43lb 4oz common is new lake best.   
Somerset rod Josh Russell recently broke the Oxlease Lake record at the popular Linear complex with a 43lb 4oz PB common – on his first visit to the venue. 

Josh explained: “Visiting the Linear Complex in Oxford for the first time at the weekend, I decided to fish Oxlease Lake on the car-park side where I saw a few carp crash out. After a quick flick around with the marker rod, I decided to fish a silty area about 60 yards out baiting with particles. 

"As I was spodding out I spotted a few more fish crash out to my right near the middle of the lake, so I quickly set up my rod and cast out towards the showing fish. 

"Hook bait was a 20mm Nash Scopex and Peach Boilie trimmed down to a square shape, and popped up with a white piece of plastic sweetcorn. Four hours later my bobbin on the right-hand rod lifted slowly to the top and the line went tight, so I hit the rod and after a nervous but exciting fight I slipped the net under the biggest common carp I have ever laid eyes on. Little did I know it was the big common from Oxlease and weighing 43lb 4oz was a new PB and a new lake record!

"My successful rod comprised a 2ft length of tungsten tubing in silt colour, a homemade 3oz lead with a black coating and a 6in combi rig complete with a Korda IQ2 fluorocarbon leader in 15lb breaking strain. At the business end, I had a 25lb Nash Ultrasilk braid hook link matched with a size 6 Korda Kurv Shank with a small piece of 0.5mm silicone tubing on the bend of the hook to turn the rig into a blowback rig.