Southern Specials “Pink Panthers”

On The Bank Test with Mark "Deuce" McGhee

Venue: Camelot Lake Park Farm, Wortwell, Norfolk

With dusk chasing at my heels I pulled into the first car park on the lake, and off for a quick snout around to see if I can track down any fish to angle for the coming hours of darkness. The barbeque swim is free with a warm wind pushing in, bonus! Plenty of water and features to go at and since it has been warm they should still be visiting the back bay. Only one other angler on  is fishing the spit and having a hard time of it, nothing out for two days, still they can be a bit ‘spotty’ at times. Typical high pressure small pit carp these days I suppose.

Time to sort the rods out and get a brew on the go, got to get your priority’s right. Nothing technical rig wise; three 10” mantis hooklinks armed with size 6 t- E.S.P. Raptors fished multi rig style with 1oz leads. My main bait is garlic and black pepper rolled by Bure Valley Baits, this time though they will be tipped with Pink Panthers by Gary ‘Milky’ Lowe creator of the Southern Specials. Well they have been doing the business up and down the country. For those unfamiliar with them the Southern Specials range has four to choose from, you have the White Widow which has a very mellow creamy aroma that because of its plain white appearance I would describe as being more of a visual than fragrant bait option. At the other end of the spectrum you have the Orange Bud (fluro orange) that scream colour and ooze a strong citrus aroma that fish will definitely notice. Between these are the Yellow Haze that is fluro yellow with a mellow banana flavour. To complete the quartet you have the fluro pink in colour Pink Panther that are either plum or mulberry in flavour with a cream palatant.

Three rods deployed to my favoured spots left hand rod on the back of the gravel hump along the tree line, middle rod out to the gap leading to the back bay, right hand rod in the silt towards the island all slack with bobbins on the floor. A kilo  of bait loosely spread between the 3 spots, all fairly short range why people feel they need to boat it out there is beyond me.

10pm first pick up and a belting run sees me trying to escape from the sleeping bag while doing battle with a lively mid double intent on getting back through the gap. After a brief battle she went in the net first time of asking, nailed in the bottom lip. Slip her back, rigs and bait are working then, the little pink panther still negating the weight of the bottom bait beautifully. Check the hook and flick the rig back to the spot, landed with nice firm donk, then kettle on for a well earned cuppa and smoke before drifting off to dream of fat women and naked carp or something like that? 1.30 am sees a slow steady take from the gravel hump as one angry carp tries to pull the rod from my grasp and get under the tree line forcing me to give a little line with the rod at full compression. Its going to be him or me which gives up first and I don’t fancy his chances! The only sounds out here is that of the tail of whatever is on the line slapping the surface in the shallow water. Thankfully everything held as 24.12 of dark coloured common was bundled into the waiting net. Get in there! 5.45am the sun is just up and third cuppa of the morning on the go and we are away again on the rod to the hump, another spirited fight but no match for the tackle as another lively double is brought kicking and screaming to the waiting mesh. Happy days, three in 12 hours, nice way to start back on the pond if I do say so myself and on a work night as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, we shall see if they continue to produce the goods as the weather cools down,  although I have a sneaking suspicion they will! Until next time tight lines all,

Mark ‘Deuce’ McGhee.

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