The UK Carp Cup is a new event this year for individual anglers and is a sister event to the well known pairs event the British Carp Angling Championships.

Having not made it through the BCAC qualifier this year I had hoped to enter the individual event but work commitments meant I couldn’t confirm my availability in time so it was left to my brother Colin to enter under the Sonubaits name.

The qualifier was on Loggies lake, part of the Mid Kent Fisheries portfolio and a lake we have both fished many times.  After several trips to the lake over the past few weeks it was clear that the bulk of the fish were tucked up down the easterly end of the lake and it was this area that went first in the draw.  Colin came out of the draw well but decided to fish the reed lined Westerly end of the lake in one of the corners.  The advantage of his swim meant not being interfered with by anyone as he had good gap between himself and the next swim.   It was a gamble, the swim does however have a history of producing fish.

At the end of Friday Colin had yet to have a bite and had not seen any fish, there had been several caught at the far end though with one angler already having 60lb on the board.  I was fishing the lake next door and had been keeping an eye on what was going on with a   couple of visits a day. 

Saturday morning came and still Col was fishless, in fact out of eight anglers Col and the three to his right had yet to catch.  The other side and end of the lake had all caught.  On another visit Saturday afternoon we both started spotting carp, with several head and shouldering.  I had a walk round to where Col was casting over too and sure enough I saw a number of carp and coloured water, I felt sure he would soon catch.  At 8 on Saturday evening I left him to it to make my way back over to Stour lake where I was fishing.  Sure enough at 9pm Col had his first fish a 17lb mirror, followed 30 minutes later by an 18lb common.  By Midnight he had had 5 doubles and moved into first place and with another couple by 5am things were looking good for qualification.  The guy who had been leading had another two carp including a cracking 27lb mirror late on to regain his number one position.  

The competition fished at 10am Sunday morning with Col finishing second on 112lb,  third place had 57lb.  An amazing last 12 hours that just goes to show its not over until its over.  Colin had resisted heavy baiting and waited for the fish to arrive hoping the spodding all over the lake would move the fish to his quiet corner, this approach certainly paid off.  By alternating between fishing with small stockings of 2mm Fin perfect pellets and solid pva bags of pellet Col managed to keep small amounts of feed going in without making excessive noise.   Hookbaits were simply 10mm Action Strawberry pop ups or bottom baits.  Roll on October for the final at the fish packed Brasenose one.