I’ve been regularly doing short 4hr evening sessions after work on Harting Combe throughout most of the season, and enjoyed a good amount of success from doing so. I was lucky enough to have a few of the larger ones during the summer. However I was really hoping to catch the big girl during the winter when she was carrying a good weight. I decided to pick a couple of spots and switch between them regularly to maintain a good flow of bait over the course of the winter. Sweetcorn and a sprinkling of boilies seemed to be a good combination. Fishing however had been quite slow since the drop in temperature from November. But as you do I just kept at it, constantly imagining myself holding up that massive prize at the end. I was fortunate in December to land another of the lakes larger specimens, a good sized mirror which tipped the scales round to 27lbs 4oz. This was followed a couple of evenings later by another welcomed visitor of 19lbs 12oz. Bites slowed down considerably throughout January and it wasn’t until a recent warm weekend in late February where we had extremely high winds and a large amount of rain that I suddenly felt I needed to get myself down there for a slightly longer stint! I booked in for the Friday night, and even Andy Reed wished me well as he’d too noticed the strengthening gales that were beginning build! I finished work and got down there at about 7pm. I had to set everything up in the dark, but managed to get my baits onto a couple of hard spots amongst some dead lilies. Once settled, I poured myself a nice hot cup of tea and got into the bag for the night. The weather was really growing to the extreme and I think I spent most of the night holding down the brolly, trying desperately not the let the storm take it from me! I latched into a large bream at around 1 am, and had no further action until first light. I had a gentle lift on the indicator, before one of the rods burst into life and before I knew it I was attached to a very large and angry carp! The large mirror finally rolled over the cord and into the safety of my landing net and i instantly knew it was the one I’d been waiting for! To say I was over the moon was an absolute understatement! Sat there in the folds of my net laid the perfect specimen, “The Big Orange” which I proceeded to weigh in at a colossal 31lbs 2oz. It just goes to show that persistence really can pay off, whatever the weather! Anyway there’s still some fantastic fish in there that I would love to catch, so it won’t be long before I get myself back out there again. Roll on Spring! Tight lines all. Chris Weller “The Big Orange” at 31lbs 2oz
27lbs 4oz Mirror Carp
19lbs 12oz Mirror Carp
