A boilie-only approach fools a pair of thirties

Ed Betteridge has reaped the rewards of a boilie only approach taking a brace of 30lb-plus from the ultra-tough Burghfield Lake in Berkshire.

The Derbyshire-based Greys media manager had been pre-baiting a long range spot on the daunting 96-acre venue since September with just Mainline Baits Hybrid boilies to reduce the number of nuisance fish picking up his baits.

This certainly did the trick and his first bite produced a 32lb 12oz linear. “The fish was completely hollowed out as if it had recently spawned, which is crazy for the time of year,” Ed told Angling Times.

His second take almost 24 hours later, resulting in a chunky 37lb mirror. “I was really pleased to bank this fish because it meant I had caught a full house of thirties in every pound increment from 30lb to 39lb this season! This was especially pleasing because the two waters that I have done it on are both very low-stocked where a few fish a year is classed as an achievement.”

Both fish were taken on Ed’s favoured hinged-stiff rig presentation with pop-up hookbaits.

“Previously I had been baiting up with a mixture of boilies and pellets but the smaller nuisance species were beginning to become a bit of a problem. Thankfully, ditching the pellets and only using boilies seems to have solved it,” he added.