As appeared on Carp.net 14 June 2001

Hello List ,I'd just like to relate my last night's /this mornings session.

I was having tea (supper) watching the weather forecast ,moaning about the hot weather they are promising us ,when the guy doing the weather said we may get the odd thundershower to clear the humidity. I looked at the wife and she made that face (the one where she is telepathic) and said "if you are going be careful"

Well the car was packed in double quick time and 5-30 I'm on the road heading for the St Lawrence. On arrival I headed straight for "my" bay and was pleased to see the breeze was blowing straight in so it would be in my face. Getting the gear set up and baits out is a practised thing so within minutes I have baits in the water and I'm sorting out the tea-making gear.

Just as the kettle is whistling two local lads real Canadian Carpers stop for a chat. They are trying to decide where to fish so I suggested they join me . Whilst they are trying to make their minds up I get a run and after an extremely long fight a lot of which was in the margin a large fish broke surface and was duly netted. It was an obvious thirty the only question was by how much. A weight of 34lb was recorded and we now had three anglers fishing the bay.

The evening flew pass as it was nice to have company for a while. Through the evening I had a 26lb and an eight pounder and the lads had four twenties and a thirty two. The lads left at 9-30 and at 9-40 the wind dropped and the mosquitos were the worst I have ever experienced .I had to sit there with a towel wrapped round my face with only my eyes showing and gloves on ,absolutely horrific ,I think they were holding their AGM in my swim. During this time I walked around to stop them bugging me so badly and the fireflies put on an impressive display and the loons were calling across the water .I saw the raccoons and a vixen with a cub. Only the mosquitos were spoiling a beautiful night. I laid down on the bank completely covered and tried to ignore the droning of the bugs.

When I awoke the moon was up but the stars had been obscured in places and there was a breeze on my face. Oh the relief of the breeze keeping down the worst of the bugs. The water felt suddenly fishy again ,not like before when even the fish had stopped jumping.

At 4-10 am I had a quick liner which had me sitting by my rod shinning a torch on the tip at 4-15 it did it again ,just a quick bleep at a short zip on the baitrunner. Just as I relaxed and wrote it off again it absolutely blasted away just screaming. I hit the run and the rod just flattened and tore line off the clutch ,as it started to slow you could feel the fish sweep its tail again and go again. My mainline is 24lb spiderline braid and I have 150 yds attached to backing I could see while slowing the spool as best I could with my fingers to increase drag that I was nearly down to the backing .

Then far off in the mouth of the bay it hit surface KERSPLOOSH ,even at that range I heard the sound very clearly and it was loud. The fight from then was dour, the fish hugging deep and me gaining line with the pump and wind. Every now and then it would take ten yards back but barring a disaster there should be no problem. Netting a fish in the dark is always difficult but as we were now past 4-30 it was getting light quickly and I could make out the shape to make it easier.

I shone the torch into the net and thought that is a really nice thirty plus then tried to just swing the net up and out . I couldn't lift it without getting right overtop and I knew this was a new PB it was just so heavy. When I saw the width across its back I knew it was forty plus and my hands were shaking as I tried to get it ready for weighing . I weighed it first on my forty pound avons and they just bottomed out,so I went to the 112 lb Salters. After zeroing the scales with sling on ,I got the fish in the sling and it weighed FORTY FOUR pounds and 2oz ,so I rounded it down to 44lb and just whooped with delight like a madman.

I was so happy next to my marriage and the birth of our children this moment was for me right up there ,absolute magic. I sacked the fish for better light for the pictures and put the kettle on to make a tea. I rang the wife to tell her and bless her even though I woke her up she was so pleased for me .

I pulled a cigar from my tackle box that I had bought at the start of my St Lawrence season for just such an occasion and savoured the moment and the dawning of a new day with the bar raised a little higher. I watched the Orioles in and out of their nesting bush and the Redwing Blackbirds chasing the crows away,it truly was a beautiful day.

At 5-30 I had an eighteen pounder that put up a spirited fight and I enjoyed that fish as well. As I wrote it down in my book I suddenly noticed that I had a straight flush ,a single ,a double ,a twenty a thirty and a forty and it seemed like that was the time to quit. I had caught the smallest and biggest fish I have had from that area and this season and they both made the buzzer make the same noise and my heart pump. Truly a day to remember.

For the interested My rods are 2 3/4 dyneemas hand built from blanks I bought in england over ten years ago. My reels are Shimano baitrunners 6000 GTE's .I use spiderline in 24lb test . I use 3oz inline pears that I make myself and the rig is Thunder and lightening . Hook sizes 2/0. Hookbaits are boilies which I make myself and the rest is Luck.

I'd like to finish by thanking Bigdog for putting up stories and pics so he will have the pics. Gary Shears for putting some of it all back in perspective and showing me the best of the American way without once slagging off the way I do it and treating me like a person and not a brit. Thanks Guys . And finally the list where I can prattle on and share stories and talk and joke with carp anglers who love it like I do.

Cheers

KIM

P.S . I caught my first double when I was a teenager and my first twenty when I was twenty one . I caught my first thirty when I was thirty and have now had my first forty now that I am forty . If I have to wait ten years for a fifty then so be it but its been a blast.