This week’s freezing weather didn’t deter young Matty Morrell from a spot of carp fishing and he celebrated his 15th birthday with a personal best mirror of 26lb 4oz and another of 22.4.0.
The Bicester youngster, who attends Cooper School and works at J&K Tackle in the town on Saturdays, fished the Newland AC pit, near Stanton Harcourt, with his father.
Matty takes up the story: “After a quick walk round some likely looking areas, I settled into a swim that give me a far margin full of snags, a perfect holding area for carp in the winter.”
He baited up before setting up the bivvy, later putting out more bait, and his right-hand rod screamed off just before dark.
Matty continued: “After a very hairy battle, I was pleased to net a 22.4.0 mirror.
“Next morning, I awoke at first light and the alarms had remained silent, until the left-hand rod pulled round.
The fish was aiming for the snags, so I had to turn him.
“After a nervy fight, a very plump-looking fish came to the net and she tipped the needle round to 26.4.0 – a personal best.”
The fish came on a single Active Bait Solutions belachan and seasnail pop-up.
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