The story of my first big carp from kingsbury
Date- 21st June 2001.
Venue- Pine pool (Kingsbury Water Park)

Today was the day that I would finally get my season ticket for Pine pool. On a previous expedition I had been told that I would need two passport photos to go with my licence. After a long cycle to get the photos I finally turned up at the ticket office with them and the £90 needed to pay for it. I filled in a few forms and went off for a couple of hours fishing.
I had decided to leave the bite alarms and carp rods at home and fish on the surface, as it was a hot day. I had a 1 3/4lb test curve rod, which I like to use for floater fishing and a shimano baitrunner loaded with 12lb E.S.P line. I set up on the first peg, as I had seen a few fish topping. I catapulted some mixers to them, which they readily accepted. I cast my drennan controller float over the shoal and brought it back. About 5 minutes later I saw a huge black shadow moving towards my bait. My hand tightened its grip on the rod, the fish swam up to the bait and nudged it. I resisted the temptation to strike but the fish swam away.
After about an hour I decided to go to the other side of the pool since I had not had any more action. When I arrived I was greeted by a huge carp swimming with its back out of the water right in front of me. I sent some mixers out which the fish readily accepted. I fired out some more and cast out my hookbait. I cast just a little short and spooked the fish, bugger! I then tried the centre of the bay that I was fishing in but to no avail.
I had been feeding a swim on my right, which was now starting to show some activity. I cast my controller, with two hair rigged mixers on into the swim. Ten minutes later I brought the bait in only to find that it had taken in water and had lost it's buoyancy. Since this was the ninth time I would have had to replace the bait I decided to put on a Nash whisky pop-up on my controller rig. I cast the rig out and a short time later the fish were taking the mixers. Suddenly without warning a fish shot up and grabbed the boilie. I grabbed the rod but the fish had spat out the boilie before I could strike. I fed some more mixers but didn't recast as the hookbait was still in prime position. When the same thing happened again thirty seconds later, with the fish taking the bait and ejecting it before I could react, I was not best pleased. At this point I decided to hold on to the rod.
I fired out some more mixers and waited. The fish started taking the mixers and I noticed that this time there were a lot of fish and their confidence was growing. Suddenly a fish shot up next to my hookbait, I struck and felt the rod bend into a hoop, fish on! The fish bolted towards the sanctuary of some overhanging trees but with the drag tight the fish was going nowhere. I played the fish very carefully as I didn't want to lose it since It would be my first carp from Pine pool. Two men on the other side of the lake watched me play the fish in awe, as they did not seem to have caught anything. I then had a scare as the rod went solid. I pulled hard and thought I had lost the fish in a weed bed. I brought the massive chunk of weed in and when I saw it I thought that I had lost the fish. In my anger I threw the rod down and the line went loose. I suddenly saw a large fish shoot out from behind the weed. I quickly grabbed the rod and resumed the fight and eventually the weed fell off. The fish dived for freedom but I held on and finally after 20 minutes and the scare, netted the fish. Yesssss!
I unhooked the fish and instantly got it on the unhooking mat/ weigh sling. I hooked the scales on and they went round to a fraction over 8 kilos, which I worked out as 17lb 9oz! This was a new personal best so I was very pleased. I set up my camera, set the timer and took a few (hundred!) photos of the fish. I then tried to return the fish in the margins but discovered that they were too shallow. I had to wade out up to my knees to put the fish back but I didn't mind. The fish gave me a soaking for my trouble as it left but I didn't mind that either. I made numerous calls to various people, who all seemed to be away from their phones, apart from my cousin Matt who I am sure was very jealous (ha! ha! ha!) I then packed my gear away because I felt satisfied and didn't need to catch another, plus the fish had run around the whole bay and had probably spooked the rest of the fish into the next county! This was the story of my new personal best, which I hope to break soon but for now I'm well chuffed!
I would liked to have added a photo to this article but due to me being alone and not having mastered the timer on the camera they were not very good apart from one which I have managed to lose!