Carpworld January 2015

180 PAGES: THE BIGGEST READ IN CARP FISHING

ISSUE 292 JANUARY 2015

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ISSUE 292 / JANUARY 2015 / MONTHLY £4.50

Frank Warwick

IEEN W A W K’S

IN FISHING FRANCE

Should you renew your hookbait every time you cast? Frank reveals his thoughts

carpworldmagazine.com

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE THE

MAGAZINE

FOR THE WORLDWI DE ANGLER

YORKSHIRE’S BELGIUM c ar pwor ld maga z in e. co m

FIRST 50 MONSTERS Exclusive story of the momentous capture of this massive northern specimen from Erics Willows Lake

Issue 135 January 2015

MONSTER COMMON FROM A PUBLIC WATER

Darrell Peck returns to Europe and once again hits a rich vein of form, banking some huge commons

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P L U S S I M O N C R O W T I M PA I S L E Y R O B H U G H E S J O H N W I L S O N D E R E K R I T C H I E PA U L F O R WA R D N I C K B U R R A G E A N D M O R E . . .

INSIDE CARP NEWS AND FEATURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

FA R AWAY P L A C E S

HEAD SOUTH FOR WIN TER

WILDWOOD LAKE COM P

P169 TDP continues to live the dream as he searches for new and exciting places to fish

P161 Derek Ritchie beats P167 Your Chance To Win the cold by travelling to a fantastic holiday to this Iktus in southern France stunning new French venue RETURN TO LE QUEROY / P155 / Nick Burrage has another phenomena l trip to this popular destination

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CONTENTS

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 292 /

January 2015

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Pecky’s Progress Darrell Peck Belgium is once again the destination for Darrell, and he’s all set for another monster session. Will the carp gods look down on him favourably?

It certainly looks that way.

O N T H E C OV ER : Frank Warwick with a gorgeous winter common, caught at Kingfisher Lakes in March 2014. There’s more from Frank on Page 69.

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Editors’ Comments The run-up to Christmas has meant that Steve and Nigel have been up against the clock with press deadlines, but they’ve both been out and about, with a few carp here and there.

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Gazette All the news and views from around the world of carp angling, to keep you up to date with what’s going on.

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Let Not Opportunity Slip Rob Hughes Being a good winter carper, Rob’s had an incredible run of fish coming to his rods of late, so we caught up with him to find out the who, what, when and where of his winter carping.

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The F Word Paul Forward Our regular diarist has had some cracking sessions recently, with one particular outing turning up nine fish for the album. What a way to finish off an excellent year!

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Cold Comforts Mark Lycett If you can stand the long, cold, dark nights, there’s a winter wonderland of carping out there.

Here Mark reveals why, with the correct attitude and gear, the results can be well worth the effort.

Church Confessions (Part Two) Dan Cleary Horton Church Lake is a very enigmatic water, and Dan reveals what he learned and how, after many long, hard sessions, he finally managed to bank one of the best prizes in the carp-angling world, a Church Lake 40.

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Diary of a Carpaholic Simon Crow Simon’s been to France to visit a water that is home to a fish which has been on his hit list for several years. The water may be small but the fish certainly aren’t, so can he fulfil his quest?

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Rig World featuring Mike Kavanagh Simplicity is the key to good carping, and Mike’s been talking to Keith Wheeler, a carper who has perfected the art. There’s also a look at riggy bits from Fox, Solar, E-S-P and Kryston.

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The Thinker – Thoughts From a Wandering Mind Frank Warwick Do you keep accurate records for reference? Do fish sleep? How do you get rigs back on target in the dark? All these subjects, and more, are floating around in Frank’s wandering mind…

Bait World featuring Joe Turnbull Along with an in-depth look at a whole new range of goodies from Nutrabaits, Bait World features an interview with Darrell Peck, a look at Mark Dean’s (aka Kodak) new pop-ups, and Mainline’s bag and stick mixes.

Tackle World With bedchairs from Rod Hutchinson, luggage and bivvies from SONIK, bankware from Cygnet, reels from Penn, and footwear from Skee-tex, along with gear from Gardner, Phat Fish, NGT, and Fox, there’s a bit of something for everyone in Tackle World.

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The Road to Roach (Part One) Mark Casper After helping to erect an otter fence around the famous Roach Pit, Mark was given the opportunity to tackle this well-known venue.

Little did he know that his success would be tempered by a near-death experience!

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Ask The Experts Pop-ups and how to make and use them, how carp decide what is edible and what to avoid, and how to spool up reels are the three questions our panel answer this month. There’s a £250 prize for the winning question.

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Every Picture Tells a Story Paul Selman The very mention of Withy Pool in Bedfordshire conjures up images of an historical water fished by some of the greatest names in carp angling.

But do you know about the Withy Pool Trophy? No – well find out more on Page 96.

Estate Lake Passions Joss Faulkner Joss is an old-school carp angler and board member of the PAG. Here he tells the tale about owning or leasing a lake which many of you may have an affinity with. But be warned, there’s a salutary warning for everyone.

Still Carping On Tim Paisley Does the world of carp fishing get value for money? What happens to your licence money and how is the EA funded? It’s all here as Tim delves into the finances of a hobby which generates big money for the EA. Wildwood Lake Competition How do you fancy being the first to fish a new holiday venue? That’s the prize on offer in this superb competition, where three anglers will get the chance to fish for uncaught carp.

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Yorkshire’s Finest Alan Firth Just occasionally, something happens which elevates the man in the street to celebrity level. Alan Firth’s fame is in catching the biggest fish in Yorkshire, all 58lb of it! Here is the story behind the capture.

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Overseas Directory Fancy a holiday? Our directory of overseas holiday venues opens up a whole world of choice for adventurous carpers to savour the excitement of carp angling abroad.

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IN INTERNATIONAL CARPER This month, as well as our regular rundown of all the big-fish captures from around the world in Echoes, we take you to Thailand to visit John Wilson’s new home. After leaving his home in good old Blighty, John has set up his stall with a house at the side of a lake where you could actually fish on a holiday trip. That’s not all though, as Niels Larson tells us how he caught the Danish record, and we join Derek Ritchie on a visit to the South of France, where he fished Iktus, a lake which is certainly well worth checking out. Nick Burrage has been to France as well, to a lake called Le Queroy, and did very well indeed. Finally, Tony Davies-Patrick has been dreaming of a peaceful life, but with the neighbours from hell, the adventure turns into a nightmare!

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF CARPWORLD FROM ALL MAJOR STOCKISTS

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NEWS

The

Carpworld Gazette PREDATION

Otters – You Can Afford to Keep Them Out! Traditional types of otter-proof fencing can be very expensive and hard to install, but following consultation with the fencing industry, defending stock may now be within the reach of many fishery owners.

Otter Fence aims to provide fisheries with the most cost-effective and efficient way to fence a fishery by using a kit of parts which can be easily installed. The company is a collaboration between Lone Angler and McVeigh Parker (one of the UK’s leading suppliers of fencing, farming and equestrian supplies), in which Mike O’Neill, a businessman (he owns Lone Angler, amongst many other companies) and committed angler, has a vested interest.

Another angler who plays a part in the Otter Fence project is Keith Fielding. Keith is based in East Lancashire, and he’s the man behind Defiant MPS, a specialist angling company supplying custommade products. He also runs waters in an area of the country ‘infested’ with otters (his actual word!), so he too has an interest in the fencing project.

By installing a roller system which fits simply and easily into existing fencing products, predators, including otters, will find it impossible to climb the fence because the free-running rollers don’t allow the animal to gain enough purchase to climb over it. The system has been tested in all weather conditions, so the rollers won’t freeze or lock up, and the design is currently being patented. This style of fencing is more effective than the traditional 45° overhang-style and needs only to be 4ft in height.

The roller system, which has been designed and manufactured in the UK, is available separately for installation on any type of fencing, and this gives fisheries the freedom to install their own fencing of any type. The aim is to provide a predator fence which is simple to erect, by either competent work parties or contractors, with a totally unobtrusive look and feel, at a cost comparable to existing methods, and with considerably less labour time in its construction.

Issue 292 / January 2015

NEWS

All Change at Dartford Crossing For most of us, the online payment facility Just in case any carpers live outside the will be the best bet, and you can purchase London area, and we know one or two journey tickets online and use them at do, no matter what the Essex carpers any time during the following think, it’s worth noting that 12 months. Buying a pass is paying for your vehicle to simple. All you have to do use the Dartford Crossing “ T he new Dart is search online for the has now changed. Instead Charge s erv i c e Dartford Crossing charge of stopping at the pay w i l l offer s ev eral (www.gov.uk/dart-charge) booths, you will now pay w ay s to pay ” and buy as many as you the charge in advance or by need. It’s easy, and regular midnight the following day. users can block purchase or The new Dart Charge service set up an account. With any luck will offer several ways to pay, the new system will alleviate some of including online, by phone, by post, or at the horrendous delays at the crossing. one of the many payzone retail outlets.

Obituary - Tony Miller It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Tony Miller.

For many years Tony was heavily involved in setting up and running several top-class French holiday venues for carp anglers. Derek Stritton and Brian Skoyles, along with many other well-known anglers, knew Tony well and paid this tribute.

Derek Stritton says: “Words can never truly sum up how you feel about the passing of an old friend, and when it’s someone like Tony Miller, how could they? I first met Tony in the early-‘90s, when Paul Selman, Martin and Brian Skoyles, Steve Loader and I were the first English anglers to fish Etang Le Mans. This experience

led me to visit a number of Tony’s French holiday venues across many years, right up to the present day. In more recent years Tony experienced a difficult time with his health and was unable to do much of what he would have wanted; nevertheless, throughout it all he maintained his sense of humour and lovely smile, for which I, and many others, will always remember him.”

Brian Skoyles was also a good friend. He said: “It was sometime in the ’90s when I first met Tony Miller. Bill Cottam had an invite to go and fish one of Tony’s waters and asked if I would like to go along. As I was keen on fishing in France, it would have been rude to say no, so not wishing to offend either Bill or Tony, I said yes. It was, for me, the start of a family relationship which has brought me, my family, and a lot of my friends many happy memories.”

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Gaz et te

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FISHERY NEWS

Weed – Cutting is the Answer

NEWS IN BRIEF MANUFACTURERS SEEK STAFF

Fox and Korda are both looking for new employees to work in their digital media departments, focusing on filming and editing videos. The vacancies are in response to the growing popularity of DVDs and online video content produced by both companies.

For more details email: jobs@foxint. com or info@korda.co.uk LINEAR FISHERIES 2015 BROCHURE

The 2015 Linear Fisheries brochure is now available to pre-order. The A4 glossy booklet is an eye-opening guide to the Oxfordshire day ticket complex’s numerous lakes, and can be pre-ordered from the fishery website.

To order a brochure visit linear-fisheries.co.uk CARPING4HEROES CELEBRATE SUCCESS

business. Initial concerns that the Controlling the weed in our venues weed might multiply or come back has rapidly become one of the thicker haven’t been proven at all; as biggest issues for fishery managers to long as all the cut weed is removed, deal with. Most fisheries are run by which is what we do, there is nothing passionate anglers whose motives are based on the love of the sport, but all left drifting around to multiply.

As for cutting the weed to make venues have to pay their way – which it come back thicker, that’s they can’t do if they’re unfishable. another false assumption.

Paul Middleton, the boss of a I anticipate that small, once or company called Weedcutter, says twice a year maintenance cuts will he has the answer. “I had to find be all that most fisheries require. a way to tackle the weed on my This also has the added benefit of own fishery, so I spent endless removing the bulk of the weed hours researching solutions. each year so it can’t The EU ban on aquatic rot on the lakebed, herbicides shows no which creates a sign of changing. build-up of silt.

European rulings “I had to find a way to Whether on the chemicals tackle the weed on my own your fishery is a suspected of fishery, so I spent endless club, syndicate being harmful to hours researching solutions” or commercial humans if they get water, whoever into the water table runs it will have to look like they’re here budget to tackle weed to stay. There were only in the years when they suffer two viable options as far as I could see – either dyes or mechanical a bad problem. It’s become part of the regular maintenance costs removal with a weed boat. Turning involved in running a fishery, as it my fishery grey or blue wasn’t very was when herbicides were available. appealing, and it won’t be effective But it can be managed, and fisheries anyway if the fishery has a large can soon regain the natural balance throughput of water. As I saw it, to with a healthy fishable level of weed manage the weed there was only one present within their venues.” option left – a weed boat. Cutting weed to a fishable level works, but For more details on the Weedcutter these are expensive machines so service visit: www.weedcutter.co.uk my weed boat has to be run as a

At the end of last year, guests including Brian Skoyles, Simon Crow and Help for Heroes ambassador Tony Scott and wife Sue, gathered at the Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby for a gala dinner night to celebrate the success of Carping4Heroes 2014, and to raise more money for Help for Heroes.

The evening was a huge success and everybody thoroughly enjoyed the night, which raised over £2,600 for our wounded, injured and sick serviceman and women.

The evening was also used to announce the dates for Carping4Heroes 2015, which will take place over the weekend of 12-14th June at Manor Farm Lakes in Bedfordshire. Full details of the announcement can be found on our Facebook page.

ROYAL ARTILLERY TAKE AIM

Barston Lakes, near Solihull, was the scene of an epic battle at the end of last year, as anglers from the Royal Artillery Carp Group took part in their annual championship.

In total, over 3,000lb of carp were caught during the event, which was won by SSgt. Harry Harrington and Capt. Stu Lennox, with a total of 110lb 2oz.

ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR

Solar will be launching a new bait under the 4th Rod Specials banner in the coming weeks, and you’re going to want some of this! The new Candy Floss boilies will be released soon, and with a nut mix base and the same attractors and flavour profile as the incredibly popular Candy Floss pop-ups which Solar recently launched, these baits are a sure-fire winner.

GET STYLISH, GET DELKIM

If you’re a fan of Delkim alarms, you’ll love their new online clothing shop. A quick click will get you to the clothing section, where you can choose clothing from the new range and show your allegiance to the brand. There’s a lot of different gear available, from hats and T-shirts to mugs and hoodies.

For more details visit www.delkim.co.uk

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FEATURE

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Co ld Co mf orts Ma r k Ly cett

COLD

COMFORTS Carp fishing in the depths of winter is not for everyone, but there are still plenty of fish to be caught. Here Mark reveals why, with the correct attitude and gear, the results can be well worth the effort.

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et a group of carp anglers the lake; keep looking for carp leaping, together and it won’t be swirling and head and shouldering. long before a couple of Carp in snags and in the margins in subjects are mentioned, namely bait winter are usually easy to find, and and carp fishing in the winter. For sharp eyes and a good set of Polaroid this article I am going to write about sunglasses are all that’s needed. my experience of winter carping, Once areas are located, I find it’s which stretches back 35 years. extremely important to keep bait going I will cover a few subjects about into them. If the lake you are fishing winter carping, and the one I will start is local to you, then I would look at with, because it is the most important, keeping a supply of bait going onto is location, or to be more precise, the spots at least three times a week. locating where they feed in winter. I If you keep four or five spots baited, find that once the carp have grouped then 30-40 baits onto each spot three up for winter, they don’t tend to move or four times a week is plenty. The too far. This is the reason why location biggest mistake most anglers make is critical at this time of year. I during the winter is over-baiting. tend to start looking where If you only fish once a week, the carp are showing it’s no good putting in themselves from early all your bait on one “The biggest October, as I’ve found visit. Think like a mis take mos t this normally gives matchman; make it angler s make a clue as to where little and often to during the winter they will be spending keep them interested. i s ove r- b a i t i n g ” their time through We have all heard it the colder months. said that lakes do not Obviously, after the clocks fish in winter – well they change there are less daylight would if a hours, so I will be keeping a very close little bait was eye on the water during daylight hours introduced. If and listening for fish during the night anglers simply in the few weeks after this. If you find stop fishing in any clues of the carp’s location during winter, autumn, they are often in the same spots all winter, so make sure you look and listen in early November.

Good areas to look for carp in the winter are snags, overhanging trees, deep or shallow margins, dead weedbeds, and also, surprisingly, some openwater spots. To find these open-water spots, you need to keep a close eye on Jan u ary 2 015 C a r pwor l d 31

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FEATURE

D A R R E L L

P E C K

PECKY’S PROGRESS

After experiencing the highs and lows of a long session, Darrell had to make some tough decisions.

He settled on returning to Belgium for another monster session, and it looks like things went his way.

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fter those 3 long weeks on the bank, I was sitting on the sofa feeling a bit fished out.

Throughout that session in Belgium, I’d tried so hard, and although I’d caught some of the lake’s real jewels, in my heart I knew I hadn’t fished very well.

I had a decision to make. What was I going to do with the rest of the autumn?

My friends suggested I head back to Burghfield, as they always do. It’s the last of a special generation of fish, no doubt about it, but I’ll think I’ll save that one until the spring, when the carp are waking up and getting mobile. I obviously did well at that time last year.

So, where did it leave me until the spring? In limbo really! I stewed on it at home, weighing up the options. One thing was for sure, it had to be something special to me because I doubted I could

get myself up for a half-assed campaign. its fishing had stirred the fire in me In the end there was only one venue more than anywhere back home. The really, and it all depended on whether thought of fishing for beautiful fish Mrs P. would let me go back to which were so much bigger than Belgium. The first week I’d caught before massively at home, I caught up outweighed fishing with all my writing; for a single big ’un the second week back home. was spent sucking I arrived at “I arr ived a t t h e lake up and planning the lake just jus t befo re d ar k an d it my return. So, before dark and was co mplet ely S er gio after 2 weeks it was completely Ramos (rammed )” at home, I was Sergio Ramos blasting back down (rammed), so I the M20 for another had to drop in the 3-week session. Absolute last peg. Unsurprising madness I know, but I had really, rocking up late on a learned a lot about the carp’s movements Friday night. I remember thinking how during my last visit, and it would be ridiculously mild it was for the third crazy to waste this knowledge and week of October. I bivvied up, had some start afresh elsewhere. The lake and dinner and lay on my bed, staring out

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P e c ky ’ s P ro g ress Da rrell Peck

into the night. Last time the plan had been to fish to what I saw; this time, if could get the right swim, I wanted to bait heavily and wait. The swim I was in was in the area I fancied, where I had frequently seen fish during my previous trip, but it had a couple of drawbacks.

Firstly, it had a huge blue barrel buoy anchored 80 yards out just left of centre on the exact line I would want to cast, and secondly, it had been fished loads, with next to nothing caught since I’d left. I really wanted the swim opposite, which was on the back of the westerly winds that were showing on the long forecast, and it didn’t have any buoys to worry about. I had witnessed lots of carp in this central area last time, and I needed regular carp traffic to effectively carry out my plan. Another positive for this swim was that it was on a bit of a point, which would mean that should I start catching, no one would be able to cast far enough to cut me off.

Plateau Swim on my last visit, and it now A couple of hours after first light, weighed in excess of 60lb. They were they started showing exactly where I clearly eating a lot and packing it on. couldn’t fish for them – behind that The next day the swim I wanted bloody blue buoy! How annoying; the suddenly came free. The angler’s wife very reason I ended up going there and was unwell and he had to leave, not on day one I was faced with a minor the circumstances you want when version of the same problem. Then, like taking over a swim. I didn’t get the an arrow through the heart, I found out chance anyway – it was one in, one that the swim I wanted wasn’t going out. During my time on the lake, to be free any time soon. A Dutch guy I’d not asked any angler if I could called Rob had had a 16-fish hit while follow them into their swim. I was I’d been away, and as is the way there, on their turf and I felt I needed to the swim was going to be rotated. be seen to be doing my own thing.

Clearly, I hadn’t been the only one to On the third night I moved to a swim see it brewing up out there, which put to the right of the blue buoy. I’d seen fish, the proverbial spanner in the works. but again, the bottom felt very uncarpy.

The plan was dead and buried at the I moved again, to the swim with the first hurdle. The other swims would all plateau where I’d had the first big mirror do fish on their day, but it was going to last time. Big winds were forecast, which be hard work. I was more than likely are often talked about as good autumn going to have to fish like a maniac again, conditions, but on these large just to scape a couple of fish. lakes it can be difficult to I spent 2 nights fishing fish effectively. Drifting the swim with the blue weed carried on buoy, but the baits white-capped waves, kept coming back “I was on t h eir t urf driving through stinking of silt, an d I felt I n eed ed t o my swim, which which gave me be s een t o be d oin g only helped to tow no confidence my ow n t h in g” my leads off the to start smashing spots. As I sat there bait out. Late one peering through afternoon, I was a tiny gap at the top called to take photos of my zipped-up door, for Frederic, one of the watching sheets of rain and locals who was in the other flashing LEDs, I questioned my sanity. central banker swim next door, and he Was I really going to be staying in hell for was catching steadily. He was having a another 18 nights? Through the night I great year on the lake and had caught hardly slept; the wind viciously pounded the biggest mirror in there. It was the my bivvy, and I had countless false same 56lb mirror I had taken from the Jan u ary 2 015 C a r pwor l d 37

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FEATURE

D I A R Y O F A C A R PA H O L I C Simon takes a trip to France in an attempt to catch a fish which has been on his hit-list for several years. The water may be small but the fish cer tainly aren’t, so can he fulfil his quest?

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ince starting work in the CarpTalk office, I wouldn’t even be able to guess at how many catch reports I’ve typed up which referred to a ‘fish of a lifetime’. I’ve probably dealt with thousands of amazing catches over the years, many of which I hoped to one day emulate. I’ve always had this thing about wanting to catch a true monster carp, like an 80+ from France,

MAIN IMAGE

The lake looked stunning.

which is why venues such as Rainbow Lake remain a big attraction for me. In the spring of 2013, I received an email from Andy and Tasha Walker, inviting me over to their water known as Echo Pool which is not far from Limoges. It contains a carp which wasn’t far off my ‘fish of a lifetime’, so after a few emails and calls, a 5-day trip was lined up for me and Chris Felton for October 2013.

At a mere 2 acres in size, it was quite simply amazing to see how such a small water had gone on to produce the impressive stock of carp that it contained. With four different 60s, as well as a colossal 70lb+ common known as Colin, seeing the pictures of its residents was like dangling a carrot in front of two rabbits! All the fish had grown on from small weights in the lake and were in fantastic condition (for all you cynics, take a look at the images on the website!), which is testament to how sensible rules and good fishery management had paid off in the long run.

The full details of how that trip panned out were covered in the January 2014 Carpworld, but it turned out to be a fantastic few days which saw both of us with exceptional fish in our nets. On day two Chris landed a right chunk of a mirror known as Barrel, at 62lb, and a day later I chipped in with two known 50s which were down in weight at upper-40s.

My best was a 47lb common, with the other weighing in at 46lb, but I also had a few others to mid-30s. I lost the best fish I hooked, a very heavy mirror which was almost certainly one of the A-Team.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable short

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D ia r y o f a Ca r pa holic S im o n C row

break at a venue which really grabbed me. Not only had Andy and Tasha been very welcoming, I really liked the setting because it was well off the beaten track and very much amongst nature. You couldn’t hear a thing apart from the wildlife or the distant sound of a farmer working his fields.

The dam side with the jetty in the centre of the shot.

ABOVE

BELOW RIGHT

Fantastic autumnal conditions.

It was a great place to relax, and I didn’t need to think twice when I was offered a return visit for the following year.

By the time another year had passed and my return visit had arrived, Colin the Common had grown in size to a whopping 78lb. The talk on the Echo Pool banks was whether or not the giant carp had it in him to make it to 80lb. Based on previous growth rates, he certainly looked capable because he’d been packing on at least 6lb a year regularly since his stocking, when he weighed a mere 20lb. Other members of the A-Team were also gaining weight; there were now three other 70s to go for – Double Dorsal, Dougie, and a big mirror which Chris had caught, named Barrel.

For this trip I was joined by my girlfriend, Lucy, who was as keen to fish the lake as I was. In her own words, she’s a “crazy dog lady”, and when I told her about Andy and Tasha’s three dogs, Zeus, Scooby and Piggy, there was only ever going to

be one person sitting next to me for the 12-hour drive down from Yorkshire.

We arrived at the lake at first light on the Thursday to see a glorious water in front of us. There was a light mist just above the water’s surface and it was as still as a mill pool. Andy was packing away his gear, having done a few days’ fishing which saw him with a string of good fish on the bank, topped by a chunky mirror weighing over 60lb. It was just the kind of arrival I wanted, as we only had 5 days ahead of us to make an impression. The conditions looked prime, with warm days and nights forecast, and I couldn’t wait to get the rods out, sit back and relax. I’d only had an hour’s sleep during the night and was shattered. At least I was greeted by a lake which was fishing well. The rest was in the hands of the carp gods.

I decided to spread the rods about and make the most of having the lake exclusively. I put four rods out for me and a couple of extra ones for Lucy, who was hoping to break her personal best of 17lb. Like all good boyfriends do, I put all four of my rods in the best spots, with Lucy’s bringing up the rear. I had two covering the left side of the lake along the dam wall, and my two others went well over to the right. The two close to the dam were fished on a ledge in 6ft where I’d seen a carp top, one to the left side of the jetty and the other to the right. My other two went close to the big willow on the far bank margin, where a nice gulley runs in front of the bank a couple of rod lengths out. Close to the willow was where I’d caught most of my carp the previous year, and it was also near to there where Andy had landed his fish on the days leading up to our arrival. As for Lucy’s two rods, I fished these in the middle section of water, the plan being to rove them along the far marginal

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FEATURE

ESTATE LAKE PASSIONS J o s s

Fa u l k n e r

In this emotive piece, Joss, who is an old-school carp angler and board member of the PAG, tells a tale that many of you may have an affinity with. Most, if not all of us, have dreamt of owning or leasing their own little project within fishing at some point, and his story starts where his angling began at the young age of 9 years old.

M

y brother and I were invited to join a small 2.5-acre estate lake fishing club, which was predominately run as a pleasure and match venue. This little reedlined, lily-padded island lake held lots of perch, roach, magical tench, and the untouchable carp.

We were invited in as juniors, and as soon as our dad dropped us by the lakeside, we were in our element. We were full of beans and armed with a 6ft green fibreglass Shakespeare rod, reel, and a float each, and a quarter of maggots. We cast into the pond and stared at our little red perch float for hours on end, and this has progressed into a lifelong love of angling.

These days I rarely fish the lake,

but I run it alongside a committee and a passionate group of members.

We now have something a little special in terms of what history has thrown at the lake. It was dug out in the early- to mid-1600s by the unemployed villagers on the land which the local vicar owned. Hand, shovel and horsepower moved tonnes upon tonnes of soil which was banked up on one side of what is best described as a hill to form the dam of the lake, which is still in good condition today. It was there to provide food for the locals and was, in fact, two small ponds divided by a spit. One half was for brood fish and the other was for the fodder fish. This proved successful for many years until the local kids became a bit of a nuisance, poaching

the prized breeding fish. To deter these ruffians, a story was told.

In 1612, five witches were executed at the gallows, two of which were from the local village, and it was said that if you went down to the pond after dark, the witches would see to you! It worked a treat and the stocked was saved.

Many years later, the two pools were dug into one, and in the early1960s an angling club was formed by signing a lease with the now landowners, the cost of which was a bottle of whisky – a fine price to pay! It was an active club with a fair few senior members and 15 juniors. Every other Sunday, fishing matches were held in league form and the junior’s league was a separate one, but fished at the same

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E s t a t e La ke P a s s io ns Jo s s Fa ulk ner

time as the seniors. We loved it as kids, being in awe of the grown-ups with their professional equipment.

We learnt so much from them, and for 2 years running we won the junior league trophy. Our fishing journey had truly begun.

The lake suffered a drop in membership through one thing or another, but the biggest effect to date was a fish-kill during the 1976 drought, and being situated in between two largish reservoirs, cormorants helped themselves to the stock, more so in the winter months when no one fished the lake. To combat this, the committee decided to purchase 350 small carp. That year, anglers flocked back to enjoy the sport, with good match weights of 30lb to 50lb bags.

ABOVE One of

my favourite-ever shots – a stunning old carp with young wary eyes.

The following spring, the anglers returned after a cold winter to find that the fish had disappeared, which meant that things went downhill for the estate lake and its members.

As anglers’ interest dropped, the committee members felt downhearted, and the lake started to suffer badly. Banks eroded, weed overtook previously free water, huge trees which had fallen down over the years were lying flat in the lake, paths, gates, water inlet and outlet pipes collapsed, silt built up and reed lines marched into the margins, knitting the silt banks tighter. A once muchloved and cared for traditional estate lake looked tired and sad.

I was invited on to the committee (I’m now the treasurer), and those

who know me know full well that I don’t sit around talking about things; I get things done where they are needed. So, with a very limited budget, we got to work, clearing 150ft fallen trees, repairing swims, gates, pathways, rebuilding eroded banks and returfing, clearing and replacing the water inlet and outlets, raising the water levels, extra overflow pipe, replanting trees – the list goes on. I felt that if we got those jobs done, the anglers and fish would benefit. During a weed clearance work party, new shoots began to grow. We found a number of baby tench and carp, and this filled me with excitement. We had a chance, we had a balance, and we had new life within. This was the lake’s chance of survival.

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D E L I G H T Niels is a long-time friend of International Carper, and he recently got in touch to tell us that he’d broken the country’s record. Here’s his fantastic story, and he also talks about how the carp scene started and has carried on growing.

It was 7.00 p.m. and the sun was setting.

We were nearing the end of September, and a warm wind was sweeping across the lake. At one end of the lake I saw several fish rolling, but it was beyond the area where my rigs were placed. It was as if the fish were on the back of the wind, which seemed odd because they are usually right in the waves – especially with the vast amounts of food in the water. One of the lake’s huge fish cleared the water like a dolphin – it was massive – at least a 40 – but unfortunately it was about 200 yards away from my nearest rig.

The lake is large and privately owned, and five of my mates and I had been

40lb+ of proper Danish gold.

allowed to fish it. The lake is hard, simply because it has a low stock; there are only a handful of big fish and about 30 smaller stockies, so getting to the big ones is no easy task. At the time my PB was an old beautiful male mirror weighing 40lb 5oz, which I caught in May 2013 (I wonder how big it is now). One of my mates caught the big one called Plet, or Spot in English, the week before at 48lb 9oz, so my expectations of catching that particular fish were slim, but at least it was well and fit when I saw it.

On two of my rods I was fishing a small neat and simple pop-up rig.

Everything was presented on a spot, with a mix of boilies, particles, pellets and groundbait scattered around both rigs.

Maybe a little too much bait compared to the small number of fish, but my other two rigs were fished with very little bait around them. All the rods were fished locked up, because of the amount of weed in the lake.

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ALAN

BLAIR

FRANK

WAR WICK

A N G L I N G

P U B L I C A T I O N S

P R O U D L Y

P R E S E N T S

CARP A N

E V E N I N G

O F

IN ION AT OCI ASS WITH

N O R TH

F R I D A Y T H E

H O L I D A Y

3 0 T H

I N N ,

H I G H

An Evening of Carp (Doncaster) is back. After much demand we are pleased to announce that we will be returning to the Holiday Inn Doncaster. Our guest speakers for the evening are the legendary Frank Warwick and the one and only Alan Blair from Nash Tackle, the original Urban Banx angler.

More details will be announced in the coming issues of Carpworld and Crafty Carper and also on our Facebook pages.

• Cost of entry is £5.00 per person, payable on the door • There will be a raffle in conjunction with the PAG, with some great prizes to be won • Licensed bar on site • Doors open at 6.30 p.m.

FREE GIFT

J A N U A R Y

R O A D ,

D O N C A S T E R

2 0 1 5

D N 4

9 U X

• Doors close at 11.00 p.m. (approximately) • There will be trade stands from Angling Publications and The Predation Action Group, others to be announced

S U P P O RT I N G T H E

An Evening of Carp (Doncaster) is being held on the evening of Friday 30th January 2015 at The Holiday Inn Doncaster A1(M) Jct 36. High Road, Warmsworth, Doncaster DN4 9UX. Accommodation is available for anyone wanting to stay over and can be arranged directly with the hotel.

The event organisers are Angling Publications Limited, and any questions (excluding accommodation) should be directed to pip@anglingpublications.co.uk

We are pleased to announce that all visitors will receive a special gift from Nash Bait on arrival, comprising three hookbaits and a 200g sample of one of the brand new baits due to launch early in 2015.

The event is being held at the Doncaster Holiday Inn (A1 (M) Jct 36) • Pay on the door • £5.00 per head • Doors open 6.30 p.m.

Rooms are available for anyone wishing to stay over at the rate of £70.00 B&B based on a twin or double room.

For reservations call the Holiday Inn, Doncaster on 01302 799988.

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Doncaster Holiday Inn (A1 (M) Jct 36) Warmsworth, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 9UX Tel: 01302 799988 Fax: 01302 310197 ROAD: A1 (M) Junction 36 to A630 (T) Rotherham RAIL: Doncaster Station 3 miles AIR: Doncaster Airport 12 miles DIRECTIONS TO DONCASTER HOLIDAY INN From the A1 (M) Southbound/northbound leave at Junction 36. Take the A630 in the direction of Rotherham. The hotel entrance is 100 yards on the left-hand side.

From the M1 M1 Junction 32 to M18. M18 Junction 2 A1 (M) northbound. Take Junction 36 for Rotherham/Doncaster (A630). Turn left at the roundabout (signposted Rotherham).

The hotel entrance is 100 yards on the left-hand side.

From the M62 M62 Junction 33 to A1 southbound. Leave at Junction 36. Take the A630 in the direction of Rotherham. The hotel entrance is 100 yards on the left-hand side.

From Doncaster Town Centre Take A630 to Rotherham until you reach the A1 roundabout, go straight over the roundabout and the entrance to the hotel is 100 yards on the left-hand side.

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