First-time visitor’s disbelief at huge 60lb carp

Three bivvies, a personal best and a lake record were all destroyed as Storm Katie produced a day-ticket water’s first 60-pounder.

Meadows Lake at Holme Fen Fishery only opened last year but has already produced incredible catches including three fish over 50lb. Its first sixty, known as Captain Jack, weighed in at 60lb 2oz and was caught by tackle-shop owner Zack Barrett during a windy 48-hour session.

The 41-year-old, on his first visit to the Cambridgeshire day-ticket venue, told Angling Times: “You obviously go there knowing about the size of fish, but never did I expect to catch a 60-pounder in the UK.”

“It was a social session with three customers and we arrived on Easter Monday for 48 hours. It was incredibly windy and three bivvies got broken during our stay.

“I went in a swim called Beach, which I knew had recently produced fish but, with the recent cold snap and the freezing winds, I was gentle with the bait.

“The fish came from a single rod over which I put 10 spods of Holme Fen Pellets, corn and a cup of Sticky Krill boilies. I fished a CC Moore Northern Special wafter in a PVA bag.”

Zack, who runs Melton Angling in Melton Mowbray, got the take at 11am on Tuesday.

He said: “I got just one bleep and noticed the bobbin had pulled up tight, and I leant straight into it. The fish took line in its own measured fashion and it was probably on for 10 or 15 minutes before I called for help from the swim next door.”