When we first start out fishing as kids, everything that is slightly bigger than the small perch and gudgeon we usually catch to begin with seems like a monster. However, sometimes the kids really do catch the fish of a lifetime early on in their fishing career, which is exactly what happened to 12 year old Finley while out in France fishing with his dad Rael.
The father-son duo were enjoying a two week fishing holiday at the popular Dream Lakes fishery, a venue where Rael also happens to be the site manager. Beginning his week on the smaller lake, Finley was straight into the carp, banking a few fish to 40lbs, but a decision to switch to Lake 2 on his second week saw him bank the Box Common at a staggering 70lb 12oz.
"I told Finley to start on the smaller lake, so he could get used to his longer 12ft rods that I had got him for this trip to allow him to cast a bit further. He did struggle at first, but after a bit of practice he was casting upto 60 yards accurately," Rael told us.
"Finley wanted to fish Lake 2 the following week, as it has some very large carp in there, lots of 50's and 60's, with a few over 70lb as well. Finley noticed some bubbling and cloudy water in a swim he liked the look of, so moved into there for the remainder of his session," he added.
As luck would have it, the fish Finley had found were within 13 wraps where he could comfortably fish and it didn't take him long to get his first bite, resulting in a monster 60lb mirror carp. While that would be enough to make any angler's session memorable, the very next day he received a bite that would make that huge fish look comparatively small.
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"Finley has to play these bigger fish with the rod in-between his legs due to their weight and power once hooked, and he can find himself in a whole range of angles, but it certainly works for him as he lands them with little issue," he said.
"When the fish surfaced, we instantly recognised what fish it was, but Finley managed to remain calm and before long we had slipped the net under one of the biggest fish on the site."
"When the scales confirmed the fish had breached the 70ln barrier, Finley was overcome with emotion and burst into tears. A fish of this size is one many anglers will never catch and to do it at such a young age, all by himself I might add, just shows how well he is progressing as an angler," he explained.
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