43lb 8oz linear ends run of blanks

MARTIN Pick brought a welcome end to a run of 20 blank nights with the capture of this 43lb 8oz linear from Wellington Country Park in Berkshire.

After a quick lead about the Leicestershire-based rod located a small clear area surrounded by dying weed at 100 yards range.

He then baited the spot with a kilo of mixed 10mm, 15mm and 18mm DT Baits Cold Water Mix boilies and cast a 15mm fluoro white pop-up hookbait over the top.

“When I arrived I had actually seen a fish show down the other end of the lake, but one of the other anglers told me that in the last couple of nights there had been a number of carp showing in the area of the water which I’d been concentrating on so this was where I headed to.

“It had been a long time since my last take from the lake so it was a massive relief when my alarm burst into life shortly after midnight,” Martin told Angling Times.

“The fish weeded me up almost straight away and I had to go out in the boat to try and free it. Once I got over the fish I managed to get it moving again and because it was a full moon I could just make out a huge ball of weed and a decent looking carp coming up towards the net. I’ve never had a 40lb-plus linear before so I was buzzing to finally put one on the bank. Hopefully, a 40lb common won’t be far away now as I know there are several in the venue.”

Martin put his faith in a reverse combi-rig which consisted of a 20lb Korda N-Trap and 25lb Mouthtrap hooklink attached to a size 6 Choddy hook.