History repeats itself with winter forty

HISTORY repeated itself for Scott Parkin as he kicked off 2013 in the same way he began 2012.

Thirteen months ago he bagged carp of 43lb and 38lb in a session on a Cambridgeshire stillwater – and he repeated the impressive feat last week, banking another forty and a thirty in a single trip.
Scott said: “Last year I had fish of 43lb, 38lb and 19lb but due to flooding this year the lake has been unfishable up until now.

“Keeping an eye on the weather I knew this weekend was going to be similar to conditions experienced last year so I started baiting a marginal silt gully for the week leading up to it.

“Being winter is was clear that very few people were fishing so baiting up was easy and I put in half a kilo every night that week, ensuring baits were scattered well to get the fish moving.

“I set up just before dark on the Friday and settled down brimming with confidence. At about 9pm I was answering a call of nature and due to having my alarms turned down low the first I knew of the take was when I heard a crack as the bobbin hit the rod.

“After a superb scrap I saw shoulders you could fit a saddle on come up from the murky flood-tainted water and roll into the net.

“I knew straight away it was one of the big ones but not which one. For a moment I thought I had a direct repeat capture from last year but it was one of the others in the shape of Moonscale at 42lb 8oz, a fish I had caught 18 months ago at some 6lb lighter. To say I was over the moon is an understatement.”

Scott’s session was rounded off with the capture of a 31lb 3oz mirror the following morning.