Regardless of where in the world you fish for carp, landing a fish over the 60lb barrier is the ultimate goal for many anglers. In the UK, a fish of this magnitude is one very few anglers manage to bank, as despite carp growing bigger every year, a UK 60 is still incredibly special and something many anglers dream of adding to their photo album.
Now, imagine landing not one but two of these massive carp in the same session, backed up by two more 40lb fish and a handful of thirties. That’s exactly what Ben Gregg accomplished during his most recent visit to Old Mill Lakes! Despite a slow start to the session, Ben, who only started carp fishing in 2023, remained confident in his tactics and was rewarded with his second and third 60lb carp, after already landing one in just his first year of angling!
A SET OF THE BEST CARP RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND MONSTER CARP LIKE THESE!
"I had a week-long session planned at my favourite big carp venue, Old Mill Lakes in Lincolnshire, and I had been looking forward to it for ages. I always feel incredibly lucky to spend time at these lakes," Ben told us.
"The venue has been incredibly kind to me, and the fish just keep getting bigger. All the lakes on-site offer anglers the chance to catch big carp, and sitting behind the rods with 60lb fish in front of you brings a level of excitement that few lakes can match."
Fishing on Birch Lake, Ben's session wasn’t going to plan and with only one fish under his belt after five nights of angling and very little activity in his swim, he knew something had to change. After spotting fish showing in another area of the lake, he decided to pack up and move onto them, having no idea at the time this decision would completely transform his session!
IF YOU STRUGGLE TO FIND FISH, THESE AREAS OF THE LAKE ARE GREAT STARTING POINTS FOR CARP!
"I wasn’t in the new swim long before my effort was rewarded with a fish, and what followed can only be described as carnage," he recalled.
"From Thursday night to Sunday morning, I landed 21 fish from 25 bites, including some incredible carp."
"In total, I banked two 60lb fish—The Big Common at 61lb 14oz and Pitchers at 61lb—along with Veiny at 48lb, Pawprint at 41lb 8oz, plus a handful of thirties as well."
"I still can't believe what happened, and I don’t think I’ll ever have a better session than that. Having a brace of fish on the bank totalling over 100lb was unbelievable, I’m still in shock!"
"To catch the fish, I relied on my ever-faithful German turbo rigs with size 4 long shank beaked hooks, baiting for a bite at a time using house pellet mixed with SAS squid boilies. Match-the-hatch wafters accounted for all the fish."
"I just wanted to thank Chris Marler for creating the magnificent venue and for allowing me to fish on the complex!"
IF YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE BANK, YOU NEED TO INVEST IN ONE OF THE BEST BIVVIES!
