A father and son fishing trip to an Essex park lake resulted in a new personal best for nine-year-old Arthur Clarke when a bait intended for catfish was picked up by a perfectly conditioned 36lb 7oz common carp.
After an uneventful day of fishing, Arthur decided to opt for a change of tactics to try to target one of the large catfish the lake was rumored to hold. This would turn out to be a great decision, even if the intended species was not the fish either of the pair were expecting!
“My nine-year-old son, Arthur, and I went on a night fishing trip to a 40-acre park lake in Essex. After about 12 hours of waiting, he asked to try out a catfish rig, as he’d heard rumors of them in these waters," he said.
“After threading on two 24mm boilies, he cast out to a spot he fancied and, within a few hours, his rod screamed off!"
“As Arthur reeled the fish in, I was convinced he’d hooked a catfish, and told him to take his time playing it."
“At the end of a thrilling battle, a massive fish surfaced but, to our surprise, it was a huge common carp!"
“The boy was buzzing with excitement, we couldn’t believe the size of it and it is a session we will never forget," they concluded.
WANT TO CATCH A CARP YOURSELF? OUR WHERE TO FISH GUIDE HAS SOME EXCELLENT VENUES TO TRY!
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