47lb carp one of two personal bests in a six-day stint

Mike Deakin banked a personal-best common and mirror during a six-day session at history-soaked Horton Church Lake.

The long trip from his home in Runcorn, Cheshire, to the Berkshire venue was more than justified as the 48-year-old production manager captured Hercules at 48lb and Sid at 37lb. Mike also banked a 29lb 9oz fully scaled mirror and a 38lb 10oz mirror know as Chunky.

“Sid is probably the oldest fish in the lake. It’s an old Longfield fish and there’s a pic of Terry Dempsey with it back in 1992, so it goes back a long, long way,” said Mike, who added: “I blanked for the first two nights then moved swims. I blanked again for the first night in the new swim, then the action started.”

Mike baited with an initial 6kg of mixed particles and boilies, then added up to 3kg each night.

The fight from the 48lb Hercules was a brutal one. Said Mike: “The scrap was incredible. It beat me up for 10 minutes and when I got it in the net I was blown away.”