The effort of covering hundreds of miles and searching multiple stretches of the River Wye over the last two years finally paid off for Kieran Bishop when he slipped the net under this 32lb common.
The 21-year-old from Wales had recently seen a few carp in a couple of different stretches over the last few weeks, but settled on one for his latest session after seeing something that could only have been a carp or a big pike turn over on the surface.
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With his rods in position, he was woken by a screaming take in the early hours of the morning as the hooked fish rapidly stripped line from his reel on a powerful downstream run.
"At first I thought it was a barbel. When I was no closer to landing it 15 minutes later though, I shouted for my mate Declan to wake up and give me a hand as I began to think it could be a carp," Kieran told Angling Times.
"I eventually got it within 20yds of the bank and when it came to the surface I was in complete shock as I realised I was finally attached to a River Wye carp. What looked to be a little pale mirror turned into a small common as it got closer."
"My legs were shaking like jelly when my mate slipped the net under what I still thought was a still common. He then said 'that looks like a proper lump' and as I looked at him I was lost for words!"
"A 32lb River Wye common! A fish I will probably never beat and a session I'll remember for ever."
Kieran tempted the impressive running-water specimen with a Nash Scopex Squid boilie presented on a Slip-D rig incorporating a size 5 Nash Fang Twister Long Shank hook.
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