Catch Reports
The Black Mirror
Posted in Catch Reports on 04th July 2008‘Brief statement by Mike Willmott’
"As many of my friends and customers have been aware, for the past 4-years I have been concentrating my efforts on to a large Berkshire gravel pit in pursuit of what many anglers believe to be the ultimate challenge in carp fishing – the elusive but magnificent Black Mirror.
At 7.15am on July 5th 2008, after clocking up literally tens of thousands of miles travelling back and forth to the venue, coupled with an enormous amount of sacrifices in my personal life, I finally managed to reach out and touch my dream by landing the great fish at a weight of 52lb 10oz.
It was an incredible journey with some exceptional tales attached. Perhaps one day these might just be told but this is not the time or the place, and in respect for the lake, its inhabitants and those still pursuing their goal in life, I have decided against publicising this fish within any magazines.
I would however like to take this opportunity of thanking everyone who has supported me throughout my campaign and given me the encouragement and inspiration to succeed. Special thanks go out to my family and friends, but I would also like to thank E.S.P, Daiwa and Dymag Specialist Tackle for supporting me with their excellent range of products, also, Dave Gawthorn for providing photography assistance at such short notice and Saul Gardiner for his technical assistance".
Images protected by Copyright © Essential Products 2008
Shelf life boilie advantages
Our Essential resident 'Globetrotter' Merv Pennell with one of his many big carp caught on our range of Shelf life boilies. Merv, amongst so many other anglers, openly admits that our shelf life range offer a massive edge over 'standard' shelf life boilies and would not use anything else.
Of course the big advantage about the use of shelf life boilies can be summed up in just one word – convenience! And this is the key word you need to bear in mind. Good quality freezer baits are fantastic for that long term baiting campaign, yet can be problematic for extended UK sessions and of course when fishing on the continent.
So would we recommend substituting freezer baits with shelf life boilies for long term bait application? In short, no we wouldn’t! Simply because this will not offer any advantages at all, however, we can honestly say that for those trips outside the UK or even those extended sessions within the UK where it would be difficult to keep freezer baits fresh, this highly successfull range of shelf life boilies tick all the boxes - and more!
So many anglers strongly believe these are the best quality shelf life boilie available ANYWHERE in the world! Confidence and convenience, such key words for success.
Top Tips
1) Avoid cheap and cheerful shelf life boilies like the plague. I can think of few things worse to ruin your chances of success than poor quality boilies that have been ‘over-flavoured’ to mask preservative odours!
2) If the manufacturer states there are no preservatives in them, ask him to tell the truth!
3) Beware of semi-soft shelf life boilies. These are likely to be overloaded with preservatives. We tend to rely on reduced moisture levels, which in turn creates a 'tougher' bait, but with far less preservative.
