The biggest common carp ever landed in the UK has been caught from Buckinghamshire's Waterside Fishery at its biggest ever weight of 68lb exactly, falling just one ounce short of the current British Record fish.
The elated angler, Chris Lines, was halfway through a five-night session on Kingfisher Lake when he had the take that would see him cradling one of the most majestic fish in the country. After a successful first night on the complex, Chris experienced a very slow second night with the fish seemingly moving out of the area he was fishing.
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"I was fishing Waterside Fishery for a five-night session, and although conditions were warm, the fish hadn't shown any signs of spawning," Chris told us.
"I managed to catch a fish on the first morning, which was a great confidence boost, but unfortunately, nothing on the second morning."
"I’d been working the spot for the three nights I had been fishing, spombing in Essential Cell boilies, and I’d used about 8 kg in total."
"I was using my faithful combi multi-rig with a size 6 wide gape hook and an Advanced Baits Hydrolysed Pineapple Wafter," he said.
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Despite worrying he might not catch any more fish during his stay, he remained positive, and before long, he had another bite that would blow him away.
"At 7:35 am, I had a slow but deliberate take that slowly peeled line from the clutch."
"I hooked into a fish that, in all honesty, didn’t really feel particularly big."
"I was playing the fish for a while and started to think it might be a little bigger than I initially thought."
"As the fish got closer, it turned on the top of the water, and I saw how big it was. I thought, That’s the big common!" he exclaimed.
Chris was in total shock, having seen what he was now attached to. He carefully played the fish for a further five adrenaline-fueled minutes before he managed to slide the biggest common in the country into his net.
"Words can’t describe how I feel about the fish, overwhelmed is an understatement and I’m absolutely over the moon."
"The best part about the capture is that I managed to share it with my dad, a session and a fish I'll never forget," he concluded.
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