Brace of 30lb linears

One 30lb linear in a session is enough for most, but Lewis Daneshi had two in a seven-fish haul.

The fish came in bursts during a 24-hour session at day-ticket water Farlows, in Iver, Buckinghamshire.

Said Lewis: “It was my first 24-hour session at Farlows in a long time and it was one to remember. The session included a triple take, a double take and a brace of 30lb-plus linears!”

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The largest was the Cut Tail Linear at 35lb, and a 31lb linear. Lewis used Carp Company Ice Red boilies and rigs of size 6 Nash Fang Twisters and Missing Link.

Venue’s biggest carp falls at 34lb

Paul Abrahams made it second time lucky with the capture of his club water’s biggest resident in an action-packed session.

“Seeing her go in the net was a relief as I lost her at the net on a previous visit,” he said of the moment he secured the 34lb 9oz “fish of a lifetime”, known as Gut Bucket.

It was one of three thirties and a twenty in a seven-fish haul at a four-acre Somerset venue.

“I couldn’t believe it,” added Paul, who began his session in the teeth of a westerly wind. A 15lb 11oz common fell during the first 24 hours before the wind became northerly.

“I kept a little bait trickling in and that evening I bagged a 20lb 2oz mirror,” said Paul. “Nothing else happened that night, but the next afternoon was different. At last I had a screaming take and netted a 31lb 2oz mirror known as Trio.”

Another 24 hours passed quietly, leading Paul to search for a new spot. “I moved one of my rods closer to an island, out the way of the cold north wind, and in only 3ft 6ins of water.

“I put about half a kilo of bait around this rod, and five minutes after doing so the rod screamed off and a cracking common of 19lb 2oz was in the net.”

The same rod produced Gut Bucket at 10.30am the next day, and the action continued into the final night and the last morning, when a 33lb 2oz mirror named Spot rounded off a memorable session.

All the fish came to CC Moore Live System wafters on rigs made with 20lb ESP Tungsten Loaded and size 6 Gardner Covert Mugga hooks.


Angler’s first UK forty falls from Yateley

This Yateley common of 40lb 4oz gave Russell Godfrey a personal best and a ‘night to remember’ on the historic North Lake.

The Farnborough angler arrived for a 24-hour session on a Friday morning and used his previous observation to full effect.

The 35-year-old said: “After a bit of a walk round and chatting to the others, not a lot had been seen around. Luckily I had been down earlier in the week for a walk and had seen a couple of fish show behind an island and decided, as the swim I could cast to that area from was free, to drop in to there for the first night and see if anything would show the following morning.”

Having found a gravel spot next to a clump of weed, Russell Spombed out 2kg of sweetcorn and chopped Sticky Manilla boilies before casting out at 3.30pm.

He added: “A few hours later the bobbin pulled up tight and as I lifted my rod up to make contact with the fish I felt a small kick and nothing else happened. This one got away.

“I topped up the swim with another 2kg of bait and got my rig back out on the spot. At about 8pm the bobbin pulled up to the top and I was in contact with another fish.

“After a hard 20-minute battle I finally slipped the large common into the net. On closer inspection we realised it was the elusive Black Common which only makes a few appearances on the bank per season.

“As you can imagine I was absolutely made up as it was my first UK 40-pounder and a new pb! All the regulars came round to help with the photos and to congratulate me. What a night to remember!”

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Linch Hill 43lb carp on freezing night

Christchurch at Linch Hill has produced a spate of stunners, this 43lb 4oz mirror being the latest.
Mal Battenbough made the trip to the Oxfordshire venue from his home in Swansea and was rewarded with Baby Poolie’s after moving swims.
The 45-year-old soldier had endured two blank nights before dropping in behind in-form Adam Smith, who recently had an 18-fish hit from the lake.
“The temperature dropped really quickly as the light faded and, with no signs of fish, I climbed into my sleeping bag with the intention of getting some heat back into my body,” said Mal.
“At around 1.15am four or five quick bleeps on my receiver saw me out of bed inspecting my rods. My left-hand bobbin had lifted to the blank so I raised the rod and was into a fish.”
In the -3ºC cold, Mal struggled to contain the carp’s lunges and it weeded solid for 10 minutes.
“I put the rod back on the alarm and went for the boat,” said Mal. “When I went to sleep the boat was behind my swim, but now it had gone, so I headed back into my swim and lifted the rod once more. This time I felt the fish kick and without giving it a chance to weed itself again
I began to pump it over the top of the weed bed in front.”
With help from the angler next door, the scaly mirror was landed, weighed and identified.
Mal fished Sticky Manilla hookbaits over mushed-up freebies.


St John’s 39-pounder tops 10-fish winter haul

Paddy Ramsden jumped on St John’s at the end of a pike match and took 10 carp to almost 40lb in temperatures as low as -50C.
The Chorley angler relished the chance of fishing in some “proper winter weather” and caught from the off at the Oxfordshire day-ticket water after the predator competition ended.
He said: “Around 4pm the hooter blew and we could choose a swim. Having spent the afternoon observing the water I knew where I wanted to be.
“Heading for the Point, an area I had never fished before, I knew with 48 hours in front of me that I had to take the risk of leading around for some spots. An hour or so later I had a good idea of the swim and had found a lovely little area out at range.”
While baiting up with mashed corn and crumbed CC Moore Live System boilies soaked in Amino 365 liquid, Paddy’s right-hand rod signalled a take and he landed a mid-twenty. That night, after baiting up again at midnight, he had three more fish including two doubles and another twenty.
On day two Paddy continued to trickle small amounts of bait into his swim. He said: “As the light began to fade, my left-hand alarm sounded and I was into another fish. This felt a lot bigger, kiting on a long line until I managed to turn it away from my mate’s lines next door. After 10 minutes in the deep margins I slipped the net under a fish that went 39lb 3oz. I was elated at the capture.”
The temperature continued to fall during the night, eventually getting down to -50C,  but this didn’t stop the fish feeding and I had four more between 18lb and 22lb, all from my middle rod.”
A 27-pounder at 6am completed a memorable session before Paddy, who fished white CC Moore Live System hookbaits, packed up at first light.


48-pounders in Wellington carp haul

The irrepressible Kris Ollington has been at it again on Wellington Country Park.
The reigning Angling Times Carp Angler of the Year, whose 2015 tally featured six different fifties, caught two 48-pounders and two thirties in a weekend at the Berkshire super water.
All four fish are new to the Surrey angler, who is rapidly working his way through the syndicate lake’s stock. The two smaller carp were commons weighing 33lb 8oz and 38lb 10oz, while the 48-pounders were a common and a ghostie.
“This awesome venue never fails to surprise me,” said Kris.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of the place, not only for the fish but the syndicate as a whole – from the members to the bailiff team, it’s just perfect.”
The electrician, who fished at 140yds “into a brutal headwind” added: “I was keen to get down that weekend, as it was a full moon and the lake usually responds well to that particular phase.”
He added: “I had two fish on Saturday evening and two early Sunday morning – unreal fishing for mid-February!”
Kris used multi rigs tied with Gardner end tackle and used 15mm Mainline Milky Toffee pop-ups over 2kg of 18mm Mainline Cell boilies.


“Shaking with excitement” after four-year quest

A social session with a friend gave Simon Brockbank his first 40-pounder in the shape of this 44lb 11oz mirror.
A four-year quest for a fish called Shoulders ended for Simon, when the 44lb 11oz mirror tripped up during a 48-hour visit to a Lincs syndicate venue with Phil Holmes.
“I was ecstatic with my first forty, a new personal best and my target fish to boot,” said Simon. “It was the most memorable session and it was shared with a good friend.”
Simon found three clear spots amid the weed and presented Key Baits All Season pop-ups over matching freebies and hemp.
The second day brought a 22lb mirror before Shoulders arrived that night.
Simon said: “At 4am the same rod was away with a slow take. As soon as I lifted into the fish, I felt it was a good one. The fish plodded away in the margins for a few minutes, then took a gulp of air before I pulled her over the waiting net.
“I was shaking with excitement, so Phil did the honours with the weighing and the needle settled on 44lb 11oz.”
A 23lb 11oz common fell before the session was over to complete a memorable 48 hours.

‘Dazed’ after a fourth 50lb carp

“I had waited seven years to land my first 50lb carp and here I was, about to hold my fourth in as many months.”
Those were the words of in-form Ian Stott as he recounted the capture of this 59lb 2oz beast from Wellington Country Park.
The St Neots rod has been on a stunning run at the Berkshire venue recently, but this fish is his biggest so far.
He added: “As I peered into the net a load of expletives erupted from my mouth. I was looking down on a carp that was close on a foot across its back, and it dwarfed the size of a carp I had caught a few months previously.”
Ian arrived at Welly at 6.30pm on a Friday but found anglers in the swims he wanted, so he spent the night in his van before moving into a swim vacated by a bailiff the next morning.
Having cast his rigs to a spot at 130 yards, the bite came at about 3pm.
“I was sitting in the bivvy having a cup of tea when the right-hand indicator just dropped all the way down and hit the surface of the water in the margins before going all the way up to the top where it then absolutely tore off,” he said.
After a tough battle lasting nearly 20 minutes, Ian secured the fish in the net.
“I was soon left alone with one of the biggest smiles on my face imaginable,” he continued.
“Dazed would be about the best way to describe how I was feeling, dazed but extremely happy.”
Ian used Denham Element L boilies on rigs made with size 4 Gardner Covert Dark Mugga hooks and 10ins of 25lb TrickLink.


50lb Butthead and 40lb Tutti banked before Pendle View sale

Scott Hatton admitted “you just can’t better it” after a challenging winter campaign ended with a 50lb Lancashire common for him and a 40-pounder for his teenage son.
The pair have fished in all weathers this winter at Pendle View, hoping to catch Butthead the big common before the imminent sale of the day-ticket venue is completed.
In the end, Scott and 14-year-old Connor accomplished their mission with a flourish, banking nine fish including the two big commons and seven twenties in a session.
“I had vowed I was having her, that she would be mine before it shut,” said 39-year-old Scott.
“We had a winter campaign on there and I’d basically been telling everyone I would catch her.
“As weekends go you just can’t better it. I think there had been two fish out in 10 days and then we had nine fish between us.
“All winter we’ve basically been doing the opposite to what everyone else does there, fishing single hookbaits rather than spodding out loads of bait.
“Over the last six weeks we’ve worked out the routines and where the fish are moving, building up a pattern.”
The pair have also gone against the grain with their rigs, using running leads rather than semi-fixed set-ups and trimming their pop-ups down to about 6mm in size.
Recalling the fight from Butthead, the self-employed joiner from
St Helens said: “All the bites have been two or three bleeps then hitting them, no one-toners. After a 15-minute battle she came into the margins and shoved her head up, and both Connor and I let out a shout.”
The Hattons fished Pukka Squirrel Baits’ Strawberry-EY pop-ups on Withy Pool rigs made with Korda N-Trap Soft and size 8 Korda Kurv hooks.

One the otters spared

Kyle Woodgate’s decision to target a low-stock venue which had been hit by otters was vindicated when he slipped the net under this 28lb 2oz zip linear from the Cotswold Water Park.
In strong winds and driving rain the local rod located a silt patch 60 yards from the bank which he baited with Pilgrim Baits K2 boilies. There he presented a boilie tipped with plastic corn on a bolt rig consisting of a size 6 Korda Wide Gape hook and 10ins of N-Trap Semi-Stiff coated braid.
Kyle said: “The fish went 28lb 8oz, although weight is unimportant – thank God the otters never took this old warrior!”


43lb 4oz mirror is a real peach!

A heavy baiting approach paid off for Ash Bailey, who enjoyed a 10 fish haul during a session at southern stillwater – the highlight being a couple of forties.
Arriving in the pouring rain on a Friday evening, the Dorset-based rod headed to one of the few remaining swims on the deeper side of the lake where he had a hunch the fish would be held up.
He proceeded to bait up with two buckets of bait comprising hemp, maize, 3kg of CC Moore Live System boilies and half-a-gallon of maggots. He fished all three rods over the top, each with a different coloured Northern Special pop-up tipped with maggots.
The first bite came the next morning in the form of a lovely 26lb mirror. “After that the carp were constantly showing over me,” he said. “A couple of hours later my bobbin pulled up really slowly and after a powerful fight my mate fished the net under a fish we recognised as The Peach. This is one the lake’s harder fish to catch, and at 43lb 4oz it was a new pb and my second UK forty.”
His spot was topped up with another two buckets of bait and 5am the following morning he had another slow take. “The fish stayed deep and made several powerful runs but after a long fight I slide the net under another monstrous mirror. As soon as I saw its tail I recognised it as another of the lake’s rare fish, a carp called Fingers. This time the scales settled on a weight of 41lb 6oz.”
Ash went on to land a further four fish with commons of 31lb and 30lb and mirrors weighing 32lb and 24lb 14oz.


Eastenders star is hard act to follow!

Actor Scott Maslen was the star man as Orchid Lake threw up a host of specimens last week.
The former EastEnder caught fish of 40lb 2oz, 38lb 12oz and 32lb, plus five twenties, from the Alamo swim at the Oxfordshire day-ticket venue. With an afternoon remaining, he had banked 12 fish in total.
Fox-backed anglers Mark Bartlett and Lee Morris also got in on the act with a 38-pounder apiece from the same swim. Mark also caught another thirty, and the pair managed a clutch of twenties.
Venue boss Marsh Pratley said: “It’s Scott’s first visit to Orchid and he has worked really hard for the fish – they certainly haven’t been put on a plate for him.”
He added: “We’ve had 10 new thirties come through since the start of last year and there are probably close to 50 different ones in here now.”


Carp Angler of the Year is at it again!

Angling Times Carp Angler of the Year Kris Ollington has started his 2016 campaign in the same way he left 2015.
The Surrey angler caught an unprecedented six UK fifties last year, and opened this year’s tally with a 52lb 4oz common and a 41lb 6oz mirror.
Both fish fell on the same morning of a weekend session at Berkshire’s Wellington Country Park. “I’m really made up with a couple of lovely cold-water whackers,” said Kris, who bagged the bigger one, the Chestnut Common, last year at exactly 52lb.