An unplanned session on a local crucian venue produced an unexpected personal best for Matthew Fernandez.

The action was instant for Matthew, the first cast of the day produced his chosen quarry, a specimen crucian, which fell to a small In-Line Method Feeder. “After the initial success, numerous tench moved into the swim and before long the crucians had back off away from the disturbance. A move was in order.”

Choosing to fish an area of open water in the new swim, Matthew recast his Method Feeder, which again produced another crucian within minutes. “After that bite it went quiet. I switched over to my 13ft Acolyte Plus float rod coupled with a centrepin and tackled up with an original Drennan Carp 2 Pole Float, perfect for shy biting species like crucians.”

He chose to fish this sensitive pole float setup in the margin, just down the drop-off. After missing a few quick bites and landing a couple of roach, he managed to hook another crucian. “This time the bite was really slow,” he recalls. “Lifting the into the fish, I knew she was big. She rolled on the surface a rod length out and after a few headshakes she was guided over the waiting net.”