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  • Cut Tail Common for billy at a new top weight of 72lb 4oz!!!!..........
  • Furious Common tipping the scales to 57lb 12oz.........
  • What an original, "Soft Focus" 47lb 12oz..........
  • "Two Time" at a new top weight of 71lb 4oz!! Well done Steve........
  • One of the biggest stocky Commons in the lake "La Boheme" at 48lb 8oz.......
  • 49lb 8oz of "Broadys Mirror" Steve had a very special week in Treeline.........
  • The main man DF, had to wait until the final morning to get into a chunk, "Classico" at 58lb.......
  • A quality common for Will Ward, "The Chinese" at 34lb 12oz......
  • Baitworks man Mark Bryant smashed up Alamo this week, "Baby Cluster" came for a cuddle at 64lb 12oz.....
  • New record stocky common, "Robs Rig" is now a whopping 48lb 14oz.......
  • Literaly what a "Peach" now a weight of 48lb 4oz.......session of a lifetime!!!......
  • Russell Kent joined the party with "Mr President" at 34lb.......
  • Beast of a fish, Andy Reynolds with "Snags Linear" tipping the scales to 55lb 15oz.........
  • Andy Gibbons with "Cameron" at 39lb........uncaught stocky, WOW........
  • Here he is the human carp himself, Simon Scott with "Spotted Leather at 62lb 8oz!!!! UNIT.......
  • An uncaught stocky now named "Hump Back" I wonder why haha......

Cut Tail Common for billy at a new top weight of 72lb 4oz!!!!..........

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Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 02/10/2021

Star studded week saw some rare lumps grace the bank!!.......

 

This week we saw the return of “The Gaffer” along with some big names in the fishing industry, with the previous week landing some impressive captures I guess you could say the pressure was on to see if they could winkle out some of those prized jewels that frequent the blue waters here at Gigantica!!... The weather previously had been starting to plummet in the evenings so was this to have a knock-on effect to the week? Would the giants be awake and hungry? Well, read on as the week unfolds there may just be a few twists to the “Cut Tail” (see what I did there)………….

 

Well I suppose there’s no better place to start than in “Co’s Point” that glorious open swim that commands the middle body of the lake. Not only is it such a popular swim but you get to see the entire lake from your bed chair and see the patterns where the fish begin their routines. Billy Hodkin decided to grace Co’s with his presence for the week and decided on fishing “the tits” out at 28 wraps. Billy decided to make a mix of 70% Mainline Fishmeal Boilie, 30% pellet to start with and slowly but surely by the end of the week the mix was mainly boilie. Deploying around 4 to 5 kilos a day on the spot using a running lead system with 7 inch loops and booms and a size 4 klor hook was the plan of action……..so……how did that plan out!! Not what he had planned was the first capture…..when in the early evening of the first night one of the new 2021 stockies slipped into the net but personally I take that as a positive. First night initial baiting up and action BOOM id take that and so did Billy as he re baited and got them back on the spot! The next evening the plan was well in force when in the early hours something rather larger took a fancy to his white squid wafter. How about “Soft Focus” at 47lb 12oz!!!!! what a fish, we all love those scaly ones but what happened next was just ridiculous. Another take another original and what lay in the folds was mind blowing!!! Now this fish until recently had been missing since 2019 and came out at a new top weight of 69lb 12oz, but!!!......she looked bigger and bigger she was! A NEW 70LBERbigger, “Cut Tail Common” had decided she wanted a bit of Billy and went to a massive weight of 72lb 4oz!! Congratulations mate what a capture what a fish and your smile in the photos is priceless. The next few days were a little quiet and I think even Billy thought his chances had been and gone but not to be deterred he stuck to it and kept the bait going in and yep…..he was rewarded. A lovely 27lb 8oz stocky and then a brute of a common!! “The Furious Common” at 57lb 12oz was his reward to end a week of some stunning captures. Billy you’re a legend and we shall see you again soon…….

 

Regular to the bank here at Gigantica is a man that goes by the name of Steve French, with plenty of big fish to his name including THE big fish that swims in the depths Steve isn’t scared of approaching things a little different. Coming out last in the draw it was a perfect opportunity to put a certain approach into action in “The Treeline”.  Plan number 1, don’t fish to far out…Plan 2, give them boilie and lots of it…Plan 3 fish like you’re not there with slack slack slack lines. Distance wise Steve decided to put out 2 marker floats at 15 wraps and walk round and catapult a tennis court size area all at the back of the floats, 10 kilo in total of Sticky Manilla and Mainline Link. With a solid bag only approach with white milky malt barrels as hook baits they were deployed at the front of the big area of boilie. All the fluorocarbon line was so slack it hung from the rod tip with the bobbins on the floor. So, did it work? Was it a risk too far?.......Its Steve French!!! Of course, it worked and with 3 fish on the very first night including “Pebbles” at 32lb 4oz which is a stunning fully scaled beauty he was on a mission. Another 10k of mixed boilie out for the following day and resting the swim to let them keep troughing and getting confident the routine carried on throughout the week. On Monday evening a special capture of “La Boheme” saw one of the biggest common stockies grace his net at 48lb 8oz (a new top weight) and to top the night off a LUMP came to the party!!! “Two Time” at a massive 71lb 4oz!!! who says solid bags are a small fish tactic!!?? What a creature and the photos are just stunning! Congrats pal…. A tactic change moving slightly further out into the bait on the final evening saw even more fish line up for photos including “Baby Pawprint” at 37lb 4oz, a 14 fish haul is unheard off in Treeline, but Steve made it look easy!! What a session it was, top angling, well thought about and executed pal…………..

 

I wonder if this next gentleman is a name you might know. Simon Scott! yes, the human fish himself took up residence in “Oblivion” I have to say Simon is just as eccentric in the flesh as he comes across on the media but its infectious, a laugh a minute. Simon was to fish out at 28 wraps towards the big tree left of Beach and I think its ok to say it took a few days to get used to fishing and spombing at such a distance. There was definitely activity in the area and a steady patient approach was need before the rods ripped into life. Boilie wise Simon was deploying around 5 kilo of Baitworks Royal Marine 18 whole chopped and crumbed onto the spot daily slightly increasing when the action increased. They made him wait until Monday though before he went on a mission catching some of the stockies that took a fancy to his hook baits. Using Combi Rigs incorporating 35lb Boom and 30lb Armor kord with size 4 kamakura wide gapes was the chosen weapons to trip them up with Royal Marine wafters. I have to say It was quite a special moment as Simon was the one who introduced the egg loaded weed back in 2013 that started the whole stocking process, so him to be catching the 5th generation of these fish it was awesome. After a couple of 20lbers a bigger one took bait and Simon was able to name this 29lb 12oz 2019 stocky. So now “The Hump Back” has had a cuddle with the man fish himself. Another few smaller fish and Simon thought he was destined not to land one of those legendary Gigantica monsters. UNTIL….. on Friday it happened!! A slow steady take and a heavy old ploddy fight and then the scream across the lake it was quite clear he had done it. The patience and steady baiting came true as it does on so many occasions here a lump lay there in the net folds. The name? “Spotted Leather”, the weight? “62lb 8oz”, Simons smile? MASSIVE!!!!!! He had done it and I’m not sure I’ve seen a happier angler with a fish, after close examination of the fish Simon was overwhelmed and it was a very well deserved capture. Congratulations mate I shall remember the moment for a long while!!!!............

 

“Stink”, Another swim that can have lulls in action but at the same time produce some serious fish!!! Andy Gibbons made this swim his home well……that was when he arrived after running the London marathon on the Sunday. Andy fished out at 28 wraps towards Beach and also a rod at 16 towards the poplar trees in Treeline, a fish on the first night saw the spot do the business from the off. An uncaught 2017 stocky was Andys rewards for the first evening at 39lb named “Cameron” I know id certainly take that as a start. Andy did manage to add another couple of fish to the week with an upper 20 and a few uncaught stockies. 

 

The Gaffer” yes he was back for his final trip of the year. Chosen swim for the week was Alcatraz. Dan is no stranger to the swim but still had the marker float out to check the spot before sending out the rods. Just left of the wonkey tree was decided to fish out at 28 ½ wraps. As in previous trips the baiting approach was the same to start with plenty of pellet and Mainline Link in 15mm pimped up with liquids and around 5 to 7 kilos a day. DF is a lover of the combi rig so three of these deployed with match the hatch wafters and also his preferred of late white Link wafter soaked in white squid goo. DF was consistent most evenings picking up a fish from the spot, but it didn’t really kick off in true DF style. Noticing fish were showing allot closer in he explored around the swim for something closer in and the fish typically started showing back out on the spot. Knowing that it would eventually happen it finally did after moving the rods back out, with 6 fish under his belt he went and landed a  33lb 12oz mirror named “Waynes World” it wasn’t until the final evening that it all came to fruition. A typical steady take and the hard graft of a week paid off in the shape of a stunning original common named “Classico” check out the colours of this beauty WOW……Well done Dan a well fished week and you deserved that ending, a lesson to all to stick to it until the final moment, it can happen at any time !!!!...............

 

Over in Big Southerly it was a slow old week for Neil Lunn he decided with the big winds coming in not to fish out to the 25 ½ spot to Alcatraz but to fish it shorter at 23 wraps. Choosing a running lead clip arrangement with blowback rigs with combi style booms and Cream Amino Wafters was the attack. Bait Asylum cream amino boilie mixed with pellet was deployed on average 5 kilo per day! It all started well enough as on the first evening a stocky came to play with Neil and the following evening followed suit with a 26lb common taking a fancy to the hook baits. After that all went quiet, whether the fish just drifted off or decided to stop feeding we will never know but it was a quiet Big Southerly for the rest of the week. The company and atmosphere however was on full form and let’s face it catching fish is only a part of why we come fishing. Neil it was a pleasure and we shall see you soon pal………

 

Now the next events I found quite strange as when Andy Reynolds who decided to go big fish hunting in “Bobs Beach” decided to fish short the same as Steve in Treeline I thought they have had a conversation previous but it turned out they both had the very same idea on their approach. Top angling and top thinkers these guys are!!! 15 wraps was Andys chosen distance. Typical one trick pony Andy style is corked out Sticky Krill Active 20mm bottom baits on D-Rigs and Krill Active over the top. Catapult distance made it easier for the baiting up and made it easier to put that 5 to 7 kilo a day out. A 27lb mirror named “Apostrophe” was first to succumb to the tactic on the very first night so it was a case of repeat repeat repeat. An original came to the party after a lull night in the form of “Elephant Tube” of 33lb, it was Wednesday when Beach finally turned out a lump. “Snags Linear” was Andys reward and she looked awesome, make sure you look at the photos of this girl at 55lb 15oz she just didn’t quite do 56lb. Only one more stocky came out after that but all in all to catch one of those original big beauties is always the mission so I guess……mission completed mate ………See you soon mate keep smiling :D……….

 

A hop skip and a jump to Andys right and you land in “Baxters” and who do we have the pleasure of this week, none other than Russell Kent. Rus had a bit of a quiet one this week in Baxters and this swim can be a bit moody, sometimes it kicks right off then you could do the exact same the week after and it fishes completely different. Rus was deploying a good 5 to 6 kilo a day out at 25 wraps to the orange beacon using combi rigs on a heli setup arrangement. Baitworks Cre-Amino boilie whole, chopped and crushed with chilli hemp and maize with Cre-Amino oil was the loose feed for the week with scent from hell popups over the top or Cre-Amino bottom baits. It wasn’t until Tuesday till he received the first landed fish although he had lost a couple ealier in the week. A small stocky was the rewards for the efforts so far and it even took a midnight boat trip to get that landed as it had kited him into a weed bed, teamwork was at its best as between us we made sure this fish was landed! The only other landed one was a lovely 34lb mirror named “Mr President”. Sometimes the carp gods punish us for being naughty so you must have been a very naughty boy in your youth as it wasn’t down to your angling mate you fished like a demon. Till next time and with a score to settle see you soon…….

 

For someone with a little longer hair I have to say I always get nervous when “The Black Moth Barber” is around haha but I needed had worried he loves the flowing locks!! “Pole Position” is where Mr Will Ward set up the bivvy for the week. Typical fashion for Pole Position is 28 wraps to either “Stink” or the “W”, will chose the “W” and deployed around 7 kilos a day of Mainline Link in 15mm and plenty of maize and pellet. Spinners with a size 4 curve shank where the weapons of choice with Link wafters or SSM as hook baits. Pole can do plenty of bites and has such a form for throwing up a big one randomly so how did Will get on? Well the bites were coming but saw a few lost fish early in the week. A tweak on the lead arrangement side saw the fish start to hit the back of the net in the form of 29lb Common and then a beautiful uncaught 2019 stocky graced his presence at 37lb 8oz which Will named “DC10”. The action was steady catching most days including a warrior of an original “Bite Mark” at 33lb 8oz which definitely has some stories to tell and a lovely common named “The Chinese” at 34lb 12oz. The SSM was the one that saw most bites on the spot and it was quite strange how will didn’t have even more fish. There was a good reason one night involving a fish kiting over his rods but we wont go into that tale eh Will hahhaa. A pleasure as always pal, can’t wait for your return…..

 

There’s a reason I leave this man till the last as he may not have caught the biggest fish of the week but what a solid weeks angling and so so consistant. Baitworks man himself Mark Bryant enjoyed a week in a little swim you may have heard of “The Alamo”. The prep work started weeks before the trip in regards to his hook baits, soaking Atlantic heat and Royal Marine wafters in matching booster liquids plus C-stim and Crustacean liquids to maximise their pulling power. Marks rig of choice I have to say was genius. He calls it his mechano rig, to me it was like a slip D Stiff Hinge Rig makeup. The aggressiveness was phenomenal comprised of 35lb boom section, 7 inches and then 25lb stiff mouthtrap doubled up slip D section with a size 4 wide gape hook. Mark really went through the pain barrier spombing out at 28 wraps fishing quite a wide spread with the rods and baiting with 8 to 11kilos a day of Royal marine and Atlantic Heat boilie with pellet and a handful of maize to add a fleck of colour. Now that’s the approach, rigs, bait and amounts all sorted lets start the fish tally!!!!! The first night saw 3 stockies come for a look with the biggest being “Bilbo Baggins” at 33lb then it was just bait after every fish and top up the swim. The bites were mainly through the night so having enough out in the day to try and hold them was key to Marks success even if it did nearly break his back spombing into high levels of wind straight into his face. A 31lber for the second night “AJ’s” then another 2 fish hit on the 3rd, and what a 2 fish hit. We had already seen one of the big stocky commons come out and Mark only went and had the other one!! BUT BIGGER!! “Robs Rig” span the scales to an impressive 48lb 14oz which is a new stocky common record!! Congratulations mate she looked stunning, oh and another tiddler by the name of “Makers Mark” (ironic) at 47lb 12oz, a stunning mirror. It was the Wednesday of all Wednesdays for Mark when the rod ripped into life and 100% straight away new something better was attached !!!! Well…..just a little better, how about a 64lb 2oz original called “Baby Cluster” at a new top weight!!!!!!! You can see on Marks face just how delighted he was, he was so excited that he got his lucky cardigan soaked for the photos hahaha. She is a fish of a lifetine so congratulations mate. Yet another mirror of 40lb 3oz in the form of “Slaphead” came to join all the fun and quite a few more!! All in all a week of 13 fish, a week of amazing angling, and a week of earning yourself a bad back!! Well done mate don’t leave it too long before you grace our banks again !!!!........

 

Well there we have it, swims that don’t produce all the time doing the business. Some swims that usually produce fished moody but the one thing that is constant is the atmosphere here at the place that dreams come true. It was an amazing week with amazing anglers, there were loads of laughs, some amazing fish caught and we do it all over again next week!!!!!.

 

Till next time guys n gals, tight lines, be lucky and bag a chunk.

Phil