Former British Carp Angling Champion Matt Jones has done it again with another big brace from Kent’s Wingham syndicate! This time the fish were a 48-02 common and a 37-15 scaly mirror.
Matt had enlisted the help of Wingham creator, Steve Burke, to clear a swim of weed the weekend before. Their hard work paid off as Matt recorded a 31-02 mirror before baiting the swim up as he left. He returned the following weekend and fished the spot 50 yards out in 6 feet of water to record his third 86lb+ Wingham brace. The successful bait was a Mainline Hybrid pop-up on a hinged stiff rig with a 3oz lead on a Fox clip and a size 6 hook to 12lb line.
Matt, a 41 year old company director from Croydon, said that the big common was his target fish for the year. “I’ve now caught the biggest common and, the first time it went 50lbs+, the biggest mirror in the Carp Lake. I’m now after the prettiest fish there, a heavily-plated mirror that was last caught 2 years ago at just under 45lbs. After that I’ll probably switch to the little-fished Main Lake as that’s already produced 8 different 40s even though the fish are even younger.”
Steve Burke commented, “The common had last come out in the Spring at 50-11 and I’m very pleased that it’s already made up most of its pre-spawn weight. It’s an exceptional 38 ins long to the fork of the tail, but only 30 ins in girth and still growing fast. How much it’ll weigh when it fills out is anyone’s guess!”
