One of the biggest carp ever landed in our area was caught this week by Alex West, a 21-year-old student at Sparsholt College, writes Ray Robson.

Alex pre-baited an area of Richmond Park at a range of about 90 yards and then put in nine nights and a couple of evenings before finally being rewarded with a fabulous 44lb 7oz mirror carp.

The bait that did the business was a Bait Mechanics fish extract boillie.

The catch is even more meritorious when you consider Alex had to play the muscle-bound mirror for 45 minutes before it tired and came to the net.

Socks

At one point, the big fish snagged itself and Alex had to wade out to free it.

Other big fish reports this week concern predators and, believe, me, Old Bury Hill, at Dorking, is absolutely fishing its socks off.

Barry Jackson, from Guildford, hired a punt for a morning session and fishing small trout and roach proceeded to haul out five zander and four pike.

The best zander tipped the scales at 9lbs and the best pike went to 17lbs 5oz.

That's a good morning's sport by any standards.

The River Thames is still giving up one or two good pike, as shown by Fulham's Billy Hughes, who visited Kingston Bridge this week.

Billy's legered smelt attack produced three pike, with the best taking the scales to 16.5lbs.

November 12, 2001 11:30