Continuing on from my last piece, the conditions started to get more and more favourable for the Manor and I decided that now I could start to increase the amount of bait that I was applying to the North West bay that had been so good to me through the colder months.


One particular area that I had plumbed and plumbed to ‘fine tune’ the spot would start to receive 2k of Richworth’s NV, mixed with 4/8mm Multi-Stim Pellets that have an excellent breakdown time while still maintaining the same attractors that are in the bolies. Size wise it was 10/14millers every 3 days. This spot was a ledge that started at 3ft and dropped to 7ft, at the end of this nice fine pea-shingle was located with the lead and every time I cast to that spot the tip would absolutely crack down, just the way I like it.

To me there’s nothing better when you work out your fishing and get areas going, applying bait little and often. Doing the ground work and checking these areas is sometimes almost as satisfying as actually catching the fish. For two weeks I kept the bait going in before or after work with no one clocking me, being stealth in your baiting and presence is equally as important as being stealthy when you’re actually fishing, it all adds up.

Every time I applied the bait I had a little lead about and was able to gage how the fish were reacting and the area just got bigger and bigger. What started off as a spot the size of a bait bucket lid had now become the size of a Hutchy 2 man dome..massive!!

This area was now prime so I just had to try and time my short sessions to co-inside with the weather man, I was given a very reliable weather site from Mr. Lane when he was on Monks, check out XC Weather.com, very good for short and long range forecasts.

Back to the fishing and as predicted a nice new south Westerly was blowing into the bay, bang on for my area so hastily I made plans to get down there, I had just received my new rods that Century have custom built for me and couldn’t wait to put them through their paces, they are the new C2’s. I have the 3.25’s and they are honestly the best rods I have ever used, they just seem to react to the situation that they find themselves in and the playing action (which is very important to me) is all about the feeling, you can really lean into fish if need be but at the same time playing them on light hook lengths with just the tip is a joy. Really responsive and thanks again James…

The wind was pushing nicely into the bay and as I stood and watched fish were occasionally head and shouldering in the area so I started off with the Tutti’s as singles on little ½” chods. Within 30 minutes the left hand rod tore off and I was into the my first fish, this being a pristine common just shy of the 19lb mark, with the fish in the retainer the remaining rod tip bent round and slowly the clutch started clicking, this was a much better fish for the water and before long an upper 20 mirror lay in the folds of the net.

Self takes out of the way with both fish, I pinged the rods back out on their spots. When I get an area going like this one I sometimes fish all the rods very close together, this is to maximise the take rate. It’s not un-common to get two or three takes at once fishing this way and this enables me to concentrate my baiting often actually grouping fish up. I started to spread the NV into this area as it was obvious that there were a lot of fish present and they were loving the bait, I ended up having 10 takes from the bay landing 9 which I was more than happy with. I’ve attached photo’s of some of the pretty one’s…

Until next time,  Happy Hunting.