42lb 1oz carp proves Car Park Lake still special

Yateley Car Park Lake might not be the pinnacle of British carping these days, but it still has the form to throw up special moments – like the capture of this elusive forty.
The difficult Hampshire venue, known throughout the 1980s and 1990s for giant fish such as Heather the Leather and Arfur, gave Michael Whitney a memory to savour with this 42lb 1oz mirror, which had not been caught for more than three years.
He told Angling Times: “This is my first fish out of the famous Car Park Lake.
“I got my ticket at the start of this season, but this was only my eighth night on the water because I’ve been lingering on another fishery where I hadn’t caught what I wanted.
“However, last week I decided to concentrate on the Car Park, and it really paid off. This fish is another unknown forty for the lake, with its last capture back in 2012.
“I’m really chuffed with this one and it’s now given me the confidence to do my own thing like I’ve wanted to. It’s easy to get caught up in the history of the place, but I’ve tried to stick to what works for me.”
The 34-year-old from Surrey caught the fish 24 hours into a 48-hour stay after a move of swim to get on a strong wind.
Michael offered a cut-down Sonubaits Oozing pop-up mounted on a simple rig of an E-S-P Tungsten hooklink and a size 6 Nash Fang Twister hook.