After a busy week, Saturday finally came, and with it came my chance to escape out onto the banks and ponder the passage of time. I’d been content with day sessions for the past few weeks, but the urge to get out and spend a night by the water was almost overpowering. However, this in turn generated a bit of a dilemma; I knew all the public waters would be stowed out with anglers in pursuit of trout for the table, yet I had already bid my beautiful Bleu friend goodbye.

The answer, the only answer, was to fish a night on Rouge - the big fish water of the complex. I hadn’t fished this lake in a long time, in fact I feel I have become so much more aware of my angling in the 18 or so months since my last session that is was almost as if approaching a new water. Albeit one where I knew a little bit about where to find the fish…

I stepped up my tackle to cope with the monsters I knew lurked beneath the still, brown water of Rouge; pairing for the first time my new Emcast plus 5000s with my faithful ESP Tracer rods. This was my first departure from the world of baitrunners, and thankfully that afternoon I was to get a lot of practice adjusting to the method of hitting runs.

Unfortuantely that practice came largely from the lakes Bream population which was extremely active both under the surface and above it - I don’t think i’ve ever seen so many Bream roll in an afternoon. Admittedly I wasn’t exactly being exclusive with my hookbaits: 10mm boilies of fake corn. However, I was confident that the Carp would follow and I was proved right when a bleep was followed by a screaming clutch - no Bream on the end this time!

After a great scrap under the rod tip I slipped the net under a stunning Rouge scatter-scaled Mirror - a great start to the session proper. I estimated a weight of about 12lbs and got the self-takes quickly done before gently cradling the fish in the margins till it swam back to the hallowed depths.

By this time the afternoon was drawing to a close and we were entering the witching hour - it was a struggle to keep both rods in the water for a while after a pair of missed/botched takes and a couple more Bream. As darkness announced itself I realised it was time to get serious and think about a plan that would involve more sleep than the current one.

I settled upon baiting one rod with around half a kilo of Matrix boilies, and switching the d-rigged hookbait from two grains of fake corn to two 15mm boilies - let’s see a Bream try to take that lot! The spot was a few yards short of a drainage stack in a deep margin off the dam wall, and one where I knew fish always moved through.The second rod was cast to a mark at the bottom of a bar, on top of which were a line of snag-some tree stumps. Needless to say both rods were locked up tight and I positioned myself as close to them as the flood-fallen mud would allow.

The sunny afternoon just passed proved a false alibi for the wintery cold that crept in after dark, and without the front panels on my brolly I was glad of the extra warmth brought by the fleecey bedchair cover. Before long I was away into a restful slumber and just happy to be out on the bank. Despite knowing the lake quite well, I never really felt positive about my chances that night - the wind had switched to a strong, chilly north easterly that afternoon and temperatures continued to fall. As I woke to a single beep on the right hand rod at about 10pm, I realised I had fallen into my ‘winter sleep trap’, whereby i’ll doze early evening and then spend all night wide awake. Curses.

Around 1am I finally nodded off again until a flurry of beeps roused me a couple of hours later. Up and into my boots. I then realised it was only a drop back, and one that appeared to have stopped. I stared at that bobbin in the bright moonlight for a good ten minutes before I reluctantly closed my eyes again - this was the rod baited with two boilies and anything that picked that lot up was likely to be worth waking up for…

Another drop back, another ten minute wait and then the rod was away! Rod tip bending under the strain I lifted back into a heavy fish that had kited quickly along the margin. Thankfully after a little side strain she came reluctantly towards me and was soon wallowing the wrong side of a steep bar about 15 yards in front of me. Using the height of a nearby tree-stump I slowly worked her up and over the bar and into the margin in front of me. I knew now that this was a big fish and memories of my last Rouge lump came flooding back as I drew the net up and around a solid fish. That last specimen turned out to be a jaw-dropping 45lbs+, and although this one was smaller it was clearly a 30lb+ fish!

She swung the scales around to 34lbs exactly and as I rubbed the ice off the dial face, it sunk in that this really was a winter whacker! Sadly damaged at the tail, the fish was otherwise in mint condition - round in stature but thick as my two fists across her back…my 2nd thirty, brilliant.After the self takes were dealt with (and the lens de-misted) I nursed the fish gently in the margins for a good minute or so, still marvelling at the broad back on it when it eventually kicked hard and melted away into the night.

Delighted at the result, but nagged by the damage to it’s tail I recast and climbed back into my bag. Although it didn’t dent the achievement, as an involved party in the fishery it was especially sad to see such a great fish that way, at least it fought well and swam away strongly.

Disturbed from my sleep in exactly the same way an hour or so later, I was well aware that after two drop backs, a belting take may follow. If last time I was out quickly, this time I was extra quick! Lifting into a solid lump the line twanged across something and everything went a little solid. Knowing that the dam wall harboured tree roots I guessed that in the dark the fish had swung straight in towards the bank on tight line. I was certainly not going to give line in that situation, and despite the heavy lunges through the rod tip I hung tight and soon enough the fish came my way. Out of the snags it kited full speed for the bank to my right and another overhanging tree, luckily having fished this swim before I knew the cost of allowing such progression and acted quickly to bring the fish back my way. Though it didn’t come without a spectacular fight, within 10 minutes it was ploughing left and right just metres in front of me when unexpectedly it popped up to the surface and presented itself perfectly for netting! A quick reaction with my netting hand and she was mine!

Lifting the net up and over the bankside vegetation it was clear that this was another lump. When laid out on the mat I gaped at the thickness of the fish - I’m just not used to banking kippers this size! Quickly weighed and photgraphed I looked over the fins and mouth before lifting it back into the water; this time the fish was immaculate, with stunning scales and shoulders that looked capable of bearing significantly more weight.

This time there was nothing to take the gloss off the elation as it swam away into the night and I punched the air with excitement. ‘A brace of winter 30’s’ was the phrase that kept running round my head - fantastic!

I didn’t have another beep that night, but after the adrenaline had ebbed away I slept soundly till 9.30 and woke to glorious sunshine…does that still count as a winter brace??! I was joined that morning by my Dad and a couple of other local anglers who shook hands and shared the good news with me. A fine social ending to a secluded session tucked away on Rouge.

Although I should have packed up there and then I was on such a high I sat out all day, as the bracing wind cancelled out the bright sunshine, and just watched the lake. I was pretty surprised when the same rod roared off again and a fine mid-double Common graced my net, I felt greedy still wanting more after the result of the night before!

After a slow pack up as the afternoon sunk into evening, I had a drop back…followed by another 10 minutes later…. then nothing. Ah well, I waited another 30 minutes but the run I fully expected never materialised and I was away in the car with a fine boost to my confidence for the exciting season to come.

Stumble it!