Huge Carp for Cotswolds Baits Creations Boss

Phil Chum of Cotswold Baits Creations has achieved a long sought after fish. With his accountant wife Nina, they decided on a Saturday night session on 60+ acres gravel pit in Gloucestershire which has around 30 carp. Most have never been caught or even hardly fished for. With tons of natural food, weed, and crayfish!!! and only having access too 100yrds of bank to fish. Its not an easy venue. Unfortunately the wind was off their backs which is not normally any good on this water as they do tend to follow the wind.

Phil decided to have a good plumb around and after a while found a nice gravel patch next to some weed, he decided to wade out as far as possible in chest high waders, then using a spod with an underarm action to create slightly less disturbance, Phil put around 14mm UFO, 2kg of hemp, a can of corn and around 1.5kg of bag and boat mix on the gravel spot. On one rod he decided on a double air dried UFO as the best bait to combat the crays. On the other rod he used a crab pellet. After a couple of hours in the darkness with no sign of a fish, Nina had a massive drop back on here margin rod baited with a test pineapple and n-butyric green pop up, unfortunately there was nothing on the end of the strike!

They decided to travel light, just Phil's brolly!! A BIG mistake as a massive thunderstorm and amazing electrical storm took hold for 2 hours!! 3am!! I got a slow stuttery take, suddenly it took off, the line started melting off the spool,
a quick dash to the rod and Phil was into a big powerful which was eventually stopped. Slowly the fish was steadily pumped into the waiting net first time. The fish at first looked quite long but not massive until I saw it's fat gut which was ready to burst!! on the scales she went 37lb 2oz

Nina and Phil decided to sack her up until first light so they could get some decent photographs. The successful rod was the double 14mm UFO, quite fitting as today 1st of May is the official release date of the bait.


As Phil said "This is a fish of a lifetime for me, it is my favourite water, which I get very little time or chance to fish. To bag any carp let alone one of this size is an amazing feeling" See picture