Nash Junior Consultant and prolific carp catcher Alfie Russell raised a few eyebrows when he bagged this stunning 43lb 8oz common.


What makes this capture special is the fish was caught from a southern park lake and was previously unknown and possibly uncaught. Alfie, aged 14, had spent two days walking the venue and tracking down the resident carp, before making the effort to introduce bait several times before he wet a line. Targetting a shallow bay, he introduced a mixture of 15mm Monster Squid Boilies and sweetcorn on his baiting trips. 

His first bite produced a 30lb common, with the big girl falling to a single Monster Squid pop-up fished on a chod rig in open water on only his second visit to the venue. 

Still buzzing from the capture, Alfie said: "It took in excess of 40 yards of line and I can honestly say I was scared as I could not stop whatever I was attached to. I gained control and it started to plod out in front of me feeling really heavy. It was eventually ready for the net, and as I was leading it closer the weight of it was immense. I lifted the net as i thought it was in and I caught it halfway down the flank with the net cord. It was huge! With one last inch of her being led in and me getting a wet foot she was mine! I looked into the net at what was by far the greatest fish I had ever seen in the flesh."