Gary Thorpe
(GOT Baits)
Peg 19 - 490lb 8oz (New World Record)

  "Gary smashes the World Match Record with an amazing 490lb 8oz "

Please note this page is hot off the press and will be updated over the next few hours to include many more pictures and a full blown story from Gary on how he broke the World match record from peg 19 at Rolfslake with an amazing 490lb 8oz.

Peg 19 was the peg that featured as one of Gary's most frustrating day's in a Beat the Expert article earlier this year. That has all been forgotten now as the GOT Baits backed angler has demolished the previous World 5hr match record with an incredible 490lb 8oz.

Gary:

"I started by cupping in two pots of 4mm hard sinkers and 6mm expanders on the bar at 8m and fed an inside line with floating pellets to see if the fish would come up in the water early. My opening gambit was to let the 8m line settle and catch a few fish on the floaters early one. I did have a decent Carp early on the floater but the line was too slow. A look at 8m resulted in some foul hooked fish and to be honest the start was far from perfect. I fed again and carried on letting the line settle with a look down the inside. I had one more decent Carp on the floater before I switched back to my main 8m line.

This time the line was solid with feeding fish. It was a case of spending the next 4 hours keeping fish coming quickly. Keeping a cool head and not thinking about the record was paramount. It was a case of a fish-a-chuck from here on in, feed and try not to foul hook any fish. I did have a few hiccups with a few trashed rigs on the odd zoo creature, but the fish just kept coming up to the final whistle.

I took 25 fish over double figures and I guess the biggest fish was about 15lb, I'm not sure? but I know I took 62 fish in total. I'm pleased to have broken the record. Having recently had a similar day ruined by dropping a keep net in to the lake as the scales came round, I was starting to think the record was going to come my way"

Gary fished the new 4mm GOT Hooker Pellets (doubled up) on a Kamasan B911 size 14 hook presented on 0.18 Silstar Match direct. His float was his favorite Mick Wilkinson 0.4gm Diamond and the rig was presented on his Garbolino Power Legion and Red Hydro elastic.

"If the bites slowed down I would change to a 6mm expander on the hook, and I even took quite a few fish on a single cube of meat, but the 4mm pellet seemed to give the fish that extra confidence. We have worked hard to produce this pellet at GOT Baits and I knew it would produce some huge weights, but not as soon as this. (The 4mm soft hookers have only been in the shops for a week but Gary and the GOT Sponsored anglers have had them since August!) Feeding the 6mm expander with the 4mm hard pellet was the ultimate key though. As the fish get their heads down the odd expander gets flicked up buy the tails, the Carp soon mop these up but if you feed too many you'll just end up with foul hooked fish. Get the balance right and Bingo!"

Gary has spent the last month or so fishing up in the water at 15m and spraying his way to a number of match wins, including winning the festival with a perfect 30 points. Today was the first match that he has drawn a peg that would produce a better weight on an inside line on the deck. The new record is testament to the hard work that Gary has put in on the lake over the years. Gary instinctively knows how to fish each peg on a given day.

Gary's other Lake Record was equaled today - 8lb Chub taken by GOT Baits match angler Clive Whitehead.

On an amazing day, not only did Gary smash the World record but Clive Whitehead took a 8lb Chub, which equaled Gary's 8lb lake record and Pete Thompson to a 7lb 4oz Bream which also set a new Lake record and a new PB for Pete.

Whilst we are handing out plaudits, we must not forget the dedication of venue owner Rolf. Over the years I have spend many nights talking to Rolf on the phone about how the match record nearly went - there were lots of 'ifs and buts' in the conversations. Rolf has dedicated all his spare time and effort in producing a lake that is second to none for big weights and quality fish. The lake contains the UK's biggest Golden Orfe, Chub to 8lb, Perch to well over 4lb and I'm not allowed to say how big the biggest Carp is (its much, much, much bigger than the 26lb 8oz lake record!) the lake can even boast a 4oz bleak - the 8lb Chub and 4oz Bleak were both taken by Gary.