Britain's biggest carp caught twice in less than 48 hours
The biggest living carp in the country has been caught twice in less than two days.
The Parrot, which inhabits Cranwells on the Wasing Park estate in Berkshire, first fell to the rods of bailiff Mike Brampton at a weight of 64lb 6oz. Just 44 hours later it was in the net of Bernie Loftus at a new top weight of 64lb 8oz.
The fish, which is more than 40ins long, could easily eclipse the British record of 67lb 8oz, according to Mike, who has worked at the complex for 13 years. He said: “I think it will go on to do the British record. It’s so healthy and so long. If it ever fills out its gut then who knows what it could weigh.”
The carp, which Mike said was stocked at 12lb about 20 years ago, gave him a torrid hour-long fight after picking up the 59-year-old’s bait on the second day of his first winter session.
“In all the years I’ve been with Wasing I’ve only done a dozen nights on Cranwells, and this was my first winter night this year,” said Mike, who fished a quiet corner of the water and baited lightly.
“I arrived on the Thursday afternoon and got the take at 7am on the Friday. It took off and just felt like a dead weight. I had a funny feeling it was the big one.”
After the fish got stuck in weed, Mike put the rod on the rest for 30 minutes and, when the fish began moving again, called for the assistance of a boat. “Once it was free of the weed it towed me around the lake and I couldn’t get it back to my swim.”
He added: “I just can’t get over it. To have this fish on my first session of the winter was just such a shock.”
Mike used Mistral i40 boilies and presented two of them on a simple hair rig tied with a size 6 Nash Fang X hook and Atomic Jel-E-Wyre.
