Angler Name: Jordan Bayles

Hometown: Hull

Fish Weight: 14lb

Bait: CCW Acid Pear

Venue: Westlands Angling

Rig: German Rig

Tactics: Fishing under a low branch on the far margin

Additional Info: Due to some work commitments, I knew this year would likely all be short day sessions with the odd overnighter, after choosing a venue close to my home that I knew very little about, I went ahead and arrived on my first day knowing it held carp, but I had no idea of the size or numbers present. I started fishing the back end of October 2021. Upon arrival on my first session, just as the light broke through, I saw sitting just inches from the bank a black and white koi… I knew I had to have it as I had never fished any venue that held such a stunner like this before.. it really appealed to me as a capture. Many sessions passed throughout the year and I had landed a lot of fish including a good handful of 20+ fish from this fairly intimate venue. I actually did way better then I thought I would. Fast forward and the month is now September 2022 and I had pretty much nailed down a couple of pegs on the lake throughout the year, doing a couple of fish a session from spots I had been baiting week in week out, I had even started banking a few recaptures already, but still the koi was evading me. I saw it at least once a month cruising in peg 2, sitting under an over hanging tree. No matter what I did I couldn’t get it to bite. Floating bread, short zigs, light baiting, heavy baiting…. I tried it all. It just wasn’t interested. After speaking to a few lads who fish the venue regularly, they informed me that the koi very rarely gets caught and is wanted by many anglers who visit. This didn’t fill me with much confidence and I knew my year of fishing this venue was coming to an end, as I had intended to stop fishing it in October, marking a full year since starting. I have a winter venue in mind that I will be approaching come October. The last session on Westlands was a hectic start, I arrived at the venue at 6am… and it was rammed. I had the option of two pegs.. peg 2 and peg 8. I decided peg 2 would be the better option as it commanded less/shallower water and the weather was pretty warm and sunny. I got set up and as always in this peg my left hand rod was cast to an over hanging tree and a small offering of halves and whole MCS boilies where catapulted over the top…. The same spot I always see the koi. A friend of mine who would usually be with me payed a visit for a quick brew. He wasn’t fishing but came to keep me company for an hour or so. We where actually talking about moving on from this lake in a month and onto the winter venue. I mentioned I may still pay a visit here in the coming future as I was still convinced I could get this koi that had been ignoring all my traps the last 11 months. As I added the hot water to the cups, my left rod swung round and let out a single bleep. Diving on the rod I played it though a snaggy tree line and the end of a reed bed before my friend managed to get the net under it… We both looked down… I had done it, the fish that I had seen swimming in and out of my spot on peg 2 all year had finally slipped up and it was in my net. Although smaller then I thought at just 14lb, I had never been happier to bank a fish before. I went on to catch 9 fish this session upto 23lb but I would have more then happy to just bank the the koi and go home.