Phil Swift So as my last week working as a bailiff at Gigantica it was clear that the fish were being a little different. Normally the fish tend to hold up in the middle in the winter and the usual tactic is to go long as close as you can to them to pick up bites. However.....with high pressure and sunny days i had an feeling they would be up in the layers. With zigs not really being my strength i opted to fish the swim "Stock Pond" where at 32 wraps, 128 yards, you can fish to a sloping gravel bar that runs off the headland. Fishing all 3 rods within 15 foot of each other i was fishing in 6. 7 and 8 foot as the bar descends. My ever faithful spinner rigs with a size 4 curve shank was the plan of attack and i spombed at 32 wraps to put all the bait just at the back of the spot as i was conscious of line going through my bait as i was fishing tight lines. 15 spombs of 10mm essential cell boilies and sweetcorn mixed was the baiting approach. This was prepared in advance so the sweetcorn took on the flavour of the boilie. A 12mm Mainline pineapple juice popup that has been soaked to the core with isotonic goo so that it is now a wafter was deployed on all 3 as hookbaits. The 1st evening saw a take at 1am but unfortunately it decided to wipe out my left hand rod resulting in a hook pull, the 2nd evening saw a lovely 36lb 8oz common grace my net by the name of "Rolo". On the 3rd evening an even more stunning mirror called "Little Plated" at 40lb 8oz was my reward. It was clear i was getting one chance a night before the fish spooked away and all bites were between 1am and 1.30am. After a blank on the 4th night i felt something was wrong so i re cast all three rods and again deployed 15 spombs of the mega mix. What a shout this was as that very evening something very special happened. The Main Lakes biggest stocky common by the name of "La Boheme" decided she wanted a cuddle and weighing a massive 51lb 4oz. So all in all 4 bites saw 3 fish grace my presence at a very slow time of year and with a 30, 40 and 50 who can complain.