BIG CARP specialist Ed Betteridge upped his PB to 53 lb 12 oz with this big-framed mirror known as Roids... after a tough battle in the weed.
The Derby-based big carp angler, who works as media manager at the Greys tackle brand, banked the impressive fish from a southern ‘Boating Lake’.
It beat Ed’s PB by 3 lb and came on his first night back since November, and at the end of the cold early spring spell.
Ed said: “I didn’t have plans to rejoin the Boating Lake this year but the water I intended on fishing is 150 acres and stream fed, so with all the recent biblical rain fall and cold weather I knew it would be a waste of time until conditions improved.
“So with no other tickets to fall back on, I made the last minute decision to rejoin the Boating Lake.
“I spent hours watching the water without seeing anything show so I ended up fishing an area that I knew had done a few early bites last April.
“There was a raised area that ran parallel with the bank that was heavily weeded in the summer, where as the deeper water around it was featureless.
“I didn’t want to disturb the area too much getting the rig exactly right so I boated out to the zone and cast a chod another 15 yards towards the feature.
“I reasoned the fish wouldn’t be feeding much in the cold water, but I wanted a bit of attraction around the area so I baited with a dozen mixed Mainline Baits boilies.”
Big carp takes Ed into dead weed
Ed continued: “The wind switched in the night to a southerly facer with heavy rain forcing me to zip up the bivvy to keep me and the dog dry.
“A gathering of weed on the line had caused a few beeps during the night, so when I was woken up just before dawn by three beeps, I didn’t think too much of it.
“But then I got a two beep drop back tone, so I unzipped my bag, but before I had chance to get my boots on the alarm ripped off dispelling my doubt.
“I got the fish back 50 yards toward me without any dramatics, just the odd nod, but then it weeded itself.
“I keep steady tension on it, although it wasn’t moving, so I put the rod down and gave it a bit of slack, but nothing moved.
“I had no choice but to put on my life jacket and go out after it in the driving rain.
“Once over the top of the fish it started to inch slowly out of the weed.
“There was a big ball of dead weed and belly sticking out of the side.
“It was hard to gauge how big it was in the half light and if I was a little sharper I could have scooped it up.
“But then it surged off, ripping several yards of line off a tight clutch.
“It once again buried itself in weed and again I brought it slowly to the top.
“I managed to net it third time and I knew I had one of the real lumps,” he added.
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