Davy Claus relays a tale of when unrelenting persistence and flexibility in his angling paid off.
Rob Beckett – Rob’s Roll Continues
21st June 2018
Read on to find out Rob Beckett’s latest exploits as his roll continues.
Rolling with the buzz of his recent success and the capture of the two stunning Fully Scaled mirrors down on his syndicate water, Rob Beckett turned his attention back to some unfinished business on the mighty Conningbrook. Having spent a huge amount of time and effort last season on the old history water, Rob wanted to get back and use the knowledge gained from last year’s campaign to his advantage.
Pre-baiting a couple of areas during the week when it was quiet, Rob soon clocked the carp using an area of heavy new weed growth. With the bait hopefully encouraging some confident feeding, he dropped back at the start of the following week and had a good look about. Scanning the water at first light a few subtle shows soon had him moving into swim he knew well – incredibly, within minutes of flicking out the first rig to a clear spot at the back of the eel-grass the rig was picked up and he was into a carp. And what a carp it was…Conningbrook’s Pretty Mirror! Much sought after, it really was the best possible welcome back.
Rob fished balanced snowman rigs with the bait mounted on our hook ring swivels for 360 degree rotation.
Brook Brace for Beckett
Ensuring to keep the bait trickling in on the spots around the pit, Rob made an early start and once again found the fish showing at short range behind the long fronds of eel-grass weed on the stadium bank. With rods out on the spots using his trusty balanced snowman rigs it was one of the newer stock fish that was unable to resist the Sticky Krill offerings and a heavily plated mirror was soon in Rob’s net. Shortly after doing the shots and in the aftermath of a good few shows on the area the rod ramped off again resulting in a heavy battle amongst the weedbeds and a powerful old unit of a carp stripping 30-40 metres of line at times in its bid for freedom. Rob soon had her wallowing in the deep margins before the big old mirror know as ‘The Chilham Fish’ rolled into his net! What a morning, a Conningbrook brace, testament to Rob’s faith in his rigs and bait on such a tricky and demanding water.
‘Tom’s Pet’
Observation, consistent baiting and faith in his rigs once again played a major part in the capture of one of the Brook’s oldest residents, the original mirror ‘Tom’s Pet’.
Steeped in Brook history, the old male mirror doesn’t make too many appearances these days and was always known as a tricky adversary. The next bite came on a change of weather, a freshening south westerly wind and the new moon, classic big fish conditions!