Day session treat brings son 45lb 5oz reservoir common
A delighted Michael and his 45lb 5oz common.
Day-ticket carp don’t get much bigger or better-looking than this stunning 45lb 5oz common landed by Michael Monk.
The 32-year-old was targeting his local Walthamstow No.3 Reservoir for a 12-hour session with his father when he landed the new pb from his only bite of the day.
It marked a welcome upturn in fortunes for Michael, who was made redundant recently.
He said: “My dad very kindly treated me to a day session up the ’Stow… and what a treat it was! This massive common is one of the two biggest carp in the lake, the other being a 45lb-plus mirror, which I would dearly love to catch.
“I count myself extremely lucky to have caught this amazing creature and to be able to share it all with my dad. It was amazing to be able to fish next to one another all day – and to see him slip the net under this lump will always be a great memory for me.”
Michael used the simplest of tactics to tempt the mighty common from the 12-acre venue. His standard bottom bait rig comprised a 10ins Nash Armourlink hooklink, a size 6 Nash Fang X hook and a 16mm boilie on a long hair.
“I spread 1kg of Sticky Baits Manilla boilies over two rods, spaced a rod length apart, at 60 yards range close to an island. I kept the boilies going in all day, catapulting a small handful over each rod every 20 minutes or so.
“Carp fishing is my passion, so to have caught this whacking 45-pounder is a dream come true, especially as it’s from my home town!” concluded Michael.