Although carp in this country are getting increasingly bigger every year, there are still very few fish over the 60lb barrier, and catching a UK 60 remains a goal many anglers will never achieve. Not only is there a limited number of fish of this size, but even fewer reside in open-access day ticket lakes, reducing the opportunities for everyday carp anglers who aren’t members of exclusive syndicates.
Recently, the team at RH Fisheries grew a carp on their bespoke farm before stocking it into their well-known Monument One Lake, with the goal of giving any angler the chance to target one of the biggest carp in the country. While all anglers visiting the fishery dream of banking this fish, very few succeed with the fish only being caught a handful of times from one of the busiest lakes in the country.
While fishing with his son, Joe, Trevor Tomes banked the fish known as 'The Kraken' at a staggering 60lb 4oz during a social session with friends, earning him membership to a very exclusive club of anglers who have banked a fish of this size.
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“There aren’t many lakes in the UK containing carp over 60lb, and just knowing your rig is in the same water as that fish is about as exciting as it gets,” Trevor told us.
“All looked good for a first-day bite, but it was actually really quiet. I decided to leave the rods in position, as we were told morning bites are quite common,” he added.
Trevor employed tactics that have served him well in the past. Rather than fishing to the middle, as many anglers do, he found a nice hard spot around 10 wraps out and deposited a small amount of RH particle mix. Fishing two rods with Slip D rigs and 18mm Simply Red wafters, he remained positive despite the lack of action the day before.
“At about 9:30am, I had just got back into the bivvy after scanning the lake for any movement, and as soon as I sat on the bed, the alarm screamed into life” he recalled.
“Despite being close, by the time I got to the right-hand rod, the fish had already stripped a lot of line and shot over to the far right of the lake.”
“As soon as I picked up the rod, I was in direct contact with the carp, but at that point, it didn’t feel like anything particularly special.”
Almost simultaneously, his friend Johnny, in the next peg, also got a bite, however it quickly became apparent that Trevor’s fish had run through his lines. Acting quickly, Johnny opened his bail arm before making his way over to help. As Trevor focused on playing the fish, he could feel his line grating against the line it had tangled with, so he began to play it cautiously, hoping the fish wouldn’t free itself.
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“With the commotion, a few people joined me in the swim, and before long I managed to carefully draw the fish up to the surface. As soon as it rolled, someone behind me said, ‘I think that’s the big common.’
“I can’t tell you how nerve-wracking it was to hear that, especially as the fish had now wiped out my other rod and was trailing two other lines. It was the worst possible scenario.”
“As the news spread about the fish, everyone came over to the swim to watch the drama unfold. Thankfully, my son Joe was on netting duty, and after an adrenaline-filled 15-minute battle, the fish was safely scooped into the mesh.”
“I had a quick look and, despite the massive fish staring back at me, I still wasn’t convinced it was the big one.”
As per the lake’s protocol, the anglers rang the bailiff for Trevor, and within minutes, both Harry and Rob Hales came round to assist with the fish. With a large unhooking mat and weighing sling in tow, it wasn’t long before the fish was hoisted onto the scales, confirming it was The Kraken, and that Trevor was now the lucky captor of a UK 60.
“We had a few quick photos and I managed to get one with my son Joe, which was really special and really shows the length of this beast. As you can imagine I was a bit shocked, and my only regret is that I didn’t really get it up right at first for the photo, before we gently returned it to the lake.”
“At this point, I think every angler on the lake had come over for a look. I got out of the water and just gave Joe a big hug and I can’t possibly repeat what I said!”
“I spent most of the day just trying to take in the fact that I’d caught a UK 60lb. To be honest, I had no idea how rare they are. I’d never really paid much attention to UK records or anything like that.”
“I’d just caught a UK 60lb at a day-ticket venue and shared the capture with my mates, and especially my son. A truly magical moment and what fishing is all about.”
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