Three giant carp taken on the pole!

A rod with a 3lb test curve is considered a suitable piece of tackle for playing a 25lb-plus carp. 

So imagine our surprise when reports of three pole-caught specimens reached the Angling Times newsdesk this week. 

The largest of these weighed in at an impressive 34lb 6oz and fell to Bournemouth angler David Yarwood during a week’s fishing holiday spent at a lake in the Dordogne, France.

Despite taking over 1,000lb of fish on specimen tactics over the course of the trip, the carp fanatic’s catch on an elasticated pole was his pick of the bunch. 

He told Angling Times: “It fell to a single piece of corn on a size 16 hook and a 4lb hooklink tied to 5lb mainline on a Middy Muscle Tech 600 pole with a 1m extension.

“It put up one of the best fights I’ve ever had, considering it was on a pole suited to fish around a fifth the size of this carp!”

A father and son duo featured in the other two specimen carp catches taken on the pole. 

Stewart and Ash Ogborne were enjoying a fishing trip on a lake in the north of France when the two giants struck – with Stewart enjoying sport from the first fish in the form of a 25lb 10oz mirror. 

Speaking to Angling Times, Stewart said: “I’d just hooked and released the 25-pounder and then gave Ash a turn on the pole. 

“His float wasn’t in the water for long before it shot under and a big fish was hooked – 32lb 5oz!

“He’s only 11 years old, and it took him 28 minutes to land on my Garbolino Exorcist pole which was equipped with a size 14 elastic. It certainly put up an incredible scrap!

“We knew there were big carp in the lakes and I’d been feeding a line all through the day to try and lure one in. 

“It was just a matter of time before one was hooked!”

Both carp were caught on two 10mm punched luncheon meat pellets fished on a homemade rig that incorporated an 8lb mainline tied direct to a size 12 Kamasan Animal hook.