Venue Horton Church Lake
The fish Pam, a mirror, 53.8lb
Bait The Swarm, Butter Crunch Eruption Mix, Pineapple BP pop-up
Before the season even started, I spent plenty of time looking back through old captures from Horton Church Lake, getting familiar with the stock. Out of all the fish, Pam was the one that kept catching my eye.
It wasn't just the size, it was Pam’s incredible appearance. Deep, dark colours and that unmistakable purple and blue shine made this one stand out from the rest. Pam was a carp that was sure to catch everyone’s eye and be at the top of the hit lists.
The season began on April 4th. I decided not to go on the opening weekend, knowing it would be very busy. My excitement and anticipation would wait just a little longer to wet a line on the historic Church Lake.
Fifteen Blank Days
When I did arrive for the first time, the lake was busy. Everyone was still eager to open their account on the mighty Church. I slotted in where I could, and the following morning I noticed some fish showing to my right. I promptly moved, but my first trip ended without a bleep.
Motionless bobbins became the norm. Across 15 days on the banks of Horton Church Lake I failed to put a single carp on the bank. Each visit brought its own challenges, and those blank days tested my patience and confidence. But I kept coming back, knowing that on a water like Church Lake, one bite from the right fish could make everything worthwhile.
I saw a lot of shows during that time, but those areas always seemed to be taken, clearly the favourite spots for that time of year. One of them was a swim known as Captors. Zigs were picking up the odd carp across the lake, as expected in spring on a deep, rich water. Despite others’ success, I stuck on the bottom, as I believed that if I did get a bite it would almost certainly be one of the big ones.
Captors
It was now May. As I walked around the lake I noticed Captors was free, an area I’d been keen to get into. I’d consistently seen fish showing there, and it commanded a central area of the lake that clearly saw plenty of fish traffic.
Eager to finally open my account, I went straight in.
As expected, I saw fish showing out in front of me. I made up some solid bags using The Swarm and Butter Crunch Eruption Mix, with a Pineapple BP pop-up trimmed down into a balanced wafter, and cast both rods to 20 wraps where the fish had been showing.
The Spomb mix was kept nice and simple: whole and crumbed Swarm boilies, oily pellets, Eruption Mix and a little sweetcorn spread over the area. The rig was nothing complicated either, just a short, soft braided D-rig that I had plenty of confidence in.
I sat back, this time desperate for the alarms to kick in.
6am
At 6am the following morning, that moment finally arrived.
The alarm ripped into life, and from the moment I lifted into the fish it felt different. After a powerful battle, pulling me from right to left, a huge mirror slowly came into view. The person with me knew the stock well and said, “That’s Pam!”
The carp slipped safely over the net cord after a nerve-racking fight. Even then I hadn’t fully taken in what was in front of me.
I looked into the net and said, “I’ve got my forty.”
The person took one look and replied, “No… that’s a fifty.”
I couldn’t believe it.
With the fish safely on the mat, the scales confirmed the unbelievable: Pam at 53.8lb.
The fish that had caught my eye before the season even began had found its way into my net, and after 15 blank days the reward couldn’t have been any better.
Some captures are special because of the weight, but others are special because of the journey behind them. The early starts, the silent alarms, the empty nets and the belief that the next bite could be the one all made this moment even more memorable.
After a few quick photos, Pam was returned safely to Horton Church Lake, where she remains one of the most recognisable and admired carp in the water.
