45lb common carp is highlight of 30-year carp career
Darren Hilton hailed this striking common as the highlight of his 30-year carp career.
The immaculate 45-pounder, known as The Major, was caught by the Carp Couture owner at a Kent syndicate water.
He said: “I was just blown away. In my 30 years of carp fishing, I have never caught or seen a creature like this. I feel privileged to have held this stunning carp.”
Darren’s two-night session started slowly but yielded a 31lb 4oz mirror before a 6pm take on the second day produced the big common.
“The fish came in close pretty quickly and on seeing it I knew it was one of the big girls. It looked huge and so long, darting backwards and forwards under my feet in 8ft of gin-clear water. The water is so clear I could see my Mad Baits Wicked White pop-up hanging over the bottom lip. I was really nervous that the fish was hooked lightly, and it continued to make strong heavy runs to the weed bed to my left.
“The fish slowly tired and came up in the water, and a fellow angler slipped the net under her. She pulled the dial around to bang on 45lb and I was dumbstruck.
“It’s the most stunning fish I have ever seen, let alone held. On the bank it is just immense – the length, the shaper, the proportions and the colours are just perfect in my mind.”
