Simon Crow’s 51lb Shropshire Common

Firstly, let me start by congratulating Simon for catching this awesome common. It still blows me away fish of this magnitude are being caught now from UK waters on a fairly regular basis. A world away from how things were when I was a boy starting out on my carp quest, some 40 odd years ago! But I guess everything has to move with the times… even carp.

Over the years of travelling back and forth from Oz to the UK I’ve been fortunate enough to get fishing on some cracking UK waters. Though most of them latterly have been day ticket venues, none of them had much in the way of big fish stock. With mid-twenties being the main stamp, and the odd thirty in the mix to keep you keen. Regretably, with time always short when visiting the homeland, I couldn’t spend the entirety it of chasing just one specimen lump. Which was the case when I had a temporary ticket for The Brook; though spending a solid six weeks on the water, as tempting as it was, wouldn’t have gone down to well with the family I supposed to be visiting! Besides, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Two Tone was coming out as a mid-forty back in 1995 when my ticket was valid? In hindsight maybe I should’ve had a go, as little did I know then that it was going to become a British record?

That’s about as close as I’ve come to a big fish water in Britain; hopefully that’ll be something that changes in the future? Though my goals on home soil here in Oz are to ultimately land a previously uncaught total wild whacker, which I reckon would be hard to top! An Oz 50lb+ would be truly mind boggling!!! Though, realistically I’d be content with one quite a bit smaller. Anyhoo, here is Simon with Bill from Acton Burnell’s bottom lake. It’s a really inspiring clip he’s uploaded, with Steve Briggs as camerman…. quality!

Happy hippo hunting

Niblet

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