50-02lb! ‘Dick’ breaches the 50lb barrier.

Until Thursday morning I was expecting to write that Cherry Lake was continuing to be difficult . Up to this point only Paul Barnes in Grebe Lodge had caught (Commons of 28lb and 26lb). Both of Paul’s fishing coming in the dark early hours on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Something obviously happened during the early hours of Wednesday night because both Jamie Jenkinson in Heron Lodge (at 03.00) and then Liam Knight in Osprey (at 05.00) both caught thirties within a couple of hours of each other. Their first runs of their respective visit. Liam’s fish being a 34lb Mirror.

Thursday night, well actually the early hours of Friday, turned into a never to be forgotten period for Liam and his partner Vicky. Unbelievably Liam caught two of the biggest Carp in the lake in just three hours.

At 03.00 I received a call from Liam that he had landed a 40+ (these days I only ask for calls through the night for 40’s, as I would not get a good night’s sleep if I got up for all the 30’s………this just shows how the Carp stocks in Cherry Lake has developed over the years). So off I shot to Osprey Lodge.

The Carp in the retainer looked huge and we quickly identified it as ‘The Patch’. This impressive Common is so long. On the scales he went 45lb. In the process Liam smashed his PB which previously stood at 34-08 (caught last year at Cherry Lake). The big Common had picked up one of our Bio-Spice boilies fished ‘match the hatch’ style on the bottom, approx 40 yards out.

‘The Patch‘ has clearly started his autumn munch as it has put on over 2lb since he was caught at the end of August by Aaron Hull.

At just before 06.00, Liam unbelievably landed the lake record holder ‘Dick’ at just over 50lb (50-02), see lead photo above. As my daughter would say OMG!

Liam had extended his PB again and set a new Cherry Lake record, our first 50lb+ Carp. The same tactics did the business for Liam, a Cherry Lakes Bio-Spice boilie fished on the bottom in an area about 40 yards out which had been catapulted with boilies.

What a brace of English Carp, just 3 hours apart. Liam was both ‘shell-shocked’ and ‘over the moon’! I now have the challenge of identifying the appropriate type of clothing for 50+. A great problem to have!

’Dick’ has held the crown of being the biggest Carp in Cherry Lake for the last 3 years. She was caught at the previous record weight of 49-12 in late October 2020 by Charlie England. She was also caught in June by Peter Jones at 49lb. As with all big female Carp, their weights can vary throughout the year. Given Dick was captured a month earlier than when caught by Charlie England, it looks like it has got even bigger and there is no reason why this Carp, if caught between now and next Spring, cannot extend the lake record even further. Time will tell!

For the vast majority of the time, I would confidently say hat for Cherry Lake days are better than nights, and mornings are better than afternoon’s. I am not sure why, but the last few hours of darkness over the last 10 days has been hands down the best time to be fishing on Cherry Lake. Why this is the case, I am not sure, but all of this week’s fish have been caught at night and all have been good ones.

Jamie Jenkinson, who did extremely well during his first visit last September (11 Carp landed) has not found the lake to be so accommodating this year. He did however manage to beat his personal best in the early hours of Thursday morning, when he landed the big Ghost Common at 36-08. He likes his 35+ hoody! A small pop-up also fished towards the middle doing the trick for Jamie.

Needless to say that Judith, Dave and myself are all ‘really made up’ by our first ‘50’. Extremely well done Liam, a brace of a lifetime!