THE Isle of Wight carp record has been smashed out of sight by Nick Ring with the mighty Black Spot at an incredible 46lb 3oz from the Monks Pool.

Tim Oately and Lee Pettitt formed the Monks Pool Syndicate just over six years ago with an original stocking of 15 fish at between 8lb and 11lb from John Patons famous Fishers Pond stock.

They knew they were going to have a very special fishery when the original stockies went to 20lb in just eight months. The Big Linear stormed to the fore and reached 41lb 6oz just five years after stocking, but the syndicate owners' hopes of a British record were dashed when the fish died this spring.

Black Spot was stocked at 22lb from New Forest carp specialists Heath Fisheries in November 2001 at four and half years old as one of the top-five fish out of an original spawning of 300,000, and was moved with its sibling Crash at 21lb to Monks Pool.

Twelve months later Spot hit 30lb for the first time and topped 35lb after 24 months. In the spring Spot made 36lb and has put on a staggering 10lb 3oz since March and now the sky's the limit for the fish making headlines nationwide.

CC Moores have announced a major sponsorship deal to support the Isle of Wight anglers and Milton Abbas Carp Syndicate and the whole of the Hants, Wilts and Dorset carp scene.

From December, the company will be giving three kilos of boilies for the best common and three kilos for the best mirror from any Isle of Wight venue that is reported to Tim Oatley, while the Milton Abbas Carp Syndicate will receive the same deal.

Also, Daily Echo correspondent Mark Simmonds will publish a photo of the best fish of merit from Hants, Wilts and Dorset venues in national weekly carp magazine Carptalk every six weeks, which will win ten kilos of bait.

Monthly award winners will be published in the Daily Echo, while anybody wishing to win the Carptalk award should send full details and a photo to Mark Simmonds, The Gables, Southampton Road, Cadnam, Southampton SO40 2NF.

Poingdestres Match Group's Clive Egerton cruised to an easy victory at Lord Romsey's Longbridge Lake in the recent Cormorants club match on the venue when fishing pole and pellet to the middle and far bank to take 16lb of silver fish and tench plus carp to 6lb in a 47lb 8oz winning weight.

Garry Wright, having his best season for numerous years, followed him home with five carp to 37lb 12oz on the method feeder and worm from peg 22 on the main lake, with Cormorants Team Sillybaits' Steve Rochester a remote third with 20lb 7oz on the pole and corn from peg 2 on the ditch.

The Lower Stour Open saw some reasonable weights although Meridians proved very poor with 1lb 13oz winning the section and 4oz second.

Steve Lovell (Thatcher's) took a cracking 30lb 9oz of dace and roach on caster and maggot on the stick float from above Iford for a comfortable victory. Nick King (Dorset Raiders) finished second with 22lb 13oz of dace and roach and chub from the nut bush at Mexi.

There was a three-way tie for third with Nick Chedot (Todber), Garry O'Shea (Thatcher's) and Bob Randall (Todber) all taking 17lb 60z to the scales with Homestores Colin Watts sixth with 16lb 9oz.

The Witherington Farm Open went to match organiser John Gray who took 65lb 10oz of carp on the long pole and sweetcorn from peg 9 on Cottage Lake for victory.

James Knight finished second with 51lb 15oz of carp on the pole and soft pellet in the margins from Sellwood Lake with carp to 9lb with Paul Barnard third with 51lb of carp from peg 3 on Cottage Lake on corn and pole, Gary Etheridge took fourth place with 48lb from peg 15 on Sellwood Lake on long pole and pellet to the island.