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ISSUE 306 March 2016

ISSUE 306 / March 2016 / MONTHLY £4.75

B R I T A I N ’ S BIGGEST C A R P - A N G L I N G M A G A Z I N E

Inside this issue

Pecky’s

Year Ahead AN Exclusive insight into darreLl’s new adventures

A weather eye Dave moore takes an in-depth look at how the rain affects our fishing + game of edges Kris Ollington’s astonishing year, banking six UK 50s from welly + The Big Interview Tim paisley in conversation with the angling trust’s mark lloyd

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Issue 149 March 2016

THE OLD

carpworldmagazine.com

CANAL THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF UNSPOILED, UNFISHED BELGIAN CANALS FOR TOMMY DE CLEEN TO CASH IN ON THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL. | P161

CROATIAN TREASURE TROVE

a P173 Matej Vavh joins us to recount which trip to a lake in his home country resulted in the catch of a lifetime.

WIN A TRIP TO ETANG 52

P156 Six anglers can win a week’s fishing at the new holiday destination Etang 52 during summer 2016.

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BEHIND THE SCENES AT RIBIÈRE

P158 We go behind the scenes at big-fish water Domaine de la Ribière, in France.

AY D I R E C T O RY P 1 7 0 ? CHECK OUT OUR HOLID F O R A CA R P I N G H O L I DAY

Carp news and features from around the globe 22/02/2016 11:27

CONTENTS

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 306 / March 2016

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72

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Pleasure And The Pain Mark Holmes Despite crippling knee pain and the thought of impending surgery, Mark’s been out and about on Lincolnshire’s Deepings 1, where his extensive bait knowledge gave him one huge edge.

ON THE COVER:

Darrell’s a cover star again, and it’s no wonder when he catches fish like this! Read more on page 24.

9

Editor’s Comments Steve looks at the changes to the fishing licence that will affect each and every one of us, along with the ongoing Carp Society saga, and how visiting angling shows is a great way to meet, greet and socialise.

12

Gazette All the news and views from around the carpangling scene to keep you up to date with what’s going on, including the release of Korda’s brand new free DVD called Masterclass 3.

17

A Game Of Edges – Part One Kris ‘Betty’ Ollington The year is 2015, and the venue is the magnificent Wellington Country Park.

It was a season that saw Kris land no less than six different 50s, an awesome achievement in anyone’s book!

24

Pecky’s Progress Darrell Peck There’s another monster European adventure on the cards for Darrell, but first he’s got some DIY to attend to and a wedding to sort out, as well as his continued search for a huge carp called Kitch.

Mark Lloyd Interview Tim Paisley Mark Lloyd is the CEO of the Angling Trust, and in this in-depth interview with Tim Paisley, he discusses all aspects of predation, the new rod licence plans, and how a recent court ruling could affect the work of the Predation Action Group.

51

House Of Commons – Part Two Les Bowers Frimley Pit 3 has been a very successful venue for Les. Following a successful winter campaign and with spring stretching ahead of him, he decides to continue his adventures at the water which captured his imagination.

59

Rig World featuring Mike Kavanagh Mike looks at a really effective sliding hooklink that has proved its worth many times, along with a novel Chod hook, and E-SP’s Zig Bugs and Floater Mono. He rounds off with his chat with Ben Connelly.

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Ask The Experts John Kneebone, Wayne Mansford and Matt Eaton answer readers’ questions on long-range baiting, the fine art of fish location, and how to defeat the dreaded bream when using particles.

A Weather Eye Dave Moore Discussing the weather is a national pastime, but have you ever considered how the weather, and in particular, rain, affects your angling? Dave explains the science behind fishing in an ever-changing climate.

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Fuelling The Fire Adam Clewer Adam revels in the peace and tranquillity of carp angling, but acknowledges that all anglers are different, so there’s no such thing as ‘all things to all men’ as to what inspires us to fish for carp.

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The F Word Paul Forward The mild winter weather has played right into Mr F’s hands, and once again this month, he’s banked some cracking fish, including a hat-trick of 30s.

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Bait World featuring Joe Turnbull With baits from Aqua Dynamix, a chat with one of a growing band of lady anglers, Katie Watkinson, an in-depth look at greenlipped mussel, plus special reports on Spotted Fin, C&G Baits and Enterprise Tackle, there’s bound to be something of interest for everyone in this month’s Bait World.

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Bait World Special – The Switch Jason Trought The Switch, the new offering from DNA Baits, is claimed to be very different to most baits on the market, so we asked Jason to tell us what we can expect and how the bait has been formulated.

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F: facebook.com/CarpworldMagazine / T: @CarpworldMag

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Spotted Fin Competition If you’d like to be in on the ground floor of a bait revolution, you could do a lot worse than enter our Spotted Fin competition because we’ve got lots of their new bait range to give away.

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Think Tank Kevin Nash, Lewis Read, Nick Helleur and Roy Allen form our guest panel this week, and they let you in on the secrets of choosing and using one of the most undervalued items in our armoury – the main line on our reels.

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Diary Of A Carpaholic Simon Crow Simon has put the subtitle, ‘The Finishing Touches to a Memorable Year’, to this month’s feature, and even after a disappointing trip to the Orient, he can look back fondly on the year just gone.

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Summit Tackle Competition If you like the idea of bespoke tackle then you’ll love this competition. We’ve got two of Summit Tackle’s awesome pods to give away.

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Tackle World We’ve five pages of tackle for you to check out this month, including the latest brolly from JRC, Chub’s Vantage bed, clothing from Military 1st, and other goodies.

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In At The Beginning Danny Grace Danny recounts a trip in 2012, when, whilst fishing a session with friends, a chance conversation resulted in the birth of a new company – Spotted Fin.

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Still Carping On Tim Paisley Tim is a co-founder of The Carp Society and is a life vice-president. Here he looks at how the Society has changed over the years, and focuses on the way the management are running the Society at the moment.

T H E

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A N G L E R

Issue 149 March 2016

THE OLD

CANAL THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF UNSPOILED, UNFISHED BELGIAN CANALS FOR TOMMY DE CLEEN TO CASH IN ON THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL. | P161

CROATIAN TREASURE TROVE

WIN A TRIP TO ETANG 52

BEHIND THE SCENES AT RIBIÈRE

P173 Matej Vavh joins us to recount a trip to a lake in his home country which resulted in the catch of a lifetime.

P156 Six anglers can win a week’s fishing at the new holiday destination Etang 52 during summer 2016.

P158 We go behind the scenes at big-fish water Domaine de la Ribière, in France.

L O O K I N G F O R A CA R P I N G H O L I DAY ? C H E C K O U T O U R H O L I D AY D I R E C T O R Y P 1 7 0 147_InterCover_CW306.indd 1

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IN INTERNATIONAL CARPER For those of you who fancy a trip to France, we’ve got a fantastic holiday competition for you to enter. There’s also the usual roundup of all the big-fish captures from around the globe in Echoes Around The World, and a look at Domaine de la Ribière, where the work and restocking over the winter will make this very special venue even more attractive to visitors.

Matej Vavh has had the catch of a lifetime at a Croatian lake, with literally dozens of big carp falling to his rods. His report on the trip is a real eye-opener. Finally, we take a trip to Belgium, where Tommy De Cleen has been sampling the delights found in the miles of old canals that criss-cross the country.

DON’T FORGET

WIN A WEEK-LONG CARPING HOLIDAY AT ETANG 52. PRIZE VALUE £1,500

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF CARPWORLD FROM ALL MAJOR STOCKISTS

OUR AMAZING RG BAITS SUBS OFFER ON PAGE 88 March 2016 C a r pwor l d 5

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FEATURE

D A R R E L L

P E C K

PECKY’S PROGRESS I

mentioned in my last diary piece that I was feeling a little fished out towards the end of 2015, and was looking forward to hanging up the rods for a bit over the winter. The thing is, the weather has been so mild (the mildest on record) that I always felt there was a chance, and by not going, I risked possibly missing out. Thankfully, the weather finally went cold in early January, and the little break I needed came around just one trip after the capture of Bayeswater’s Queen. Bayeswater is a funny place; it goes weeks without a bite, and then just like a switch has been flicked, it produces loads. Six weeks with nothing, then 12 bites in a few days is simply mind-blowing!

Having moved house last summer, there are a million little jobs that need a man’s attention, most of which are simple

This month, Pecky is in a very philosophical mood, talking about DIY, weddings, and his continued search for Kitch. He also tempts us with the fact that he intends to do another monster European adventure in the autumn. Watch this space.

but still beyond my capabilities. Despite my 34 years, I am ashamed to admit that I have very little in the way of DIY skills.

In fact, if it isn’t fishing then there’s a very good chance I can’t do it, and even more chance that I am not interested! Natalie’s father, on the other hand, is retired, has brought up three kids, decorated various properties over the years, and can turn his hand to most things. He’s been putting me to shame for as long as Natalie and I have been together.

For most, fishing is something people squeeze in around normal life, but for me, it’s all I know and has been my number one priority for as long as I can remember. Despite my lack of DIY ability, I planned to get as much as possible done during this self-imposed lay-off, and I’m pleased to say that a lot has been achieved. The house is finally

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

taking shape, with a new kitchen and bathrooms fitted, plus plastering, painting and carpets throughout.

Obviously, tradesmen carried out the work, but I have still needed to be around to let them in, dismantle and reassemble furniture, and run stuff to the dump. Thankfully, the new nest is complete now, which brings me to the next thing that requires my attention – our wedding! For

those who didn’t know, Natalie and I got engaged on Natalie’s birthday last April, and we are set to be married at the end of May 2016. As always, Natalie has everything under control, and I am more than happy to take a back seat and let her choose how she wants our big day to pan out. The bottom line is that if she’s happy, I am happy. Natalie is, without doubt, the catch of my life, and with a bit of luck, one day we will be a

family. Luck is something we all need in life, and at times I have to pinch myself to check this is all real. In a nutshell, I have been a selfish bastard my entire life, seemingly pissing my life away in a bivvy, and somehow it has developed into a career that now sustains a nice life.

Enough about my home life. What about the fishing for this coming spring?

To start with, in the coming weeks it’s going to be a small-scale attack on

My return to Northey was chilly, to say the least.

ABOVE LEFT

ABOVE RIGHT After blanking for 20+ nights through the winter, this 24-pounder broke the deadlock.

LEFT I’ll be fishing into the summer this time around.

RIGHT My filming for the free Masterclass DVD will be kicking off a little earlier this year.

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FEATURE

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The

Big

Interview

Mark Lloyd TALKING TO TIM PAISLEY

A

s chairman of the Predation Action Group, I have been involved in meetings with Mark Lloyd, CEO of the Angling Trust, on a number of occasions. At the last meeting between Mark and the PAG in December, he agreed to an in-depth interview to put the work of the Trust into perspective, to discuss all aspects of predation, including the possible impact of the NGO ruling, and to go public on the new licensing plans. Mark is a busy man, but in January he found time for a meeting at the Angling Trust’s HQ in Leominster to spend a couple of hours answering my questions. The following is the outcome.

Before we get round to discussing predation, Mark, can you outline the various areas the Angling Trust has to concern itself with as angling’s governing body.

It’s a difficult area to summarise quickly because there is a huge range of activities we have to cover. We are a governing body, and a representative body, for all aspects of angling – coarse, sea, game, and stillwaters.

A great deal of our work is in promoting angling participation, getting more people into fishing, and promoting fishing. We run events around the country, and we have eight regional officers to promote fishing in their area. We have a new website called fishinginfo.co.uk which is a map of the country with thousands of fishing opportunities. That’s a very large part of our work, to encourage more people to go fishing more often. We are funded by the Environment Agency and Sport England, under some very specific contracts, to do that work. It is detailed in terms of what they require from us in the use of that money, and if we don’t spend the money along those lines then we lose the grants.

Another key aspect of the Environment Agency contract is the voluntary bailiff service, which now involves employing six

part-time regional enforcement officers who are all retired police officers. They work to stop poaching, illegal fishing and fish theft, which are major issues particularly affecting carp fisheries. I think we have made great progress in bringing together the EA enforcement teams and the police. At one time, the police weren’t at all interested in fishing and fish thefts, but are now looking on it as a really important part of their rural crime strategy. We’ve seen a lot of prosecutions for illegal fishing and other illegal activities around our waterways. The police have signed up for this at a national level, which I think is a really big step forward.

Can I ask if the eight regional officers are part-time or full time?

The eight regional officers doing the promotion of fishing are full-time. The six enforcement officers are part-time, and this is the area that Dilip Sarkar supervises. That’s been a big step forward in tackling many of the poaching issues that we have seen around the country. As part of that initiative we now have the Building Bridges team, which is three strong. There are two Polish guys and a Lithuanian who are working to try to

stop some of the problems we have had with Eastern European anglers, and to try to integrate migrants into angling in this country. They’ve been really successful in building bridges in those communities, in an attempt to stop the sectors that were causing a problem, and to change behaviour among the individuals who were causing problems. One of the interesting things that has arisen from our enforcement work is that many of the people prosecuted are actually from this country. All the problems tend to be blamed on Eastern Europeans, whereas the vast majority of them are very law-abiding. Most of the issues have been with stealing fish, fishing out of season, and fishing without authorisation.

Then there are the regional forums.

We have two people working on them, travelling round the country; listening to what anglers think; hearing representatives from clubs, fisheries, consultatives and river associations, and individual anglers who turn up to these meetings. People come along and tell us what they think we should do, and also advise the Environment Agency about things which are important to them and their fishing. We have eight regions, with volunteers who are chairmen and secretaries of those regions. They have a group of people from the region who put together the agenda for the meetings, and they decide what should be discussed based on what people have asked us to bring up on the agenda. These forums are a really important opportunity for us to hear what anglers think.

Is this a network that is growing, or has it always been in place?

We have eight regions established, but the network is growing. For instance, we had a forum in Bolton on a rainy evening in November, and it was standing room only.

These meetings have proved to be very popular, and we are continuing to develop them. The meetings are all detailed on our website, and we send details out to all our members, river associations, and so on.

Are the meetings part of your recruitment, or are they for members only?

They’re not members only. They are funded by the Environment Agency, so anyone is welcome. If people turn up and are impressed by what they hear and what we do, they are welcome to join. Then there’s the Angling Improvement Fund, which we’ll talk about a bit later, but that again is rod-licence funded in partnership with the Environment Agency. Through it we March 2 016 C a r pwor l d 39

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BAITWORLD

BAIT SPECIAL - C&G BAITS

DON’T COMPROMISE ON YOUR BAIT QUALITY candgbait.com

caught some cracking fish to 30lb+ from Orchid Lakes on C&G’s Coconut Spice. Marsh Pratley, the owner of Orchid Lakes, is another fan, so much so that he’s stocking it on site.

C&G is the brainchild of Charlie England, and this is what he said about the baits in the June issue of Carpworld last year: “Our aim is to produce good-quality baits, using

If you’re looking for a bait company with a growing reputation for top-quality products, then perhaps C&G and its attention to detail will fit the bill.

E

the finest fresh ingredients, which are effective all year round. As a result, the range is not the cheapest on the market, but we have kept it as competitively priced as we can, in the knowledge that our margins are realistic,

There are so many bait companies

and confident that the baits provide a high-

around at the moment that it’s difficult

performance, value-for-money option.

to choose between them. You can,

We consider the four main components

of course, just buy on price, but are you

of a bait, and try to judge which is likely to

really confident that you are getting value

provide the most successful combination

for money? Are you happy that the bait you

– smell (odour or aroma), flavour (taste or

are using has been developed using the

‘crunch factor’), colour, and shape – and try

best ingredients available, instead of being

to appeal to the carp’s main senses. Carp

cut down to a price? Some baits may be

have amazing smell sensory organs, which

cheap and cheerful, but if the carp don’t/

many believe, and research has indicated,

won’t eat them, then it’s a false economy.

C&G Baits may be a new name to you, but it’s a bait company that’s been

can detect a single drop of food flavouring in an Olympic-size swimming pool. For example, if you consider that a carp can detect

slowly building up a following

low levels of amino acids in bloodworm,

with the likes of Ron Buss, who,

which could be buried in several inches of

as anyone who’s been around

silt, you can appreciate just how acute it is.

the carping scene for some time

Carp essentially use their sense of smell as

will know, is one angler who certainly

a long-range detection mechanism, which

doesn’t comprise on quality, and he has

is what we at C&G Baits have targeted. We

FRUIT PLUS Based on a traditional 50/50 mix, this bait contains highly active flavour compounds developed by UK Flavours, and has been

THE AA MIX A high-density fishmeal base mix forms the basis of

created mainly for summer use. It contains additional stimulants, including

this bait. It’s enriched with essential oils and feed stimulants, plus

molasses, which C&G have found to be extremely effective, and the

an added crunch factor. This bait works well on tough open waters

birdfood/seed content makes the bait different to a pure fishmeal base.

when the unique flavour (discovered by accident!) pulls in the fish.

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encourage the carp to move towards the source of an aroma, before their taste buds become equally stimulated.”

The flavours in C&G’s baits have been developed in conjunction with Glen Currie, MD of UK Flavours, and according to Charlie, the aim is ‘to create something

THE ART OF DEVELOPING BAIT FLAVOURINGS

W

e suppose we could be funny here, and in

use their sense of smell as a long-range detection

answer to the question, ‘Do carp smell?’,

mechanism, which is what the flavours and aromas in

say ‘Only when they’re dead.’ We do, of

bait are trying to stimulate as the carp move towards

course, mean do they actually have the ability to register

the source of an aroma. As they move closer, their

which has extremely high levels of aroma,

smells like humans do? Well, in a sense, yes they do,

taste buds come into play and become stimulated.

is effective underwater in both high and

although no one really knows quite how the smell of their

low water temperatures, and is heat-

environment is converted into stimulus to feed

stable without compromising on quality,

or, indeed, to head for the hills in panic.

accuracy of taste, and strength of flavour.’

Last June we asked C&G’s Charlie

It is worth noting that all C&G’s baits

You may have heard aromas referred to as ‘notes’.

Aromas have three basic notes: top, middle and bottom. The top note is the predominant, almost instant smell,

England for his thoughts, and he told

whereas the middle and bottom notes

are boiled rather than steamed. The

us some very interesting facts about a

are present, but aren’t so readily

reason behind this is that C&G say that the

carp’s sense of smell, some of which

detected.

flavours they use are highly heat-stable

we’ve reprinted here because it’s

At C&G Baits we have focused on

and don’t diminish during the production

relevant to making a successful bait:

process. Charlie says: “Boiling seals the

“A carp’s sense of smell comes

this, bringing these bottom and middle notes to the top, while maintaining

flavours into the bait so that the maximum

through a set of complex structures that

level of the flavour and aroma is in there.

resemble nostrils (called nares), which are located

This makes the bait incredibly effective

just in front of the eye on either side of the head. Unlike

optimum balance has been achieved by blending the

underwater (and in low temperatures),

our noses, they have an inlet and an outlet. As the fish

right flavouring aroma oils to carry the middle and

and ensures it lasts for longer than most

moves, the water is channelled through the nostrils by

bottom notes of our primary flavour to the top. These

of us would choose to leave it fishing

a raised flap of skin in the middle of each nare, and

are then emulsified, making the blend miscible in water,

before reaching the washed-out stage.”

down through thousands of miniscule hairs which can

which basically allows the oil content to mix with water-

distinguish between sweet, sour, savoury and saline

soluble flavour carriers. They are then added to the main

at the moment, marketed under the

substances. If you consider that a carp can detect low

(primary) flavour carrier before being further blended to

Fit4Purpose banner, with more in the

levels of amino acids in bloodworm which could be

make a heat-stable mix. It’s fair to say that having put all

development stage. All have matching dips

buried in several inches of silt, you can appreciate just

the above factors together, we have achieved a balanced

and hand-rolled cork ball pop-ups, which

how sensitive these sensory cells are, giving the carp

formula for creating baits which are fit for purpose, along

aren’t cheap, but the work that goes into

a far more acute sense of smell than humans. Carp

with dips and sprays, using the same flavour science.”

There are four baits in the C&G range

a highly heat-stable flavour that doesn’t diminish during the production process. An

making them is very time-consuming.

COCONUT SPICE Containing a mix based on fine-blended nuts, this

THE CREATION Designed as a specialised winter bait, The Creation is

gorgeous-smelling bait is full of additives, attractors and sweet molasses.

packed full of essential oils and feed stimulants, along with a mix of

This bait is effective all year round, and works as good as it smells.

concentrated flavour and aroma compounds with a very subtle smell.

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2

BEHIND THE SCENES AT

RIBIÈRE

International Carper goes behind the scenes at big-fish water Domaine de la Ribière in France, to see just how much work goes into running a commercial big-carp water.

David Cooper, an English carp angler of many years, is the new partner in Ribière, and he will be taking over from the current owner and moving his family on site this year.

CW: David, this must be an exciting

time for you. What are your ambitions for Ribière in the future?

DC: For me, the ambition for Ribière

is essentially to ensure it stays at the forefront of big-fish waters in France.

Obviously, there is always pressure to have bigger fish, and at Ribière we are lucky to have some very big carp which are relatively young. Everyone knows about Julie and Alex, but most people think they are old fish, when in reality they haven’t yet peaked. I believe both carp can do better, and I would expect, with a little bit of good fortune, that Julie could get close to 90lb and Alex not far behind. To some extent, what is more exciting for me is the fish we have coming through. We stocked 20 special fish in 2009, between 15 and 20kg, and all of them are now close to 28kg, or 60lb in English money.

I think these fish are the ones to watch because they are long and big-framed.

There are five or six of them which could do 70lb next year, and who knows what they can do from then on. Trying to get this type of fish is very difficult, but we have secured a lot more of them 1

1. One

of the latest additions to the big-fish stock at Ribière.

2. Can

you think of a better place to spend a holiday?

3. Laying

cables for power has been a major job during the winter months.

4. The

cable trench is ready, and we’re about to run in the cable.

5. All

done and dusted! Power is now available in several swims.

6. We

have also installed aerators, which will ensure the oxygen content of the water is always at the correct levels.

for the future, so it’s looking good.

3

CW: What changes are you

planning for Ribière?

DC: We are implementing a 2-year investment plan which, first and foremost, focuses on improving the aquatic environment to ensure that the fish can achieve their maximum growth potential, and that we can manage the aquatic environment should we need to intervene.

This winter’s work has concentrated on four key areas: We have installed power to many areas of the lake, so anglers can charge bait boats, phones, etc. This has also allowed us to install aerators, which will be deployed when required; next, we’ve been desilting key areas of the lake, and have removed some bankside trees to dig out the silt at the shallow end where the stream enters; thirdly, we have removed what was Peg 10 to create a spawning area for the fish. We have planted pads in this area and also between swims 5 and 6, again to encourage the fish to hold up there; finally, we’ve increased the level of feed during the winter months, which have been very mild. We’ve also been working on a specially-formulated boilie which will be used to feed the fish, and will be on sale to anglers. It’s from Retro Baits in the UK and is made with 100% natural ingredients. Ribière Gold is based on fishmeals with lots of additional nutritional elements, and we’ve been feeding it to the fish over the winter. We think it will be an excellent bait for our visitors to use, which the fish will accept as part of their staple diet.

4

5

6

CW: Have you made any changes

to fish-care rules, as you have some very special fish?

DC: Yes, people need to make sure they look at our rules because they have been updated. I have an expectation when it

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7

comes to fish-care on the bank. We are currently working on a short video, which will explain in more detail how we expect the fish to be taken care of. In terms of rules, it’s quite simply about ensuring maximum care for the fish should you get snapped. We have some snags and it can happen, so our rules focus on making sure the fish isn’t going to get tethered.

I have banned leadcore, and leaders; I just want tubing, micro-barbed hooks and, preferably, drop-off leads. The full rules and guides are on the website.

CW: There are now a lot of English-

owned waters in France. Do you expect Ribière to become more English angler focused in the future?

DC: No, absolutely not! Ribière is a French water which has been truly international in its focus. If anything, I want to ensure more of this. We have French, German, Dutch, Belgian Spanish, Polish and Hungarian anglers as well as English, and Ribière must meet all 8

7. David

Cooper loves angling at Ribière so much that he’ll be moving his family there this year!

8. By

stocking yet more 40lb+ fish, Ribière is securing its position as one of the big-fish waters of France.

their needs. It’s one of the best things about fishing in France – meeting other people who fish in different ways, and you can learn so much from them that improves your fishing back at home.

For me, it’s very important that Ribière is seen as a destination for all anglers across Europe.

preparing the accommodation for guests, and doing general maintenance. We have added 20 new fish at an average of 20kg/40lb this winter, which are stunning with great growth potential.

We are also trying to extend the Wi-Fi to some of the lake, which should be done in the early part of spring, along with the CW: The new season planting of the pads.

“We have starts in just a few In addition, we will weeks, so can you added 20 new be launching our give us a quick new website in fish at an average of rundown of the March, and also 20kg/40lb this winter, work you will be attending some doing over the which are stunning of the carp shows. next month?

Spring is a busy with great growth time for bookings, DC: Well, over the potential.” and we are now last 8 weeks, Michel booking for 2017 and and Olivio have been lake exclusives for 2018, extremely busy implementing so it’s very busy all round. all the changes, and now it’s a case of the normal preparation, which includes CW: What is your expectation on fish rebuilding paths, cutting/pruning trees, growth and captures this spring? stocking new fish, continued feeding, DC: It’s difficult to say because the weather in France has been so unpredictable, a bit like the UK. I think it will depend on if we get some stable and warmer weather in early April, but historically, April and May have been great months. May is outstanding because the fish are at peak weights, and if you catch it right, you can catch them big time. Last year, one angler had three over 60lb in 48 hours. I am sure Julie will come out in May, at what I hope will be a new lake record. I have seen Alex and he looks much bigger, so he may well be into the mid- to high-70s this year; we will just have to see. It generally seems to be getting harder because the fish aren’t green, but the big hits are still a feature of the fishing and I expect them to continue. I think the best week last year was over 140 fish to a lake exclusive of six anglers. That included a lot of 40lb fish and Alex at 72lb. IC

March 20 16 C a r pwor l d 159

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19/02/2016 09:51

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THE CARPERS’ HIGH Is it a biography? Is it a technical book? Is it anecdotal and story-based? Quite simply, it’s all these things rolled into one.

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23/11/2015 13:57