Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to catch some of the U.K.s and europes most elusive carp.
Why ? Is it luck, skill or simply being in the right place at the right time ?
Like many anglers reading this, my fishing time is limited. Having a maximum of 4 nights per month to get out fishing. We all dream every winter that over the coming months we’ll manage to get out fishing more often, but with busy work and family life it’s almost impossible to get more often but the dream is always there. I admire the anglers who have more time than most, but they do make sacrifices in life to accomplish their lifestyle.
This big Lincolnshire mirror was one of the most elusive carp to capture in the country for many years. Residing in Deepings No1 lake that is a busy syndicate water targeted by many of the country’s top anglers. Yet this elusive mirror would regularly go 2 years without being caught. In only 8 acres of water it’s amazing some carp can be so hard to capture but occasionally we get lucky.
This story goes back to 2015 and a year I dedicated the spring / summer to hopefully catching a few of the A team from this special water. With only around 80 carp residing in the lake but at the time the majority being over 30lb, 10 over 40lb with 3 to 4 that went over the magic 50lb and the mighty black spot that went over 60lb on a couple of occasions. But this mirror being the most elusive of them all and hovering around the 50lb mark and a carp that went by the name of Hallets.
My bait of choice for the year being Trigga, the ultimate campaign bait. My plan was to take 3 to 4 kilos more each session and bait numerous areas of the lake before leaving on a Sunday that I knew carp would move through over the coming days. The lake being a 160 mile round trip making pre-baiting impossible on a regular basis so hanging around on a Sunday till all the anglers had left was my plan. Well the plan was coming together nicely through the spring up to the lake closing for spawning with several of the lakes A team falling to the Trigga. After the lake reopened I got back into my every other weekend and same baiting plan, couple of kilos of bait during the session and 3 to 4 kilos spread across several spots on leaving.
With the August bank holiday approaching I would have back to back weekends fishing, a very rare event in my angling life so plans were made to target one part of the lake which gave access from 3 swims to a bar that I knew the carp would frequent during the warmer months. The first weekend being the August bank holiday so Friday to Monday fishing. As expected the lake was busy but I managed to get one of the swims that goes by the name windy which gave me access to the bar. With angling pressure being high over the weekend it was no surprise that the fishing was slow with only a couple being caught over the weekend, I was lucky enough to catch a mid 30 and with most anglers leaving on the Sunday the carp became alive with carp showing around the lake. Well all went quiet but confidence was at an all time high over the Sunday night. But my confidence was shattered at first light after seeing several shows at first light. A tufty moved over my spot, dived and picked one of my two rigs up off my spot. Dilemma time, do I reel in and risk spoiling my chances or leave and hope the other rod rips off ?
Well 20 minutes later the rod that was picked up by the tufty ripped off amazingly. The next 10 minutes were spent keeping what felt a big fish from find sanctuary in the many weed beds before sliding over the net. Instantly I recognised the carp as Hallets. A carp that had been on the missing list for a couple of years, buzzing was an understatement and at 49lb and ounces a huge English carp.
Knowing I’d be back the following weekend but chances of getting back in the swim being slim I chose to spread my remains bait over a wider area in the hope of keeping any carp in the area grubbing around along the bar with went the full width of the lake. From memory around 8 feet deep each side and around 5 feet on the bar.
The drive home being easy and excitement to get back, well as expected on my return on the Friday evening my chosen swim was taken as expected but luckily the opposite swim was free, a swim called long cast. This would give me access to the area I was fishing previously so once again confidence was high. As with all my sessions on pressured waters on limited time I only introduced a scattering of bait in the hope of not disturbing any carp in the area but giving them enough to seek out. The first night was quiet but 9am my right hand rod ripped off and another battle that lasted over 10 minutes attached to what felt another big carp. As the mirror was wallowing on the surface before netting my thoughts were it looks like Hallets again, to my amazement it was the same carp again. A rare visitor to the bank falling to the same rig off the same spot on the Trigga once again.
Was this luck or did the baiting work ? Well not surprisingly this carp went on the missing list once again and was over 2 years before it came out again to the rods of Mark Holmes.
So is it a game plan that came together or right place right time. We’ll never know but the elation of capturing the most elusive is a buzz that’s hard to describe.
That year was my most successful on the water, landing 12 carp in 16 nights with several over 40lb along with the mighty Black Spot at 59lb 10oz making for a special year.
I wish you lots of luck in your carping adventures and hopefully the one you have been chasing isn’t too far away.
Tight Lines
Rich Hughes
