Change of venue pays off for Kev Hewitt

THE continued winter conditions haven’t been enough to stop Kev Hewitt from catching, and on his first ever session on Sandhurst Lake he took an incredible hit of 14 fish – the highlight being this stunning 35lb 12oz mirror.

His trip actually started on Richworth Linear’s St Johns Lake but with heavy snow falling and cat ice forming in the margins he felt his chances of putting a fish on the bank were slim and decided to pack up and make the one hour drive to Hampshire’s Yateley complex.

He said: “I had always wanted to fish Sandhurst but had never got round to it and this seemed the perfect opportunity to get down there and get a feel for the place if nothing else.”

After a quick walk round the 12-acre venue he settled on a far bank swim away from the angling
pressure and wasted no time casting out two zig rigs and a third rod with a Chod presentation to an open water spot at 70yds range.

“That evening I landed a 23lb 12oz common and then lost one after darkness. The rest of the night was quiet but I was woken by a one toner the next morning. I picked up the rod and then 15 seconds later my middle rod burst into life as well! Taking it in turns to wind in each rod I eventually had fish of 23lb and 28lb 12oz in the net.

“All hell then broke loose and in a mad two hour spell I landed six carp all over the 20lb barrier and lost three. It then went quiet until late afternoon when I had another mad hour landing two double and three twenties.”

Once again the night passed without event but the following morning he received another double take which produced the biggest fish of the 48 hour session and a mid-twenty. “Once I got the mirror on the mat I realised what a special fish it as – the flanks were pristine, scale-perfect and chestnut in colour. I have been fortunate enough to have caught some stunning carp in my time but this had to be up there with the best of them.”