Angler nets £3k prize for capture of elusive carp

A man has netted £3,000 after he caught an elusive golden coloured carp.

Nathan Riggey, 26, from Walsham le Willows near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has been fishing on and off for a number years before getting back into it two years ago.

While fishing at Suffolk Water Park near Claydon he regularly saw a large orange fish, known to the lake's anglers as Carrot, which had not been caught since 2023.

Last week Mr Riggey patience was rewarded when he successfully hooked and landed the 27lb (12.2kg) specimen which he described as "a nerve-wracking experience".

"I'd seen fish showing all day and thought I had one more chance to try and bag a fish," Mr Riggey explained.

"I got the rods out for the evening, sat down on my bucket as I normally do, eating my porridge and within half-an-hour off the right hand rod goes.

"I pulled into it and got to 30 yards out and up she comes - a big gold fish and I knew exactly what fish it was."

It is believed the distinctive fish has been in the lake for over 30 years.

After capturing it, weighing it and photographing it, Mr Riggey released it back to its watery home.

"That's probably the most nervous I've ever been...

"It's a fish that I've wanted to catch, it hasn't be caught in well over two years.

"It's such an elusive carp which has been sort of waving at me in weeks gone by as if to say, 'you're not going to catch me'."

Anglers at the lake pay into a pot for those who capture the largest specimens, with the amounts gradually building if they are not caught.

The pot stood at £3,000 for Carrot which Mr Riggey now plans spend on a holiday for his family.

After his catch he said he had been overwhelmed with people congratulating him and contacting him.

But he is not done yet an and his eyes are now on other fish in the lake.

"What a great moment in my angling career, it's amazing," he added.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.