Catch of the day smashes record as 'The General' loses last battle

SOME people believe the rod is the secret of Ben Mir's success. Others talk reverentially of his bait. Ask the man himself, however, and he sees no need to be clandestine. "Patience," he says. "That's what's most important."

After seven long years by the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, Mr Mir has landed the greatest catch of all – a carp weighing a staggering 34lb 4oz.

Suitably nicknamed "The General", the fish has blown apart the Scottish record books.

"We've all been waiting for the 30lb mark to be broken, it's one of the landmark sizes," said Saul Gardiner, chairman of the Scottish Carp Group. "But for a fish this size to be caught, it's fantastic. It's made fishing history in Scotland."

For all the wonder and amazement his catch has generated, Mr Mir, from Glasgow, does not forget the many fruitless hours spent in isolation.

The canal, which was first stocked with carp in 1971, runs for 35 miles, and the 37-year-old has fished every one of them. He baited his first line aged ten in the ponds and lochs around Bearsden and Milngavie, but only took up coarse angling in 2002.

Since then, he has spent at least one day a week by the water, fishing in the night hours when the carp feed. His is the dedication alluded to by John Buchan, the novelist, who once described the charm of fishing as "the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, the perpetual series of occasions for hope".

It was on one such expedition last Wednesday evening when Mr Mir's perseverance was rewarded. Having spent four hours on the canal, he set up camp, carefully attaching an electronic buzzer to his line, just in case there was a bite.

"I had settled down for the night and I was sleeping. Then I heard the bleeping noise from the buzzer," he said. "I jumped out of my tent and got on my wellies and grabbed my rod."

For the next 15 minutes, Mr Mir enjoyed a "good fight" with the carp, using a rod, a 15lb line and boiled paste fishing baits known as "boilies".

"It was a very delicate process," he said. "The line could have snapped, and in that area of the canal there are a lot of weeds."

Eventually, however, he proved that good things come to those who bait. On seeing his catch on dry land – a beast some 31.5in long with a 29in girth – he felt "elation". Eager to spread the news, Mr Mir, who runs a van hire firm in Glasgow, called his friend, Davy, who was due to start work at 6am. Despite the early hour, he was only too happy to act as witness and photograph the prize. Together, they celebrated with a 4.30am beer.

Since then, Mr Mir has been back out on the water, although he has been careful not to give away the exact location where he landed "The General", which was four pounds heavier than the previous record holder. Rumour has it the Forth and Clyde has other beasts to give up, and he aims to be first in line to catch them.

"Catching a fish this size won't stop me going out," he added, explaining the philosophy of the angler. "I don't go to the pub, I run my own business, and I'm married with two boys aged eight and 10. Fishing is my way of escaping day-to-day life."