Ryan explains:

“The transition from the end of autumn into winter has always been a period of time that I have struggled to get a bite, but this year I planned to change my ways and see if I could change my results.  I decided to fish Thorney Weir, a venue that is known for its great winter form and is home to some truly stunning Colne Valley carp.

“Location wise, I knew that Thorney is predominately a shallow water but after a good lead about at range, I managed to find a silty area with a bit of depth. It was around 7ft and just felt a great area to put some baits.

“I decided to use solid bags, they were perfect for getting the range I needed with just enough food to provoke a feeding response.  In my bags I used a combination of Manilla Active Mix, Bloodworm Pellets and some crushed Manilla Active boilies, then just before casting out, I injected the bags with Manilla Glug. This gave me a bag with a boost of attraction. Rigs were simple and short, with trimmed down 12mm Peach and Pepper pop-ups and two red maggots on top.

“The trip couldn’t have started any better, as I got off the mark with a cracking mirror of 22lb, I was really pleased with this and felt the change of tactics had paid off. After the first fish I had full confidence in this tactic and knew there was a chance of some more fish.

“It wasn’t long before I was attached to another fish, and it gave me the right run around, one of the hardest fights I’ve ever had to be honest. Eventually I had it within netting range and as it went in the net, its nose hit the spreader block and the tail was still hanging out the net! It was at this point I knew I had something a little bit special!

“It turned out to be an incredible, old, black common that spun the scales to an impressive 37lb 12oz, which is a new PB for me. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a stunning carp!”