Emperor Lakes thirty for former Olympic wrestler

A 77-year-old former Olympic wrestler had no difficulty getting the better of this 31lb 8oz mirror.

Peter Amey took the specimen from the Carp Lake at Devon’s Emperor Lakes on a Nutrabaits pop-up over a PVA bag of crumbled free offerings.

The Plymouth-based rod, who represented Great Britain in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, has been fishing the venue since it opened as a carp lake in the late 1980s.

“I’ve never known the lake to fish as well during a winter,” said Peter, “I’ve been looking through my diaries and it’s the best it’s been.”

He added: “I was fishing a nine-hour day session in terrible conditions. It wasn’t too crowded and the area I wanted was free.

“I used a small white pop-up surrounded by crumbled Ener-vite Gold and Blue Oyster boilies in a mesh PVA bag.

“At about 11.30am I had a screaming take and the fish put up a brilliant fight, stripping 40 yards of line on its first run. I instantly knew it was a decent fish and Dave, the owner of the lake, saw me playing it and quickly came round to help net it.”

Peter, who was once a bailiff on Kent’s famous Darenth complex, presented his baits on a silty area next to gravel about 60yrds out.