8-year wait for 46lb 10oz carp

After eight years of trying, Ted Bryan broke his carp personal best with this 46lb 10oz mirror from a southern stillwater.
The Sydenham-based big-fish hunter and former Drennan Cup Champion arrived on the Sunday afternoon to find the lake packed with anglers, so he had to drop into one of the few remaining free pegs.
The night passed without event, so when the crowds had thinned out the next day he upped sticks to try a different spot.
“Once I had got set up I went off to work on the lakes, cutting out swims,” Ted told Angling Times.
“I was working through the day and fishing at night, and because the clocks had gone back I was struggling to get my rods out before dark.”
He eventually had three rods positioned 40 yards out with 20 Nash Bait TG boilies over each one.
“I could hear fish crashing out all night in my swim, and at 4am I received the fastest take I’ve ever had. I picked up the rod and the line just continued to spill off the reel. Even when I tried to stop it, it just carried on going!
“I kept the pressure on but whenever I gained any line the fish stripped more off. It took over 10 minutes to get it in front of me and I thought it was going to be a small fish because of how fast it was. But when I pulled the net in it was huge – I even struggled to hold it for the photos.”
He added. “At 46lb 10oz it beat my previous personal best by 2oz.”
Ted’s successful presentation consisted of a double 15mm Nash Bait TG Active boilie hookbait mounted on a size 8 Fang X hook, and a 15lb Hardcore hooklink with a 2oz inline lead.