World's best carp landed
The world’s biggest carp has been landed by Mark Ryder in the form of this 92lb mirror known as the Scar Fish from Les Graviers in France.
The Northamptonshire-based rod adopted a heavy baiting approach and introduced around 40kg of Baitcraft boilies over a large area at 120yds at the back of a gravel bar.
All four of his rods were positioned along the feature and in the early hours of the morning he landed his first fish of the trip with a 57lb 4oz mirror. Two forties then graced his net before he hooked into a fourth fish the next afternoon.
He said: “As soon as I picked up the rod I knew it was something special. After 40 minutes I eventually landed the colossal carp, and it was the one I’d always dreamt of catching. I was blown away by the size of it. The venue owner, Luke Moffatt, came to help with the weighing and on the scales it went 92lb. It has to be a fish of a lifetime.”
Mark used double 18mm Baitcraft T1 hookbaits on blow-back rigs tied with size 6 Nash Fang Twister hooks and 12ins Nash Missing Link hooklinks.
Solid PVA bag tactics fool 40lb 9oz common
Kev Hewitt enjoyed a memorable session on Christchurch on the Linch Hill complex in Oxfordshire landing this stunning 40lb 9oz common and three other thirties to 39lb 2oz.
All of the 27-year-old Bristol-based rod’s fish were taken on CC Moore Acid Pear Hellraiser pop-ups fished inside a solid bag filled with pellets boosted with Bloodworm Liquid over a bed of maggots.
“Each fish came at around 4am in the morning like clockwork, and the biggest of them, known as the Toejam, came on the final morning of the session,” Kev told Angling Times.
His hookbaits were mounted on 4ins, 15lb Drennan Super Specialist Sink Braid hooklinks and size 8 ESP Curve-Shanx hooks.
Rare fifty caught by Neil Edge
This impressive 51lb 4oz mirror from CEMEX Angling’s Rockford Lake in Hampshire has been caught for only the fifth time in 12 years by Neil Edge.
The Sonubaits consultant decided to set up in a swim that had been neglected by other anglers for the last couple of weeks and which allowed him to fish towards a central band of weed where the lake’s carp had been held up in for the majority of the year.
All of his rods were cast towards the corner of a large weed bed at 70yds range which he baited with a mixture Sonubaits prototype boilies, particles and Tiger Fish pellets. Over the top of this he offered a Refresha pop-up on a short chod rig.
“The fishing was relatively slow to begin with, apart from the relentless bream and tench that couldn’t resist my bait,” Neil said. “Because of the great weather conditions I knew the carp would be well up for a feed, so on the last night of my session I put out another 6kg of spod mix.”
This certainly did the trick, because at 5am in the morning his alarm burst into life as the line was ripped off his spool.
“It headed straight towards the weed bed and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Everything went solid and I thought the fish had shed the hook. I applied steady pressure and after 10 minutes a large ball of weed the size of a pool table starting moving towards me. As the weed bed got within a few yards of the bank, I caught a glimpse of a carp’s tail. I desperately clambered into the water and slid the net under the whole lot. When I peeled back the mesh, and removed the weed I was greeted by a large, dark mirror. I was shocked, and absolutely over the moon, when the fish tipped my scales to 51lb 4oz.”
Chod rig fools 34lb 10oz for Rich Wilby
Rich Wilby returned to a Suffolk club water which he hadn’t fished for over 14 years and landed this cracking 34lb 10oz mirror known as the Piglet.
The Norfolk-based fishery manager caught the fish during a quick six hour day session on the 12 acre venue using a Nash Monster Squid pop-up on a chod rig fished over 2kg of 15mm and 20mm freebies.
He said: “After not fishing the lake for so long it was a nice surprise to catch one of the top fish in the lake so quickly.”
49lb 12oz pb mirror for Paul Mepham
Paul Mepham has smashed his personal best with this 49lb 12oz mirror from a southern stillwater.
After an uneventful first night fishing single hookbaits, the 32-year-old, Surrey-based angling coach decided to bait his spots with 1kg of 18mm Richworth KG1 boilies and then rested his swim until later in the day.
He then had to wait until the early hours of the morning for the all-important bite and after a 15 minute scrap he slipped the net under his prize.
It is the second forty which Paul has caught from the venue and he mounted his hookbaits tipped with a piece of artificial corn on size 8 Gardner Mugga hooks and 5ins Atomic Tackle Jel-E-Wyre hooklinks.
Wyreside Lakes venue record broken with 42lb 1oz mirror
The Wyreside Lakes venue record has been broken by Ben Poole with the capture of this 42lb 1oz mirror from Wyre Lake on the Lancashire day-ticket complex.
Targeting a silt patch next to an island at 90yds range, the Stockport-based 35-year-old hooked into the specimen known as Paw Print on the first afternoon of his 24 hour session using a 20mm Nash Monster Squid bottom bait and a 12mm pop-up on a snowman presentation over around 20 freebies.
He said: “It came in fairly easily at first before trying to get in a set of snags. I managed to keep it clear and when it rolled around 20yds out my mate recognised it as Paw Print.”
To get a good presentation over the silt, Ben used an 18ins Korda N-Trap hooklink and a size 8 Nash Fang Twister hook.
First forty of the year for Ted Bryan
Ted Bryan has caught his first forty of the year in the shape of this 40lb 10oz mirror from a Kent club water.
The fish was the best of four which the Sydenham-based specimen hunter had during his session, which also included three twenties to 28lb 12oz.
All of his carp were taken on 15mm Nash Amber Strawberry pop-ups which were hair-rigged on size 8 Nash Fang X hooks and Nash Bullet mono hooklinks over around 20 free offerings.
Korda sponsor Carp Team England
The Angling Trust is delighted to announce that it has signed a 5 year deal with Korda to sponsor Carp Team England.
The deal, worth more than £100,000 in cash and business support will pay for England’s best carp anglers to travel wherever the World Carp Championships are held each year, along with a strong team of journalists and TV production crew.
Korda’s involvement will help produce a platform to propel international carp fishing to a new level in this country. With their expertise in delivering excellent television, internet and magazine material, along with an abundance of commercial knowledge, Carp Team England’s journey will be televised and covered heavily in the angling media.
Ali Hamidi of Korda said: “We are delighted to work with the new unified representative body for all angling to support Carp Team England. For years now there has been insufficient financial backing for the team, almost no media recognition and despite some good results that elusive gold team medal has not been achieved. I believe everything goes hand in hand, if you’ve got great back office support, with a unified patriotic team, and the talent pool of anglers that we have in this country then we can all look forward to a great future with Carp Team England becoming the most successful carp team in world angling. For too long, international carp fishing has been overlooked, but with our media work and our unprecedented TV coverage, we will set new heights with this. It should act as a figure of inspiration for younger anglers, who can aspire to represent their country in their favourite hobby. Our growing relationship with the Angling Trust should also help them grow the member base to help ensure a bright future for angling in the UK. We can’t wait to set-up paths to entry into the team and get the ball rolling. This is exciting times for the sport, and Korda Carp Team England will really help in growing carp fishing not just in this country, but across Europe”.
Dick Clegg, Angling Trust’s International Events Manager, said: “This is excellent news for Carp Team England. To have such a well-respected sponsor from the carp fishing industry supporting the team, gives us a great opportunity to develop the team further and build on the previous successes.”
The Angling Trust’s Finance & Business Manager, Stuart Sharp, who joined the Trust in August and finalised the deal with Korda over the past few weeks said: “This is a fantastic deal for Carp Team England and for angling as a whole. Korda’s commitment to the England team and the development of the competitive side of carp fishing is clear to see. We look forward to working with Korda to maximise the value for them as a sponsor and to ensure that the team can focus on fishing, rather than fundraising to pay their way. We are looking for sponsors for many other England teams and are eager to hear from any potential sponsors who might be interested in following the lead of Korda by backing the best carp anglers in the country.”
Brace of fifties for Nash's Jack Brown
Jack Brown has become one of an elite group of anglers who can lay claim to catching a brace of UK fifties after landing a 52lb 1oz common and a 50lb mirror from Kevin Nash’s Church Lake in Essex.
It was a case of hard work and patience paying off for the Leighton Buzzard-based angling apprentice who changed swims three times to keep on top of the fish.
The first day of his 72 hour session passed without event, and with the wind pushing into a bay on his right he decided a move was on the cards. Just as the light was fading on the second evening he saw a patch of fizzing close to an island and flicked a rig onto a clear patch just behind the feeding fish.
Shortly afterwards one of his alarms screamed into life and a mammoth 45 minute fight followed.
“The fish weeded me up solid and I had to go out in the boat to get above it and pull it free,” Jack told Angling Times. “I eventually bundled a huge pile of weed into the net, and I couldn’t actually see which fish it was. At this point I realised I’d left the oars on the bank and as there was no breeze I was stuck in the middle of the lake! I managed to shout one of the warehouse lads, Scott, who thankfully rowed out and helped me back to the bank. When we pulled back the weed I was greeted by the incredible sight of a huge common, which at 52lb 1oz beat my pb by just over 1lb.”
The next day he moved swims again to get a better line lay, and that night he completed his historic brace with a 50lb mirror.
“The fish put up another good fight but thankfully wasn’t quite as eventful as the first one. One of the other Nash lads who was with me said it looked like a decent fish while I was playing it, and I was literally speechless when the scales went round to 50lb. To have one fifty was amazing, but to have two in a session is something I could never have dreamed of.”
Both of his fish were taken on 15mm Nash White Monster Squid pop-ups over a scattering of whole and chopped Monster Squid red boilies with a few handfuls of hemp and maggots. “Using a light coloured hookbait over darker free offerings is a tactic I use a lot as it makes your hookbait stand out and the fish definitely home in on it quicker. I mounted my pop-ups on stiff-hinged rigs which are a great big fish presentation because they present the baits perfectly for the way the bigger carp feed.
Both of my fish were nailed squarely in the bottom lip and there’s no way they were coming off.”
Incredibly, at the age of 20 Jack now has three fifties to his name, and only a week earlier he landed a 40lb 8oz mirror from an Oxfordshire syndicate.
Target achieved
At the start of the year Mark Pitchers set himself the target of catching thirty UK 30lb-plus carp and he recently achieved this with a four fish haul from an Essex syndicate water which was topped by a 42lb 3oz mirror carp.
The 33-year-old Yorkshire-based fishery owner also landed fish of 37lb, 32lb 2oz and 26lb 4oz during the productive 48 hour session.
Heavy baiting tactics proved successful and he presented a snowman hookbait consisting of a Sticky Vor-tex bottom bait tipped with a 12mm Buchu Berry pop-up over 3kg of Vor-tex and Bloodworm freezer baits.
Mark fished his hookbaits on blow-back rigs tied with Fox 15lb Reflex hooklinks and size 6 Fox Kuro S4 hooks with a 3oz inline flat pear lead.
37lb 4oz Catch 22 common for Lee Nobbs
Lee Nobbs has been in a rich vein of form on Catch 22’s syndicate water, landing no less than 20 carp including eight different thirties topped by this 37lb 4oz common in the last few weeks.
The Norfolk-based venue bailiff has been targeting a silty gulley and has also landed linears of 36lb and 35lb, and commons of 35lb 1oz and 34lb.
Lee baited the feature with 2kg of Premier Baits Matrix boilies per fish, and used matching hookbaits on blow-back rigs on a running lead system.
Double boilie hookbait fools 40lb 1oz mirror
Sticky consultant Sean Leverett found success during a 72-hour session at CEMEX Angling's Horton Church Lake when he landed this 40lb 1oz mirror known as the Virginian.
Essex-based Sean takes up the story: “After arriving at the lake in the early hours of Monday morning at around 1.30am, I walked the lake until first light looking for signs of fish activity. The only signs of fish I found were in a swim known as the Sick, but that was taken by a chap who was fortunately leaving later that afternoon. I dropped into a nearby swim until he left and then I moved into the Sick. The fish were showing at various ranges between 40 and 65 yards range so I positioned all three rods on different spots, one at 40yds range on ESP plastic corn, one at
50yds on a Sticky Vor-Tex bottom bait topped with ESP plastic corn and the final one at 65yds on double 12mm Sticky White Chocolate pop-ups. I baited each spot with a scattering of 16mm Vor-Tex boilies. There were plenty of fish showing throughout the night, but I had to wait until just before midnight the following day before I received a take from the long rod. The fish came in relatively easily at first but when I got it to within a few yards of the net it went absolutely ballistic and it took me a further 10 minutes to get it in the net. Once in the net I got a hand from the guy next door to me and together we weighed the fish on my tripod in order to get an accurate reading. The needle settled at 40lb 1oz and we recognised it as a carp known as the Virginian. After a few photos she was safely returned to her home none the worse for the ordeal. This was my first time using Sticky products and also my first session since becoming an ESP consultant. Let’s hope it's a sign of good things to come.”
Sean offered his Sticky White Chocolate hookbait on a rig tied with a size 7 ESP Curve-Shanx hook and a Ghost hooklink. Other winning tackle included an Ejector Lead Clip and Tail Rubber, Diffusion Camo Leader, Nash Extreme 12ft 3½lb TC rod and Daiwa SS3000 reel loaded with Syncro XT main line.
44lb common tops 12 fish haul
This stunning 44lb personal best common was the best of a 12 fish haul during a four night session on the Golden Gates syndicate in Essex.
His impressive catch also included five thirties of 37lb 8oz, 33lb 2oz, 31lb 6oz, 31lb 4oz and 31lb as well as two twenties and four doubles.
All of his fish were taken on Sticky Vor-tex boilies and he used a total of 14kg over the duration of his session. The big common is the second over the 40lb-barrier which he has caught from the venue this year.
Nene Valley forty for Aaron Mason
Aaron Mason has caught his third UK 40lb-plus carp with this 45lb 4oz common known as Cut Tail from a tricky Nene Valley syndicate water.
The Warwickshire-based carper baited a spot at 30yds with around 20 freebies and cast a Premier Baits Quad hookbait over the top.
Following a powerful fight he beat his prize with a size 6 Drennan Barbel Specialist hook and a 25lb Atomic Tackle Jel-E-Wyre hooklink.
Aaron told Angling Times: “It is a really special capture for me because not only is it my third UK forty, it is also my first common over the magical 40lb barrier.
Exciting new plans at Richworth Linear Fisheries
Linear has announced that they have new exciting plans for their popular Guy Lake’s Syndicate waters. These three lovely lakes situated in the Oxfordshire countryside have been run as a syndicate for over 15 years, are just metres apart and cover sixty acres of fishable water between them.
Linear, through good management and careful stocking, already runs some of the most popular day ticket waters in the UK and now their intention is to improve Guy Lakes to a standard that will exceed the day ticket waters for fishing potential. The three syndicate waters already held a good head of stunning carp, including several over 40lbs, when Linear started sowing the seeds for their plans three years ago. Since that time and up to 2010 over three hundred carp were introduced to boost the existing stock. These fish weighed from high singles to fish of over 31lbs and included a high number of twenty pound specimens. In September 2011 another stocking programme began that so far has seen 100 carp from 14lbs to over 30lbs released in the three lakes. This is only the start of a 500 fish stocking plan that will see a further 150 fish this winter followed by 250 over 2012/13. Most of the fish stocked come directly from Linear’s own stock waters where they have been raised and where they were specifically picked for their size and scale patterns. Stocking will not stop here and Linear, to maintain the fishing at the high standards they intend to achieve, will continue, on an annual basis, to select carp from their stock ponds, whenever necessary.
The lakes, which have been described as amongst the most stunning in the country, cater for approximately 200 members. Membership is rolling and is for one year from the date of joining. Prices will rise over the next three years to cover the growing costs of stocking, extra security and weed prevention. The price for a year’s membership in 2012 will be £475 rising to £625 by the year 2014. From 2012 we will be offering members the choice to either pay the fee in a one off annual payment or to spread this fee over a twelve month period by direct debit. Our ability to offer this is subject to us obtaining a consumer credit licence, for which we are currently applying. Currently there is a short waiting list but the wait to be invited can be very short. Applications can be made through the Linear website: www.linear-fisheries.co.uk
Spokesman and Fishery Manager for Richworth Linear, Len Gurd, said ‘I am more than confident that with our knowledge and expertise the Guy Lakes will rate amongst the best carp syndicate waters in the country. These waters, because of their beautiful setting, have always been my favourite and now with the fish we have and intend to introduce the fishing there will be out of this world’!
Washed out baits fool 43lb mirror
Washed out baits proved to be the key to success for Ollie Pearce who landed this cracking 43lb mirror from a low-stock southern pit.
He also landed a second mirror of 27lb 14oz in the same session using washed out CC Moore Odyssey XXX barrel hookbaits over a light scattering of boilies, hemp, buckwheat, groats and tigers. He also coated his boilies in Feedstim liquid and then smothered them in belachan, GLM and Feedstim powder to form a crust around the baits.
Glugged boilies fool 43lb 4oz mirror
Kirk Temple’s rig had only been in the water for a couple of hours when it was picked up by this 43lb 4oz personal best mirror from Manor Farm Lake on the Richworth Linear Fisheries complex.
The Hull-based rod had located a firm silt patch which he baited with 3kg of mixed particles and chopped Sticky Bloodworm boilies soaked in Bloodworm Glug and Pure Krill Liquid.
He said: “When my mate and I arrived at the fishery we had a good look round and found that St John’s and Oxlease were fishing a bit slow. As such we decided to go on Manor where we’d seen a few fish showing, but I was really surprised when I had a take so quickly. I was over the moon when I realised it was one of the venue’s biggest residents known as Sticky Rib.”
Pb and lake record 45lb 2oz mirror from Richworth Linear Fisheries
Baz Lloyd managed to break not only his personal best but also the Richworth Linear Fisheries Manor Farm lake record with this 45lb 2oz mirror known as Spike.
Fishing to a firm silt patch at 110yds, the Cheshire-based 25-year-old spodded out a jar of CC Moore Intense Hemp and 5kg of chopped 15mm Odyssey XXX boilies. He then offered a snowman presentation consisting of a 15mm bottom bait and a white Northern Special pop-up over the top.
He said: “I was up at first light watching the spot like a hawk. I saw a fish show bang on the money, then at 9.30am my line pulled up tight. I was delighted when I peered over the net and saw one of the Manor’s old originals.”
Baz presented his hookbait on a 4ins, 20lb Nash Missing Link hooklink and a size 6 Korda Wide Gape hook.
UK's biggest carp landed at 60lb 6oz
The biggest carp in the country has been caught by Rob Marsh with this huge 60lb 6oz mirror from Elphicks Fisheries’ North Lake.
The 42-year-old carp tutor landed the chunky specimen on only his third session on the Kent day-ticket water and it was taken from a spot which he had been baiting with a mixture of 10mm Mainline Cell boilies, Cell Response pellets, Hinders Salamiz Hemp and Mini Combi Pellets.
When he arrived for his latest session he found one of the swims which he’d been baiting free, and deposited 3kg of mix and two hookbaits on the spot.
“My first take ended up with me losing a good fish at the net,” Rob explained. “I then landed a 22lb mirror and spodded out another 2kg of bait. I was up early as I had to be off the lake by 7am and at 6.30am one of my alarms burst into life. After a good battle I slipped the net under a cracking mirror which I thought was a good forty. When I lifted her out, though, I soon realised it was the Big Girl. On the scales she went 60lb 6oz and I was over the moon.”
Rob’s successful presentation consisted of a 14mm Mainline Cell hookbait tipped with half a pineapple pop-up on a size 6 Atomic Tackle Haula hook and a 15lb Jel-E-Wyre hooklink.
Elphicks’ Big Girl is the second carp to break through the 60lb-barrier in recent weeks following Chris Robson’s capture of the Parrot from a southern syndicate water at 60lb 4oz. Both fish are now being tipped as potential future British record carp - a title currently held by Two Tone which peaked at 67lb 14oz before its death in 2010.
Korda Telling Tales 2011 coming soon
Early December sees the launch of Telling Tales 2011, Korda’s second yearbook. Its 17 chapters chart the fishing year, as experienced by the lads who work at Korda. Every twist and turn, every smouldering dawn and steaming kettle on the way to final success is documented, in full colour.
The book features headline contributions from Danny Fairbrass, Ali Hamidi, Damian Clarke, Adam Penning, Darrell Peck and Tom Dove, along with a few lads who usually stay clear of the limelight! The chapters cover a real range of fishing, stretching from the capture of one of the very biggest carp in the world, right through to UK day-ticket fishing and the secret world of the under-the-radar club water!
As with the last offering, these stories are richly illustrated with stunning images and full-page plates. Although it has been produced a classy, coffee-table publication, Telling Tales also features plenty of the tips and tactics that you’d expect from Korda, subtly interwoven into the chapters.
Telling Tales 2011 retails for £29.99 and will be available from Korda stockists. Thirty number of high-quality, collectors-edition, leather-bound copies will be available. Please phone Korda on 01268 522417 for more details.
