Butler serves up carp double

12:29pm Wednesday 13th February 2008

NORTHLANDS Park regular Tom Butler has again been making his mark at the venue landing a brace of carp weighing in at 17lb 15oz and 20lb 8oz.

Both of Butler's fish came from the road bank of the road lake where he lost a relatively small mirror carp at the net soon after setting up.

Four hours later his fortunes changed for the better when the 20lb 8oz common picked up his two 18mm strawberry boilies.

The fish signalled its arrival with a small drop back on his indicator which bought Butler rushing from his bivvy. In doing so he slipped on the wet grass and slid the rest of the way down to his rods!

But he maintained contact with the fish which moved off slowly, before setting off on a number of long runs along the margins.

Butler's second carp, the 17lb 15oz specimen, came just after fishery manager Mick Toomer had taken the pictures of his 20-pounder.

Butler is no stranger to landing big carp at Northlands Park fishery. Last year he netted 33 carp at the Basildon venue. Nine of these fish were over 20lb, with the best scaling 25lb 8oz.

The year previously he took 21 carp at the lake, with the best of them weighing 24lb.

Top place at Sunday's Gloucester Park Open went to POAS/Unison man Mick Noakes with a terrific 116lb catch.

This consisted of 17 carp to a best of 10lb. Noakes fished from the car' end of the cockle bank, where he used method feeder to the island, with maggot baits alternated with meat and corn.

Second place went to Geoff Byatt with six carp for 37lb 15oz. Byatt, who also fished the cockle bank, found the sport slow for the first hour and a half of the match. He fished a method feeder to the island with pellet and meat baits.

Peter Steward took third place with a 28lb 0oz 8dr mainly roach haul, which also included five skimmer bream.

Steward also fished the cockle bank where his successful method was pole and caster at 13 metres. He lost a big carp which broke his light line.

Fourth place went to Andy Griffiths who pole fished caster from the little bay to take 23lb 10oz of roach and bream. He was closely followed by Paul Connel with a 21lb 15oz roach and bream haul.

EDITOR'S CHOICE

EDITOR'S CHOICE