Essex Manor's Stella out at 51lb

DAN Taylor caught his first ever carp over the magical 50lb barrier in the form of this 51lb mirror known as Stella from the Essex Manor syndicate.

Targeting a patch of silt just 20 yards from the bank, the Kent-based rod baited the feature with four kilos of Tails Up Pro Fish 10mm and 18mm boilies before positioning a matching flavoured white pop-up over the top.

He said: “On first light my right-hand rod went in to melt down and as soon as I picked it up I knew something special was on the other end. After a slow, heavy fight lasting 15 minutes I slipped the net under a fish of a lifetime.”

Dan beat his new personal best with a size 7 Atomic Tackle Grabba hook attached to a 25lb Jel-E-Wyre hooklink and a 2oz lead on a safety clip system.