Yorkshire carp 'Black Scale' out at 50lb 6oz

Kev Rogerson added to his remarkable tally of Northern whackers with this 50lb 6oz mirror carp known as Black Scale.

The fish, which came from Eric’s Willows Lake, is the fourth fish over 40lb the Sunderland angler has had from Yorkshire this year.

“I’m having a good year,” said Kev. “This was a new personal best and my first fifty.”

Fitting in his sessions whenever he could, Kev fished two nights either side of a day at work. Having chosen a swim in the centre of the venue, he found three spots amid heavy weed and it was the closest one, at 40 yards, that produced the goods.

“On the first night I had a bit of an occurrence on my closer rod at about 3am, but nothing seemed to materialise and the line was still in the clip, so I left it.

“Next morning I was up for work at 6am and on reeling in my rods I found my close-in one had a different line angle.

“On retrieving I found it was in heavy weed and had no lead!

“Kicking myself, I put a bit of bait on the spots and headed to work, returning at 6pm. At about 7.45pm I had a drop-back on my close rod and lifted into a fish which was in heavy weed. After about five minutes of steady pressure I had it moving and, to be honest, at this point I thought it was a small one as it just came in steadily.

“It wasn’t until I had it near the bank that it got rid of the weed and suddenly it was a heavy plod and I realised it was a bit bigger than I thought!”

Kev, who also managed a small common, baited with S7 boilies from DNA Baits and presented the company’s Milky Malt pop-ups over the top on hinged stiff rigs.