Two fifties and host of forties in a crazy two-day mild spell at the Avenue

Mild temperatures and energising winds whipped the fish into a frenzy at the Avenue, as two fifties and a host of forties fell in a couple of days.
The Shropshire venue, which is part of Rob Hales’ portfolio of carp waters, sprang to life as mirrors of 53lb 7oz, 50lb 6oz and 49lb 14oz hit the bank.
“It’s been unreal, almost better than it’s been all summer,” said Rob.
Biggest of the bunch, Black Scar, fell to John Lee, while Trakker’s Jon Jones caught the 50lb 6oz mirror known as Sweet Cheeks and Andrew Evans snared Captain Scarlett at 49lb 14oz.
“We’ve now got seven fish that have weighed over 48lb, but haven’t yet made 50lb. There are already four fifties in there – two mirrors and two commons – and 30 different recorded forties,” said Rob.
John Lee, from Lancashire, used a Mainline Cell wafter on a Korda IQ D-rig and fed 50 matching boilies and 1kg of particles over the spot.
Jon Jones said: “I broke my pb down there in December with a 48lb 6oz fish, and now I’ve had my first UK fifty at 50lb 6oz – it’s not been a bad winter!
“I arrived in the morning and all the usual areas were taken, but I happened to see a couple of fish show in an area where nobody was fishing and I slung a single hookbait to the spot. Within a couple of hours, it was away.”
Jon presented a Mainline Pineapple wafter on a nylon D-rig and lead clip arrangement.
Venue regular Luke Edwards also got in on the act with fish of 22lb 2oz, 32lb, 37lb and a 42lb 2oz mirror known as Richie. “All the bites came in the dark and coincided with very mild conditions,” the Wolverhampton angler told Angling Times.
Luke used Mainline Cell and Hybrid boilies on simple blowback rigs made with 20lb Fox Illusion and size 6 Kuro hooks.