Cold Water Haul – Josh Bennett

Having a 37lb’er on the first night Josh simply pressed repeat on his approach, Avid Carp leadless leaders, helicopter style to small combi rigs using a slip D presentation. More lashings of Creamino, Monster Red (whole and chopped), matching pellets, liquids, C-stim as well as some corn and a good helping of Monster Particle hemp.

At around 8.30pm the right hand rod gave a bleep, followed by one of the fastest takes Josh has ever witnessed. Josh said the buzzer struggled to keep up. As he hit the fish, he immediately had to give line. The fish was obviously a powerful carp and quickly found some weed. After popping it out, it had luckily managed to bring half a weed bed with it over its face. As it inched closer, unbeknown to the carp, the net engulfed it before it fully knew what was happening and it erupted into the safety of the mesh. Result!

Lifting it Josh knew it was big and on the mat immediately recognised it as ‘The Parrot’. She was big and had put some weight on at a healthy 43lb 10oz.
After some difficult night shots in thick, heavy fog, she powered away still very angry.

Josh put four more spods out and in the early hours of the day had another take which slowly developed into a healthy run. The fish felt very small and he literally reeled it all the way to the margin where it surfaced. Thinking it was a stock fish, he simply positioned the net and gradually edged it closer.

When the fish surfaced and its surprised girth illuminated in the torch light it came as a bit of a shook to say the least. Within 5 minutes everything was over and she sat patiently in the net. Josh rolled the fish on its side in the net and a large, single scale dictated the name of the fish and the second member of the A team was landed. At 40.02 she just tipped the preferred side of 40lb.

Josh and his dad stood and laughed like kids. With daylight close, she was safely retained and behaved impeccably for the photos.