I started fishing when I was around 12 chasing Chubb and Perch on the local rivers (Colne and Gade) and Grand union canal in Watford. When I was about 16 I joined Watford piscators angling club and saw the huge carp in Tolpits and the well-known anglers fishing for them. From that moment on I put all my efforts into watching and learning about carp fishing. In the following years I went onto catch both my Targets out of Tolpits at a respectable 37lb. After that I spent a bit of time fishing the Grand Union Canal catching Carp up to low 30's and fishing other non-publicity lakes in the Colne Vally. Last season I caught my UK PB common at around 38lb from Jones pit in Bedfordshire. Most recently I have been fishing Monks Pit with Carp up to 40lb and a host of 30's and a very deep low stock lake in Buckinghamshire chasing to 2 40lb commons.
This winter I have been concentrating my efforts on Monks Pit where up till recently the biggest carp was a fish called "Porky" that was on everyone's wish list. Unfortunately it passed away recently leaving questions of who was going to replace the big girl.
Little did I know when I arrived at the lake just before first light and loaded up my barrow that in roughly 3 hours’ time I would have achieved something I have been dreaming about since I was a child.
I set up in the teeth of a warm south-westerly wind on a surprisingly warm January day. As the sun came up I put 3 rods out a little bit closer in than I normally would due to the wind pounding into the corner. I was laying on my bed thinking I had perhaps made a mistake to ignore my banker spot at 100 yards out. When I had one beep on my left-hand rod, followed by a slight drop back before the line slow started to peel off my spool at a consistent rate.
I walked down to the side of the lake and picked up my rod, I was met with solid resistance. Like having a bag of sand on the end! I slowly managed to regain line as it whistled in the wind. The fish spent what felt like a life time plodding around in the deep margins, up and down, up and down. When I saw a tail pattern on top of the water despite my leader knot only just showing I knew I was attached to something very very special.
At last the fish came up and took a big gulp of air. I could see my carp.online Scorpion hook sitting inside the bottom lip perfectly as I slipped my net under the fish.
After a few frantic minutes I sat there starring into the net when I noticed the black spot on the right hand flank. I quickly grabbed Rob who was packing up in the next peg alone, he quickly confirm it was Blackspot.
