A CRACKING mirror carp of 26lb was the icing on the cake for Basildon angler Ricky Lee when he fished his local Northlands Park lake.

The big fish was his third carp of the session, with the other two scaling 20lb 4oz and 20lb.

Lee had intended to stay at the lake for less than 24 hours. But after landing a 20lb 4oz common, and noticing evidence of other big fish in his swim, he decided to stay for an extra day.

His perseverance paid off the following morning when a screaming run produced another big common carp just a few ounces lighter than his first.

As soon as the fish was returned, Lee hooked yet another big carp, which came adrift before it hit the net.

He re-cast and less than a quarter of an hour later the 26lb mirror picked up his popped up shelf life fishmeal boilie.

It showed its weight and power immediately, staying deep and making slow but dogged ruins.

The big fish was Lee's fourth 20-pounder from Northlands Park in his last three sessions, and over the last year he has landed more than eight different 20lb-plus specimens from the venue.

Brian Webster landed two big carp when he fished the Northlands Park road lake, but missed out on a 20-pounder by a matter of ounces each time.

The big brace came from the venue's road bank, where Brian fished Mainline boilies over a bed of hemp and chopped boilies.

His first carp, a common, scaled 19lb 6oz, and was followed soon after by an almost identical fish weighing six ounces more.

l Pole anglers fishing casters or punched bread at Basildon's Gloucester Park have been taking tremendous bags of roach, with the cockle bank proving to be the most productive area.

One of the best hauls fell to Simon O'Leary, who presented caster at 14 metres to net more than 30lbs of roach. He also tempted a number of bream and a solitary tench.

Breadpunch specialist Terry "TG" Grant fished punch and liquidised bread to take his own 30lb-plus roach haul from a swim at the Western end of the cockle bank.

He started at 12 metres but by the end of his session he was taking roach to more than 12oz at eight metres.