Quick Hitters!

9 Iain Macmillan: six months

Although Iain never blanked, nor did he set out to catch one specific fish from Monks Pit in Cambridge, he did plough through a large percentage of the stock before finally landing one of the lake’s A Team – namely Mr. Grey. However, unlike everyone else (well, apart from Dave Lane), Iain’s the only angler to catch him twice – and in very quick succession, which is even more impressive when you consider he normally only visits the bank once a year – at most.

8 Dave Lane: 10 nights

Catching The Fat Lady at over 50lbs from St Ives Lagoon is impressive in itself, but when you consider it was a “last minute stand-in” target fish for Dave, took him just ten days to catch it and he had no idea that she was over fifty pounds that’s seriously amazing. And get this (it could only happen to Laney): he also bagged the second biggest carp in the lake known as The Black Pig and a bonus twenty during his stay!

7 Ali Hamidi: seven nights

Having previously had four nights on the lake and landed seven fish, Ali decided to change his approach on the next visit – a three-night stint by baiting up in the day and only getting the rods out at night. He managed fifteen bites during that session with the final take being ‘Swirly’ – a 40lb 12oz common. Now that’s good angling.

6 Elliott Gray: two nights

Every part of Elliott Gray’s captures of Geezers and Brutes from Cleverley Top Lake is impressive. He was on a guest pass from the owners; it was right in the middle of the 2006/07 winter; and he caught them both on his second overnighter. Brutes never did get caught again and Geezers’ next appearance on the bank was a whole year later.

5 Nigel Sharp: 16hrs

Some anglers lost decades of their lives fishing for the world famous Heather The Leather from Yateley’s Car Park Lake. Nigel Sharp on the other hand didn’t even lose a day – taking him a mere 16hrs to catch this amazing carp. It was the first spring the lake was open after the close season was abolished – 6th April 1995.

4 Ian Chillcott: 15hrs

Chilly first saw Hendrix, a once resident at Cleverley Mere, when he was banked during a charity match the year previous to the capture and left him thinking, “I wanna catch that fish.” “After making my first cast into the lake, I spoke to my wife, Lynn, and said, “If there’s any cast that’s ever going to catch that fish, it’s that one.” And guess what: it did! 44lbs of stunning English carp in just 15hrs fishing. Not bad, eh?

3 Lewis Porter: 4hrs

Like Elliott Gray, Lewis Porter was on a one night guest session at a Lincolnshire syndicate water when he ended up landing the venue’s biggest resident: Vera Lin – and all within 4hrs fishing time.

2 Lewis Read: five minutes

To catch a carp from Yateley’s Car Park Lake in a season is seen as a major result. To catch one in 16hrs like Nigel Sharp’s capture of Heather The Leather is an amazing feat. But to landed the Baby Orange after just five minutes of fishing? Unheard of – well, it was until Lewis Read did it on the 7th February 2002.

1 Terry Hearn: four minutes

Whilst most have to endure months, if not years of blanking, it took the master that is Terry Hearn a mere four minutes to land Norfolk’s largest resident, Baby Face from Charity Lake. After turning up from a long drive from Dinton in Reading, Tel was having a wee when he heard a loud splosh. Looking through the trees, he lined up the spot and then jumped into the nearest swim before casting out a Chod. Even before he could turn back to the car to rig up the second rod, it was away – resulting in landing the lake’s most wanted at over 44lbs. Oh to be Terry Hearn.