Thirty on the float

BEN Dowers bucked the trend in modern carp fishing by tackling a 120-acre reservoir with a 1BB float to land this 30-pounder.

The 30-year-old Felixstowe angler flicked his rig just 10 yards out on the expansive local venue and was rewarded with the 32lb 14oz fish during a six-hour session.

Ben tempted the big mirror on two grains of sweetcorn over a clear area beyond marginal weed baited with free offerings of corn and a handful of Sticky’s chopped Vor-Tex, Bloodworm and Krill boilies.

He said: “I’d baited the spot and noticed there was a fish on there but I didn’t want to spook it off with a lead and it didn’t seem to be moving away to give me a chance to get a rig out there. So it was a case of sneaking a rig on the spot with a little float, being nice and subtle.

“I got the bite within five minutes and it put up a really decent fight on the light gear. There are two or three 40s in there but that one was one of the better fish in there.

“I actually had a 40lb common on a float earlier in the year so it’s definitely a tactic to use when you can’t risk waiting for a fish to move off an area.”

Ben tamed the fish on a 2.5lb-test-curve ESP Floater rod, 12lb Korda Kruiser Control line and a size 10 Korum Xpert Power hook tied to a 12lb length of Drennan Double Strength.