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Historic lake delivers its biggest carp on first visit

by Freddie Sandford |

Published on14th May 2026 at 9.02am

Starting on a new lake comes with equal amounts of excitement and apprehension. As a carp angler, you will have usually come from another lake where you have caught the majority, if not all, of the fish you wanted and had a good idea of how to approach it.

However, when you start on a new lake, everything is new, and while that comes with renewed enthusiasm, working it out can take some time, so catching that all-important first fish is crucial for confidence.

Things couldn’t have got off to a better start for Jack Forrester, when, within the first 24 hours of his new ticket, he managed to bank this huge 54lb 8oz mirror, the biggest fish on the complex!

“I joined the RK Leisure ticket, which includes the Horton Complex, and dropped on to Church Lake for my first session on the water. I set up in a good-looking area and flicked two stiff hinge rigs on to a firm spot in deeper water.

“A quiet night passed, with nothing showing at first light, but early afternoon, in the middle of a sunny day, my right-hand rod pulled up tight!

“Lifting into it, the fish moved very slowly, which is usually the sign of a good one. It plodded along under the rod-tip and in the margins for 10 minutes, before the bailiff helped me net the fish, a huge mirror known as Rodger the Dodger – the biggest carp on the complex, and on the first bite I had on the lake!”

THE BEST BEDCHAIRS WILL KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE DURING NIGHT SESSIONS.

Jack with the monster 54lb 8oz carp

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