Father and son net string of personal-bests at Orchid Lakes

A father-and-son duo shared a ‘magical’ string of personal bests on their first visit to Orchid Lake.

Graham and Joel Parsons banked eight fish between them, including four thirties and four twenties from the Alamo swim at the Oxfordshire venue.

Graham, whose previous best was 30lb 6oz, snared mirrors of 30lb 10oz and 35lb 2oz, alongside a 32lb common. His son Joel managed a 32lb 4oz mirror to beat his own personal best, and also netted three other twenties and a mid-double.

“It was a brilliant session – magical,” said 58-year-old Graham. “We’re from north Devon and we’ve been up to Linear before, but Joel wanted somewhere with a good head of thirties so went to Orchid.

“We got the markers out and found a bar at about 50 yards. I put three rods on it and my son put two there, with one a bit further out.”

The pair, who fished for five nights and had fish at all times of the day, baited with a mixture of Mainline New Grange and Cornwall Bait Special Occasion boilies, along with sweetcorn and maggots.

“Every cast I put on PVA bag of tuna flakes, pellets and sweetcorn, all dipped in hemp oil,” said Graham, who fished blowback rigs featuring Korda N-Trap Soft.