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DREAMS CAN COME TRUE

Richard has a blinder!!

My heart sank as I could see a bivvy in the swim

Cotswold Country Park

Where do we begin..?

I had a four night session planned and was feeling confident so off I went to my syndicate, ASPEN lake on the Cotswold water park a short 15 minute drive

I was banking on 1 swim hoping it was empty and as I arrived my heart sank, I could see a bivvy in the swim so I stopped and had a chat to a young lad. He was telling me he had 5 carp to 32lb BUT went on to say he was just packing up

RESULT!

I didn’t have to wait long..

Minty with a 35lb Mirror

with 2 rods fishing upto the rope and a third rod on the corner tight to the bank all rods baited with a whittled down Baylys Baits 18mm Apex Venom wafter in a pva bag with micro pellet injected with salmon oil.

I didn’t have to wait long until my middle rod sprang into life and after a  a short battle a beautiful 35lb mirror slid into the net.

I was BUZZING, what a session!

There was no more action that evening but was massively confident and had even predicted on my live stream that I’d have a 40lb over night.

At 2am, the same rod went again and I lifted into it. This fish felt different with a slow but powerful pull. It was plodding around just using sheer power to fight against me but gave a hell of a scrap once I’d managed to reign it in and get it closer. 

He fought a great battle but after 15 minutes he was in the net. With the fish resting in the net I could finally get a proper look and saw the belly..  WOW!!!  I knew it had to be a 40 and I was bang on – 40lb on the nose – I was buzzing what a session !

Minty with a 40lb overnight mirror

I just knew there was more to come!

It was quiet throughout the night with the rods silent until 7am when I was woken with the middle rod ripping line off the spool and a fish I had caught before, a nice 27lb mirror of 27lb

With not a touch on the other rods I re baited them all and got them back on the spots, I just knew there was more to come! 

The wind had changed direction and was now head on blowing down the channel into my face 

 

I knew it was the queen of the lake

 

IT was 5pm when I saw action again. The middle rod sprang into life and my Delkim was singing my favourite tune! 

This fish towed me all over the swim, in and out of weed and by the time it slid in the net my heart was racing. As I saw a distinguishing mark on the fish, I knew it was the queen of the lake 😁

After using two sets of scales to absolutely confirm I was correct, this beautiful mirror sent the needle round to 46lb 12oz which was not only a PB for me but was later confirmed as  a new lake record.

What’s more, it was confirmed that I had just become the first person ever on the syndicate to have 2 x 40lb fish in the same session

Minty with a new lake record from an extraordinary session

wow all in 48hrs and I still had 48hrs to go but the weather changed again, I lost two fish weeded up and a hook pull at the net (barbless hooks), the last 48hrs it switched off but I wasn’t complaining I had smashed the lake record – I was happy! 

And always remember DREAMS DO COME TRUE

follow Richard on his TikTok account @mintycarpfisherman