40lb mirror carp from Nottinghamshire stillwater
Picture a carp in its winter colours and you would probably conjure up the 40-pounder being held here by Nick Burrage.
The Gardner and Nutrabaits-backed angler tempted this 40lb 9oz mirror during a chilly session at a Nottinghamshire water.
The Shropshire rod said: “Turning up to a cold, windswept lake, with temperatures taken right down by the wind chill, I had a feeling the carp would be somewhere on the back of the wind.
“After a very quick bite in the shape of a 28lb fully scaled mirror just as the light was fading, I got talking to a friend and, the way the liners were coming, we were saying a lump was well and truly on the cards.”
After a quiet night, Nick began boiling his kettle for the first coffee of the day when one of his alarms let out a fast series of bleeps before falling silent.
“As I stood by the rods I watched carefully and saw a slight twitch as the bobbin tried its best to settle again. Not taking any chances, I picked the rod up to be greeted by a surge of power running the other way, stripping line and trying to hide in the nearest weed bed.
“I was soon playing a fish along with a clump of weed. With the line grating as it made contact with snail shells and the like, the soaked weed made the whole battle a bit of a nervous one.
“After uncovering my prize through the mountain of weed, I was over the moon to see her dark flanks catching the morning light!”
Nick fished Nutrabaits Trigga Ice boilies at 40 yards and used a snowman rig made with 20lb Gardner Trickster and a size 6 Wide Gap Talon Tip hook.
