Ian Pettitt The Scar Common — Another Syndicate Gem at 39lb 2oz Following on from the capture of the 33lb 4oz common on Friday evening, the rest of the night passed without any further action, the Delkims occasionally giving off bleeps as the strong wind and driving rain battered the lake. I could hear more carp showing out in the darkness. With the wind and rain making such a racket, they sounded like decent fish. By late Saturday morning, after being pretty much bivvy-bound for the best part of the night and morning, a few of us decided enough was enough and reeled in for a trip to the local cafe for a much needed fry-up. Returning to the lake, I got all three rods back out on the same spots and introduced a little more bait, hoping to tempt another chance. The afternoon passed quietly, with nothing showing to give much away, but just before dark, the same rod that had produced the 33lb 4oz common began picking up liners. Eventually, a stuttery take developed, and I lifted into it, immediately realising this wasn’t a carp. It wasn’t long before an eel was safely in the net. Not quite what I was hoping for! I quickly got the rod back out and retreated to the bivvy to dry off. The night passed without another occurrence, and perhaps more concerningly, I hadn’t heard or seen anything else from the carp. After all the activity I’d witnessed earlier in the session, the silence left me wondering whether they’d moved out of the area. Just after first light on Sunday morning, fishery manager Aaron arrived to check the lake over following the strong winds overnight. He soon headed off to carry out his checks, leaving me sat back in the bivvy with a brew, watching the water and enjoying a rare bit of calm. Then, without warning, the middle rod gave a single signal bleep. Looking out, I could see the line cutting through the water and moving off to the left of the spot. I was straight onto it, leaning into the rod with the drag locked up, and the fish immediately erupted on the surface. It was ploughing hard left through the big waves, thrashing on the surface and making it difficult to get any sort of control. I had little choice but to give it line as it powered away, eventually making a determined run of around 50 yards in an attempt to get over the top of a large gravel bar and into the deeper water beyond. Knowing how easily things could go wrong, I had to clamp down and put serious pressure on it, desperately trying to prevent it from reaching the far side. Eventually, I managed to turn the fish, and it began to make its way back towards me, still fighting hard on the surface. As it came closer, I could see its golden flanks shining through the waves. It was a another common, and considerably bigger than the 33lb 4oz fish I’d caught on the opening evening. After a few more powerful runs on the surface, I finally guided it towards the waiting net and led it straight over the cord. With the fish safely resting in the mesh, I knew this was something special. I called Aaron, as the syndicate rules require assistance from the fishery manager with the weighing and photographing of any carp over 40lb. Aaron soon arrived and confirmed my suspicion that it was the Scar Common. Another target ticked off the list, and my third member of the A-team caught this season. I was hopeful it might become a new UK personal best common, and when the scales settled at 39lb 2oz, I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Another stunning fish, edging ever closer to that magical 40lb barrier. The Scar Common is one I’d always hoped I cross paths with on my way to my main target and to have it in the net was a moment I’ll remember for a long time. Aaron did me proud behind the camera, capturing some great shots thanks mate.