Angler Name: Tom Oakes

Hometown: Manchester

Fish Weight: 60lb 12oz

Bait: Sticky baits Peach and Pepper pop up

Venue: Old Mill Lakes

Rig: Ronnie rig

Tactics: Fish into low laying weed On the edge of a big weed bed

Additional Info: Sunday 15th May I arrived at the Old Mill complex having booked on Birch for a week. The weeks running upto the session I had an idea on which part of the lake I wanted to target as the same week last year had done the big common. Upon my arrival the area which is often quiet had a chap in and he’d that morning landed a fish known as black spot, that same fish came from the same area of the lake only days before the big common last May so when I heard my ears pricked up hoping to get in the peg behind him as I knew a full moon was coming and the weather was perfect for it! For the first night I got in a peg that had lots of showing fish, but nothing came to take the bait! Waking up in the morning with no luck I got up and seen the wind had changed and was blowing straight into the peg I first wanted which was now free! I quickly packed down and got myself in the area got my rods out fishing in the low weed on the edge of the main weed bed fishing a Ronnie rig using a 16mm Peach and Pepper pop up in the zone where the fish were showing. I then began to relax and waited for the night ahead. Starting from midnight a really big carp was rolling and making those big fish sloshes keeping me awake with excitement. The Tuesday mornings sun broke and I opened my eyes to yet another quiet night in regards to a take so as the day passed I was looking none stop in and around the weed bed to see where the fish were patrolling. Before dark I re set the traps and felt so much confidence I’d told quite a few lads why I wanted to be in that peg and I felt like I was going to catch the big common and at the clock struck 12 a biggun again started to roll just like the night before! Would I be getting some luck come the morning? Well the morning of Wednesday 18th I didn’t wake with disappointment I was abruptly woken at 5.15am to a 1 toner!!! I lifted in to the fish and began to pull it back through the weed, then when I front of me the head of a common broke the surface, it looked a good fish but didn’t get chance to see its body before it flat rodded me and zipped back off! I gained back some line and got it close in but this time it came to the surface side on and I could not believe my eyes! “It’s the big common!” I kept my calm and after a few charges I won the battle and got my net under her and I stood in total shock, I quickly got a picture of the biggun to triple check it was her (even though I knew it was) I couldn’t believe my luck! The best feeling ever to date in all my years carp fishing! I ran round to my mate and woke him up and said I’ve got the big common! We both welled up and jumped for joy full of emotions and true euphoric moment! A couple more lads came to help weigh her and they all agreed as the scales settled on a huge 60lb 12oz of Lincolnshire carp. We then got the pictures done and a few buckets for my new PB we then popped a bottle of moet and toasted the lake whilst having written the weight, date on the cork as a momento! The trip of a lifetime and 1 I’ll never ever forget!