Copy Of 35lb Common Capture

Solar team member Dale Turner’s landed one of his two target fish, a mid 30lb common known as Split Tale, as part of a 4-fish haul from his Essex syndicate water. Using a small piece of black foam presented with a size 8 Solar Wide Gape hook, Dale enjoyed some of the best fishing he’s had for years, as the East Sussex-based angler explains: “I got to the lake at around 5.30pm straight from work at the Solar Tackle factory. I’d fished an overnighter on the water the week previous and lost a good fish at the net, so I knew the area that I wanted to be in. Furthermore I know that this part of the lake is where the fish like to hold up this time of the year. “Once at the lake I could see that there were only two other anglers on, and to my delight the swim I wanted to get in was free. After a quick chat with my mate Andy, who was only there for the day, he told me he had seen a few fish ‘boshing’ in the area I was headed for. By the time I was set up and had all three rods out it was dark and although the day had been warm, now the temperatures had plummeted and it was freezing. The temperature, coupled with the fact I had to be up early to head back to work, meant I soon got my head down. At 4:30am I had a ripping take and slipped a 24lb mirror in to the net just 5 minutes later. It was a fish called The Snake, which I left secured in the net while I went and got my waders on. In the excitement I hadn’t had a chance to pull my waders on when I got the take and had to wade out in to the flooded margins in my socks. “Just as I started to pull the waders on, the middle rod tore off and after a short fight I had a 17lb 8oz mirror in the net as well. No sooner was that fish in the net than my last rod tore off as well… I had 3 fish in one net and all the rods were in a right mess. “After getting all the fish sorted out I sorted the rods out and put them back on the spots. I got back in my bag to try and warm up it was absolutely freezing… I couldn’t feel my hands. About half an hour later the middle rod melted off. I struggled to get my waders on, ran out to the rod and was in to the fish. It was a slow and heavy fight and once I got it under the rod tip I could see in the beam from my head torch that it was a very big common. As soon as I slipped it in to my net I knew that it was a fish called Spit Tail, which hadn’t been out since June last year and is one of the 2 fish that I joined this particular lake to catch. “I left her in the net and called my mate Scott who was on the lake as well. As soon as it got light he come round, we weighed her and shot some photos. She went 35lb 4oz and is my 6th thirty from the venue.”

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