30's
By Barry Salambasis
Since I started using the Scattered Baits Garlic and Black Pepper Range, I have had my best run of big fish. The bait has accounted for 19 fish in my last 21 nights on the Essex Manor, with 12 of these 30+. The first 30 to fall on the bait was a fish called 'Clover', a fish usually around the 36 mark but i had it at a weight of 31 06.
I arrived at the lake at the lake and the fish were rolling in a swim called the steps, however i had an inkling that the fish would move left into the garden swim. Anyway, an hour or so of getting the baits out, the right hand rod fished to an area i had seen someone else catch from (cheers that man!) was away and Clover was on the end.
My next session was 3 days, which, for me, is a luxury i rarely get nowadays, as i am a father to a young baby, as well as being in full time employment, wife, football etc, you know the score, real life! Anyway, a young lad was in the Number 1 swim, the most popular swim on the lake and until that time a swim i had yet to spend a night in. He had just put the biggest fish in the lake back, the northern linear, at a spawned out 41 odd. He was leaving that morning, so i secured the swim.
It was then another angler said something a bit odd in my eyes. He said he would not jump in immediately after someone had caught one. As this was the manor, a mega busy syndicate water, i thought sod that i am getting in there! I was glad i did, as 8 takes later over the next two nights, i had a 6 fish catch including a hat-trick of 30's, biggest 'Baby Northern' at 3408, 'Pearl linear' at 3206 and 'The Birthday fish' at 3008. It was exciting fishing, dropping the rig off the rod end in shallow water, where fish were moving periodically in and out of the area. It was one of those sessions when it's not if you catch but how many!
My confidence in the bait was sky high and continued to stay that way as fish kept on coming, when i had the chance to get out! One trip that springs to mind that season was when i was fishing a swim called Mums.
Nowadays, i love my lie ins when fishing and am definitely not one for being up at the crack of dawn scanning the lake, those days are long gone! However, that particular morning, i had a liner from a pike in the margins (they often give you a screamer, which you either strike into nothing or get bitten off, great!) Luckily, i wasn't bitten off and after checking the line was ok, i noticed a good fish roll. I plonked a bait on it, and 20 mins later 'The anchor' was staring back at me in the net, 3802 the weight. If that pike had not given me a liner, i would have still been asleep and would have blanked for that 2 night trip. Might start setting the alarm for first light....
The last fish to come to my rods that season, was a gorgeous 3008 common, a rare visitor to the bank, compared to some of the other more famous manor residents.
For this season, i would still be using the Garlic and Black Pepper but i planned to fish the Manor in a different way. I only planned to fish when i could get on the fish, so having a realistic chance of catching. Angling, rather than camping. It worked a treat and on my first session back i had a 4 fish catch, including a hat-trick of 30's in a mad 4hr period, 3704, 33 and 3006. My last fish from there was a long 3212, a fish that has been 40 in the past but it had a good spawn out.
Due to the popularity and the low water levels i have been elsewhere and will go back in the Autumn for another go. Best of luck for the season!
Cheers & Tight Lines
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