PERRY TAMES YOUR MISSUS!
Make sure you keep your eyes on Your Missus when Perry Alabaster is around!
The legendary big-carp ace is currently in-session on the Monks Pit syndicate in Cambridgeshire and has already bagged himself a fifty, a forty and a number of back-up fish, as big-fish season continues to deliver for those anglers prepared to put in the time.
The fifty in question is a mirror known as Your Missus and tipped the scales at a massive 52lb 3oz, much to the delight of Perry, who had been after the fish since he returned to the syndicate a couple of years ago.
“This is my first session back over on Monks since a tough French trip which didn’t really go to plan,” said Perry.
“I’d spent most of that week away repositioning rods that were constantly being wiped out by drifting weed and the only fishy action I had was from tench and catfish, until catching a few small carp on my very last day. Needless to say, I was desperate to get the rods out in England again this week to try and make amends!
“The swim I’d done well in last time out was occupied when I turned up, so I bucketed a swim on the opposite bank, then took a walk around the lake. The two DNA anglers, Dave and Andy, who were just packing up after catching some decent carp, assured me fish had been showing in the swim I’d just reserved and they felt it could be a good choice. I always prefer to fish a swim that’s either been left alone for while or hasn’t seen much action prior to me turning up, rather than going into a swim that’s just been hammered, so I agreed with the lads and trundled back round to the other side.
“It was obvious fish were already in the swim as I set up, so I chose to fish as stealthily as possible from the off. My plan of attack was to fish Crayfish wafter hookbaits in solid bags of matching Crayfish Mini Mix pellets in the areas carp were showing, and I’d also use my go-to method of fishing S7 Hard Hookers over a baited area of mixed-sized S7 boilies, Liquid Food-coated S7 chops, hemp and Crayfish Maxi Mix pellets on a likely spot, away from the showing fish in the hope this area would kick off later on.
“After an hour or so, I’d banked the first one of the session, a chunky 29lb 14oz mirror on one of the solid-bag rod, and less than an hour later I was in again on the same rod, but this one felt a lot bigger! After a good margin scrap in the deep water of my swim, I netted a hefty common which turned out to be a fish called Arnie at 44lb 10oz. I’ve been quite lucky to have only had one of the Monks Pit forties twice since getting back on the syndicate a couple of years ago, but Arnie was a repeat capture, so I just did a quick self-take on my phone and slipped it back with as minimal fuss as possible.
“As darkness fell on my first night, I was in again on the same Crayfish wafter rod and, again, it felt like a right lump! I lost count of the times I got a faint glimpse of my lead-free leader just breaking the surface, then disappearing again as I played what felt like a hippo in the deep-water margin just under my rod tips. Eventually the fish gave in and I couldn’t wait to see what I’d got in the net. I didn’t recognise this one, but weighing in at 52lb 3oz, it had to be Your Missus, one of the lake’s real big girls that I’d been after for a some time now.
“With the identification of the fifty confirmed, I sat back with a brew to relax and just enjoy the moment alone for a while. I had no choice really, as I had the lake to myself. However, the silence was soon broken by a screaming run on the S7 rod over the baited area, which turned out to be another chunky 29-pounder.”
We look forward to seeing if Perry can add any more fish to his tally before he has to head home!
