Des Taylor

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I have wanted to catch a 60lb+ carp now for a number of years, as an all-rounder this is a very ambitious target but most years I head into Europe to try and satisfy that goal. My path for such a creature has taken me to Cassien in 1987 where I caught my first 40lb carp, then to Lac Salagou, Fishabil, Canada and even the mighty Rudutu in Romania where 80lb carp have been caught. Sadly although I caught carp from all these venues I never seemed to get amongst the “monsters.” Then Rob Hales introduced me to the Rainbow Lake which surely has to be the best carp venue for large carp ever in the history of the sport. In five previous trips I had taken mirrors to 52lbs, on any other venue a big fish but for Rainbow quite an average catch!

Peg 1 where my dreams came true

My last trip there had been very slow and had beaten me up badly so I gave the venue a miss for three years. But this year I was ready once more to do battle with the mighty Rainbow Lake. For weeks I planned the trip, talking to Rob Hales and his friends who fish the water at least three times a year. My tackle, rigs, bait and my mind set was ready for the week long session. I was booked in peg one with Rob next down fishing peg two. On arrival we were met with heavy rain and I mean heavy rain in fact we debated for a while whether to set up next day it was so bad. But I wanted to get fishing badly and persuaded Rob it was a good idea for us both to get out there. It rained constantly for sixteen hours and soaked through sitting in my bivvie I was wondering if ever I would land the carp of my dreams with such a dreadful start. At rainbow it’s a waiting game and our plan was to set our traps and wait till the rods went. Rob is confident to leave his rods out for the full seven days confident that even on the last day it will go! That kind of fishing is very hard for me to do but if that’s what it takes to land a monster carp that’s what I would do.

They loved the Phaze!

The phaze pop up caught the 60 and the 70!

On two rods I put a Phaze 1 SBS Pop Up boilie after all my companion Rob Hales had taken a 90-04 on a SBS Pop Up a few years before, one rod on a tiger-nut tipped with a piece of plastic corn and the fourth rod a new bait for me a Brazil nut. I was fishing all four rods over a mixture of hemp, corn, SBS Flumino Groundbait and all mixed together with a Flumino Groundbait Mixer.

Mixing the groundbait, pellets and particles and the Flumino Groundbait Mixer

I have great faith in the Flumino Range as an attractor for carp and find that it gets carp to keep visiting the area even when most of the bait has been eaten, I am a great believer a carp will sometimes visit the area many times before picking up your bait but you have to get the carp to keep coming to the swim to get your chance?
Traps set, it was in the bivvie for a towelling down and a change of clothes and a long wait or at least that’s what I thought. But next morning the Brazil nut was away admittedly only with a 25lb common but it was a start. Now lets get it straight I still think a 25lb common is a big fish but lets get it into perspective carp at Rainbow are born at 25lbs!” But it gave me confidence for the rest of the week. The next two days were slow with not a fish for Rob or myself but we did see fish in the swim and you could have put a saddle on and rode them like a horse! Tuesday morning saw a change in the weather and with it came fish, I took a 48-08 common on the tiger-nut the best looking carp I have ever seen or caught in my life it truly was perfect as the photograph shows.

A 48.08 lbs common, the best looking carp i have ever caught

Rob came in with a 52lb and 44lb mirror both tremendous fish. I remember Rob saying to me “these are all bonus fish for Thursday, Friday and Saturday is when we will catch a monster, and they will come to the boilie.” I backed his statement up by sitting on my hands and leaving the baits out. Thursday is known by all the anglers that fish the lake as “big fish Thursday” and now I see why! At 10.00am my new Drennan Tectrix 3¼ TC rod on the Phaze pop up placed on a bar near the duck hide bent over with the take. I had the bait-runner locked up to save the fish reaching the snags and I had to run into the water to stop the fish pulling the rod out my hand. I knew straight away I was into something very special, the fish ran straight towards me and it was only when it was 20 yards out did I see the pattern of the leader in the water from the fishes “head shake” and the massive vortex from the tail pattern which confirmed this was a monster. Slowly but surely I reeled that fish towards the net and from a few feet down in the water Rob and myself both got our first glimpse of the fish. “It’s a true monster of a fish Desmond.” When Rob calls me Desmond I know it serious! After 15 minutes the fish completely gave up and floated to the surface and then we saw the true size of the beast. Rob netted the fish I grabbed him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. I could not believe the size of this creature! To be honest the next few minutes were a blur for whilst Rob got everything ready and I mean everything I stood there a blithering wreck saying things like “I cannot believe I’ve got one this big” or “my god its one of those horses we saw in the swim.” Rob said “I’m sorry to disappoint you Des but this isn’t one of the 60s it’s nearer to 80lbs.” “You have to be joking” was my answer. We lifted the fish on the weigh tripod and it read 75-14 “say it again Rob.” “Yes confirmed 75-14 you jammy git” I sat in my chair with my head in my hands and I was completely shot. As you can see by the photo I’m a very happy bunny!

Whaaaat a massive 75lb 14oz monster!

Thought this was a nice shot "it was so big i needed a helping Hand" from my english friend Ed Matthews

The 75.14 being returned its as wide as me?

If that had been my very last carp abroad I still would have been very happy but typical in angling when it comes right it comes right and sure enough next night the last night of the trip I had a take again on the same rod and on the Phaze Pop Up again which again felt like a monster and it was. I remember saying to Rob “just imagine if this is a big common to go with my monster mirror.” The fish fought deep and slow and felt like a big fish and once more when it was beat it completely gave up and floated to the surface. My dreams had come true it was a big common and at 62-02 I was now the happiest man in the world!

A 62.02 common the last night the icing on the cake!

I had waited 27 years to finally achieve my goal. But finally I had my pay back and in a few days on my beloved Phaze I had caught the best looking carp of my life, my personal best common and a true monster that I will never beat in two lifetimes.

I couldn’t wait to get down the pub back in England next to the bar telling my mates about the fish and the experiences, can you imagine how big my head was! One last thing before I end I would like to say a couple of big thank you’ the first to SBS for supplying me with top class bait and to Rob Hales for all the fun along the way.

By: Des Taylor