Fox's group marketing manager, Lewis Porter, takes an opportunity to reflect back on his three stand-out captures from his years of carp fishing and explains why they top his list of all-time favourites...

1) Bundy’s Pit ‘Black Common’ @ 43lb

For me the ‘Black Common’ that inhabits Bundy’s Pit was always the best looking common in the Peterborough-area and I had longed to catch it ever since it made the front cover of Carp-Talk magazine as a 30-pounder. Having secured a ticket in 2007 I got very lucky to catch the mighty fish as my just my 4^th bite from the lake at a new PB of 43lb. The thing that made it more memorable was that I had wanted to fish a swim on the other end of the lake but someone beat me to it by seconds and so I went for plan B and it paid off in stunning style – I felt rather lucky that next morning after bemoaning my luck the night before! At the of writing it hasn't been banked for 6 years, when it was 47lb, if shes still alive who knows how big it will be!

Above: Bundy's Black Common - it left me speechless!

2) Caravan Park ‘Linear’ @ 53lb

Once again I had become aware of the big linear through seeing it on the front cover of Carp Talk. I simply had to catch it, however, tickets for this venue are like gold dust. It actually took me 9 years of trying until I finally managed to get a ticket – the relief of that was like catching the fish in itself! So finally in June 2014 I was at long last able to angle for what in my opinion was the UK’s best looking big carp. The first year was a real struggle with no fish to report and it wasn’t until the following May that I finally caught a carp from the lake – thankfully it was a huge great linear! To catch this fish after 10 years of dreaming really was my ultimate moment in carp fishing, however add into the mix that it came less than a week after banking the awesome Wood Common from Spitfire Pool at over 50lb and I don’t believe that feeling will ever be superseded! It is definitely better to be lucky than good :)  

Above: The friends you share you captures with only held to strengthen the memories.

Below: 9 years in the making - the awesome Caravan Park Linear

3) Belgian Syndicate ‘Play’ @ 67lb

This capture only occurred in October last year so the incredible memories are still fresh. Myself and two of my best angling buddies had gotten ourselves a 48-hour guest session on an exclusive Belgian syndicate. At 30-40 acres in size and with only a reported 22 carp within its waters we never felt like we had a chance of catching a carp let alone one of the two 30kg+ mirrors it was home to. Well on the second afternoon of fishing there I received a powerful take on my middle rod and after a tense boat battle I was able to land the biggest carp I have and probably will ever catch. The huge mirror known as 'Play' tipped my scales to over 67lb and I was buzzing like you would never believe. To catch a fish from such a hard lake with two of my best mates there to share the moment was unforgettable and once again reinforced my belief that is better to be lucky than good.

Above: The huge mirror known as 'Play' from a Belgian syndicate lake.