Biggest carp for 30 years
The biggest carp to be landed at Bury Hill for 30 years could be the first of a run of big fish crowned by the possible capture of the fishery's first 30 lb common.
Captor of the 30 lb 8 oz mirror in mid May, Steven Grant, of Morden, came back two days after landing the big fish and added a 28 lb 8 oz fish to his tally, as well as another 'twenty' from the same area.
He now has his sights set on catching an even bigger one, and can't believe that Old Bury Hill Lake isn't on the more carp anglers' list of waters, considering the amount of action he's been getting.
'On other lakes I've fished it's nothing to spent a week there and get nothing,' explained Steven 'but at Bury Hill I was there for six hours and had three fish. That's unheard of at other waters.
'The lake hasn't been hit as hard as most of the usual places, and fish are not wary or scared of lines.
'It deserves to get a lot more attention, as there's so many 'twenties' in there that I'd say you are guaranteed one if you sit quietly and wait.'
He was as surprised as anyone when he pulled out the first 'thirty' for three decades.
' I was shocked to see a 'thirty'. I knew there were 25s and I haven't caught one there under 15 lb, but I didn't expect anything like that.'
Steven caught the fish in mid afternoon of an all day session at peg 42 on the Long Bank, casting just ten feet to the edge of a bed of lilies, which is just growing back after the winter.
He believes the fish patrol the edge of the lily beds, looking for food among the tough roots, which provide a haven when they reach their full summer growth. He lobbed out a single, soft carp nugget, drilled and mounted on a 15 lb hair, alongside a couple of freebies, and sat well back from the edge to avoid spooking the fish.
The 25-year-old windscreen fitter prefers to fish the lake during the week, when it is quiet, dropping the 2 oz In-line lead in position and waiting silently for any fish startled by the sound of the lead to come back into the swim.
He uses a bolt rig with a size 6 hook to 15 lb line so he can cast over the young lilies and yet still pull clear of the roots when he hooks a fish.
His personal best stood at exactly 25 lb when he hooked the big one, which took about 15 minutes to land.
'As soon as I pulled it out of the water I knew it was a 'thirty' and I ran down to the boathouse to get David,' recalled Steven, who also landed an 18 lb 8 oz fish and lost a third the same day.
The carp is the biggest since the fishery record of 33 lb was caught in the early 1970s and is one that has not appeared as an upper double in the past couple of years.
Fishery owner David de Vere, who photographed and witnessed the latest capture, believes there are now four fish nudging 30 lb, including three commons.
'All of our carp are genuine English long-term resident fish,' he said 'and considering the large head of them in Old Bury Hill Lake it's impressive to get a fish of this size.'
The lake contains around 450 doubles, a good average being 16-18 lb, and 50-60 twenties averaging about 23-25 lb, with four fish around 30 lb.
Steven, who has been carp fishing seriously for about four years, believes the lake could hold plenty more surprises.
'No one knows what's in there. If a fish gets a bit clever after being caught a few times, there could be something quite a bit bigger out there that hasn't been caught for a while.
'I've waited two years for a fish like that, as last season I was still learning about the lake and getting to know the swims and watching the match results to see which areas get baited up.
'Now I'm using that knowledge, and I want a 30 lb common. Who knows, there might even be a 'forty' in there?
'I reckon I've got about another month until the lilies grow back and become too thick to fish that area. I'm going to make the most of my time before then.'
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