Four forties to 49lb 10oz and six thirties in 48 hours

Three forties and a thirty in an hour gave Justin Greig an incredible 60-minute haul of 168lb – and his biggest fish was still to come.
Having blanked for two days at Cambridgeshire’s Holme Fen, Justin ended up with 10 carp averaging over 39lb in the final 48 hours of his stay.
In a manic morning spell Justin bagged mirrors of 45lb 2oz, 46lb 4oz, 41lb and 36lb 6oz. And 24 hours later, in the final hours of his four-night stay, he banked a 49lb 10oz mirror.
The Bank Bug-backed angler said: “I ended the session wet and cold but I was the happiest fisherman alive. Five thirties and five forties to 49lb 10oz – wow! A red-letter session I will never, ever forget.”
Justin, who was fishing from the Reeds swim, baited heavily with maggots seasoned with chilli and a liquid sweetener.
After two blank nights, the first bite came at 10.30am on the third day, but the fish promptly fell off.
A 33lb 8oz mirror followed almost immediately, but a second dropped fish made Justin swap his 360 rig, baited with a white pop-up and 12 maggots, for a multi rig.
“Something had to change,” said Justin.
“I needed a low-sitting pop-up rig like the 360 but one that I knew would nail them, so I came up with a multi rig using a size 6 Bank Bug Demon hook.”
A 30-pounder followed at dusk, but the real action kicked off the following morning as four carp occupied nets and slings at the same time.
“The first of the crazy four fish was what we thought to be the biggest and it turned out to be 45lb 2oz – a UK forty, I was buzzing!
“Next fish was the fatty, which on close inspection was deep and had big apple-slice scales. It weighed 46lb 4oz and was a stunner – it was like a dream, two UK forties in one session!
“Next fish – could it be? Yes! 41lb – three forties one after another and I still had a good fish in the net! I hoisted it up on the scales and it read 36lb 6oz.”
That evening, a 36lb 10oz mirror made it eight fish for the session before the biggest carp of the trip – at 49lb 10oz – arrived on the last morning. With just minutes left, a 41lb 8oz mirror made it a perfect ten.