TANGLING WITH A 46lb MIRROR!

Jason conquers snarl-ups and weed

JASON Walker had to take off his spool in mid-fight, untangle his rod-tip and deal with a mountain of weed before finally claiming one of the finest mirror carp around.

The incredibly fraught fight at Dinton Pastures in Berkshire yielded Son of Triple Row at a new top weight of 46lb 2oz.

Recalling the epic 30-minute boat battle, Jason said: “The first time I saw the fish on the surface I thought it was the seldom-caught Sandford Linear, as it was jet black and had a large row of dark scales, so I was pretty keen to get it in the net.

“However, it quickly turned and powered off down to the bottom of the lake, where it weeded me solid again.

“I had to put the rod down and start handlining, but then I realised the line had gone round the back of the spool.

“I tried to unravel it, but it was no good, so I took the spool off mid-fight and untangled it.

“By now the fish was stuck in a huge weedbed.

“Once I’d untangled the line, I put the spool back on and went to wind down, but the line had caught around the rod-tip, so I quickly had to unravel that before winding down into the fish.

“I put maximum pressure on, but it still wouldn’t move, so I tried to handline it to the surface.

The fish eventually came up amid a huge ball of weed, so with one hand I grabbed hold of the leadcore and used the other to feel for the fish in the weed.

“I grabbed my net and pushed the whole weedbed into it. ”

On the bank, Myles Gibson identified the fish as Son of Triple Row at a new highest weight of 46lb 2oz.

Jason fished hand-rolled DNA Baits S7 pop-ups over a large bed of mixed-six S7 freebies. Jason’s Dinton Pastures mirror at a 46lb 2oz top weight.