With most things in life effort equals reward and fishing is no different, if you set yourself a challenge and you dedicate time to it, usually it will pay off and the fish you have always dreamed about will be lay in your net. Depending on the difficulty of the challenge, it can be a few years before that goal is realised, but angler Chris Walton couldn't have imagined it would take him the best part of thirty years to achieve what he set out to do.
Chris has been targeting the carp on his local River Nene for the last three decades, in the hope of landing a 30lb carp from the flowing water, and despite coming close he hadn't managed to get over the line. That was until his most recent session, when the carp gods were shining down on him, as he banked not one, but two of these incredibly rare carp within an hour of one another, capitulating what has been a moment in the making for most of his life!
THE BEST CARP RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND THE FISH OF YOUR DREAMS.
"Back when I started fishing the Nene, it was relatively easy and you could expect a fish a night if you put the time in," Chris explained.
"But over the years, it’s become increasingly difficult. Seal and otter predation has had a huge impact, and with most clubs banning night fishing, it’s really limited the areas you can target."
"Despite this, I’ve kept putting the time in, holding on to the hope of one day finally landing a river thirty, with my previous best being just ounces short at 29lb 12oz. This year, I decided to throw everything at it."
Such was his dedication that Chris quit his full-time job in May to allow more time on the bank. He began exploring stretches of the River Nene he had never fished before, and just after the start of the season, during one of his many walks in search of new opportunities, he spotted a couple of commons basking among some lily pads.
"Normally, if you can find carp on the river and get them used to feeding on your spots, you’ve got a very good chance of catching them," he said.
"I started off with a prebaiting campaign, doing a 40-mile round trip every other evening to put in 5 litres of hemp, maples, and a couple of kilos of Dynamite’s Peppered Squid. It didn’t take long for the hard work to pay off, as on my fourth session, I had my first twenty in the net. My next fish was a repeat capture, which was slightly disappointing, as it suggested there were only a couple of fish on the bait," he added.
Chris held on to the hope that more fish were in the area, and the following Sunday, he arrived at the swim around 4pm for his sixth evening session. Night fishing isn’t allowed on this stretch, so anglers must vacate the water two hours after sunset, making things that little bit more challenging. Due to the limited time, he reduces the amount of bait introduced to the swim, opting for just a tin of corn and a few boilies, which is usually enough to tempt a bite.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER CAUGHT A RIVER CARP, HERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT TIPS TO HELP.
"My rigs aren’t complicated, ESP lead clip leaders with 3.5oz leads and simple hair rigs using ESP Trig-Hammer XT size 4 hooks. Backleading is essential to pin down the leadcore, which helps cut out the constant liners from the bream and chub."
"Hookbaits are 20mm Dynamite Baits Peppered Squids, topped with a piece of Korda fake maize and a small PVA mesh bag of crushed boilie and pellet adds a bit of extra attraction."
"Things were relatively quiet until about 8:30pm, when I had a couple of knocks on my right-hand rod before the baitrunner started giving line."
Such was the savage nature of the take that by the time Chris reached the rod, the fish was already heading toward a lily bed on the far bank. After a couple of attempts to bury itself in the marginal vegetation, he finally got the fish under control and his first glimpse of its scales confirmed it was, indeed, another common. Praying it wasn't a recapture, he carefully steered the fish into the net, where he could get a better look.
"It wasn't until I rolled up the mesh to lift it from the water that I realised just what I had in there, it was a lot bigger than 25lb… a definite 30," he recalled.
"I couldn’t believe it when the scales pulled round to 37lb 6oz! I’d finally realised my dream and smashed through the 30lb barrier, and what a beautiful creature to achieve it with. I remember shaking from the rush after returning the fish, while just sitting there in disbelief for about half an hour."
"I wasn’t going to put my rigs back in, but my fishing partner Billy pointed out we still had a good hour and a half of fishing left before we had to be off. With his persuasion, I re-baited and re-cast the rod."
With the twilight hour now upon the anglers, the previously lifeless swim suddenly burst into life, with fish rolling everywhere, and at around 10pm, Chris had an identical take and was now battling his second carp of the trip. After a hectic fight, he landed his second thirty-pound common, this one weighing in at superb 35lb 9oz.
"I’d only gone and done it again! I’m not your typical secretive carp angler as I’ve always tried to encourage people to fish the River Nene through my social media posts, but the recent EA fish survey reports on seal predation have made for grim reading," Chris told us.
"I just hope that my captures will inspire more anglers to return to the river, as there are still some great fish to be caught. When I started the season, I decided to document it with the aim of self-publishing a book at the end of next year... little did I know just how eventful this season would become."
"I’m taking a few weeks off now to spend some time with my very supportive and understanding wife before I decide where to take myself next," Chris concluded.
YOU'LL NEED A PAIR OF THE BEST FISHING BOOTS IF YOU PLAN ON SEARCHING FOR RIVER CARP.
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