Two Oxlease forties from Linear Fisheries

Maggots and Oxlease Lake are becoming an inseparable partnership – as Adrian Greaves’ incredible brace of 40s demonstrates.

The 27-year-old Birmingham angler fed eight gallons of wrigglers at the Linear Fisheries venue and banked 20 fish in just 24 hours – including the water’s first-ever 40lb mirror and a 46lb 10oz common.

The industrial cleaner fished close to the 26-acre lake’s only island and baited a gravel patch heavily from the off.

He told Angling Times: “It was a swim I’ve fished before, but it was also one of the only ones left on the lake as it was pretty busy.

“I Spombed out about three gallons of maggots to begin with. I was fishing with a mate and he had four fish before I’d had any, so I wasn’t sure whether to put more in or hold back, but I decided to hold back and once I started getting bites I kept topping up the area.”

The big common, which is the biggest at the Oxfordshire complex, arrived at 3pm on the first day, followed by the big mirror just an hour before the pair were due to pack up.

Adrian returned to the venue last week for a 48-hour session and managed another seven fish to 31lb on similar tactics.

Reflecting on the brace of forties, he said: “I was ecstatic, to be honest. I don’t think I’m ever going to have a better session in the UK.”

Adrian’s rigs incorporated two pop-up fake maggots and about 20 real ones on a Korda Maggot Klip tied to Korda’s N-Trap Soft hooklink material.