A match angler who turned to carp fishing following the death of his mother has caught one of the UK's most famed big carp - the enormous 'Charlie's Mate' from Frimley Pit 3.
41-year-old Cliff Palmer's personal best jumped from 28lb to a whopping 54lb 4oz, following the recent capture of the prized common - a fish that secured Dave Levy the 'Carp Angler of the Year' title in the National Angling Awards last year.
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The huge common carp is the pinnacle of a three-year journey for former Royal Navy serviceman Cliff, who took up carp fishing as a way to get his dad back into the sport.
"When my mum passed away, I noticed my dad had lost his enthusiasm, so we got back into catching roach and rudd, until I thought, 'I really want to put a big carp in my dad's hands,'" he told us.
"The day we first put a boilie on, he caught a 15lb 8oz mirror, and that made me switch from match to carp fishing. We have since been to France and both caught fish up to 47lb.
"When I caught 'Charlie's Mate', I called him and said 'I've done it,' and he nearly broke down with laughter and congratulations. Modern tech helped him be there with me, and after a tough couple of years for our family, this felt like a bit of payback."
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Cliff caught the giant carp in a charity event for The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, an event he fished last year but unfortunately failed to catch in. He made it count this time, however, with the biggest fish in the lake secured in his net just three hours into the 48-hour session.
"I got my rods out in the pouring rain straight away to create minimal disturbance and had a bite very quickly, which unfortunately cut me off clean," he said.
"Not long later, the bobbin on my other rod lifted, then just pulled forward an inch, and the rod tip started to move. I hit into it, and it felt solid and heavy, so I called the bailiff this time to help me keep it on.
"Just as it came in front of me, the head rolled, and I knew it was massive. When going into the net, its nose was touching the spreader block, and its tail still wasn't in."
With a crowd of around 20 people there with him, the incredible old carp was safely weighed, photographed, and returned.
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"I like to photograph them in the water if I can," Cliff said.
"She is that little bit older, so we got it all sorted quickly and got her back.
"A new UK PB, an old history fish, and a crazy set of circumstances, my mind was totally blown away."
In another example of how fish, and carp in particular, can be creatures of habit, this fish was caught the day before the same event last year.
Cliff wasn't done there either, catching fish of 36lb and 34lb the following day during the public BBQ.
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"It was a real catwalk feeling and a humbling experience," he told us.
"I had loads of people congratulating me the next day, including Dave Levy, and I got the biggest catch trophy for the event too.
"Every fisherman on the planet wants these moments; it is a real privilege, so I'm just enjoying it."
All Cliff's fish were caught on Stiff Hinge rigs, with pre-tied Nash Chod sections and Gemini booms. These presented whittled down Mainline Cell pop-ups over small amounts of matching freebies.
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