Hat trick of fifties thanks for kingfishers!

Rob Hughes took a lead from the greatest anglers of all and banked three fifties in two days – thanks to the hunting habits of a pair of kingfishers.
The nimble birds kept returning to the same bush at a freezing venue and, with no other signs to go on, Rob cast to the area and immediately started hauling.
In all, the Carp Team England manager caught 13 fish including three fifties to 53lb 12oz, four forties and four thirties during a 48-hour stay at Lake Chanteboeuf near Limoges, in France.
He said: “Over the space of a few hours I watched the birds hunting and noticed that every now and again they would return to the same bush.
“After this had happened a few times I thought that even though they never caught anything they were going there for a reason.
“I moved a rod to the bush and within half an hour I’d nabbed a 36-pounder.
“I got the rod back out around dusk and it rattled off just after dark with a 52lb 2oz fish, then shortly afterwards with another of 53lb 12oz.”
When Rob began his session there was cat ice on the lake after a -5ºC night, but once he found the fish the bites kept coming.
He said: “I thought I was looking down the barrel of a blank but the kingfishers and a helping of watercraft saved the day. It goes to show it’s always worth making the effort and also how much the fish can group up in winter.”
Rob, who said he was “blown away” by the session, continued to catch during his second day.
He said: “The next day it snowed but sadly it didn’t stick. I put two rods close to each other on the spot and the action continued all day.
“I landed another seven fish including three thirties and two forties while nothing showed anywhere else. Darkness didn’t produce a fish but the following morning I capped it with another three – two over 40lb and a third fifty at 50lb 8oz.”
Rob used size 7 Fox SSBP hooks with a long hair and 2oz leads.
He baited with a handful of maize and five boilies for each bite and presented a DNA PB snowman over the top.