Your top carp/favourite captures

[ouchthathurt]

We all have captures that we will always remember, for whatever reason. What’s yours? It may be a PB, or it may stick in your mind for another reason. Which ones are your favourite captures and why? 

The first carp was a mirror I caught on my first trip in 5yrs after afghan, I’d hung up the rods and was undergoing treatment, my counsellor told me to get back fishing so I replaced all my gear, rolled some bait and hit the bank. First rod out, 5mins in the water and it was away, it weighed mid 30s and I was instantly obsessed again. 
 

second carp was a 31lb common I caught on a session at a local pond, the wind switched unexpectedly in the night and picked up in force and it totally destroyed my brolly! The bailiff was telling me that this carp had been stolen the night before … I was able to send this pic to him the next morning

the 3rd common was my personal target for years, I’d been baiting with my own boilies and he hadn’t succumbed… one winter session I’d forgotten the bait in the rush to the lake, so picked up a few pints of maggots. Fishing pva bags with a Medusa rig baited with maggots produced him at 37lb+ a week before Christmas. That left only one fish on my “hit list” 
 

which was no 4 in the pics! The mid 20 linear was also an elusive target. He also fell to the mighty maggots! My last two targets and I braced them. I walked off the lake a happy man that day. 

[buzzbomb]

Not my pb, but a real good looking fish from long ago.  I wheeled him in 100 yds, and he took 1 look at me and went straight back out about 90, so I got to do it all over again.

I suppose this one was memorable too, because it was just nasty out, cold and windy and we only got 1 bite, but I got the fish.

 

[yonny]

There's a few that bring back special memories but if I had to pick one it'd probably be a low 20 mirror I had 20+ years ago. It was from an 80 acre park lake which held very few carp. I was a million out of my depth at the time and fished it for a year with nothing to show for it but I had a take in the autumn and landed this amazing chocolate coloured mirror. Obviously not massive but to this day it's one of the most beautiful carp I've caught.

It sticks in my memory because it was that year that taught me the difference between chucking a bait in the water and waiting, and proper angling (observing and acting on what is observed). I learnt that you could easily waste you life away "sitting it out" and that if you want to catch special carp you need to put the effort in. It was significant as that capture gave me the confidence to target harder waters with bigger fish so ultimately it set me on a path to catch all my other favourite carp.

I used to have a snap of the fish off an old disposable camera but it got chucked out by my Mum in the late 00's.......😭😂

[yonny]

3 hours ago, yonny said:

I was a million out of my depth

a million miles that should read 🙈

[elmoputney]

Lovely to read all your favourites guys well done 👍

I think I've got 3 or 4 main favourites lol, 

This was the one and only fish I ever put in carp talk early 00's I think 🙄, I had been really struggling to catch anything from this lake, but then I think probably on the advice of someone on here, I prebaited a swim for 2 weeks almost daily tbh after night shifts and all sorts, this one was the first of 5, my first 20lber at 26lb, I had another scraper 20 but I had learnt prebaiting works, I got 5kg of free pellets for that too 😂

Then from more recent times it was these 2 first trip back on Virginia after losing my dad, I had already had the confidence boosting 10 fish hit on the other lake pretty soon before and I felt in the zone, I had done a little baiting but then in evening I had this one 

New PB 27lb3oz, that alone would have been enough I was buzzing but in the morning I recast a bag into the hole in the weed and it ripped off 

And this one was the result proper buzzing and I remember the lucky moorhen, not sure it was coincidence or not but it always seems to appear at significant times was here for this one too, my favourite from this year so far 😉

[salokcinnodrog]

I have some real memorable captures:

A 28lb carp from the local river caught on a 3hour session, which for years was my largest fish and one I still class as a PB, my first 20lb fish from Earith, my first 30 from Nazeing Brackens, a 4 fish capture over 4 days in winter from the Central lagoon and my current largest fish at 33lb caught in December. 

 

Plus a number of fish from the 350acre Alton reservoir, 2 20's in one night, 23 and 28, a night with 3 20's that was so severe with wind and rain I could not get pics of the fish, my camera and phone were soaked through. 

 

Two of the most memorable though were 2 fully scaleds from Ardleigh on the night of the London bombings. Memorable not for the fish especially, but because I had a very close friend who was on the tube when one of the bombs exploded. I had tried to ring him on the first fish, but only got his answer phone, he always answered. Thank god he survived and we still fish together as much as we can. 

 

On 15/10/2021 at 21:48, salokcinnodrog said:

I have some real memorable captures:

A 28lb carp from the local river caught on a 3hour session, which for years was my largest fish and one I still class as a PB, my first 20lb fish from Earith, my first 30 from Nazeing Brackens, a 4 fish capture over 4 days in winter from the Central lagoon and my current largest fish at 33lb caught in December. 

 

Plus a number of fish from the 350acre Alton reservoir, 2 20's in one night, 23 and 28, a night with 3 20's that was so severe with wind and rain I could not get pics of the fish, my camera and phone were soaked through. 

 

Two of the most memorable though were 2 fully scaleds from Ardleigh on the night of the London bombings. Memorable not for the fish especially, but because I had a very close friend who was on the tube when one of the bombs exploded. I had tried to ring him on the first fish, but only got his answer phone, he always answered. Thank god he survived and we still fish together as much as we can. 

The 2 Ardleigh fish

 

My first 30 at 32lb. It was also my first fish out of Brackens pool at Nazeing.

[yonny]

44 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

That's mint.

[gagnaccarp]

A full moon on my local river in France , i just had that feeling that i was going to catch , shame it was spawned out but still a cracker , untouched mouth , everyone should buy a permit for fishing in France once in their lifetimes and experience these amazing rivers  !

[Scoobycue]

Until a few months ago I hadn't been fishing for over twenty years. Since I've been back I've had some solid results culminating in this cracking scrapper that went 22lb 9. Not the biggest fish but it really put a huge grin on my face.

[Carp-tactical]

My first carp I caught off of our doc. I'll never forget it. I was by myself with just my phone for the pic. I had no landing mat yet so I held it the only way I could get a pic. I also took a short video about 10 seconds long. This carp is not my biggest but my first. I didn't have a scale or measuring tape so I could only guess at the weight. 

[newmarket]

I’m sure this pic is already on here somewhere but seeing as I just found this thread I thought I’d post it here anyway , to this day my biggest and probably best looking fish . 
28lb dead .

[salokcinnodrog]

On 15/10/2021 at 21:48, salokcinnodrog said:

28lb carp from the local river caught on a 3hour session, which for years was my largest fish and one I still class as a PB,

 

 

I also found the pics of the first 20lb fish from Trimley top lake

[Danny Hearn]

On 15/10/2021 at 21:48, salokcinnodrog said:

I have some real memorable captures:

A 28lb carp from the local river caught on a 3hour session, which for years was my largest fish and one I still class as a PB, my first 20lb fish from Earith, my first 30 from Nazeing Brackens, a 4 fish capture over 4 days in winter from the Central lagoon and my current largest fish at 33lb caught in December. 

 

Plus a number of fish from the 350acre Alton reservoir, 2 20's in one night, 23 and 28, a night with 3 20's that was so severe with wind and rain I could not get pics of the fish, my camera and phone were soaked through. 

 

Two of the most memorable though were 2 fully scaleds from Ardleigh on the night of the London bombings. Memorable not for the fish especially, but because I had a very close friend who was on the tube when one of the bombs exploded. I had tried to ring him on the first fish, but only got his answer phone, he always answered. Thank god he survived and we still fish together as much as we can. 

 

The 2 Ardleigh fish

 

My first 30 at 32lb. It was also my first fish out of Brackens pool at Nazeing.

Them Ardleigh fish. Spectacular. I’m no expert but I get the impression that they are old old ? 

 

On 09/03/2022 at 21:37, salokcinnodrog said:

 

 

I also found the pics of the first 20lb fish from Trimley top lake

Again old looking crackers.

 

For me my favourite capture so far has got to be a fish they call the Little Lin from Hook lake.

Not the biggest carp to grace my net but said to be at least 40 years old!

Apparently it has not gained any weight for at least the last 20 years! I don’t think it even fluctuates in weight much whether it’s summer or winter because the bailiff on the lake has just caught it at 2 oz’s heavier than I caught it at and my capture was mid august 2021 his was mid March 2022! (Anyone got any ideas why? I would love to learn! Is it to do with sex?) as an example I know 1 fish came out at 28lbs in July 2022 and I caught it at 30.04lb mid September and again late November 2022 at 32.10lb 

Something about this fish, its age, its looks, the little lump on its head! The fact that it doesn’t change weight, the fact that it has survived so long when the lake has suffered many massive fish kills, Something makes me feel so grateful to have had the pleasure of catching it. 
 

Little Lin 21lb 6oz 

 

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, Danny Hearn said:

For me my favourite capture so far has got to be a fish they call the Little Lin from Hook lake.

Not the biggest carp to grace my net but said to be at least 40 years old!

Apparently it has not gained any weight for at least the last 20 years! I don’t think it even fluctuates in weight much whether it’s summer or winter because the bailiff on the lake has just caught it at 2 oz’s heavier than I caught it at and my capture was mid august 2021 his was mid March 2022! (Anyone got any ideas why? I would love to learn! Is it to do with sex?) as an example I know 1 fish came out at 28lbs in July 2022 and I caught it at 30.04lb mid September and again late November 2022 at 32.10lb 

Something about this fish, its age, its looks, the little lump on its head! The fact that it doesn’t change weight, the fact that it has survived so long when the lake has suffered many massive fish kills, Something makes me feel so grateful to have had the pleasure of catching it. 
 

Little Lin 21lb 6oz 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a fish stocked around the same time as the Little Lin and one which I definitely wanted to catch but I’m sorry it might be old it might be bigger but it’s just not pretty 🤣, still, the big slopey deserves a place with my special captures due to its age and the fact that it evaded me for 3 years when I wanted it bagged and tagged. Bloated, pale, sparsely scaled, but you gotta admit that slopey head is cracking and at 32.10lb and 40+ years old who would turn it away ? 

[chillfactor]

Cracking fish all 

I'll have to dig out the old phone & see what I can find . 

[Danny Hearn]

This was a memorable capture. All the other anglers on the lake thinking they gotta cast 120 yards to the middle and then there’s me sneaking round the edges of a 17 acre lake seeing fish plotted up away from the pressure. On this day I see the biggest carp I ever seen before in my life. I’m sure it was him! The biggest carp in the uk Marshall over 75lb. I’m sure I almost had him. See a few fish dropping down on my tiger nuts, He’s got a massive body and a small head and I’m sure he was there hanging around. Anyway I managed to hook one of his mates and everyone else was blanking, this one was small at 42lb 10 oz 

[Danny Hearn]

Just now, Danny Hearn said:

This was a memorable capture. All the other anglers on the lake thinking they gotta cast 120 yards to the middle and then there’s me sneaking round the edges of a 17 acre lake seeing fish plotted up away from the pressure. On this day I see the biggest carp I ever seen before in my life. I’m sure it was him! The biggest carp in the uk Marshall over 75lb. I’m sure I almost had him. See a few fish dropping down on my tiger nuts, He’s got a massive body and a small head and I’m sure he was there hanging around. Anyway I managed to hook one of his mates and everyone else was blanking, this one was small at 42lb 10 oz 

Feb capture too. Ain’t afraid to admit I shed a tear 🤣💪

[ouchthathurt]

this is my sons pb mirror that went 29lb - we were doing a night in a double swim, fishing identical baits, rigs, etc to a reedbed off an island. My son had 8 that night, topped by this otherwise unknown mirror. 
 

I blanked! 
he’s just done a new pb common of 26lb 5oz this week. 

[chillfactor]

Well been through some of my old photos & its actually reminded me how lucky I've been in the past to catch some of the fish I have , hopefully going to get out fishing more this year 🤞 

 

[crusian]

2 hours ago, chillfactor said:

Well been through some of my old photos & its actually reminded me how lucky I've been in the past to catch some of the fish I have , hopefully going to get out fishing more this year 🤞 

 

Wow , pretties !.

😃

[emmcee]

13 hours ago, chillfactor said:

Well been through some of my old photos & its actually reminded me how lucky I've been in the past to catch some of the fish I have , hopefully going to get out fishing more this year 🤞 

 

Some proper bangers there👍

[Danny Hearn]

On 08/04/2023 at 17:56, chillfactor said:

Well been through some of my old photos & its actually reminded me how lucky I've been in the past to catch some of the fish I have , hopefully going to get out fishing more this year 🤞 

 

Wow I love all of them. There’s a few different body shapes going on there. Genetics I suppose ? Strains ? Love the slopey head on the last 1. Wish I knew more about this kind of thing 

[Danny Hearn]

On 08/04/2023 at 10:07, ouchthathurt said:

this is my sons pb mirror that went 29lb - we were doing a night in a double swim, fishing identical baits, rigs, etc to a reedbed off an island. My son had 8 that night, topped by this otherwise unknown mirror. 
 

I blanked! 
he’s just done a new pb common of 26lb 5oz this week. 

Wow he got some special luck on his side that’s mad  

[ouchthathurt]

16 hours ago, Danny Hearn said:

Wow he got some special luck on his side that’s mad  

I prefer to think I taught him everything he knows… although I blanked… lol! 

[ouchthathurt]

He wanted to catch his first pike recently, he only had one… 

[Danny Hearn]

I suppose my capture of pawprint my target for 4 years deserves to be on this thread so here he is from a different angle. 
Next pic will be of my next target a pb common if I’m ever lucky enough to catch one that is 🤞