Angler completes trio of big girls from famous venue.
An angler who just a couple of weeks ago caught two of the most sought after carp from Cambridgshire’s famous St Ives complex has completed the hat trick of big fish after landing the venue’s third big mirror.

Paul Rudd had two amazing sessions in a week earlier this month when he banked both the Black Pig at 40lb 6oz and Colin at 46lb 4oz from St Ives – see full story here.

Following the epic brace, the owner of Denham Bait Innovations mentioned that he would be going back to try his hand on the venue’s Meadow Lake for its largest resident The Round Brown – and that’s exactly what he did!

Here Paul describes how he completed his hat trick in his own words:

“The week after having the Black Pig I went straight on to the Meadow lake at St Ives. Everyone was saying I should have a go for the St Ives hat trick of the three biggest known mirrors. I thought it was worth a go but on such a vast and intricate lake as the Meadow and Fjords I thought it would keep me well occupied.

“On my first trip I was joined by my good friend Steve Bull. We sat on the back of a chilly north wind and watched plenty of carp showing in front of us, mostly at range. On the afternoon of my first full day I had a bite using my Game On boilies and the fish took me through a few large deep water weed bed and shed the hook. I was not happy as I thought that may have well been my chance. After that the weather changed and the fish drifted away. The next day we packed away without another bite.

“Two weeks later on the Sunday England were playing Italy in the Euros I decided to take a drive on quiet roads over to the Meadow. Not surprisingly there was no-one on the complex at all and after doing a lap which entails three car parks as well as a good drive I decided on the first swim I had actually stood in, on a point area they call the Lancaster Point.

“I hadn't seen any fish but this area and the opposite area I had been in a fortnight before have the most weed in them. So I assumed most of the fish would be housed in it, regardless of the strong mild westerly wind blowing in the other direction. The windward bank also had a green tinge to it as the algae had started to take hold. In the lea of the wind the water was much clearer.

“After spending nearly all my time trying to decide on a swim I had lost most of my daylight hours so I had a quick lead about and settled on two areas I could find that were relatively weed free. The left rod was 80 yards and about ten feet deep and I got a really nice drop as the lead hit the bottom. On my right rod I fished closer in on a shallower area. Both rods were baited using balance cork pop-ups on size 5 D-7 Raptors and long stealth skin hooklinks. For the bait I had decided to use Denham Bait Innovation’s Element this time. I wasn't a 100 percent sure I hadn't lost the Brown fish to a Game On boilie last time so I reluctantly decided to change bait, just in case I had hooked her on it. I also fancied using a brighter, more visual bait for the deeper water anyhow. And Nut based baits had also had a good track record on the venue too.

“Once the rods were done I was putting up the bivvy in the dark, and getting the mosquito net sorted. Other than a gaggle of geese moving through my lines in the night nothing happened.

At nine the next morning Steve Bull walked into my swim to see how I was getting on. As we stood there looking for rolling fish I put the kettle on to make a brew. We watched another couple roll but they were a long way out. Then at half nine my left rod whipped round and I got a few bleeps. I picked the rod up felt a kick before it went solid in the weed.

“After a few moments of stalemate the fish came out and almost straight rodded me. I have never experienced a run like it. The fish must have taken over a hundred yards of line in one go. My clutch was going as I was back winding!

“ Once right out into the lake the fish again weeded me up. I was really shaking, proper jelly legs - I knew I'd hooked a good un. As with the Pig I was convinced I knew what I had on the end and after what seemed an age I got the unseen fish moving and it slowly came in.

“It took half-an-hour to get my line marker on my spool from where I was fishing. And that was 80 yards out! Then it gradually came in so Steve donned his chest waders and went to the edge of the reeds armed with my net. Then I saw it coming up through the surface glare in the ripple, a big brown fish, in one fell swoop Bully slipped the net round her. I'd done it.

“On the scales the normally massive Round Brown showed 38lb, a well spawned out weight. A stunning fish and an unbelievable result.”
Back she goes.