360-mile round trip pays dividends for Korda rod.
Ed Betteridge has been putting his distance casting technique to good effect, banking four carp over 30lb in the space of 36 hours. 

Ed explained: “I have been targeting a large, low-stock pit near the south coast since the ticket started in mid March. The fishing conditions have been poor in the preceding weeks but I still made the 360-mile round trip from my home in Derbyshire each week to try and tempt a bite, and also gain knowledge of the lake. I knew this knowledge would stand me in good stead once the weather turned for the better. I was sure the fish had been sitting out in the centre of the 55-acre lake and, although there had been the odd bite on single hook baits, I knew a lightly baited area would produce more action. So, I baited a spot I had found at over 150 yards with the help of a Greys Distance Spod Rod and hoped the effort of long-distance casting and spodding would pay off.

"The first night of the session I received a bite in the early hours of the morning, which turned out to be one of my target fish known as the Camel, and weighed in at 38lb. I introduced a bit more bait for the following night and banked two double-figure bream just into dark. I repositioned the rods followed by a bit more bait and I fully expected a night of bream action, so I was pleasantly surprised to get two carp takes in short success again in the early hours, followed by another carp just after dawn. 

"All the fish banked were over 30lb and I was over the moon to have caught fish of 32lb, 36lb, 38lb and 39lb 14oz! The hard work and effort of getting to know the water was worth it to finally catch a few of the lake’s jewels, and I was really pleased with the result because it is the first time that I have banked four thirties in a session.

"I know that I was lucky to drop onto the fish because the lake was very busy as usual with 20 to 25 anglers on each night on the Monday and Tuesday and, to the best of my knowledge, no one else caught. I have recently changed bait sponsors and I couldn’t be happier with the two sessions I have had since joining Mainline Baits. I had eight fish in a hectic four hours at Brasnose One while on a tutorial, and then the four thirties on the syndicate lake has really boosted my confidence in the bait. The successful rig was the low hinged rig that I have been using for a good few years now.”