World carp classic 2016 official magazine

of his e m o s s l l a c Jan Ulak re periences at his x amazing e ld Carp Classic first Wor TIM PAISLEY: And now for something completely different

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

INSIDE

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5 WELCOME... from Ross Honey, World Carp Classic Founder.

7 PRESENTING...

The World Carp Classic Team 8 WELCOME... from Darryl Hodges of Dynamite Baits.

10-15 HAPPY LANDINGS How Larysa Switlyk and the Carp Connections team nailed it as WCC 2015 Champions 16-17 – ROLL OF HONOUR and Results round up of the 2015 prize winners.

19 EXCITING TIMES Dynamite Baits reveal big changes for 2017.

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21-22 PRIZE TABLE and full itinerary for the 2016 event.

23 EYES ON THE PRIZE Why Champions choose Wiley X 24-27 ... and now for something completely different!

Tim Paisley remembers his past Czech encounters.

28-32 WCC 2016 QUALIFIERS Who clinched the deal and a ticket to the biggest angling event of the year.

34-38 ROAD TO THE CLASSICS Ferry Verhofstad takes us on his personal angling journey 40-41 WCC16 PARTICIPANTS The full list of anglers competing this year

52-54 GOING TRIBAL Shimano’s Simon Bates field tests three of the best.

56-57 LAKE NOVOMLYNSKA Your guide to this year’s pegs and Section Sponsors.

59 GOT IT PEGGED A little introduction to our Section Sponsors 60-61 FISHMASTER Jochym Marine introduce their new boats, Fishmaster 300 Series 64-65 GO FREE! and get hooked on Lowrance technology 66-68 TAILS OF THE UNEXPECTED Jan Ulak on his experiences at his first World Classic

85 SHIMANO Bringing back Captain Jack 86-97 IT’S A TOUGH JOB ...

Rob Tough takes us with him on his epic 18-year journey at the World Carp Classic 1998-2016.

102-103 IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO AN ANGLER ..

A snapshot of some funnier World Carpp Classic moments.

W104 ANGLING SPIRIT Into the future with Angling Spirit 106-110 COACH TRIP Frank Warwick joins the WCC Junior tournament as mentor and offers some seasoned advice.

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74-75 WITH A LITTLE HELP ...

Carpspot’s Team Austria explain how they landed Biggest Fish 2015 42-44 TOMAS BLAZEK The man in know about Czech waters 46-57 HEAD MARSHALS Introducing Jem Cocker and Daniel Cooch 51 WEIGH TO GO! Sponsors Reuben Heaton have been with us from the start.

76 HOOKED ON CLASSICS Mike Madeley interviews hook specialists VMC 80 HITTING THE SPOT Discover a new world with the Spotcam Digital IR camera 82-83 THANKS ...

A big thank you to all our sponsors for supporting this event

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

WELCOME...

to the World Carp Classic 2016

It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome you to the breathtaking Lake Novomalynska for the 2016 World Carp Classic. I feel very proud and privileged to be able to bring the event to you at this stunning new location, here in the beautiful Czech Republic.

Invariably, when relocating the event, many new challenges arise, not only for my team but also for those taking part. However, as we all appreciate, carp angling varies greatly from lake to lake and that is not only part of the beauty of the sport, it is also part of its fundamental attraction. After all, what is carp angling without new challenges?

As with all venues, the topography of most lakes is quite different, and each shares only one similarity – its individual uniqueness! What I can be supremely confident of, however, is the incredible ability of those taking part to catch carp… and, with that said, there is a great number of very big carp in Lake Novomalynska that I hope will be caught during this event. With so many top anglers here, the next few days could prove to be very exciting indeed, and who would dare to bet against some very special carp being caught.

This will be the very first occasion that an event of this scale has been hosted on Lake Novomalynska, and with the event being completely sold out within just three weeks following its launch, the excitement continues to build towards a crescendo. With that level of interest, it should be no surprise to anyone that media teams from all over the world are preparing to cover the event.

The WCC Junior Event, after last year’s amazingly successful first showing, will be run for the second time in the Czech Republic this year and with the very first WCC Champion of Champions Event also being staged in the Czech republic, there is a great deal more to look forward to.

Now for a few words about something very close to my heart. The WCC, established in 1998, continues annually to strive to push the boundaries and reach new heights. It has long since established within the event, an ethos that is unparalleled in angling tournaments. Angling Spirit, with the mantra of utmost respect and care for the environment, best practice angling and fish welfare as its central focus, aims to preserve the sport and improve its public image.

I would like to express my gratitude, firstly to my extremely hard-working WCC team for their efforts in preparing for the event; the excellent event sponsors for their fantastic support, plus my good friend, Jakub Vagner, whom it has been terrific to work alongside in his own country.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has contributed towards making the event what it is, as, without each of you, the event would not be possible’. I would also like to express my great thanks to you all for making the event what it now is, the biggest, best and most breathtaking event of its genre in the world.

TOURNAMENT FOUNDER

With so many top anglers competing, the next few days could prove to be very exciting and who would dare to bet against some very special carp being caught

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WORLD CARP CLASSIC

EVENT Head of Event Organisers

Ross Honey Event Founder

Marianne Guillois Event Director

With pride and gratitude, I would like to introduce you to my team, the hardworking World Carp Classic staff for 2016. The dedication of this team is to be admired and respected, as their efforts are not restricted to only the few days duration of this tournament.

Each member of my team remains focused throughout the year on his or her speciďŹ c role and the culmination of this effort as individuals before the event, ensures that it will run seamlessly when we all come together here at Lake Novomlynska as the World Carp Classic Team 2016.

Dagmara Kanoniak Admin coordinator

Martin Carter Event Logistics

Official Film, Photography & Media Team

Dorien Van de Kullen Kim van Elk OfďŹ cial Photographer Social Media

Ron Van den Burgh Event Technology Developer

Official Media Team

Robert Schaffer Media Carpspot.de

Stephan Gonzalez Media Media Carpe

Rob Hughes TV Presenter

Local Logistics

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Petr Surek On-site coordinator

Vitec Cereny On-site coordinator

Tereza Vagner On-site coordinator

2016

Head Marshals

TEAM Event Support & Co-ordination

Jemy Cocker & Daniel Cooch

Event Marshals

Jan van der Knaap Tiena Pieksma Assistant logistic/AdRadio Communica-

Oliver Taylor Event support

Lars Bood Event support

Robert Kiss OfďŹ cial Cameraman

Pete Castle Event Media

Sebastian Heinz Media Carpspot.de

Daniel Vagenknecht Specialist Camera

Jim Cameron Dan Chaplin Andy Tye Roy Moffat Matt Ransome Dan Craigie Mike Bailey Chris Dixon Damien Ed Abigail Davies Ashley Abbot Lee Offord Tarek Nijenhuis Benji korst Gino benjamino Coen ursem Joost holleman Stan de Vries Justin van Schaik Jeroen Maas Coert van Opstal Danny Rothuizen Rafael Exposito Wesley Cornelissen Luuk Heesters Jarno Breukel Raoel Franssen

First Response ..

Jarno Breukel Dinus Herrewijnen

Event Magazine

Mark Hofman Media KWO NL

Jos Benders Media KWO NL

Mike Madeley Media OfďŹ cer

Lucy Allsopp Bill Allsopp Steve Howard Dave Richards Mike Madley Jakub Vagner ANGLING CELEBRITY

Design/Editor Editor Contributor Coordinator Contributor

Special thanks to Dorien van de Kuilen and all the photographers who provided pictures for the magazine.

Photo credit: Sophie Miel

World Carp Classic 2016 Agents

Vitec Cerny Czech Republic

Hans Sissingh Netherlands

Przemek Mroczek Poland

Riccardo Battisti Italy

Daniele Colapicchioni Italy

Andy McGregor Spain

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

DARYL HODGES

DYNAMITE SPONSOR

Daryl with WCC 2015 Second place overall winners and 2013 WCC Champions Bianca Venema and Lizette Beunders

BAIT, BEER AND BANTER

The Czech Republic is also well known as being the land of the castles – with over 2000 fine examples to see – but anyway culture lesson over, you are all here to sample what promises to be some fantastic carp fishing at the mighty Lake Novomlynska – home of some stunning and hard fighting carp and I am reliably

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‘‘

Hello all and a big welcome to the #1 beer drinking country in the world – The Czech Republic – apparently drinking 160 litres per person each year! Wow, I won’t argue with that and perhaps that average may just increase over the next week or so with the help of some of you!

informed there are also plenty of them!

Once again Ross and his team have secured what looks to be an amazing venue for this 18th WCC - it’s always exciting to travel somewhere new and if there is fishing involved even better! I’m sure for a lot of you this lake may well represent your first time carp fishing in Czech so you could literally be in unknown waters!

As I write this, we currently prepare for the UK Qualifier at the beautiful Wraysbury complex, an event that promises excitement and some beautiful carp. With qualifiers in most countries now it really does offer a way for the average angler to earn his/her place at the WCC final.

So what can you expect at this year’s final? Well - the competition is a bit earlier again this year so the weather may be more predictable, some familiar faces for sure and plenty of new ones to meet.

I predict plenty of good light-hearted banter, partying and lots of excitement and anticipation and of course lots of memories. The fishing? – well, with a lake this size it will be unpredictable of course, but I am sure there will be plenty of fish caught especially in contrast to the challenges of Madine. Once again though

the 3 fish rule will apply to keep it exciting to the end!

All the main sponsors who help make this all happen will be in attendance as usual and Dynamite especially look forward to showing you our classic baits and introducing a new extra special one also. We look forward to meeting you all in the tent as usual for a welcome drink.

Joining us this year as a new global partner is one of our other group brands Carp Spirit - a sleeping giant in the carp world for the last 10 years being primarily focused in France. Now encompassing all the quality products from ACE – check out this massive range of exciting gear including everything from hooks, terminal tackle, bivvies, boats and luggage! From 2017 distribution will be extended European wide so Carp Spirit will be available from a shop near to you – look out for it!

Before I sign off – I hope everyone has a safe trip and that you have a fantastic time here. Good luck for the peg draw - there are some great fish to be caught and some great prizes to be won. Enjoy! n DARYL HODGES BRAND MARKETING AND EXPORT SALES MANAGER

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2015 CHAMPIONS THE DREAM TEAM

HAPPY LA

‘‘ Teaming up with Hans and the Carp Connections crew to represent the USA at last year’s WCC event proved to be a winning decision for LARYSA SWITLYK Representing Team USA at the 2015 World Carp Classic last year – and for the fourth time - was different from any other time, and would be one I will never forget.

The thought of winning after falling short of a victory three times before has left me with a great incentive to accomplish what I had set out to do in years prior - and that’s to hear my name announced as “This year’s World Carp Classic winner.”

But let’s face it, the odds of winning such a prestigious title is clearly not as good as one would hope. History has shown that teams representing the U.S. , or any other country for that matter , will face their fair share of challenges attending an event of this magnitude while competing against highly skilled anglers from all around the world.

This event is so massive that there will be more than 95 entries from 22 countries, all battling for the highly coveted WCC title. And this year the rules changed from winning by total weight of fish landed , to only the total of your top three heaviest fish!

Although there are many obstacles in the way of reaching my goal this year, the one I would be faced with first is finding time in my hectic schedule that seems to be forever changing. But, like they say “where there’s a will, there’s a way” - and with a little help from my friend, Hans Sissingh, a WCC champion, all things are possible.

As I’ve been so busy filming for my television shows in the USA I didn’t have time to put a team together , so Hans, who owns Carp Connections - where you can book a fishing holiday or event - invited me to be apart of his team along with Mattie Curfs, to represent Carp Connections. Like myself, Hans fell short of winning a WCC title by merely one place. He actually came in second place twice in his 16 years competing in the World Carp Classic. It was clear to me we both had some unfinished business to attend to, that’s for sure.

I still remember the phone call I had, with Hans saying, “We are going to win this year, I’m tired of getting 2nd place. Are you prepared for that?”

ANDINGS

2015 CHAMPIONS THE DREAM TEAM

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

At first, I thought he was talking crazy and just being Hans, but then my second thought was, ‘I really like his positive thinking and that’s what a good team needs to be built on’, so I replied, “I’m in, let’s go win this thing!” This was about the time I started really thinking about what it would be like to capture that trophy and accomplish what many have been working towards for many years.

I know the scenario well..

When the day finally arrived for our team to choose the first peg, that’s when reality set in.

The thought of committing to a specific swim that we would have to develop and produce fish from over the next five days was a challenge we were ready and excited to take on. I felt a vibrant energy building and too many emotions to describe, but let’s just say the anticipation was at an all- time high.

Since we were 74th out of 95 teams to choose our peg, it got really frustrating finding all the spots we wanted were being taken by another team. The stress started to pile on and I was trying my best to keep my cool. Although it felt like the odds of us winning were slowly diminishing, it was important to stay composed and not let it show to the rest of the team.

I personally got anxious and didn’t want to be responsible for picking the spot where we would spend the next five days. As captain, I used my leverage to make the decision for Hans to pick from the bag containing the numbers of the pegs.

After picking, he handed it to me to open. Once the number was revealed Hans and Mattie started celebrating on stage. I had no clue where we were going but from the reaction of my teammates it looked like we picked a good swim that should produce fish.

After getting enmeshed in the heavy fog that first morning and setting up our peg, first order of business was to scope out our fishing zone and try to find some areas that we felt would produce big fish, and also give us an opportunity for presenting our bait (AVK International) in the most appealing way possible.

I feel the main reason for our success was approaching this competition like it was a normal fishing holiday, which would help take the stress away and keep a positive attitude throughout our team.

Our plan of attack was in place, bringing on a strong sense of direction and purpose, like a well-

oiled machine. Working in unison is extremely important, especially whenever it came time for us to land a fish - which wouldn’t happen, of course, until the second night. That’s when Hans landed the first fish, weighing 21 kilos- but a fish we nearly lost!

While we had the fish in a bag and the Marshals in our swim ready to put their weigh scales to use, we had to wait for the camera crew to show up to film everything. Mattie went to check on the fish and when he touched the bag the fish used all its strength and literally swam through the bag, ripped it apart and escaped. I heard a bunch of splashing going on, which was not a good sign, and saw out of the corner of my eye Mattie scrambling in the shallow water to get his hands on this carp that had just made its escape. Without even thinking twice I dropped everything and ran straight to the water’s edge, pretty much jumping in and blocking the fish’s pathway and got both my hands on it. And here we were, both of us soaking wet, with our hands holding the fish down, leaving us with a number of emotions coursing through us. That could have been bad, really bad.

That’s when Hans came over with the net and

Hans and Mattie started celebrating ..

I had no clue where we were going but from their reaction it looked like we picked a good swim

we laid the feisty carp safely in the net so that it couldn’t get away. I tell the Marshals, “Okay boys, forget the camera crew, let’s go ahead and weigh this fish now, so we can record it and we can do it again for the camera crew when they arrive.”

The expression on Mattie’s face after nearly losing that first fish stayed with him all night.

That fish ended up being one of our big three and without it we wouldn’t have won. Thanks to Mattie and his quick reaction, we managed to avoid losing a fish, which could have been a disaster for our team.

Now, one of the things I love about carp fishing is you just never know when you are going to get a run.

They always seem to come when you least expect it. For me, it’s always in the middle of the night - and once again that is exactly what happened when we landed our second fish. The moment I just got comfortable and fell asleep I was then awoken by the sound of a screaming alarm.

I run out of my bivy to grab the rod off the pod and instantly I could feel the strength of the carp as it pulls away. I continue to fight it while

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2015 CHAMPIONS THE DREAM TEAM

It’s a set up .. Hans and Mattie prepping before the start

Poker faces .. taking our minds off the tournament for a bit

News just in .. Hans and Mattie come over all emotional

Go team USA! All that hard work and sleepless nights definitely paid off as we celebrate making it to Number 1

I’m half- asleep, half- dressed, while climbing into a boat with one of my teammates so we can chase after it in the dark of the night. After all that struggle and fight, there is no better feeling than seeing that first glimpse of the colour of the carp in the water in the gleam from my dying headlamp.

One of the impressive things about fighting carp on a rod is the power of the tail splashing through the water and the strength of the fish bending the tip of your rod. Most people don’t realize the power of a carp until you catch one on a rod and reel! It feels like sweet success when the carp is finally resting in the landing net. At this point my adrenaline was still running high as I carried that fish back to the bank for it to be weighed.

That second night we caught a total of four fish. I landed a nice carp weighing 17 kilo, which made our top three; pushing us into 1st place! However, one of our spots kept producing fish, but they were smaller.

So we decided to move the bait off that spot, not only to avoid catching small fish that would have no impact on our Big 3 total weight, but also to prevent disrupting our sleep throughout the night.

Once we took 1st place our strategy was to keep it and not allow anyone to take it from us. Now that we were atop the leader board, it was very important we kept fishing with greater intensity because we knew at any point another team could easily take the top spot from us with just one fish. The plan was to keep upgrading the weight of our fish to stay ahead of the competition. In the daylight, we found one or two more spots we felt could produce big fish, located just beyond a drop off not far from a weed bed with a nice flat, hard bottom. Every night we caught fish but no-one knew of them because they weren’t any bigger than the three already on the board.

By the fourth night we caught a carp weighing 19.1 kilos, which bumped my 17 kilo fish out of play but helped us maintain the lead because Lizette Beunders & Bianca Venema of Team Netherlands were close behind. Being past winners of the World Carp Classic, they definitely created a real fishing threat.

The fishing was slow but steady. Everything was going according to plan. We worked hard and our swim was producing big fish like we wanted, and, at the same time, we were really enjoying ourselves.

What I miss most about my time on that swim were the laughs we shared, sipping on box wine, eating Han’s food creations from canned food - which I would call cat food - listening to music, Han’s washing my hair, watching the sun go down, and playing poker to keep our minds off the tournament.

On that last night, however, even though we were still in the lead, I knew deep down we needed at least one more big fish to secure our lead - other teams were close on our tails and they could steal it at any moment. I prayed hard for one more big fish and I remember telling Mattie, “You’re not done fishing yet. Next fish is yours and it’s going to be a monster - you just wait and see!”

My prayers were answered around midnight when the alarm began screaming. It was game on!!

I helped Hans and Mattie get in the boat with their life- jackets and waited patiently on the bank, trying to listen to see if I could hear them land a fish.

I heard something - and it didn’t sound good.

The marshals arrived and asked what was going on, and I said, “I think they just lost a fish, or, if they caught it, it sounds like it’s a small one”. My spirits were down, because I knew we needed that fish and from the sounds of everything, I feared my assumption could, unfortunately, be true. I waited anxiously for their return to the shoreline, and they finally arrived with no expressions on their faces and that’s when my heart sunk.

I was afraid to ask, but forced myself to anyway: “So what happened? Did you land the fish?”

“Of course we did” “How big? Is it a big one?”

But neither could hide their excitement anymore, and I could tell by their smiles that they had a good fish in the net. At that moment my spirits came back up and I couldn’t wait to get that fish on the scales It

turned out the fish ended up weighing 21.5 kilo, which now increased our lead to 6 kilos ahead of 2nd place. And that was exactly what we needed to help secure our lead. A lot of pressure was taken off, and, for the first time, I had a good feeling.

I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, we just might actually win this thing.’ My confidence level was high and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. We just needed to survive eight more hours until we could claim our trophy.

Feeling a bit more relieved, I started getting ready for bed because I was planning on getting some sleep and waking up a winner. However, that didn’t happen as planned - because we just got word that across the lake, at peg 11, Lizette Beunders & Bianca Venema of Team Netherlands had just caught a monster carp, bringing them within just a kilo and a half away. That was a game- changer for sure, and my confidence of winning suddenly diminished.

There was no way I could sleep now. My team decided to stay up by the rods, just in case we got another run. There was no way we were going to surrender our lead and possibly miss the opportunity of landing another fish that could guarantee a win for us. The pressure to keep our lead was most certainly on, and knowing that all we worked so hard for could be lost with just one more big fish caught by another team - well, that kept us even more motivated, focused and determined. And I caught myself checking the live leader board often to see where we stood.

I couldn’t sleep that night. So many thoughts were running through my head. The secured win

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

You need Hans .. getting my hair washed at Salon Sissingh (top)) and a double whammy (above) I felt we had in the bag seemed like it was getting further and further away and time felt like it was passing by so slowly…

I started reflecting on the week’s fishing with my team, and I had really enjoyed the time spent on the bank with them. Even if we didn’t win, we got to enjoy the taste of being in 1st place all week - while never giving up without a fight. My eyes were getting heavy watching the rods and a cold shiver ran through my body. Next thing I remember is waking up to the sunrise. I had drifted off to sleep.

I picked up my phone to check the leader

board and hesitated. Did I really want to know if someone caught a bigger fish and pushed us out of the lead? No, I thought, it’s either we had won or we hadn’t. No reason to delay. I had to see. The moment of truth had finally arrived as I set my eyes on the live leader board.

It looked like we were safe for now, I remember thinking, and it was just a matter of time until Ross Honey, the tournament director, showed up with the film crew to our swim - and we get to open that victorious bottle of champagne we had been saving all this time.

It was such a surreal experience and I was in

shock that my team had pulled it off. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would even have a chance to come close to winning the World Carp Classic.

Just so many factors play a part in these carp fishing tournaments, starting with the peg draw, then what tactics you use to fish your swim, to the skill of landing the fish and not making mistakes.

You have to out- smart the carp and not let the fishing get in your head to the point where you start second guessing yourself, which leads to mistakes or fishing your swim wrongly.

I have never been so proud of my team and all the teams of anglers representing Carp Connections. We fished our hearts out and, most importantly, represented the USA! I’m hoping to bring home this win to bring awareness of carp fishing in the United States and help grow it as a recreational sport.

I also hope this victory helps diminish that negative misconception surrounding carp - as being nothing more than a “trash fish - and to those who don’t realize just how amazing this fish is to catch and release!

Now it is time to head to the Czech Republic to defend our title and fish a lake we have no experience on. What’s our plan? It is the same as last year. Treat the World Carp Classic as a fishing holiday; take the competition aspect out of it.

Enjoy our time with each other, stay positive the whole time and catch some fish. It is as simple as that, but, until then, I am going to continue to enjoy being the 2015 World Carp Classic Champion. n LARYSA SWITLYK

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2015 WINNERS

WORLD CARP CLASSIC

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2014 Champions.. Andrzej Walczak-Gabriel Starzec-Krzysztof Charmuszko of Poland

We are very proud of our champions and celebrate their great achievement.

A World Carp Classic Champion has rightly gained a highly respected status that many aspire to have.

The World Carp Classic is the longest running carp angling event of its kind in the world and thousands of talented anglers have participated since its inception in 1998.

There is always a great atmosphere amongst the competitors who have spent a year planning and preparing for this year’s challenge in the quest to be crowned World Carp Classic Champions 2016 and join the angling elite.

The question on everybody’s lips is, who will it be ?

Double whammy .. Larysa Switlyk, Hans Sissingh and Mattie Curfs enjoy the sweet taste of double success as 2015 World Carp Classic Champions and winners of the 2015 Team Event with the Carp Connections team above.

Been there, done that .. good sports and former 2013 WCC Champions, Bianca Venema & Lizette Beunders come a close second to Larysa’s Team USA

ROLL OF HONOUR 1998-2014

2014 Champions... Poland’s Andrzej Walczak, Gabriel Starzec & Krzysztof Chamusko

1998 Champion: Paul Raymant, England Weight 127.15lbs Best Lady: Cathy Bell, England Weight 30.3lbs Biggest Fish: John Craven, England Weight 49.5lbs 2000 Champions: Paul Harrison & Paul Watts, England Weight 81.3kgs Team Event: Team Cobra/GB Baits, England Weight 114.3 kgs 2001 Champions:

T Stunnenburg & R.Bredenbeek ,Netherlands Weight 164.4kgs Team Event: Fishermans World, Netherlands weight 258.9kgs Biggest Fish: Sam Oakley & Barry Mann England Weight 21kgs

2003 Champions:

Biggest Fish.. Carpspot’s Viktor Lehrner and Andreas Gumilar do it for Austria with a 26.2kg Madine beauty

Mark Gardner & Jo Gardner, England Weight: 67.35kgs Biggest fish: Hans Sissingh and P Vermeulen Netherlands Weight: 1.6kgs

2004 Champions: Mick Hinson and Tony Kirrage, England Weight: 85.35kgs Team Event: Birch Syndicat Carp Team, Wales Weight: 20.85kgs Biggest fish: Brian Warwick & Michael Perry, Wales

The Italian job.. Roberto Mattei, Riccardo Battisti and Daniele Colapicchioni take to the podium after taking third palce overall

Weight: 31.6kgs Biggest fish: Mavis Unwin, England Weight: 17.4 kgs

2006 Champions: Mariusz Chiach & Jarowslaw Plochoki, Poland Weight: 80.85Kgs Team Event: SBS, England Weight: 23.5kgs Biggest fish: Eddie Matthews & richard Bradley, England Weight: 23.5kgs 2007 Champions: Jean Pierre Becker & Yves Hauk, France Weight: 22.1kgs Team Event: Carpworld, England Biggest Fish: Jean Pierre Becker Weight: 22.1kgs

2008 Champions: Andrew Judd & Peter truckle, England Weight: 140.4kgs Team Event: Carpworld, England Weight: 89.6kgs Biggest Fish: Pascal Gallon, Luxembourg Weight: 23.7kgs 2009 Champions: Rob Tough & Tom Duncan Dunlop, England Team Event: Carpworld, England Biggest Fish: Axel Wacker, Germany Weight: 28.9kgs

2010 Champions: George Czonka & John Roberts, England Weight: 216.2kgs Team Event: team Renmar Latvia 2005 Champions: Keith Turner & Clive Hicks, Weight: 167.7kgs Biggest Fish: England Mikulas Elek & Weight: 35.5kgs Pavel Snevajs Team Event: Weight: 27.4kgs GB Baits, England

2011 Champions: Jens Gassen and Thomas Muller Germany 337.6kgs Team Event: Team Deutschland, Germany Weight: 409kgs Biggest fish: Aivars Rudzinskis & Varis Lazo, Latvia Weight: 25.3kgs 2012 Champions:

Peter Micula and Norbert Pongracz, Romania Weight: 329.9kgs Team Event: Thomas Vanek & Peter Hofierk, Cz Republic; Andrea Campanini & Filippo Mongrandi, Italy; Stuart Downing & Rob Nunn Weight: 382.8kgs Biggest fish: Peter Micula & Norbert Pongracz, Romania Weight: Weight: 22.5kg

2013 Champions:

Bianca Venema & Lizette Beunders, Netherlands Weight: 366.5kgs Team Event: Andre Pieters & Craig Wood, Bianca Venema & Lizette Beunders, Netherlands. Wim Hanegraaf Dave Kesseler 366.5kgs Biggest fish: Krzysztof Mroz, Poland Weight: 22.6kgs

2014 Champions:

Andrzej Walczak, Gabriel Starzec & Krzysztof Chamusko, Poland Weight: 166.2kg Team Event: Carp R Us, Poland and Czech Republic Weight: 181.8kg Biggest fish: Brit Terry Houghton of Spomb. This is the WCC record common carp caught to date Weight: 23.9 Kgs

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 2017 will be another milestone date in Dynamite’s history for a number of reasons...

Firstly, all anglers will finally be able to get their hands on Terry Hearn’s fantastic new Boilie – Complex-T. This is a boilie that just keeps producing.

During spring and the build up to spawning Complex-T provides the carp with the highly sought after nutrients that they require and we he have found that by the height of summer the carp have continued to gorge on the nutritious boilie, helping to pack on weight ahead of the winter. In cold water the low temperature feed attractant comes in to it’s own and results just kept coming.

Our brief to Terry when designing Complex-T was ‘don’t hold back’ – we wanted to create a real natural food source boilie that didn’t need a lot of extra flavours to get results!

You will see we have done exactly what we set out to – a very natural subtle boilie based on a top quality LT94 fishmeal, water soluble liver extract, Brewer’s yeast, Haiths CLO and a quality powdered Krill meal - but of course it’s not just that - a host of other natural ingredients have been combined to create what is best described as a complex recipe.

Look out for the boilie range in the shops from October 2016 in Europe and spring 2017 in the UK, you should not be disappointed!

In 2017 the time has come also for Dynamite to move from our existing factory to an all new purpose built modern factory – situated right by the side of the current unit.

Disruption and downtime should be minimal and so Dec 2016 should see the first boilies being rolled at the new unit. With plans for

Changing face of Dynamite...

A clearer, better defined packaging is not only easy on the eye, but easy on the pocket! greater capacity, much needed extra space and ever increasing stringent EU rules and guidelines it was time to make the switch.

As many of our guys will confirm the current factory is not much fun slaving over a huge cooker when its 33c outside.

Thirdly we have also taken the opportunity to review our range and relaunch all of our packaging with a new logo. Our range has never been more clearly defined from the top down premium ranges, Complex-T, The Source, Red-Amo, Monster Tiger Nut and The Crave through to a real quality line up in the mid-range including the likes of Robin Red, White Chocolate, Marine Halibut and seemingly everyone’s cult favourites – Spicy

Shrimp & Prawn and Squid & Octopus. The good news – with saving’s made in packaging being passed on, anglers should be able to buy their mid-range favourites at a better price with no change in the recipes or bait quality!

Not to be left out we have also totally revamped the Carp-tec range for bulk feeding and the casual angler – a much improved base mix and classic flavours we definitely have something for everyone.

It’s always nice to reflect on a good season and dream of high expectations for the next one – with 2017 just around the corner it’s one we are really looking forward to for lots of reasons.

Tight lines from Dynamite for 2017!

19

n 10.00: Bivvy City at Kemp Merkur opens its

doors to welcome WCC16

n 15.00-19.00: On-site Participants Registration

Saturday 10th September n 09.00-18.00: On-site Participants Registration n 17.00-18.00: Carp R Us Sky Sword competition n 18.00-20.00: Carp Connections Gladiator

Games

n 19.30 onwards:

Pre event party with catering and entertainment

Sunday 11th September n 09.00-12.00: On-site Participants Registration n 13.00-15.00: Casting competitions finals n 16.00: Official Flag Parade followed

by Official Picture

n 17.15: Official Opening Ceremony n 17.30: Official Peg Draw

Monday 21st September n 07.00: Anglers go to allocated car park zone in

Bivvy City

n 08.00: Anglers depart for pegs in convoy n 08.30-13.30: Full boat and boating equipment

inspection at competitors’ peg n 14.00: Start of the competition - 114 hours non-stop n 20.00: Broadcast of daily event up-date

Saturday 26th September n 08.00: End of competition n 13.00: Closing Ceremony followed by Prize

Giving

PRIZE TABLE

Friday 9th September

WORLD CARP CLASSIC

2016 EVENT ITINERARY

H EAC ITOR T E P VE COM RECEI ED BY L WIL PROVIDNERS S RT E PRIZ BAL PAANO GLO SHIM S! U S G PL E BA M O C WEL

G N I Z A M A ... PLUS! A WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2016 CHAMPIONS n Title: “Champion of the 2016 World Carp

Classic” and trophies.

n New 2016: 50% increase in overall

winners cash prize with a £15,000 cheque.

n Plus! Half a ton of personalised

boilies rolled to their own recipe by Dynamite including a factory visit: Champions will receive boilies to your own personalised recipe to the market value of €3000 RRP + a trade box of matching popups. n Plus! 9 Shimano Tribal XS1 rods, unique golden Reuben Heaton scales, WileyX sunglasses, Lowrance fish finders and equipment, Carp Spirit prizes. n Plus! Two weeks international fishing holiday and a year of international PR and Marketing as the World Carp Classic Champions. Invitations to have guest appearances at international anglings shows, a Feature in the 2017 WCC magazine and a promotional video made about a year in the life of the WCC champions. * For Dynamite prizes follow the link to get details and T&C’s

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Your guide to all the events for the World Carp Classic 2015

0 0 0 , 0 7 £ R E V O H T S R P O M W A S H E C Z R O PRI F E U Q E H C 0 0 0 , £15 WCC16 Biggest Fish

Trophy and £500 RRP of Dynamite products of

your choice* and other Carp Spirit prizes.

WCC16 Sportsmanship Award Trophy Gladiator Games Winners n Sponsor’s Prizes.

WCC16 Record Fish n Winner to receive Dynamite Baits

Second Overall winners

Section Winners

n Trophies and a £3000 cheque n Plus! £1250 RRP of Dynamite products

products.

of your choice*, 9 Shimano Tribal Velocity rods, WileyX sunglasses, Lowrance fish finders , Reuben Heaton Competition scales, Carp Spirit prizes and two weeks international fishing holiday.

Third Overall winners n Trophies and a £2000 cheque n Plus! £750 RRP of Dynamite products

of your choice*, WileyX sunglasses, 9 Shimano Compact Carryalls, Lowrance fish finders, Reuben Heaton Competition Scales, Carp Spirit prizes and a weeks’ international fishing holiday.

n Trophies and £2000 in sponsors’

TEAM EVENT WINNERS First Place n Trophies and 6 Aerlex 1000XTB

Spod Reels. Plus! A Holiday at Lake Du Der Resort from Carp Connections.

Second Place

n Trophies Plus! A Holiday at

Lake Du Der Resort from Carp Connections.

sponsorship for 1 year and the opportunity to work closely with the team*. n Plus! £1,000 cash prize from Karpela for the biggest fish caught using Karpela Con and WileyX sunglasses.

‘No Fish Prize’

by Dynamite Baits n Any anglers

unfortunate enough to ‘blank’ during the week will have a chance to be drawn at random to win €500 RRP of Dynamite Baits from their full product range

Third Place

n Trophies Plus! A Holiday at Lake

Du Der Resort from Carp Connections.

21

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE Sometimes just wearing polarised sunglasses isn’t enough. Your experience and your eyes can be damaged by dust, wind and peripheral light.

Luckily Wiley X has a patented system to protect you.

It’s a global patent that ensures Wiley X stands out from the crowd. The company takes eyewear protection very seriously, because your eyes are probably your most important tool when you head out for a day’s fishing.

Whether it’s spotting fish or areas that might hold fish, protecting your eyes from UV rays or ensuring you can concentrate through long periods – keeping your eyes healthy and free from fatigue is a key advantage when fishing.

Wiley X is well known for offering eyewear that can protect your eyes from fatigue and damage, thanks to the many key innovations it has brought to the market. One example is its patented Facial Cavity™ Seal – a removable gasket that blocks out wind, dust particles, pollen and, perhaps most importantly for fishing, peripheral light.

The system is so much more just another fancy feature, it will genuinely improve fishing for all anglers. Light from the top, bottom and sides is completely blocked out so that polarized features of the lenses are not compromised. When you are out on the water you want to be 100% sure that you are using the right gear to help you get the most out of your fishing. As 2015 World Carp Classic winners Hans Sissingh & Mattie Curfs states: “After winning the World Carp Classic 2015, we got a great offer to join the ‘Wiley X fishing team.

We have now used the glasses for quite a while.

Wiley X stands for quality and durability. This has already been proven to us. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or cloudy Wiley X always offer the perfect lens color to get the optimal vision.

Using these glasses in the upcoming World Carp Classic in the Czech Republic at lake Novomlynska was a real advantage in our fishing.

It allowed us to see more fish and to catch more fish. The Gravity and Legend styles are two of our favourites.”

Testament to the strength and durability of Wiley X glasses is the fact that some models meet or pass the US Military’s ballistics tests for impact, which are renowned as the most stringent in the world. Wiley X carries more than 36 polarized fishing eyewear models and all are mounted with what is described as the best polarized filter on the market. They are made of Selenite™ polycarbonate with the polarized filter placed in the centre of the lens to ensure it remains untouched and undamaged while they are being worn or cleaned. The entire range is made with a wraparound fitting to eliminate back and side light.

The reputation of Wiley X as one of – if not the – safest and most durable protective eyewear on the planet is clearly catching on.

Clear as day .. 2015 WCC

champs, Hans and Mattie sport their new Wiley eyewear

23

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

TIM PAISLEY AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

CZECH MATE? BEEN THERE, DONE THAT A combination of Jakub Vagner and Ross Honey is an overwhelming one. People keep telling me I’m good for my age, but that is strictly comparative, and a bit of a back-handed compliment anyway. Not good; good for my age, which in comparative terms may mean ‘pretty useless really but for a near-octogenarian you’re passable.’

World Carp Classic?

Definitely, never again: irrevocably definitely. Then fate intervened in the shape of the young, energetic, charming, handsome and likeable Jakub Vagner of the Czech Republic, which was where the Classic was to be fished in 2016 24

I’m competitive, and passable doesn’t really wash with me, so while my mate Lee Jackson and I keep entering these things, as a pair to date we haven’t really threatened a podium place. To my mind that has nothing whatever to do with my age, but is down to Lady Luck refusing to co-operate when it comes to the draw. When I took a year off Jacko fished with someone else, Rob Tough, and they came second. I can’t duck it; I’m the problem.

So having failed, in comparative terms, to win the World Carp Classic in numerous attempts at Lac de Madine, Lac d’Amance, the Orient, Bolsena, and Lac de Madine again I had definitely reached the ‘never again’ point after last year’s event, where the draw wasn’t too unkind, but the fish were. (Our failure there was later compounded by one of the Dutch winners appearing in the TV programme about the event and talking down to the rest of us after he had won from a swim that everyone wanted. That was adding injury to insult.)

World Carp Classic? Definitely, never again: irrevocably definitely. Then fate intervened in the shape of global TV star, the young, energetic, charming, handsome and likeable (a rare combination) Jakub Vagner of the Czech Republic, which was where the Classic was to be fished in 2016.

We were half-heartedly drowning our sorrows in the bar at Madine after the prize-giving ceremony, in which Jacko and I didn’t feature, in case I haven’t already made that clear. (And I’ll make it clear that Jacko no longer drinks, so must have been elsewhere.)

It was a social sort of afternoon, the prelude to a social sort of evening, and there was a regretful air of failure, and ‘goodbyes’ till next year’s reunions, in the air. At some point the instantly-recognisable Jakub joined the throng.

He stands out from the crowd, and attracts a crowd, as real stars tend to. Being the centre of attention on that scale can sometimes be an irritation, I would guess, so while I was keen to make Jakub’s acquaintance, I kept my distance to give him breathing space.

Happily, he joined us for a chat, and what followed changed my mind about the 2016 World Carp Classic, in the Czech Republic, which is where Jakub is domiciled.

Our conversation revealed that the Czech Republic has a similar predation problem to the one we are suffering

Dynamic duo.. Ross Honey and heroic Marianne, at the 2016 Madine WCC presentation ceremony. in the UK, and that Jakub is the spokesperson for the anglers suffering from that problem at the claws and beaks of cormorants and otters – to the extent that he has had talks with ministers regarding the problem. In the UK I am chairman of the Predation Action Group, so we had common ground. Definitely never again quickly became ‘OK, one more time,’ as a result of Jakub’s charm, and our discussion of the problem shared by the anglers and fish populations of our respective countries. So my participation in the Czech event is partly support for Ross Honey, and his heroic and long-suffering wife Marianne, partly support for Jakub and his predation efforts, and partly support for my partner Jacko, who has an amazing record, other than when he fishes with me.

Jacko has held the British carp record, has won the British Carp championships, has won a world title, with partner Ian Chillcott, on the St. Lawrence in North America. That is a truly remarkable record to which he would like to add a World Carp Classic title, having aspired to second place at Italy’s Lake Bolsena, when fishing with former World Carp Classic winner Rob Tough. Jacko’s cheerful determination to keep on keeping on puts my occasionally half-hearted approach to the event to shame.

I hope this doesn’t sound too egotistical, but all the time I was talking to Jakub at Madine I was thinking, ‘Dare I ask him if I can have my picture taken with him?’ I felt that was perhaps a tad intrusive, and presumptive, so didn’t like to ask, knowing I would later regret not asking.

Then, just before he left, he said, ‘Do you mind if I have my picture taken with you?’ a request that made me feel about ten feet tall. What a lovely man: what a star. And

Part of the problem.. When I took a year off Jacko fished with someone else, Rob Tough, and they came second (main); ‘Do you mind if I have my picture taken with you?’ With the persuasive Jakub Vagner at Lac de Madine (above left); My conversation with Jakub revealed that the Czech Republic has a similar cormorant and otter predation problem to the one we are suffering in the UK. A carp showing signs of typical otter predation (above right) more significantly someone who understands the importance of putting something back.

My initial resistance to fishing in the Czech Republic was based on previous experience, not of the people, the country, or the fishing, I hasten to add, but of the journey there. I’ve been to the country twice, possibly three times. The first time was a sort of royal command from Hutchy (Rod Hutchinson): ‘Would I like to accompany him and Mally (Roberts) on a fishing trip to the Czech Republic?’ Well, yes! I’ve known Rod for around 40 years, have been friends with him for most of that time, but have rarely fished with him, so when the opportunity arose I jumped at it. Rod’s special: Rod and Mally together are even more special, because they have their own warped, mildly scandalous brand of humour that I’m mostly in tune with, although I can’t keep pace with their common love of, and extensive

knowledge of, music and musicians. Just to be around them is an entertainment.

So we made plans, loaded up, boarded the ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, drove across Belgium, probably across Holland, then right across Germany, with an overnight stop-over at a remote hotel in the back of beyond, with werewolves howling in the distance. I have many indelible memories of that trip, but one of the most vivid is of approaching the German/Czech border. My recollection is that there was/is a half mile of open road leading straight up the hill to the border. Halfway up this stretch someone in the motor commented, ‘I’ve got some stuff in my rucksack,’ an enigmatic statement some of you may be able to decipher. I was driving at the time, and turning round, or even stopping, wasn’t really an option. There was no queue of traffic at the border post ahead, so I

presumed there were no sniffer dogs, and no searches being carried out, which turned out to be correct. Once we crossed the border we came across bumper-tobumper traffic for about five miles queueing to cross from the other side, so presumably the border guards were more concerned about what came out of the Czech Republic than went into it. Or, more accurately, what went into Germany than went out the country.

These queues of lorries must be a semi-permanent feature of the border crossing because there were a number of cottage industries along the roadside, including nightclubs, some stunning-looking ladies of the night (or morning or afternoon, I guess), and enough garden gnomes and garden ornament shops to landscape Yorkshire, which is a very large English county, or possibly even Luxembourg, which is a small European country.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TIM PAISLEY BEEN THERE, DONE THAT Rod had a fan club in the Czech Republic, headed by Rod’s long-time correspondent Robert, and they were remarkable hosts. Our hosts included the editors of the leading Czech magazine of the time, Sportvini Rybar, although as only Robert had any English conversation with most of our hosts was awkward. They wined and dined us, and put us up at the famous Teplice Spa for the night – a special memory in its own right. Teplice is the oldest spa in Central Europe with an almost two thousand-year-old tradition. Teplice used to be called Little Paris, or the Salon of Europe, and was visited by many eminent individuals, including European royalty, and musicians Ludwig van Beethoven, Johan Wolfgang Goethe, Richard Wagner, Frederick Chopin and Franz Liszt. To that illustrious list they can now add the names of former musical impresario Mally Roberts, rhythm guitar player, songwriter and pub singer, Rod Hutchinson, and the tone-deaf Dylan-adherent Tim Paisley. I see that in the Carpworld piece I referred to Teplice as the Beethoven Sanatorium, although there is no mention of such a title in the internet write-up of Teplice Spa. Our memorable stay at Teplice, which is located in North Bohemia at the foothills of the Ore Mountains and accepts paying guests behind us our hosts took us to the allotted swims on their favourite River Labe. They had reserved their favourite swim for Rod, although their idea of reserving it was to fish it right up to our arrival, which fazed Rod slightly. It was a tight, narrow swim, and turned out to be unproductive during our stay. I suspect it was a favourite because it was comfortable, and an ideal spot for partying, talking of which… At the time my preferred drink was Rickards, a favoured pastis, and as it isn’t easy to come by I’d bought a couple of bottles for future on the ferry out. The future was more imminent than I’d anticipated. Mid evening on the first night of the session Mally was sent up the bank as an emissary. ‘Those bottles of Rickards you’ve got in the car…’ One may have survived the first night, but neither survived the five-night session. Like Jacko, Mally is now on the wagon, but at the time he and Rod took some keeping up with in the bacchanalian stakes.

I gave it my best shot.

My memories of the fishing are hazy. I was upstream from Rod and Mally, away from the favoured pressure area which finished up with all our hosts bivvied as close to Rod as possible, which I thought probably worked in my favour. The carp were off the feed in the heatwave conditions, but the grass carp weren’t. Late in the session I caught two Czech carp, a low-twenty mirror, and a low–thirty common. The common scared me to death. It was the first time I had fished a braided main line, and late on the final afternoon this common took off upstream at a rate of knots, with me struggling to keep the rod up against the pressure of the fish and the no-stretch of the braid. I was fortunate that the line strength and hookhold were adequate to cope with the first couple of runs of this demented fish. That 31lb common is still my European personal-best river carp, and I’ve only caught bigger river carp from the St. Lawrence.

I’ve tracked down my original Carpworld article about the trip, which took place in June 1998, the write-up appearing in Carpworld 95. If it’s not trying your patience I’d like to quote two extracts from the piece, for very different reasons.

26

‘We were there because Rod is a hero on a global scale, and he has paid the price for that a thousand times over back down the road. The kids (carp anglers) of today can have no concept of the impact of Hutchy on the carp scene in the seventies and early eighties: the charismatic hero figure on the grand scale. Carp weren’t catchable in those days, but Rod caught them wherever he went. We all knew he was giving up everything just to fish distant waters, travelling in unreliable, clapped-out vehicles, pioneering methods, tactics and baits. We saw that same hero-worship reflected in the attitude of the Czech carpers to Rod, and it came as a sharp reminder of his carpworld status.’

Carpworld,1998.

Lost in translation.. Our hosts included the editors of the leading Czech magazine of the time, Sportvini Rybar, although as only Robert had any English conversation with most of our hosts was awkward.

Name dropping.. Teplice used to be called Little Paris, or the Salon of Europe, and was visited by many eminent individuals, including European royalty, and musicians Ludwig van Beethoven, Johan Wolfgang Goethe, Richard Wagner, Frederick Chopin and Franz Liszt.

Cheers! Our relaxed evening on the balcony during our memorable overnight stay at Teplice

That 31lb common is still my European personal-best river carp, and I’ve only caught bigger river carp from the St. Lawrence

Later in the article I wrote the following about the Czech carp scene at that time, words which may now be considered prescient, but only reflected the obviousness that we were part of a growing global carp scene at that time. In fact the first World Carp Classic took place just three months after our Czech visit, and Czech Jaroslav Tesinsky was a strong supporter of the Classic from the start.

‘The Czechs seem to be carp mad, and there is a carp-fishing explosion about to happen there – if it hasn’t already taken place. There are problems to surmount. Most carp which are caught are killed, although there is already a minority movement pioneered by Robert and his friends to have them returned alive. I suggested that Robert’s group start a national carp organisation along the lines of the Carp Society, and to make one of the conditions of membership that carp

Czech list.. That 31lb common is still my European personal-best river carp (main image); I suspect it was a favourite swim because it was comfortable, and an ideal spot for partying (far left); Robert arranged for Rod to visit the country after a number of years of persistent effort.

Robert with Rod and Mally shortly before we left for home (left)

Back then the principal threat to the well-being of the carp came in the form of carp anglers not putting fish back. I suspect the Czech Republic has moved on from there, and predation is now the biggest threat. Convincing the government how important a tourist industry carp-fishing represents is one way of combating the protection afforded to some of our worst predators by European law. My sympathies lie with those of you whose waters suffer the attention of cormorants and otters. Good luck to Jakub in his antipredation efforts. I know from our experiences that he has a tough job on his hands, although the Czech hosting of Ross Honey’s major European events during the last two years will surely have been noticed in high places.

I’ve returned to the Czech Republic at least once since that first trip, to do a slide show at a winter meeting in Prague. It’s a simpler journey when you fly in, and for the 2016 World Carp Classic trip Jacko has arranged flights, and a tackle wagon to take our tackle

and bait out by road. So I am about to resume my acquaintance with the World Carp Classic, the admin team, organisers Ross and Marianne, and the Czech Republic. I have a 100% record for catching carp on my Czech fishing trips, so for Jacko’s sake I hope the lovely country continues to be kind to me.

Once you accept that you are involved there is a buzz to taking part in these major world events that goes far beyond the possibilities of catching fish, and the even more remote possibilities of standing on the podium.

Like carp fishing, the World Carp Classics are family, and I’m looking forward to the 2016 family reunion.

‘‘

be put back alive. He is an organisation man, Robert. On his own initiative he had arranged for Rod to visit the country after a number of years of persistent effort. He has had a high-profile past through being the leading banjo player in the Czech Republic, an activity which brought him under the intense scrutiny of the Secret Police under the former communist regime before the Russians moved out. I saw something for my need for involvement and getting things done reflected in him, and I’m sure his friends will gradually change the face of carp fishing in the Czech Republic in the years ahead. If they can just convince the state that big carp are an import industry which will attract tourists they may even be able to get the preservation of carp established as a national policy. You can only try…’

Carpworld, 1998.

n TIM PAISLEY

QUALIFIERS

WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2016

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 28

CZECH REPUBLIC LAKE KATLOV

CZECH IT 2016 qualifier produces surprising results as In 2015 we had the great honor for the first time to organize a Czech qualifier for the most prestigious carp fishing event, the World Carp Classic.

Last year’s edition was already very popular with competitors, but this year - three times as many people were interested in competing. The reason is clear - this year, the World Carp Classic will be held in the Czech Republic!

However, the capacity of Katlov Lake is not endless, which is why only the fastest 18 teams had the chance to compete for three spots at the WCC. The chances of making it to the final event were thus pretty high.

The event was held under WCC rules, the only difference being that fishing was carried out solely using casting, and the teams switched swims halfway through the race.

The event started at noon on Saturday and everybody was wondering which teams were going to capitalize on their draw and which teams would lag behind. Surprisingly, it was the shallow part that started reeling in the first catches, only to be followed by the deeper part of the lake, which eventually yielded the majority of the fish caught in the contest.

Everybody assumed that the teams who broke the boundary of 45 kilograms per three carps caught would secure a position on the podium. Halfway through the competition however, the leading team amassed an incredible 50.63 kilograms, the team in second place recorded 47.16 kilograms and the team in third position had caught 45 kilograms of fish.

Another round of drawing followed on Monday, in

which teams that had been sitting in the shallow part of the lake drew swims in the deeper parts of the lake and vice versa. This set-up allowed all teams to aspire to the highest positions. During the rest of Monday, not too many catches were made and the night was none too successful, either. But on Tuesday morning, this changed dramatically and the rankings were changing several times in an hour. In some cases it was down to tens of grams that decided the change of positions.

The competition continued at this incredible pace all the way to the end of the event at noon on Wednesday. After the rocket signalled the end of the contest, there was much excitement in some places and sadness in others. But that is how competitions go, isn’t it?

What surprised us, however, were the final results.

Mikbaits Pardubice took first place with total weight of carps of 50.63 kg (17.46 kg, 17.88 kg and 15.29 kg), Night Hunters took second place with total weight of carps of 47.16 (16.61 kg, 14.83 kg and 15.72 kg). These two teams will be representing the Czech Republic at the upcoming championship. Starbaits SR took bronze with total weight of carps of 46.71 kg (13.51 kg, 13.57 kg and 19.63 kg) and they will be representing the magazine Carp & Carp World, which is the most popular carp-related magazine in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Our assumption that 45 kilograms would be enough to secure a spot at the WCC turned out to have been mistaken, as teams in further positions also recorded outstanding results - to mention just a few of them:

ITALY LAGO DEL SALTO Halfway through the competition the leading team amassed an incredible 50.63kg!

Italian job.. 2016 Qualifying winners, Antonio Damiani and Lorenzo Rapacchietta The Italian qualifier was one of the most important italian competitions this year with more than 20 teams from all over Italy competing at the stunning Lago del Salto – a big open lake with lots of nice common carp.

Organisers and marshals of the event, the Fours Season Angling Company, were delighted by the overwhelming response.

After three successful years of hosting the event in Bolsena, the World Carp Classic has gained increasing popularity among Italian anglers, so it seemed the natural choice to stage another angling competition this year to offer more anglers the chance to compete.

Held between the 8-10th of April, it was an ideal period for fishing – rain, wind and cloud all palyed their part.

OUT!

The winners of the event were Antonio Damiani and Lorenzo Rapacchietta who, after three days of hard work and a bit of luck, took the winning ticket for the WCC Final event in the Ceck Republic.

Although the size of the fish was not that high, we have to congratulate Michele Vallesi for the biggest carp of the event – a common of 18,2 kg.

Results: ● 1st Place: Antonio Damiani and Lorenzo Rapacchietta, Betackle 2. 10.39,7- 8.1 kg =28.1 ● 2nd Place: Luca Sforza and Giovanni Ciarmela, OverCarpBait. 2:11,8 kg -7,6 kg- 6.3 kg = 25,7 ● 3rd Place: Roberto Bonomo and Gian Berardino Franchi, Diamondbaits.

POLAND DOBRO KLASZTORNE

winners beat the Big Five O

Poles apart.. Rafal Laskarzewski and Jerzy Blachnio scoop 1st place and Biggest Fish

Star quality! Team Starbaits SR take third place with a catch of 46.71kg and will be representing Carp & Carp World magazine 4th place - 45.31 kg, 5th place - 45 kg, 6th place - 44.12 kg. The total average weight of all carps caught was 13.52 kg. Let’s see what kind of result will be enough to qualify next year - will 50 kilograms be enough? � We would like to congratulate all the three squads that clinched a spot at the WCC and wish them a lot of success for the World Carp Classic 2016. May the best team win!

This year’s Polish qualifiying competition for the WCC 2016, called Normark Cup, took place on Dobro Klasztorne Lake in Pobiedziska between the 1st-5th June.

The title sponsor was Normark Polska (Shimano, Dynamite, VMC, Carp Spirit), support sponsor was Lowrance and Section Sponsors were Bandit Carp, Delta Baits, Carp Gravity and Invader.

Of the 21 teams that took part,19 caught carp, but it was Rafal Laskarzewski and Jerzy Blachnio who took first place with a total catch of 61.2kg and secured their entry into the World Carp Classic 2016

competition. Overall, the winning team caight 13 carp over 17kg! Jerzy Blachnio also caught the Biggest Fish of 23.9kg. ● Second place: Rafal Matuszewski and Mariusz Kacprzak with a total of 36.8kg. ● Third Place: Robert Krzysztofiak and Witold Krzysztofiak with 34.1kg.

Section winners were Pawel Szewc and Patryk of Urban Delta Baits, Tomasz Brygider and Arkadiusz Tryba of team Carp Gravity, Andrzej Sosnowski and Jaroslaw Olszewski from Invador and Adrian Modzelewski and Hubert Pilszak of Bandit Carp.

NETHERLANDS RESORT DU DER, FRANCE

Well connected.. Olaf Simons and Brian Raats have been angling together since they were kids

Practise makes perfect for Dutch double act As we all know, the well-known angling tour operator, Carp Connections, has been sponsoring the WCC team competition and the Gladiator Games as a side event for many years now.

However, What many of us won’t know, is that Carp Connections has also organised the first WCC Qualifying event since 2001.

Originally held at the Sloterplas in Amsterdam, they decided to move the event to France and change it from a weekend session to a proper 5 day endurance.

Over the past three years, the event has been held at Hans Sissingh’s Fishing resort Du Der in the North of France. A lake complex of about a 100 acres and very well-maintained surroundings.

The 1500 carp are stunning creatures up to 70+ pounds. The perfect venue for organizing enduro’s!

After 6 years of development, with a 22 couple’s capacity, Resort du Der has become very popular within the French anglers’ scene. This year’s event, from 6 to 10 June, was one of the greatest ever.

The BIG3 rules made this event extremely exciting up to the very end where the Dutch team Olaf Simons and Brian Raats made a difference and won the match.

Olaf Simons really knows the venue well. In 2013 he did his first internship at the Resort, working the day, spending the night on the banks behind his rods. He has caught some stunning fish up to fifty pounds, but most importantly he fished most of the swims and figured out where the big ones are holding.

As with Olaf, Vice Captain of the team, Brian Raats, boasts a full life of carp angling behind him.

With a Personal Best of over 85 lbs – you could call him a specialist big fish angler and expectations for the BIG 3 event during WCC16 will be high!

Both Olaf and Brian have been angling together since they were kids and are a formidable match.

Endless practice sessions at the fishing resort Du Der will make these two boys a tough challenge for other competitors to beat.

The 2016 World Carp Classic qualifying event just took place in Vilches, Spain on the fantasic 1,230 hector lake Fernandina, in Andalucia.

Being part of the 2015 World Carp Classic Carp Connections Champions’ team, with pairs Richard van Leeuwen and Dennis Nijland, Hans Sissingh and Mattie Curfs and pair Maarten Gommers & Daan Uijen, Olaf and Brian have a good chance to keep up their performance on stage, even during the prize giving of the WCC16!

Team Carp Connections will give their best to defend their title at Lake Novalimska and within the Champ of the Champions side event we can expect one hell of a fight.

Good luck to all anglers, may the best Big Fish specimen hunter win!

For those of you did not have the chance to participate in this year’s fully booked finals, the qualifier for 2017 is open for bookings and those who just want to give it a go at the Fishing Resort Du Der and win their position in the next event, go to www.carpconnections.com and sign up!

It’s the first time such a prestigous event has been organised on the lake, but with more than 800 carp caught from the three sections making this a record breaking compeitition.

Organized by Team CARPdiem, Andy Macgregor, Frank Granados and Angel Bonal who publish CARPdiem Magazine Spain, the event took place on May 13-16th 2016.

29 pairs of anglers competed from all over Spain within three different sections. S1 Shimano, S2 Dynamite S3 Lowrance.

The three day event would help find the winning pair to go on to the final of the World Carp Classic in September on lake Novomlynska in the Czeh Republicc.

It was an intense and emotional battle right up to the end, with the top 5 teams competing till the last moment and just one fish in it. The new rule of the top three fish helped keep emotion and hopes high, it was anyone’s game.

Hundreds of fish were caught from every section and swim, everyone managed to get their landing net wet and the vibes during the whole of the tournament were fantastic.

The majority of fish were caught from the Dynamite Baits section, however it was the Shimano section that held the better fish and that was what the competitors were looking for.

The top three team and weigh of fish were as folows: José Domínguez Amor and Juan Rodríguez Ruiz took the top prize with their 18.100kg catch and gained entry to the final of the World Carp Classic 2106.

Teammates Francisco Escobar Escobar and Roberto Royan Ruiz made second place with

a total of 17,900Kg and very close behind them came anglers Hugo Antonio and Rafael Other prizes to make up the 6,000 euro prize table came from sponsors Dynamite Baits, Shimano, and Lowrance.

The three section Winners were: ● Shimano: Juan José de la Torre Aroca and Antonio Manzano Sánchez – 12,800Kg ● Dynamite: Ramón Brocal Carbajal and Ángel Salvador Guidado – 14,100Kg ● Lowrance: David Torres Vázquez and Jesús García Hidalgo – 14,600Kg ● Pez más grande: Carlos Darío Castillo and Iban Villarroya Domínguez 5,400Kg You can read more about the event and see more photos on the official CARPdiem Website www.carpdiem.es and or via their Facebook page athttps://www.facebook. com/CARPdiemMagazine/

Number Juan! José Domínguez Amor and Juan Rodríguez Ruiz

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

The 2016 Spanish Qualifiers at Lake Fernandina saw a record-breaking catch result with over 800 carp caught

WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2016

SPANISH ARMADA

QUALIFIERS

SPAIN LAKE FERNANDINA

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QUALIFIERS

WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2016

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 32

ENGLAND WRAYSBURY LAKE

Second to none.. Rob Tough and partner Matthew Jones nail second place and BIggest Fish at 14kg

Lone ranger, Jonathan Budd, will fly the flag for England Sometimes an opportunity comes around to fish somewhere just that little bit special, and this was the case in this year’s WCCUK Qualifier held at the iconic Wraysbury 1 lake owned by RK leisure. Not only is it steeped in history but a major refurbishment has also taken place, including an absolutely stunning clubhouse.

From the moment anglers arrived through the gates and entered this mecca of carp angling, the thought of what might be hit them all.

On Thursday night, Bivvys were set up on the immaculately cut lawn where everyone just absorbed the atmosphere with a few drinks and a great Hog roast next to the fantastic club house.

Everyone was eager for the swim draw on the Friday morning which took place next to the jetty, but first of all a group photo parading the England flags was taken. Getting to the swims was a dream – buggies were used meaning plenty of time to set up ready for the start hooter at 1200hrs sharp signalled

by Ross Honey (Event Founder) and Daryl Hodges (Dynamite baits Marketing Manager).

The 3 biggest fish rule, as per the World Carp Classic, was in place, meaning any team at any time, could win this event. Unlike 2015, the weather was gorgeous – great for a tan but made the fishing extremely difficult. Blistering hot and high pressure throughout the event saw only four fish come out.

Amongst the 18 teams there was one-man fishing on his own – not that he didn’t have any friends, unfortunately his team mate couldn’t make it.

Jonathan Budd not only drew swim 13, but took an early lead and held on to it to win the competition with 2 cracking fish. However, in true World Carp Classic family style Jonathan’s dad was also fishing in another team along with other family members, a proud moment for Josh.

2nd place and former World Carp Classic winner Rob Tough with new partner Matthew

Budding talent.. Jonathan Budd goes it alone to first place Jones caught an absolute stunner at 14kg an original which also gave them biggest fish.

3rd place went to Jacob Dale and Mathew Eden who caught on the last morning.

It was nail biting to the end, just one fish could have changed the placings, fantastic results for the winners.

Once the final hooter sounded to end the competition, the kit was packed and everybody made their way back to the clubhouse to congratulate the winner’s.

Sponsored by world class brands, the prize table was tremendous, with winners receiving prizes from Lowrance, Dynamite baits, Carpspirit, Shimano and Reuben Heaton, the longest running sponsor for the World Carp Classic since 1998, providing the event scales. Jonathan Budd will now fly the flag for England at the World Carp Classic at lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic and compete against over 300 anglers from 24 countries for a share in the incredible £70,000 prize table, we will follow Jonathan on his journey.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE CLASSIC The wish to fish the WCC, the hope of catching a Bolsena carp and the dream of a podium spot – this is the ambition of every carp fisherman. My name is FERRY VERHOFSTAD and here’s my Classic journey ..

I became infected with the carp “virus” in 1990 when I was 10-years-old. I often went to local ponds with an old rod and some bread and corn.

One pond was located in the town where I was born and was about .5ha and rumour had it that there were fish in the pond that were bigger than 70 cm.

34

Many months passed before I saw a fish come out of there. I did not catch it but it was caught by a man who was sitting on another spot. It was a fight of about 15 minutes before the fish was in the net. It was an unbelievable sight for me. I asked the man what kind of fish it was and he told me it was a carp.

As he released the fish lots of questions popped into my mind- and one was, How can I catch these fish? The rest of the day I spent sitting next to the man, listening to his wonderful stories about the carp.

Within a few years I completely forgot how it felt to fish regular. I was completely focused on the carp fishing. I did not have the patience to stare at an orange floater or a piece of bread – not my way of fishing. What I liked most was being around the water and simply observing, looking where I could find the carp and after many hours, I thought I knew where the carp were and at what time of day. That was my signal to get the rods out and try to catch as many as possible! This went on for several years. Then I got a moped. That opened up more possibilities and I was able to fish venues further away.

Night fishing was something that I liked and when I reached 16, my parents trusted me to do my own thing and fish from the banks of several waters. I was now able to venture further afield – to greater canals,

big lakes and rivers. For over ten years I fished these venues alone, without any friends. I did not read books about carp fishing, nor magazines or watch videos. I minded my own business. I was satisfied, so why should I care about others?!

Six years ago, however, there was a big change in my life. Every weekend over two years I was driving to Groningen. On my way there I passed Veendam and saw lots of beautiful lakes and canals where I could go fishing. I never knew that there where so many beautiful venues to fish in the north of the Netherlands.

I decided to move to Veendam and rent a house.

The house I rented was near a 120ha lake. The biggest portion of the lake was part of a nature reserve, where there were carp anglers and, of course, I got in contact with several of them. That first year a lot of things changed. I called at a friend’s tackle shop on a daily basis, and the contact with several other anglers triggered me to start reading carp books and magazines. At that time I also came into contact with people of Gulp Carp (Carp Only) and JRC. My fishing got boosted from having several great carp friends and I was delighted when Frans de Cuelear and the Pure Fishing team gave me the opportunity to fish with the baits of Gulp Carp. These powerful baits helped me to catch even better and bigger fish ... Ah, these were unforgettable times and unforgettable moments.

In many blogs and during several carp exhibitions I could share my adventures with others. But, of course, like every good thing, there was also a down-side that I had not experienced before – coming across those who harboured envy and jealousy. Everyone – not

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 36

ROAD TO THE CLASSIC FERRY VERHOFSTAD friends but outsiders – seemed to have an opinion about you. That was a weird feeling and, at first, I did not know how to handle it.

Today it seems to be normal that not everyone wants to share their catches with others – understandable, but new to me. So it took a while for me to settle in, and I asked myself the question, Is this what I want? In the end I knew I could handle these things. Now, blogs, exhibitions, lectures, social media and so on, complemented my passion for angling and I could enjoy it to the fullest.

Another aspect was competitive angling.

Everyone has the same goal and that, more or less, is what fishing is all about – getting as many takes as possible. But it is also about helping each other and cheering when somebody catches a fish – even congratulating others when they catch more than you! It’s about angling in a team, depending on one another. With a mix of experience and with cooperation the team tries to get as many fish on the bank as possible, in a certain time period and from a designated sector.

After fishing my first competition nearly three years ago I had one dream – to enter the 2014 World Carp Classic.

In 2014 I had a good many days off work and so I was able to compete in several big carp competitions, beginning that June by angling the DuQ (Dutch Qualifier) for the WCC. In this competition I was angling with Jos van Pinxteren.

We came third, but no WCC ticket. In the top competition for carp I was angling with Minardus Woltman. This competition (TC) was spread over four parts, over several months. Each competion lasted 40 hours – and we also came third in this battle.

Just before the end of the TC I got a call from Hans Sissingh, organizer of the DuQ and owner of Fishing Resort Du Der. Would I be interested in fishing the WCC with him and Mattie Curfs, at Bolsena in Italy? This took me by surprise and told I Hans I would call him back the next day. This had to sink in for a moment.

I told my girlfriend what had happened, and, at the same time, told her she was also invited – as a team runner/photographer. And she was delighted.

The next day I called Hans to arrange everything.

That same day I would have to plead for nine extra days off work. That made the total amount of free days at 28, just for carp competitions. Time goes slowly and there was plenty of Google-ing to find out more about the WCC, Italy, and, of course, Bolsena Carp.

Bolsena appeared to be one of the best locations for such a big event – over an area of 113.5 km2, formed by one of the oldest volcanoes in Europe.

The lake was 13 km long, 11km at its widest and the average depth was 81m, with the deepest points over 150m. The pictures were breathtaking. And I told my girlfriend: “We are going to Italy”.

The next six weeks dragged on slowly and no day passed by without thinking about the WCC, or arranging things. Finally, the day came and we set out, first, for Saint Dizier, France, where we were to meet up with Hans and Mattie. Our final destination would be Lago di Bolsena, Italy. Once there, we drove on to the edge of the volcano crater.

What a sight!. We just stood there, enjoying that moment in silence. The coming week would be one of the most special in my life.

The few days before the start of the WCC we are one big happy family of 98 competing teams from all over the world. We mingle with the rest of the teams at bivvy city. At one point it seemed there were more carp anglers in the little village near Bolsena than inhabitants.

The day before the start of the competition there was the opening ceremony. As we walked down the streets from the castle to enter the village the feeling of something very special happening grew with every step. The peg draw took place in the local church which has been turned into a theatre.

Just as we were about to sit down to dinner, out of the blue one of the DSI sounders began making a din. Carp!

Hans and Mattie jump in the boat and the drill has started.

Just when the guys have landed the first, the left rod bends downwards .. unbelievable – another take!

We are number 77, so 76 pegs will be given away before our turn. Finally, it’s our turn to get on stage.

The moment I look over my shoulder I realize how big this event is, with over 300 competitors. Ross’s daughter finally draws our peg – No. 84, nightangling zone, Bolsena It is Monday morning, the start of the competition is not far away and it is still early when we start out for Bolsena. After a 30-minute ride we arrive at our swim, 84. As far as the eye can see, right and left, sandy beach. While setting up camp we see two carp jumping out of the water – about 150m out. That gave us a big boost. There are carp in our sector.

We set about preparing some baits – our choice fell on the Scqream boilie of Carp Only. I had very, very good results on this new boilie two years before, during testing. There was no doubt in my mind, the Scqream would also work here in Bolsena. Our rigs were simple, using coated braid, and the last 4cm stripped. Add wide gape hook, size 4, blow back rig, a 20mm boilie balanced with a 12mm popup, snowman with 10mm room between boilie and hook. All Just the way I like to fish on my own venue.

At last it is 2PM, and the competition has started.

We are in the boat as fast as we can, armed with a looking bucket, echo-sounder, level float and all the rest of the gear. Everything that can help us find the spots where carp can be caught. At first, we find a

few little bait-spots with low weeds about 100m out.

This should be where we saw the two carp jumping.

The spots for the right area of our sector are set. On the left side we find almost a copy of the right side.

Two markers go in the water and now we are ready – four potential spots that should be able to bring carp in. The rods are set and now we can sit and enjoy the scenery ... then, just as we were about to sit down to dinner, out of the blue one of the DSI sounders began making a din. Carp!

Hans and Mattie jump in the boat and the drill has started. Just when the guys have landed the first, the left rod bends downwards. Unbelievable – another take! A few moments later I realise that I have the first Bolsena carp on the other end of my line. The razor X rod is bending like crazy and, because Hans and Mattie are still on the lake, I have to get the carp in by myself They sign to me that their carp is in the net. I summon them to be quick, as I also have a take.

The adrenaline is shooting through my body and It seems like an eternity before they are back and we can change places. Hans turns the boat around and I jump in front.

The second landing net is thrown by Mattie and off we go to get our second carp. After 10 minutes the carp is becoming exhausted and the landing moment is there. But, before we can put the net below her she shakes her head firmly, the hook

loses its grip – and of she is off, leaving us quite devastated.

Back at our camp, Mattie sees the disappointment on our faces and he knows what has happened. But we have no time for mourning our loss – we still have the other fish in the sling.

Hands are shaken and we celebrate our first catch of this competition. We get the rods ready again, with some changes on the leads, making sure these come loose just after the bait has been picked up, hoping that this will help us bring in the next fish and we don’t lose another one, but it didn’t do the trick. The rest of the evening is silent and, during the night, we lose another fish in the weeds.

On the second day, Tuesday, the two rods which did not have any action are being placed on new spots. The weather forecast says there will be a change in the weather, with rain, thunderstorms and lots of wind on Wednesday. I felt great when I heard about this change in the weather. The forecast was good, but I wondered if it would be wise to go further out, say, to 300/350m at the most.

We discussed this and agreed to go out further after 48 hours. We had already pre-baited the area during the hours of the competition. Our confidence in the two pre-baited spots was high.

On the Wednesday morning the count was still only one carp. No doubts anymore – two rods going 300m out. It doesn’t take 30 minutes before

the first one goes. Hans and I are quickly in the boat.

Arriving at the scene I see lots of weed coming out of the deep – and that is the moment I see the carp’s left side for the first time. Big shoulders tell me this is a very decent fish. The fight is cracking but the Razor X is standing tall ... these are very powerful fish. Not much later the net goes in and there she is! It happens to be my birthday that day and I am over the moon. We congratulate each other and we return to Mattie with big smiles on our faces.

We call mission control to tell them that we have another carp in. As soon as you let them know that there is a fish in, you can bring out the rod again.

The fish weighs 16.7 kg and the media team is shooting pictures and videos. It took about half an hour for the media team to come out here so there where 30 minutes of rest for the carp to recuperate.

With a bottle of champagne we are celebrating my birthday. This day could not be better, I thought.

Several hours later, another take and this time it is Mattie’s turn. Again, on a rod that is far out. The fish is going wild and the Penn Affinity spool is going like crazy.

In no time Mattie and I are in the boat and again enjoying another spectacle. The waves are already higher than last time, a storm is coming, and we can already see the changes on the horizon.

Nevertheless, after 25 minutes, another cracking common is in the net. We hug each other and shout

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

out loud. What a great day it has turned out to be.

Within the hour the waves are getting higher.

Hans and Dorien are in the village to charge batteries and place an update on the website.

Mattie and I are tightening up things because of the incoming storm. At the end of the afternoon the storm reaches its peak and we decide to separate so that we can take measures to secure the bivvies and other things.

Lots of lightning and thunder keep us alert.

Everywhere you look you see bolts of lightning – it is a serious storm. We agree not to pick up a rod during this storm should it go. But adrenaline does weird things with a person. Not much later there is a loud sound produced by de DSI ... a take!

Without thinking, and before Mattie can say a word, I am already in the boat with the rod in my hands. Mattie is pointing out that it’s not smart to venture out in this weather, but, stubborn as I am, I summon Mattie to push me out. It takes a while for me to get further out from the bank - and the waves are now between 80cm and 100cm high. It takes lots of effort to conquer the first five big waves, but giving up is not an option – the fish has to be ours.

When I am out about 250m the waves are so high that at times I can’t see our camp any more. That was a moment for reflection. I realize I have to be careful or this will be my last fight with a carp ever. I put on the pressure – the fish is still 9m below the boat, but slowly I am winning the fight.

Then there is disaster. A big knot in the line surfaces – so big I can’t get it through the eyes of the rod. I wind the line several times around my foot and cut the line at the knot. Removing the knot and knotting it together again, bouncing on waves over 100cm. I don’t know how I managed this, but I did.

After that, it didn’t take long to get the fish in the net – and take stock of where I am. and see where I am.

When I see how far I am adrift, and how much water is in the boat, I get a little scared. I lose as much water as I can and head back. This is not good, trying to find my way back to camp. When I finally arrive back I see the worry in the eyes of Mattie… when Hans and Dorien arrive back from the village we all agree to wait until the weather improves before we go out there again.

For me, this was a turning point in the competition, as I notice that this fish is bringing us into the top 10 of the leaders’ table. That is a great achievement.

In the following days we get a take every 3/6 hours.

Slowly but steadily we are climbing up the table. These are nervous hours until the end of the competition when we are in second place. I did not sleep much over the last few days and this isn’t helping. The atmosphere is electric - everybody is feeling that this could be the moment.

Looking at the third and fourth places we believe we have a decent advantage and, with 7kg separating us from the No. 1 spot, everything is possible. The last night has arrived and I have to get some sleep – the rods have to do the job, it is out of our hands now. Hans is taking night shift and Dorien and I will try to have a little shut-eye. But, just as I am about to fall asleep, Hans is jumping up – a take! I rush out and like a well-oiled machine we do our thing and, not much later, the fish is ours. We realize that this could be the fish of the competition. All the years of experience has brought this fish in. When we get back Dorien and Mattie are already waiting for us.

The fish is going over 13kg, and we are delighted. At that moment the leader position is ours – but there are still five hours of fishing to go, and much can happen in that time.

In the morning we see the whole circus of media coming towards us! One hour to go, and the cameras are on us – we are praying behind the rods. It seems, however, that our Polish rivals have caught some more fish, which puts us back to second place.

Minutes go by – and then the final verdict.

We are second in the Competition. What a great achievement! We congratulate each other and it’s hard to believe that we are second on the leaders’

board, having played the game out until the last minute. It was a week where three anglers became one team – for this was a real team achievement.

The team was supported, of course, by our team runner, Dorien. Every time we needed her help, she was there. Truly, it had been a tremendous team result, with, of course, the great help of the Carp Only baits. Scqream did the job.

The wish to fish the WCC, the hope of catching a Bolsena carp and the dream of a podium spot – this is the ambition of every carp fisherman.

It is truly a life-changing exprerience. With or without catching carp it is a competition that every carp angler should experience: friendships, compassion, passion, helping one another, and great team spirit – that indeed, is what the WCC is all about.

It has completed me as an angler, and I wish everyone the same. Till next time, Game-on! n FERRY VERHOFSTAD

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ROAD TO THE CLASSIC FERRY VERHOFSTAD

In the morning we see the whole circus of media coming towards us! One hour to go, and the cameras are on us – we are praying behind the rods

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

AUSTRIA Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-004

Markus Rosenberger Thomas Hirschbauer Dynamite/CarpSpirit

WCC16-022

Markus de Buigne Baitservice Austria

Andreas Papesch

Stefan Strasser

WCC16-033

Michael Loser

Michael Moche

Peter Weingartshofer

WCC16-035

Andreas Matzel Aquatic-Baits Rudolf Schuller Hannes Schawarz Tarco Chemicals

Alexander Harnisch

WCC16-041 WCC16-055 WCC16-074 WCC16-097 WCC16-111 WCC16-112

WCC 2016 DENMARK

Sascha Eder Gernot Walcher

Heinz Sima Harald Schaschl

Viktor Lehrner Carpspot.de

Andreas Gumilar

Isabella Gumilar

Kurt Flieger Marcel Karlinger Sasa Mladenovic

Andreas Slama Markus Fink Kevin Hofer

BELGIUM WCC16-024 WCC16-040 WCC16-098

Captain Kenneth De Win Charles Deconinck David Helguers Prologic

Vice Captain Thierry Podevijn Pascal Trehoux Alain Ligot

3rd Angler Tony De Win

WCC16-099 WCC16-100

Vincent Ferrari Joel Wauthia

Damien Delcord Frederic Laroche

Jacques Yancis Jean Paul Delbecq

Rachid Kriffif

Captain

Jesper Lorentsen

WCC16-029

Dennis Sorensen

WCC16-047

WCC16-102H Simeon Fotev

Vice Captain 3rd Angler Krasimira Zhelyazkova Jivko Cankov

Petar Bakardjiev

CZECH REPUBLIC Captain WCC16-003

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Vice Captain

3rd Angler

Radek Bis Vaclav Pohn Dynamite/Normark CZ

WCC16-005H Filip Benes Real Carp Team WCC16-011 Tomas Pecka WCC16-017 David Luzny Mivardi WCC16-037 Petr Moc WCC16-049 Tomas Slavik WCC16-050 WCC16-053 WCC16-059 WCC16-060 WCC16-061 WCC16-062 WCC16-066 WCC16-067 WCC16-068 WCC16-069 WCC16-070 WCC16-071 WCC16-072

Jiri Vetr Ludek Cerny Tomas Kral Karel Nikl Frantisek Slingr Michal Kucera Pavel Jech Miroslav Espandr Tomas Vanek Tomas Blazek Michal Kucera ml Roman Zrust Lubomir Zabcik Kapr Kapri Svet

WCC16-076 WCC16-082 WCC16-083 WCC16-084 WCC16-092 WCC16-101 WCC16-103

Radek Svec Teodor Lejsek Tomas Sprta Jiri Pacovsky Marek Slezak Michal Pavelka Vaclav Freylich Mivardi

WCC16-114 WCC16-115

Bjarne Remmer

3rd Angler

Benny Genz

ENGLAND WCC16-013 WCC16-026 WCC16-029 WCC16-034 WCC16-036H WCC16-038 WCC16-039 WCC16-077 WCC16-088H WCC16-094 WCC16-096 WCC16-107 WCC16-109

BULGARIA Captain Pencho Zlatev

Vice Captain

WCC16-095H Tamas Zsombor Debreczi

Captain Jonathan Budd Paul Sharman Tony Reynolds Stephen Payton Tim Swain Gary Peet Bryan Houghton Dan Moorcroft Rob Tough Keith Turner Tim Paisley John Lilley Martin Locke

Vice Captain 3rd Angler James Pither Paul Butler Dan Faulkner Gary Cable Andy Swain Francis Pavey Keith Standley Terry Houghton Colin Gray Thomas Duncan Dunlop Paul Johnson Lee Jackson Marcin Mizera Martin Neale

FRANCE WCC16-007

Captain Pascal Kowalik CarpSpirit/Dynamite

Vice Captain Cyrille Martin

WCC16-021 WCC16-078 WCC16-091

Chris Thompson Christophe Trap Sylvain Schumacher

Alan Paternoster Estelle Iffrig Philippe Hermal

3rd Angler

GERMANY

Vaclav Cerny

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-020H Markus Bernhard

Timo

Silvana Lilkendey

Josef Vokurka

WCC16-032

Jochen Petsch

Ludmila Balazova Petr Korbicka

Michal Balaz

WCC16-042

Pia Petsch Carpspot.de Bernd Hahne cockbaits

Pavel Vohralik Milan Dufek Jakub Kumsta

Patrick Franz New Direction Tackle Thomas Muller Knut Hoffmann Philipp Muller Carpspot.de

Daniel Maly

Miroslav Kumprecht Rostislav Klicenec Jan Dadak Jan Rott Pavel Tulinsky Jaromir Paciska Richard Toth Radek Horak Zuzana Sucha Krystof Kucera Jiri Caladi Richard Jezik

Martin Hazucha Tomas Kablasek

Captain

WCC16-056

Peter Hofierka Ondre Paciska Josef Forgac

WCC16-065 WCC16-075 WCC16-085

WCC16-018 Sandos Filep WCC16-019 Zoltan Beri WCC16-079H Danyl Peter

Milan Svec

Ales Nimrichter Petr Novotny Frantisek Komon Josef Pavelka Alois Fiala

Marek Kobylka Jiri Hanousek Tomas Petrzelka Dalibor Man Karel Skalicky

Robert Rizman

Josef Fasko

Michal Jel nek

Martin Hrdy

Karel Nikl Jr

Helmut Franz Bar

Stephen Freeland Stefan Richter Florian Hennhofer Carpspot.de Hungary Robert Farago Riggo Attilla Ledor Gabor

Makay Laszlo Kerpel Laszlo Dorovics Laszlo

ITALY

Michal Vesely

Petr Kuchar

Wolfgang Bense

WCC16-009 WCC16-023 WCC16-105

Captain Antonio Damiani Giorgio Rigucci Riccardo Battisti

Vice Captain 3rd Angler Lorenzo Rapacchietta Daniele Colapicchioni

LUXEMBOURG Captain WCC16-090

Vice Captain

Ron vd Bergh Ed Skillz Lowrance/Carp Crossing

3rd Angler

PARTICIPANTS LIST NETHERLANDS

POLAND

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-001

Hans Sissingh Carp Connections

Mattie Curfs

Hans Kuijten

WCC16-006

Frank Wijnands Shimano

Dominik van den Eijkhof

WCC16-012H

Lars Bood

Peter Hillebrand

WCC16-015 WCC16-025

Olaf Simons Jeroen Hoving

Brian Raats Raymond Dekkers

WCC16-027H

Martin Hertogs My Products

Frank Hertogs

Marco Smits

WCC16-028H WCC16-043 WCC16-051 WCC16-052 WCC16-054H WCC16-057 WCC16-063 WCC16-064 WCC16-080 WCC16-081 WCC16-093H

Gerrit Gooijert Marcel Ulje Co Schijf James Brouns Richard Van Leeuwen Jeroen Van den brink Harry Baartscheer Leo Overmarsi Bianca Venema Maikel Moonen Maarten Gommers Carp Connections Michiel Pilaar KWO

Peter Vissers Carlo Carpels Edwin Wouters Maurice Opgenoorth Dennis Nijland Bert Elzenaar Janus van de Ven Jaap Bakker Lizette Beunders Patrick Kroeze Daan Uijen

Melissa Smit Raymond Wiering Ben Kok Richard Engelkes Sander van Triet

Remy van Os

Wouter Post

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Rowan Bood

Berry Wingelaar Bram van Glabbeek

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC16-010 WCC16-030 WCC16-031 WCC16-044H WCC16-045H WCC16-046H WCC16-058 WCC16-073 WCC16-086 WCC16-087

Rafal Laskarzewski Gabriel Starzec Jacek Wojciuch Andrzej Grygorowicz Pawel Krzemianowski Mariusz Niedzwiecki Bartlomiej Zajac Dariusz Kulczycki Leszek Ataman Marek Hallas

Lukasz Maciejewski Tomasz Wasniowski Wojciech Janoszek Lukasz Walotek Artur Strauss Mariusz Kwiatkowski Stanislaw Marszalek Andrzej Krawczyk Lech Luczkowski Tomasz Marut

WCC16-089

Przemek Mroczek Karpmax Andrzej Walczak

Zibi Hukalowicz

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3rd Angler Sebastian Kepowicz Piotr Bursa Lukasz Pinocy Arkadiusz Cichos Robert Szmid Tomasz Rakowski Dariusz Kotlarek Leszek Baran

Krzysztof Charmuszko Dariusz Cios

RUSSIA Captain WCC16-108H Dmitry Donnik Karpela Con’t

Randy van de Haterd

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

Igor Nesterenko

Klykov Maxim

Vice Captain Carlo Gras

3rd Angler

Vice Captain Denis Zizek

3rd Angler

SLOVAKIA WCC16-002

Captain Carlo Lences

SLOVENIA WCC16-048

Captain Samo Krenker

SPAIN Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

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Frank Granados CarpSpirit/Dynamite

Angel Bonal

Andy McGregor

WCC16-014

Francisco Escobar Escobar

Roberto Royan Ruiz

UKRAINE Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-016

Vadim Korunskij Karpela Con’t

Krupa Nikita

Dmytrenko Kostiantyn

WCC16-110

Vitalii Lushchenko Normark Ukraine

Ivanov Ruslan

Viacheslav Poltavchenko

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM Common practise ... a typical 24kg Palava Carp at 113cm long (above) and me with my amazing 24.2kg carp last Spring 2015 (far right)

HIDDEN DEPTHS I began carpfishing when I was twelve years old and I started with areas close to my home – on the River Labe and some smaller lakes that can produce fish up to 19kg.

Having fished Palava’s lakes since the age of 12, TOMAS BLAZEK is no stranger to these waters and what lies beneath. He believes this year’s WCC visitors are in for BIG surprises!

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After getting my driving licence when I turned 18, I started my trips to Palava Lakes, where, at that time, those carp“Big Ones” already existed.

This water soon became my favourite and I’m proud that we have such a good lake in the Czech Republic.

At that time there were already fish above the magic 20kg! This was a big challenge for me, so I used to spend all my free time there – those were magic moments with great fish that I will never forget!

To explain - the Palava Lakes consist of three reservoirs on the River Dyje. These are the Dyje 5, Dyje 6 and Dyje 7. ● Dyje 5: is the biggest one of 1500ha. First impressions are not great, because of the concrete dam all around. There are waters 2-5 metre deep, with a deepest area of 10m. There used to be lots of obstacles on the bottom but now it is almost clear. In 2003 a mirror of 26,5kg and a common at 23kg were caught here, and in the Spring of 2015, a common 28,2kg was followed by a mirror 27kg in the Autumn – and all my 28kg fish were caught here. Indeed, plenty of fish over 20kg are caught in Dyje 5. ● Dyje 6: is connected to Dyje 5 and carp can migrate from one to the other. In the spring, before spawning, they migrate to the much shallower Dyje 6, where the conditions for spawning are much better.

Then they return to Dyje 5, where they stay until the next spring.

Dyje 6 has 1000ha. It is a protected area and

fishing is allowed from one side only, and a special licence has to be bought to fish this lake, because of the old private organization that handles this water. A problem here is that they also extract fish with the recovery of aggregate.

The biggest carp I know of from this lake is 26,5kg. Again, there are many obstacles in this water and it’s not easy to get the fish on a mat.

● Dyje 7: has around 700ha. There is a big aquapark and camp here and it’s the most popular area for entertainment. Once there were many trees and reeds around the shore, but, nowadays, there is a lot of private land and recreational houses where you are not allowed to fish. Fishermen did systematically fish these waters, giving them not enough time to grow. In 2015 a big common of 29kg was caught here and moved to the private lake.

As time passed, I stopped fishing this water and have since moved to big lakes in Italy and France. Unfortunately, at that time, many of the private lakes were being created in the Czech Republic and hundreds of carp were taken from the Palava Lakes. Sadly, this is still happening. The other problem here is that in the Czech Republic carp is a traditional food and so many of the big carps are killed.

The maximum size that you could catch a fish had not been determined until now. The rules here make the fishing even more difficult. There’s no 24-hour fishing, casting only, no buoys, only two rods and on most areas no bivvy at all. Funny thing is, that despite all these bans, you can still fish from a boat and so most anglers use that method.

In 2012 a friend of mine invited me for four days of fishing from his boat. We caught about 40 carp, all after spawn. By the end of the trip, a

The rules here make the fishing even more difficult.

There’s no 24 hour fishing, casting only, no buoys, only two rods and on most areas no bivvy at all.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

HIDDEN DEPTHS TOMAS BLAZEK

Young guns .. A young 23.5kg in great condition, if not killed or stolen could surprise us soon with a super wieght! (above) And a very promising 20kg specimen caught in Spring 2016 (left)

The rules here make the fishing even more difficult.

There’s no 24 hour fishing, casting only, no buoys, only two rods and on most areas no bivvy at all 44

beautiful 21,2kg mirror lay on my mat. At that time I started to think about the idea of making my own “carpboat” so that I could start fishing on the Palava Lakes again.

In 2015, in my own boat, I fished there for the first time. On this trip my mate and I managed to catch a huge number of fish over three days! The biggest were carp of 17 and 18kg. We were both amazed that so many promising fish were still here – so we planned more expeditions. We concentrated on the autumn, where the fishing conditions would be best.

In September, we returned for a six- day trip and I managed to catch an unbelievable carp of 113cm and 28kg! It was an amazing fish, and not even caught during best conditions, so it was clear to me that at the right time it would be possible to hit the magic 30kg! This also proved to me that those “giant” carp do still swim here. Every day we get at least three fish over 17kg – our second biggest fish was a young common of 20,4kg. - although we have lost some of those really big ones...

Our next four-day session was planned for October. We got a mirror of 22,8kg and few between 17-20kg. We wanted to stay a bit longer, but the windy conditions destroyed our plans. That’s the big downside when fishing from a boat.

We knew that we needed to be ready for the spring of 2016 and prepared for this well. We also knew we needed to “hit” the right time, before spawning, and found some spots where the fish should be concentrating before spawning. We planned to make three three-day trips fishing from shore and casting up to 100m only. In those three trips we had unbelievable success! We got so many takes and so many carp that we couldn’t even count them. All we know is that we managed to catch more than 50 carp between 17-20kg and other 20 fish over 20kg, with the biggest one 24kg!

During my long carp career I’ve visited so many big lakes around Europe, but I’ve never seen such a big concentration of big carp as there is on Palava Lakes. Elsewhere, they put in new fish once every few years, but we do it every year. And even when so many fish from the Palava Lakes have ended up in a private lake or on a table, there are still plenty left - and more than in the whole of Europe.

In my opinion, hidden within the depths of the Palava Lakes, there are actually fish that could easily hit 35kg! I am confident, therefore, that everyone participating in this year’s World Carp Classic event should have a lot to look forward to. They won’t be disappointed.

The WCC competition is taking place at the perfect time, when fish start to feed, so we’ll see how all the anglers handle it.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all and wish you a lucky draw ... I think this will prove to be a very interesting tournament! n TOMAS BLAZEK

PROUD MEDIA PARTNERS OF THE WORLD CARP CLASSIC

MARSHALS

YOUR NEW HEAD

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 46

‘‘

JEM COCKER & DANNY COOCH

New marshals in town .. Danny and Jem discuss all things WCC with founder Ross Honey

So the world cup classic rolls into a new country, a new lake and with two new Head Marshals. Having worked along-side Andy Chambers as section Marshals and with Andy having such much earned rest, we were delighted to accept Ross’s offer to take over as Head Marshals.

Many of you know us already having seen us driving around Bolsena and Madine always ready with a smile and a wave as we go past. The WCC is something that we have both come to look forward to each year, meeting new friends and catching up with old friends, mostly chatting about that one thing we all love, fishing. We’ve both been lucky enough to have fished all over the world in some truly stunning locations and both have a real passion for angling.

We are starting to build a good team of Marshals who return each year and these guys are there for you throughout the competition to weigh the fish and to assist you with anything that they can. These guys also play a big part in the setting up of the event and have given up their time away from family and loved ones, as well as having a love of carp fishing so therefore, need to be treated with some respect. Anybody shouting or acting in an abusive way to a Marshal will get an instant yellow card. Abusive behaviour towards a fellow competitor is something else that shall not be tolerated. Any dispute should be reported to the marshals. If you are seen acting in an aggressive or abusive manner towards another competitor, you shall receive an instant yellow card. The WCC is not only the biggest and best carp fishing competition in the world but has a friendly unique family feel to it and with our fair play attitude we hope to continue in this manner.

We’ve gone from the stunning Lake Bolsena with its spectacular hard fighting common carp, then on to the majestic Lac de Madine with its stunning mirror carp and its thick weed to the awesome Lake Novomlyska. A lake not for the faint hearted.

The underwater snags and structure is covered in mussels and the inevitable line cut is maybe to be expected. Add to this that most anglers will be fishing on the concrete steps of the dam wall, doesn’t make for too much comfort. I even heard the lake described by one of our test anglers, as “brutal.”

But this is the World Carp Classic and isn’t supposed to be easy. Something else will have to take into consideration as Head Marshals shall be the wind and waves. When we were checking out the lake and facilities back in May, the wind was strong enough and the waves big enough to call a boat ban. The safety of the anglers is something we take very seriously. Also take care getting in and out of the boats on the dam wall as the steps can get very slippery.

On the subject of your safety, we must once again stress that zipped up or fastened life jackets must be worn at all times when on the water. We have given out more yellow cards to people, for not wearing life jackets

than any other offence and it’s so easily avoidable.

Don’t be one of them – wear a life jacket!

Over the years we have had to deal with all kinds of issues that seem to occur during the competition. This ranges from the usual border disputes, anglers going beyond their distant markers, to competitors actually buying live carp and trying to pass them off as caught fish. The WCC stands for fair play and anyone caught cheating will be dealt with in the appropriate way, by either a yellow card, a twenty four hour fishing ban or a red card and consequently banned from any future event...you have been warned! The marshals shall once again be equipped with range finders and night vision to help with keeping the competition fair for everyone.

Now this might be the first time that the WCC has been held in the Czech Republic, but we have held the World Carp Classic Junior competition at the amazing Lake Katlov for the last two years and what a fantastic event this year’s competition was. From the opening ceremony through the streets of the beautiful city of Kutna Hora and the ore inspiring Cathedral of Saint Barbara to the competition itself, is something we’ll remember for a long time. Our only wish was to see each competitor catch a fish and it seemed the carp gods were smiling on Katlov that day as carp started coming out from all over the lake. The Marshals were kept very busy to say the least with a good average size of about 11-12kg. The biggest fish of the competition was a fantastic common carp at 16.8kg caught by the Dutch team.

Many of the youngsters broke their PB’s and some of the angling skills and sportsmanship shown by the kids was to be admired and applauded. A big thank you

The facilities at bivvy city are amazing this year with the bars, restaurants and activities all in place to guarantee everyone can enjoy and celebrate the build up to the opening ceremony, the all-important peg draw and the sound of the starting horns and rockets on Monday.

When arriving at your peg of Monday morning and after unpacking your equipment, please have your boat ready for inspection with all necessary equipment on show so that your Marshal can give you your boat pass. Failure to complete the check will mean you cannot use the boat until all safety equipment is in place. Also take time to go and talk to the anglers each side of your peg and agree where is halfway. This is the easiest way to ensure that where you bait up and drop your rigs are well inside the boundary of your allocated water. Distance markers will again be in place, but these markers are purely to show the allocated distance and not as halfway markers. Please be sure to fish inside your allocated water. There is no excuse for going beyond the distance or into your neighbour’s swim.

Lake Novomlyska has some truly stunning big carp and as usual fish care is something we think is very important.

When the fish is out of the water, please be sure to have wet unhooking mats, plenty of water to keep the

fish wet and keep the time that the fish is out of the water to a minimum. If you have a fish in a retaining sack whilst waiting for the Marshal or media, please be sure that the fish is retained in deep enough water and is not in any way stressed. After giving your fish a quick kiss, release it and watch it swim away, fit, strong and healthy, already to fight again another day, is something we must all strive for.

Another thing that seems to happen every year is litter. Sometimes a week’s’ worth of rubbish being left in a swim for someone else to clean up. This is not acceptable and will earn you a red card and the disqualification of all caught fish. Please leave the environment as you found it. Remember, true carp anglers leave only footprints.

Every team has been given a set of rules and must fully read and understand them before the competition starts. By abiding by the rules, we can all get down to competition fishing at its very best and find out who will be crowned as the world carp classic champions 2016.

As a very well respected angler said to me earlier this year, once you’ve become the champion, you’ll forever be a champion. So in short, please respect the rules, respect each other, respect the fish and respect the environment. Enjoy the competition and the very best of luck to you all. n JEM COCKER & DANNY COOCH

‘‘

to Jakub Vagner and his team for being so welcoming and helpful in the setting up of the competition and for staging such brilliant before and after parties. Also a big thank you to all the local Czech people, who turned out in their thousands to see what was going on.

Congratulations to the Dutch boys who are the overall winners.

After giving your fish a quick kiss, release it and watch it swim away .. fit, strong and healthy and ready to fight again another day. This is something we must all strive for

JEM COCKER & DANNY COOCH RESPECTING LAKE NOVOMLYNSKA

If you cannot sort out the boundary of your swim with your neighbour and I have to be involved in a dispute, then I will cut down the amount of water you are able to fish considerably

PLAYING

BY THE RULES

As with any major competition, there has to be rules .. and along with a new venue come new rules. Lake Novomlynska is a large and sometimes unpredictable lake so boat safety is paramount, but it’s also a beautifully well-kept lake so it is vital that as competitiors we leave it as we found it. This is a subject very close to my heart so you have been warned! n The Rules The most important one of all is that you read and understand all the rules before you start competing; the set of rules provided to each team is comprehensive and covers everything you need to know. If you break one of the rules and try to come up with the excuse that you hadn’t read or understood the rule, that will not be acceptable. READ THE RULES! Don’t jeopardise your place and earn an early exit by disqualification.

The wrath of Ross .. ‘them’s the rules, so read them!’

n Boats Lake Novomlynska is big and even an average wind can create very choppy water. Your boat needs to be up to the job and it needs to have all the safety equipment that is required. We have been having boat checks for long enough now that you should all know you need to have proper lifejackets, horns, bailer, anchor and anchor rope plus, of course, oars to row the boat should the battery run out for the electric outboard. So make sure you have a boat to do the job – the guys at the boat check this year will n Distance be much stricter.

One of the most important rules for the n Boat Checks competitors is the distance allowed for To ensure that all of the boats/security competitors to fish and this has been raised this year from 250m to 300m. There will be Black Cat equipment to be used during the competition yellow and black distance markers on every swim has been checked and approved by the event organiser and local authorities, all competitors placed just beyond 300m. I will be very strict on anyone who thinks they can go beyond this limit. must arrange to have their boat ready to be checked at their swim on Monday morning.

I have rangefinders and night vision for myself Once checked and approved, competitors will and my team of marshals so be aware.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

receive a boat pass that will be securely attached to the boat by the Marshal. Only then will the competitors receive the Official Catch List Form and Security Tag. n Boat Safety Safety whilst out on the water is a major aspect in the rules and lifejackets are an absolute must, not just occasionally but every single time you go out on the water. More yellow cards are given to competitors for not wearing a life jacket than any other broken rule. It really is quite simple - be prepared; given how quickly conditions can change on the lake there will be no warnings so this year, the first time you go out without a lifejacket, you’ll get a yellow card. If you do it again then it is disqualification. n Boat Propulsion The only means of propulsion for your boat is either by rowing or using an electric outboard.

You should ensure that you have enough battery power to last you the competition plus a means to recharge batteries. We are not able to provide charging facilities for you. Some competitors have no idea how long a leisure battery actually lasts when going out into the wind to place baits, I have said this before, rowing will save the life of your battery considerably, leaving you enough power to use them when they are really needed – when playing and landing of fish. Not making proper use of your batteries and running out when the carp go on a feeding spree could cost you dearly and even lose you the chance of becoming the champion. n Boat Time Something else that always seems to crop up each year and I do not know why… This is the allowed time when competitors can go out on the water. It is quite simple; when the hooter goes for the start of the competition! There is no period when you can go out on the water to try your echo sounder or to put markers out prior to the start of the event, so stay off the water until it’s time.

n Peg Markers Your peg marker indicates the spot where you must place your rods, and it’s up to you to have them no more than 3 metres to the left, right, front or back of the peg. Any further than that and you will be asked to move them. There may be an exceptional reason why this is not possible and in that case you must get the okay from the Marshal who is looking after your peg. n Markers Competitors may use up to six permanent markers in their swim and no more, these must be removed at the end of competition. The markers must be placed within the confines of your swim; Some competitors try to extend the boundaries of their swim as much as possible into the water of other pegs.

If you cannot sort out the boundary of your swim with your neighbour and I have to be involved in a dispute, then I will cut down the amount of water you are able to fish considerably.

So it’s simple, sort it out, as you really do not want me to come and do it for you. There will also be competition markers out in the lake marking the maximum range you are able to fish. If you remove any of these markers you will be disqualified immediately – you have been warned.

n Carp Care Make sure you are prepared, with enough retaining slings and sacks to manage any situation.

Any carp caught must be notified to your local marshal as soon as it is landed so that the fish can be weighed, recorded, photographed and returned to the lake

n Weighing The minimum weight of the fish that may be recorded for the competition has been raised this year to 4kg as there are many small carp in the lake and not all of these are of the strain cyprinus carpio so this new minimum weight will eliminate the problem of another species being mistakenly recorded. n Rods Competitors may only have four baited rods in the water at any one time and two reserve rods, but these must be broken down. Each rig used by the competitor must only have one hook. All hooks must be micro barbed or barbed, which is generally the case these days with hooks from the major brands. n Respecting Lake Novomlynska Lake Novomlynska is a beautifully well-kept and clean lake and we want to keep it that way. It’s disgusting the way some competitors think they can leave their swim after the competition and if I had my way every single one of them would be banned for life.

There is no excuse for this – remove your rubbish and put it in the rubbish bins or the designated rubbish areas which will be signposted. If you’re still not sure, ask your Marshal.

as quickly as possible. It goes without saying that the safety of the carp is of the highest importance and proper unhooking mats must be used, the fish wetted if necessary and not kept out of the water for photographs/ filming etc. any longer than is necessary.

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

REUBEN HEATON TOTAL WEIGHING SOLUTION

WE’ VE COME A LONG WEIGH

We’ve been weighing in at the World Carp Classic now for seventeen years making this event the longest standing event that the company has supported in modern times.

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This coming September will see the redoubtable “Reubens” aired again for the eighteenth year running of this prestigious event at the mighty lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic, which due to its size continues the reputation of the World Carp Classic for very daunting venues indeed.

This event has come a long way from its origins on Lac du Madine, picking up momentum like the proverbial snowball rolling down the slope, growing in size and stature. There have been many logistical challenges along the way for which solutions have had to be found, and many of the processes developed by the WCC and associated sponsors are now seen as standard in world class angling events around the globe and have been adopted by many.

I am proud to have contributed to that development with Reuben Heaton brand. As a consequence of our involvement in the WCC we have developed new ideas for products and weighing processes as well as working with other manufacturer on interesting projects along the way. The Reuben Heaton brand has been synonymous with high quality weigh scales, weighing accessories and fishing tackle for almost 160 years. The company has been supplying performance weighing equipment to angling competitions worldwide for almost ninety years and we are proud once more to be sponsors of the World Carp Classic.

As we push towards the WCC XVIII, the company continues to develop specialised weighing and measuring products under its Total Weighing Solutions (TWS) project banner. TWS was formed in late 2014 as an umbrella for the many development projects currently being undertaken by the company.

Under the TWS banner, Reuben Heaton now designs and develops products not only for its own brands but also for OEM customers looking for specialised

many of the processes developed by the WCC and associated sponsors are now seen as standard in world class angling events weighing and measuring products. It is only by constant development and refining of products that Reuben Heaton is able to meet with the changing needs of modern day anglers, enabling it to continue setting the benchmarks by which others are judged.

Reuben Heaton celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2017 and is already developing new products due for launch in that year including limited edition scales and angling products.

One of the many challenges to be faced in 2017 will be the WCC17 Supercup with a greatly increased number of competitors presenting some unique challenges as the WCC pushes boundaries again in the pursuit of the ultimate carp fishing event. We will be there to meet the challenge will you? n ANDY RACE

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SHIMANO TRIBAL CHOICES

The XS1 Intensity ... this brute of a rod will suit all the anglers looking for a rod to get you to areas other rods simply dream of hitting

With so many Reels and Rods to choose from nowadays I honestly can’t blame the average angler from getting a little confused with what choice to go for!

Today I’m off for a day session on a local Free Park water using 3 different rods, and 3 different big pit reels all at the same time. The purpose is to see if the price tags warrant the products and to hopefully put a fish on the bank in the process.

Let’s hope none of my friends see me or they will think I’ve gone a little crazy :)

ROD 1: SHIMANO ALIVIO DX The Shimano Alivio DX 13ft 3.5 Rod with the Shimano 14000 Speedcast reel this is cheapest combination of the 3 and is great value for money.

ROD 1: SHIMANO XS1 The Shimano XS1 13ft Intensity Rod with the new Shimano Ultegra XTD 14000 reel, this rod holds no bars and will put a lead into the horizon with ease and with the brand new XTD it’s at the midrange price bracket but with high end technology & performance.

ROD 1: SHIMANO TX9 The new Shimano TX9 12ft intensity with the Shimano Aero Technium MGS XTB 12000. Now this is the crem dela crem of the bunch and wouldn’t look out of place in the boot of a Bentley, or sat on the table in a posh bar!

Its late evening 6pm, I’m only down until dusk and I’ve chosen an area that commands the middle of the lake. A few fish have been caught from here recently so it’s always a good place to start. I would normally have a walk around to try and find the fish before any tackle is taken out of my van, but this evenings main purpose is about comparing the 3 set ups.

I’m only fishing singles (due to limited time) that consists of a pop up tied KD style with a 3oz round nose distance lead attached to a lead clip system.

TRIBAL LIFE Shimano’s Simon Bates field tests the Alivio DX, the Shimano XS1 and the Shimano TX9

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The XS1 just screams power!! With its matt finish and 50mm butt guide you just know by looking at it that it’s a work horse of a rod

Stylish, sexy, smooth, super slow oscillation, in fact all the ‘s’ words sum up the ‘’Black Mag’’ perfectly With my alarms in place and net set up its time to get the 1st rod out which is the Alivio DX 13ft3.5 with a Speedcast 14000. This combination looks and most defiantly feels like it should be treble its price tag!! I love the dark stealth appearance of this rod with its black Shimano Hardlite guides and DPS-type reel seat and black whippings throughout. The Speedcast does balance really well on this rod and it’s so hard to believe that the speedcast has a price tag so small when it has features like X-Ship gearing and a powerful retrieve of 4.3:1.

A cast of around 70-80 yards into open water is done with no effort at all. At a combined price of SSP £159 you could take this to any big water and not break the Bank yet still achieve the distances required on the larger pits.

2nd up is the XS1 13ft intensity and New Ultegra 14000 XTD. Looking at this combination

it’s hard to believe it’s not our top end set up! The XS1 just screams power!! With its matt finish and 50mm butt guide you just know by looking at it that it’s a work horse of a rod that has 1 purpose and that’s to pump distance! Paired up with the new XTD it does soften the appearance of this bruit of a rod as this reel is serious eye candy with its all black finish and new spool design it is perfectly matched to aid in casting with its super slow oscillation for perfect line lay and a parallel body to assist the angle of the line as it comes off the reel whilst casting. Again I put this set up out at around 70-80yrds. Straight away I can feel the power in this rod from the off and it casts 80yrds effortlessly with the XTD as the line almost falls off the reel as there’s minimum line overlay down to the super slow oscillation. Tbh I could talk about this XTD all evening without realising.

At a combined price of SSP £310 this set up ticks

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SHIMANO

TRIBAL CHOICES

Something for everyone’s taste, budget and angling needs in the Shimano portfolio

I was absolutely blown away by the performance of the Alivio/ Speedcast combination.

It looks & performs way above its low price tag.

all the boxes when you need a serious distance set up!

The 3rd set up is out & out carp lush and if my wife would allow me I would happily hang it on the dining room wall!!!! The Shimano TX9 12ft Intensity and The Shimano MGS XTB 12000 (aka Black Mag) Caution!

Don’t stare at these too long as they will put you into a trance and a state of hypnosis! Whilst I’m drooling over these I’m awoken from my trance by a drop back and a 1 toner on the Alivio and Speedcast!!! I carefully place the TX9 on the floor and get stuck into this fish on the end of the Alivio! One complete turn of the Speedcast spool cap and the fish is now being played. This is the first time I’ve had a 13ft Alivio out on the bank and to say I’m impressed with the playing action of this rod would be an understatement!

Everytime this fish turns, shakes its head I feel everything and with the rod arced on a full curve makes playing fish a dream. With the clutch slightly ticking away on the speedcast as the fish decides to power off it’s hard to believe that this rod and reels costs less than £160!! After a 10 minute battle I slip the net under an upper double mirror! It’s a result considering I’m not really trying. With a quick photo the Alivio is back out and back on the alarm.

With my hands cleaned in preparation to handle the crem dela crem of rod and reel TX9 & MGS I’m feeling overjoyed to have had a fish so quickly. Until I notice I’ve chucked my dirty wet stinky slimy landing

net on top of TX9 & Black Mag!!!!!! It’s worth noting my Shimano colleague Iain Macmillan (Mr OCD) would most defiantly go into a total meltdown at the sight of this and would consider therapy after :) But me being me, a quick wipe over is good enough and the rig is in the processes of being fuzzed out again. It goes out at around 70yrds. This Rod and Reel is so perfectly matched it’s almost as if they talk to each other! Casting is so effortless and as the line travels through the 40mm gun smoke SIC K Type guides it’s almost as if I can hear music and its only seconds before I’m back into a trance and oblivious to the fish slime on the Rod handle and reel.

Boy I love these Rods & Reels!!! I’ve played fish of all sizes on these in open water and under the tips on big waters to small estate lakes and take it from me there’s nothing else like it!!! The price tag of SSP £880 is totally justified and you do 100% get what you pay for with these. Pure Quality!!

Again there’s way too much to talk about with the Black Mags & TX9’s and I would happily waffle on about them for hours but the purpose of today is to see if each one warrants the price tag IMO. Well as for the 1st set up the 13ft Alivio and speedcast 14000xtb IMO this is seriously under-priced and is very good value for money.

2nd the 13ft XS1 Intensity and Ultegra XTD 14000.

This is a combination that will suit the a lot of anglers on big waters with its capabilities of putting leads and solid bags to the horizon and with the New XTD that’s on the wanted list of so many anglers this set up most defiantly warrants its price tag.

3rd is 12ft TX9 intensity and Aero Technium 12000 MGS XTB. All I will say is this! If you can afford it! Get them!

It doesn’t get any better.

It’s been a few hours and I had what I would consider a bonus fish and a real eye opener with the Alivio rod. It’s time to get packed up and get home and clean my TX9 & MGS and maybe talk to the wife about a new dinning room wall feature. n SIMON BATES

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SECTION SPONSORS WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2016

LOWRANCE

SECTION SPONSOR

KARPELA

PB PRODUCTS

Karpela Cont is the unique, innovative bait delivery system that offers anglers complete versatility in their choice of baits, whether it’s particles, maggots, method mixes or meal worms, Karpela Cont gets the bait to the fish: guaranteed. www.karpelacont.com

A brand that everyone knows and probably will experience with pleasureProducts which are of high quality, fit perfectly and a further function extremely well , thereby achieving better catches. www.pbproducts.nl

SECTION SPONSOR

SECTION SPONSOR

Lowrance has been a leader in marine electronics since it invented the first consumer sonar device in 1957 -- The Little Green Box. In the years since, Lowrance has never wavered from its purpose to push the envelope of innovative performance to help anglers find and catch more fish. www.lowrance.com

MIVARDI

CARP ‘R’ US

SECTION SPONSOR A highly innovative UK based company producing tackle founded and inspired by Ray Dale-Smith.

During the past few years, Carp r Us International has concentrated on a range of products specifically for large Continental Carp. www.carprus.eu

SECTION SPONSOR Mivardi is the biggest fishing tackle brand in the Czech Republic and an important brand right across central Europe. M-CARP products are built to last for uncompromising carp anglers, premium quality carp gear. Mivardi: as good as it gets. www.mivardi.cz

JOCHYM MARINE SECTION SPONSOR

Jochym Marine has developed a unique kind of boat to meet specific requeremets of fishermen. After a long journey, in the year 2016 we finally developed a product, which fully used the potential of a small vessel. It is an inflatable catamaran made of high quality materials with excellent transportability www.jochymmarine.com

Thank you for your support at the World Carp Classic 2016

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

2016 TEAM EVENT

MATTIE CURFS: CARP CONNECTIONS

TEAM CARP CONNECTIONS 1 Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-001 WCC16-093H

Hans Sissingh Maarten Gommers

Mattie Curfs Daan Uijen

Hans Kuijten Randy van de Haterd

TEAM CARP SPIRIT/DYNAMITE Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-007 WCC16-008

Pascal Kowalik Frank Granados

Cyrille Martin Angel Bonal

Andy McGregor

TEAM CARPSPOT Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-074 WCC16-032

Viktor Lehrner Pia Petsch

Andreas Gumilar Jochen Petsch

Isabella Gumilar

TEAM COBRI 1 Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-051 WCC16-052

Co Schijf James Brouns

Edwin Wouters Maurice Opgenoorth

Ben Kok Richard Engelkes

REAM COBRI 2 Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-063 WCC16-064

Harry Baartscheer Leo Overmarsi

Janus van de Ven Jaap Bakker

Berry Wingelaar Bram van Glabbeek

TEAM DYNAMITE/CARP SPIRIT Company

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC16-003 WCC16-004

Radek Bis Markus Rosenberger

Vaclav Pohn Thomas Hirschbauer

3rd Angler

TEAM JOCHYM MARINE Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-012H. WCC16-043

Lars Bood Marcel Ulje

Peter Hillebrand Carlo C arpels

Rowan Bood Raymond Wiering

TEAM KARPELA Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-016 WCC16-108H.

Vadim Korunskij Dmitry Donnik

Krupa Nikita Igor Nesterenko

Dmytrenko Kostiantyn Klykov Maxim

TEAM KARPMAX Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-010 WCC16-089

Rafal Laskarzewski Przemek Mroczek

Lukasz Maciejewski Zibi Hukalowicz

Leszek Baran

TEAM MIVARDI Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-017 WCC16-103

David Luzny Vaclav Freylich

Tomas Kablasek Alois Fiala

Josef Vokurka Karel Skalicky

TEAM MY PRODUCTS Company

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC16-090 WCC16-027H.

Ron vd Bergh Martin Hertogs

Ed Skillz Frank Hertogs

Marco Smits

3rd Angler

TEAM SHIMANO

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Company

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC16-005H. WCC16-006

Filip Benes Frank Wijnands

Vaclav Cerny Dominik van den Eijkhof

Team players. 2015 Team Event winners, Carp Connections

FISH AS A TEAM ..WIN AS A TEAM

The WCC 2016 Team Event adds an extra dimension and an exciting chance for pairs to win a trip to ďŹ shing Resort du Der

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM The World Carp Classic team competition is a side event within the main event itself, New for this year you can compete in the team event with only two couples instead of three couples.

With the big 3 fish rules, only the three biggest fish of your couple count, even if you catch more than 3 fish. If you’re participating in the team competition, the total combined weight of the three biggest fish of your first couple and the three biggest fish of your second couple count for the team competition.

If you can’t reach the top three in the overall event, or you are not in the team event, there are lots more prizes to aim for.

These include the biggest overall fish, one of the 6 section prizes and the sportsmanship award.

Also new for this is the Champion of Champions award – which is open to all former World Carp Classic champions who will be competing for the new trophy. The winner of this trophy will be the former champion that catches the biggest 3 fish during the event and will be based on an individual basis.

These fantastic rules mean you can still catch that fish you need in the last minutes to get your place on the stage.

But what if you finished first, second or third in the team competition? You as a team, will win an amazing prize – to go on a fishing holiday sponsored by Carp Connections at Fishing Resort du Der. This resort is divided into three different

lakes, ‘De La Haie’, ‘Le Chenet’ and ‘Des Fourches’ which are located in the north of France.

Fishing Resort du Der is known for its facilities, hot showers and clean toilets.

There are wooden cabins to fish from but also pegs where you can put your bivvy up.

The owner, Hans Sissingh, will deliver fresh baguettes and croissants every morning to your peg. The Resort is also known for the many big fish it holds.

Imagine sitting in front of a wooden cabin just enjoying the morning sun and the beautiful view, knowing every minute could be the minute you get one of these monsters in your net.

I’ve fished the three lakes now for five years and I really can’t tell how big a fish will be when I get a bite. Because these fish are so healthy and strong you never know what is on the end of the line.

The fish in the middle are the ‘grey’ and now one of the biggest fish Resort du Der holds. This fish was last caught at a weight of just over 70 lbs.

So, will you win the team competition and set a new record weight for this fish? If so you could be enjoying a holiday with big fish, great scenery and fresh baguettes!

Whether you’re competing in the competition, or just want to know more about Resort du Der, you can check out our website at www.carpconnections.com or the Carp Connections Facebook page. n MATTIE CURFS CARP CONECTIONS

Everything to play for .. Fishing Resort du Der offers stunning scenery, fantastic facilities and most importantly, big fish ... but if that’s not enough to impress, Hans himself will serve you fresh baguttes and croissants every morning

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MASTER OF THE WAVES

After four year’s of working closely with some of the world’s best anglers, JOCHYM MARINE were on a mission to launch a unique type of inflatable boat that was stable, safe and spacious ... introducing the Fishmaster 300 Series It all started back in 1995 when we as avid fishermen needed a small and high quality fishing boat.

Stable, safe, made of high quality materials, with enough free internal space and good sailing features.

Since the beginning of our mission, we had designed and tested various prototypes of boats in order to find the best one to fit the fishermen’s needs.

We have experience working with variety of materials such as laminate, wood, dinghy and their variations, providing service and maintenance to our customers. After a long journey, in the year 2016 we finally developed a product, which fully used the potential of a small vessel. It is an inflatable catamaran made of high quality materials with excellent transportability.

However, this is still not the end of our mission.

We are constantly developing, testing and innovating our products in order to bring our customers the best sailing experience possible.

Fishmaster 300 A unique kind of boat developed to meet specific requirements of fishermen.

The process and development of the boat took us four years in cooperation with some of the world’s best fishermen. Thanks to its special construction, Fishmaster 300 is highly stable on water, even in unfavorable weather conditions. The inside space of the boat is bigger than in most other inflatable boats of the same length.

Thanks to its lowered fuel and electric consumption, the friction of the boat on the water is reduced due to an air tunnel under the floor which also provides increased safety. The air tunnel prevents

air flow to getting under the boat which would lead to overturning.

All wooden parts are protected with hot sprayed layer of antiskid rubber which also protects them from humidity. The boat’s bigger tubes ensure higher bouyancy which makes the boat’s planing even easier.

And the back side of the tubes are curved down, creating more bouyancy on the back of the boat which offers a smoother ride, even with more load. PVC straps along whole length of the tubes protect them from damage and also allow the boat to get to a shore in hard to access places.

Dimensions:

n Length: 300cm n Width: 160cm n Inside space: 190 x 75cm n Max.outboard: 9.9hp n Max load: 330kg n Max person: 4

Fishmaster 350 XL This extra wide, six-man model has an incredible overall width of 210cm which creates and amazing amount of inside space and load capacity for it’s 350cm length – bigger than most inflatable boats of the same length.

Like the 300 version, the Fishmaster 350 XL is highly stable on water even in unfavourable weather conditions.

Lowered fuel, electric consumption and the friction of the boat on the water are all reduced thanks to the underfloor air tunnel providing increased safety. All wooden parts are protected from the elements and humidity by a hot sprayed layer of antiskid rubber and bigger tubes ensure higher bouyancy making planing even easier.

Dimensions:

n Length:350cm n Width: 210cm n Inside space: 230 x 110cm n Max.outboard: 20hp n Max load: 500 kg n Max person: 6

LOWRANCE THE TECHY BIT!

GoFree! Fishing app adds more fun to the sport The new fishing app developed by GoFree in conjunction with Lowrance is the latest way to challenge your friends and fishing skills for the Apple and Android mobile devices

GoFree provider digital content and services and part of the Navico family of marine electronics brands including Lowrance, Simrad and B&G launched the fishing app called HOOKED™ earlier this year and has already been downloaded by thousands of anglers.

The app is a mobile tracking solution for anglers, with the capability to record and share every fishing trip – whether from a boat or the shore. GoFree HOOKED automatically saves the time, location and navigation track of each outing. The app features a fast and simple “Catch” functionality to quickly log fish-catch details like photos, size, weight, species and other information. After anglers log a catch, they can quickly inform friends or family by sharing these details via text or social media.

The app also merges GPS navigational data with catch details for a complete picture of every catch, providing a clear picture of catch patterns from the fishing trip.

All data is stored on secure GoFree cloud servers for easy access anywhere. This allows users the option to overlay personal catch details as waypoints on their own private layer of the Insight Genesis Social Map, where personal catch details are kept confidential from other GoFree users.

An industry first, the GoFree HOOKED app also delivers a powerful “Compete” feature, so anglers can create their own personal tournaments among friends. Competition guidelines are easy to set up, and are customisable by key tactics, like weight or length and quantity. A record of the competition is saved based on the date, location, tournament name and participants – allowing anglers to prove their skills within a defined group or “community.”

Leif Ottosson the CEO of Navico is really behind the idea of the GoFree HOOKED app as he is keen to explore how the digital aspect of everyday life can be brought in sports like fishing, saying “From the easy to use interface, to the fun competition feature that gives anglers the ability to challenge their friends or even challenge others around the world is brilliant, it opens up a new perspective to fishing.”

Adding, “You can decide whether to share your success or just keep it private, however you use the app, it’s a great tool to help keep a record of your catches and analyse the results to help improve your fishing.”

Over the coming year more GoFree apps will be released catering for all sorts of marine leisure and sporting activities and to obtain more information on the HOOKED app have a look the GoFree website: www.gofreemarine. com/apps/hooked.

A great tool to help keep a record of your catches and analyse the results to help improve your fishing

For Any Angler, Anywhere … our series of fishfinders, chartplotters and combos represent a radical approach to the basics. No gimmicks.

No shortcuts. Just reliable and perfectly suited to your lifestyle.

All at a price that’s honest and makes good sense No matter what kind of fishing you like, fishing technology to help get that elusive catch is more and more available to meet every budget.

Lowrance has been the leading brand in fishing electronics since 1957 and has a full range of products to suite every kind of angler. The release of its new premium Elite Ti standalone series of fishfinder/ chartplotters complements the smaller HOOK series launched earlier this year.

The Lowrance Elite-5 and Elite-7 Ti touchscreen fishfinder/chartplotters offer anglers high-performance at an incredible value. With an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, Bluetooth® and wireless connectivity, proven Lowrance navigation technology and high-performance sonar – including CHIRP sonar, StructureScan® HD and DownScan ImagingTM – the Elite Ti Series is a robust, feature-rich, yet compact solution – all at an affordable price.

The Lowrance Elite Ti is designed for anglers who want a complete view of the area beneath their boat. CHIRP Sonar offers improved fish-target separation and screen clarity, while the StructureScan® HD sonar imaging system with exclusive Lowrance DownScan Imaging™ delivers photolike images of fish-holding structure on both sides and directly beneath the boat.

Available in 5 or 7inch models, both Elite Ti fishfinder/chartplotter models feature a highly accurate, built-in GPS antenna that displays position on the standard basemap, With integrated wireless connectivity, Elite Ti models operate directly through the GoFree™ shop for downloads of mapping and software updates. The Elite Ti also works seamlessly with the Insight Genesis™ map-creation service, which allows users to make custom, highresolution contour maps from recorded sonar logs, with bottom-hardness and vegetation overlays, as well as Insight Genesis™ Social Map community chart sharing.

Bluetooth® and wireless connectivity also provide single or dual-control of PowerPole® installations, as well as access to the GoFree Controller App, which allows

Lowrance has been the leading brand in fishing electronics since 1957 and has a full range of products to suite every kind of angler

LOWRANCE

anglers to view and control the fishfinder/ chartplotter display from an iPad® or Android® tablet.

A user-friendly, LED-backlit, touchscreen displays provides fast, fingertip access to all navigation and fishfinding functions.

For example, with the Lowrance fish-and structure-marking TrackBack™ feature, anglers can review recorded history such as structure, transitions or fish targets, mark a waypoint on the sonar display, and then easily navigate to that location using the chartplotter view.

Hooked on classics ..

Lowrance’s HOOK series with the HOOK-3x and HOOK-3x DSI combine proven fishfinding technologies with features such as Broadband Sounder and Advanced Signal Processing™ (ASP) for excellent fish-target separation and superior noise rejection, the HOOK-3x DSI features DownScan Imaging.

There is also the HOOK 4, 5, 7 and 9inch screen sizes which feature CHIRP Sonar providing improved target identification at greater depths, a clearer display with less interference and enhanced target separation, angers can more easily distinguish baitfish from game fish.

DownScan Imaging™ available on most models to give anglers a clear, photo-like view of the fish-holding structure beneath the boat.

All HOOK models combine these cuttingedge fishfinding capabilities with a bright, daylight viewable, backlit colour LED display. Packed with Lowrance exclusives like Advanced Signal Processing (ASP) for excellent target separation and superior noise rejection, HOOK helps anglers more easily identify baitfish and gamefish targets.

Controlled with an easy-to-use interface, the convenient page selector menu allows quick access with one-thumb operation.

All HOOK fishfinder/chartplotter models features a highly accurate, builtin GPS antenna that displays position on a world reference basemap. HOOK is also compatible with the Insight Genesis™ map-creation service, which allows users to make custom, highresolution contour maps from recorded sonar logs, with bottom-hardness and vegetation overlays, as well as Insight Genesis™ Social Map community chart sharing.

Finally the HOOK 4 and 5inch models are also

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

HOOKED ON

available in Ice Machine™ versions and can be purchased as a combo unit or standalone-fishfinder. The Ice Machine bundles are packed with a custom, weighted, ice-fishing transducer and unique float system along with a weatherproof, soft-sided pack featuring easy-to-find, front- and rear-zipped access, an adjustable display platform for easy viewing and two StowAway® utility boxes.

You can see the Elite and Hook series by visiting www.lowrance.com .

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TAILS OF THE

UNEXPEC Jan Ulak’s first experience of the World Carp Classic didn’t quite go as he and his team had planned and it seemed the odds were against them from the onset – an unlucky peg draw, a swim teaming with coots and violent storms – yet in true Classic style he’ll be back!

Two years ago, the first plans for a possible participation by us in the WCC were forged.

In 2013, we could not do the event for reasons of time and so it was clear that we would take part in the WCC on Lake Bolsena in September, 2014.

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For us it was a strange feeling. We were looking forward to one side of it very much.

None of us had ever participated in such an event and therefore our anticipation was huge.

Nevertheless, we spoke of our concerns on the WCC because, for us, the competition idea meant fishing really very far away. It was hard for us to understand what it was like at such an event, but we wanted to form our own image. Because it’s not like with anything else in life, you can and may only judge something if you actually know what you are talking about. So, it was on us to gather in the information and plan it.

The weeks flew by and suddenly we were already in September with only 3 weeks until our departure for Italy. Then the hot phase passed and I contacted my friend Fabio, who was at Bolsena very often and had enjoyed some good times there.

I left in the evening to visit him and Fabio and I sat in his living room for a long time talking about the different areas of the 12.000ha Lago di Bolsena. It’s insane… what kind of a body of water was this.

The next day, Pierre and I met with Shimano in Krefeld to discuss our tactics. It was important that from the outset, we would fish together well and act as a TEAM. Initially you can make lots of decisions and take three different boats and types, the reaction can sometimes be very difficult. But in retrospect I can say that we were already a real team and everyone was already involved in our successes.

As our plan was finished late in the evening, Pierre and I left the Shimano office showing our elation and joy visibly. In the last 14 days we were in almost daily contact. We could not, despite the preparations, help but continue to fish our local waters and we all three had an incredible run.

Each of us caught some big carp and by fishing successfully, the positives translate to bring more constant success.

Unlucky dip ... the peg was so bad, people were constantly coming up to wish us courage!

The more success you have, the more confidence you gain and that confidence brings further success. There are fisherman who suffer self-doubt and that doubt results in the angler questioning his methods. So nothing could stop a good tour us, and we went to Italy with great confidence.

With the 2000km we drove on our trip now behind us, we were completely exhausted on the Saturday morning at 1:30 am. We put the chairs next to our bus and fell asleep quickly.

A few hours later I woke up again and noticed that dawn had begun to break and despite a VERY short night, I could not help but to go down to the lake.

At first light I stood there, alone, on the shore or the first time. Before my eyes was this incredibly large and very beautiful lake. It was as smooth as a mirror out in front of me and it looked like it could not harm anybody. I knew, though, standing there, that we would soon learn of the other face of Bolsena.

After a while I went back up to our bus and I

woke Pierre and Ralf. After breakfast we went to the HQ and registered our team for the WCC. I pulled out a number for the order of our position for the draw, number 63 on stage. The day went by in an instant. Ralf and I took part together with Markus Rosenberg and Mathis grain in the “Gladiator” Games.

In fun disciplines such as the Wader-run, we had a duel with the other teams. At the end we were determined the winner and we all enjoyed the evening as a large group around the lake.

On Sunday it was then on to Bolsena town to take part in the traditional flag parade and then into the theatre in the city to attend the opening ceremony.

Until the time that we walked in the old theatre we had only considered the pleasure of being there, but as we sat there in the midst of many other anglers, suddenly, nervousness came upon us as we hoped for a good draw.

Our goal was to get a place with the highest possible number. A total of 106 swims were in the pot and Pierre pulled for us the number 15. Our

TED

disappointment was such that we looked at each other directly and rushed out past the first camera crew towards the exit. We were called back and we gave a short interview through gnashing teeth about our reaction to the peg.

As we walked through the city, suddenly, reason returned again in our minds as we sat in a small restaurant to eat together. After a very good pizza, the world we saw was quite different and we started to discuss our tactics.

The fact that, previously, the achievements at Bolsena were highly dependent on wind direction, made it clear that our aim would be simply to catch one fish and we were not going to catch a large volume of carp. Suddenly, we were again in a super mood and we reminded ourselves why we were actually in Italy, we wanted to catch a carp in the WCC, that was always our goal.

Again and again people came past us to wish us courage, because we had taken one of the worst places and it was suggested that we should take plenty of beer with us. For us, it was time to rest and allow our thoughts to bring us greater motivation.

We went to bed very early in preparation for the following morning. I woke up before first light and just as I did on the first morning, I went to the shore.

When I arrived on the bank there was fog covering the whole lake and that was a magical moment which has stayed in my memory. I stood

in front of this huge lake and in me a voice just said, “Please give us a fish”!

Then, suddenly, it was time to begin and we drove to our peg. When we arrived at our peg all three of our jaws dropped, this should be our place? NO THIS CANNOT BE! Before us, what felt like 1,324,890 million coots, swam in the water.

It was directly quite clear (because of the ‘chickens’) that it was very shallow and our good mood took a severe crash. We set up our camp and prepared everything for the start at 14:00. Almost exactly on 14:00 we were finished setting up and it could finally begin.

Pierre and I sat down in my boat and shot a first round in our part of the lake. At a distance of 250 meters, which was the maximum distance at which we could fish to, we had just 4,5 Meter water depth. I remembered the words of Fabio, who informed me that we should fish at depths of 7-9 meters. Another setback for our tactics.

Due to the extremely shallow water and many coots, we had only one thing left to do. We had all four rods on the maximum distance of 250 meters.

Actually we wanted to fish at different depths and distances but it was clear that this would not make sense. So, Pierre and I took about 10 Kg Dynamite Baits The Source and feed, The Crave boilies combined with this some showy white Dynamite Baits White Chocolate & Coconut boilies. We fed an area of approximately 100 x 80 meters in order

When we arrived at our peg all three of our jaws dropped ... before us, what felt like 1,324,890 million coots, swam in the water

to reach as many fish with little food for this large area.

The likelihood is much greater that a single fish is aware of our feed if this was lying around, than if we fed the same amount on a much smaller area.

So this was our idea and we put into place as a team.

Our four rods were then put in place on small clear spots in the weed. It was already evening by the time that we had put all the rods out and the first day was already over.

The next morning we woke up without actions on our rods. The day started with a good breakfast and a strong coffee. Even during breakfast which was visited by Daryl the Sales Manager of Dynamite Baits, we talked about our tactics and the tactics of the other teams.

Some teams near to us had caught… a Dutch Shimano team on the first night had three fish and lost another three. We started to ponder and deliberate what we could change.

After almost three-hours of discussion on rigs and food, we actually decided on throwing our plan from the day before almost completely overboard.

We put on full appeal and mixed a slurry of different Dynamite pellets, groundbait, particles and boilies together. This mixture we made with a good shot of CSL Liquid and fed this “mush” extensively. Then we put the rods back out… and

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM already the second day was already over. Ralf and Pierre cooked us delicious pasta and then we disappeared into our tents.

In the middle of the night, suddenly, a tone on our leftmost rod. I could not believe it, there was a fish! I quickly ran through the sand to the rod and shouted after Ralf, who should go out to get the fish with me. Before we positioned the first rod, we had decided by lot, the order in which we would use the bites.

We had arrived as a team and together we are strong. I had been lucky and I was the first, so Ralf and I drove out at full speed to encounter the fish. When we were on the fish we could see through the crystal clear water… I think I twisted like my first carp, I wanted this fish!

At home, it would have probably been in the net for a few minutes, but I didn’t want to risk anything. I pulled the fish into the landing net and it was one of the most emotional moments in my fishing career, I think. Totally happy we went back to the shore where Pierre was waiting for us.

We quickly called the Marshalls who were responsible for our area. It began to get light when the Marshalls arrived with us. When the Marshalls heard that our fish should be well over 15 Kg, they called the media team of the WCC. Shortly thereafter, several cars were with us

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and we three were totally perplexed, because we understand the world.

But all that goes with it and as long as, the fish does not suffer under all the fuss we did not care.

We took a few quick pictures and gave a short interview. The result of the images and especially the filming is really impressive as you can see in the Youtube Channel of the World Carp Classic.

Incredible shots. Suddenly it was again very quiet around us and we started to realize that we had achieved our goal and had captured a super nice 16.5 Kg Bolsena carp.

Suddenly we had tasted blood and we wanted more. At noon we set our rods back out and fed something. In the night, as in the night before, at exactly 5:15, with one of our rods, Ralf and I drove back towards a fish.

This time, it was my turn to drive us out quickly over the fish. After a short fight, we landed a small fish. We were happy about this little fish, because it was the second fish for us.

Which was more than we had hoped for and more than many had expected from our place.

When weighing it, it turned out that the boy was a true point landing with its 4.1 Kg weight.

From a weight of 4 kg carp can go onto the catch list and thus, with our 20.6 Kg, suddenly we were in the top ten. This should unfortunately be only a snapshot, as the evening drew in a violent storm arrived with heavy rain and thunder. We could not put our rods out sensibly and thus it decreased our chances.

Since we had a very weedy area in front of us, which had only very small clear spots at the base, we could not find these in the strong waves. The waves stirred up the water and therefore our plan was to go there instead. We put the rods out by feeling them down and hoped for better weather.

The turbidity of the water in such waters is always a fish guarantor but, of course, only if you can present your bait cleanly on a body of water.

Other teams, who had great weed-free areas in front of them, experienced this phase of magic

moments and as the largest carp at almost 24 Kg was caught exactly at this stage. But suddenly we had other worries, because the storm was right on us and we sought shelter in our bus.

Everything was flying around in the rain and ended up partially in the lake, and the shore was at times simply carried away by the heavy rain.

Even days later we found our things in the lake, but much was lost that night. We spent the night in the bus half and half in our tents before it was again nice the next day. We still got off lightly, as the misfortune of other teams, saw the lightning flashes partially burning the rods and totally destroying the pods.

This morning it was time to once again put all four rods out more reasonably and then get your strength back with a tasty scrambled egg breakfast. The day flew by but I could not sleep properly all night, I was so hoping that after all the chaos of the last 24 hours the fish would still be feeding.

With this thought I was sleeping then, a few hours later on I woke again and it was clear that there would be nothing more. At 8am sharp it was to be the end of WCC 2014 – It was already over and after 5 nights we were able to catch 2 carp. It was more like we had hoped for and so we packed down our gear at the end feeling very satisfied. After the award ceremony we got into the car and drove the 2000km back towards home, non-stop, by and on the Sunday morning we all fell into our beds exhausted but happy.

Our conclusion is, in the end, really positive and it was a great experience for us. There is no question that we would like to participate a second time in the WCC. Certainly, these events have nothing to do with “normal” carp fishing, but I find it very interesting to meet other people and cultures in this way.

The three of us as a team had a great time and we look forward to a possible repeat encounter. n JAN ULAK

There is no question that we would like to participate a second time in the WCC. Certainly, these events have nothing to do with “normal” carp fishing

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‘‘ THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE DOWNRIGT RIGT NASTY STEVE HOWARD CARP CARE AND WELFARE

In a conversation with Ross, given his passion for angling and his strongly held ethics on the subject of fish welfare, he asked if I could perhaps cover something about this obviously important topic. So here are my thoughts...

My initial reaction was one of slight indifference; Not because I fail to recognise it as an essential and important aspect, but purely because it has been covered extensively by many of the good and great in angling journalism over many years.

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However, the more I considered the topic, the clearer it became that, perhaps, it is far more multi-facetted than one might at first appreciate. For sure, this topic could be covered more succinctly in regard to other aspects beyond the usual level of care.

As an old skool carp angler, I strongly believe that it is our fundamental responsibility to ensure that every carp is returned to the water safely. With 35 years of carp angling under my belt, whilst I do not think of myself as a carpangling guru I can at least draw upon that experience when sharing my thoughts with others.

As carp are most often very long-lived, and as most anglers desire to catch the biggest carp possible, fish care is something that is vitally important to that end. Even if we put ethics to one side for the purpose of this explanation, we really should each do all that we can to

ensure that every carp attains a good age/size and in the very best condition it can be. There is no question that catching a big, but badly mutilated, deformed or battle scarred carp can detract from the enjoyment of the capture… or at least it does when beauty is considered over weight, and for me that is very much the case.

Beyond doubt, fish care runs far beyond simply caring for the carp when we have them on the bank and the period running up until they are released. Of course, that timeframe when they are in our care is a most critical period, but there are also other very important criteria, too, that we should take into consideration.

Fish care actually begins long before we even step foot on the bank. From the moment we step into a tackle shop and we base our tactics on the items on offer, we begin to make choices that can seriously threaten the wellbeing of the carp that we intend to catch. Some products thankfully not too many - are unfortunately substandard and others, to be perfectly honest, are downright dangerous!

Obviously, if anyone chose to name and shame these products or indeed the companies that produce them, they would most certainly find themselves in a court case if there is nothing actually illegal in the manufacturing process or in its intended use. With that in mind, if it’s not illegal, it can be produced, sold and used, but that doesn’t make it right.

Just as a ‘for instance’, there are ‘safety clips’ on the market that are anything but safe, and yet these continue to sell in massive numbers and are extensively used by the uninformed masses. Largely, anglers using these unsafe products remain unaware of the pitfalls, and the problem persists because of misplaced trust in the manufacturers and a degree of naivety and/or lack of experience in the purchaser. For each and every experienced angler out there who does know the score, there are several more, inexperienced and novice carp anglers who don’t.

The fact is, there are numerous items currently being sold to unsuspecting anglers as ‘safe’ when they are anything but that, and I’m certain that many of those reading this could draw up a substantial list of such items.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there, with tackle; bait too is an area for major consideration, as it is not always (often?) ethically constructed and safe, either for short or long term use. Indeed, it doesn’t end there, with the end-tackle and bait that we select either!

The bottom line is that we as individuals each have to be responsible and ensure that everything that we use is safe and fit for purpose… but these considerations also need to extend to the rod and line themselves as they too have an important relevance to fish welfare.

Over the past 35 years there has been a substantial increase in the quality of line, and with the use of braid becoming much more prevalent too this has, in effect, created its own

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problematic area. There is no escaping the fact that fine lines, those with a very small diameter, are directly responsible for two things. Firstly, fine diameter lines are far more likely to lift scales and/or cut into flesh as a fish is being played, so it is very important to protect the fish from this effect by using larger diameter leaders or tubing. This aspect begs the question, do novices even realise this?

Secondly, the fineness of double strength lines can induce anglers to take a step up in breaking strain – it is easy to understand the misguided logic there: “why use standard profile 20lb line when I can use 40lb double strength line of similar diameter?” ‘Conscience’ is the answer to that question. Carp angling

should never be ‘catch at any cost’! The problem is, of course, when these and other such items are in the hands of lesser-experienced anglers there isn’t a miraculous short cut to experience, and without the benefit of a ‘Carp School’, we all walk the path of slowly gaining experience - and many lessons are learned by the biggest mistakes!

Also, what at one-time was the then accepted standard test curve of rod has increased far beyond what would have been considered acceptable or ‘safe’ back in the 80’s. Rods that are now commonly used in all situations are often around and in excess of 3.5 TC - about double the power of a 1980’s rod! To add to this, in order to balance the line with the

Fish care begins from the moment we step into a tackle shop, and base our tactics upon the items on offer 71

TC of rods, the tendency now is to use 15 – 20 kg line, or even greater.

This specific ‘upgrading’ to outgun and overpower carp was something that was greatly frowned upon back in the 80’s when 10-15lb BS line was the normal choice, and it still is by some old-skool anglers. Back in those days it was common to hear the harshly spoken phrase “fishing with broomsticks and tow rope!” applied to such tactics… And they did/do have a point…. Whatever became of actually playing a carp instead of bullying it into submission?

Of course, with these much more powerful rods now in popular use, with stronger, thinner line attached, the more ‘brutal’ anglers are able to be. Unfortunately, that power, transfers down the line to the hook, and the level of pressure that can be applied can be used and abused to the point where mouth damage occurs. Therefore, this set up in the wrong hands, is another big area for concern.

Over the years there has been much talk of ‘safe’ hooks but, to my mind, there is no such thing. Most hooks have always had the potential to cause some degree of damage, but considering the extreme ‘pulling power’ anglers now have at their disposal, every hook carries that potential. ‘Safe’ used to be a concept that only considered the welfare of carp, not a consideration of whether the angler would land it or not! It really does come down to each

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‘Confusion fusion’… My blend of loose feed provides balance, creating confusion in shape, size and colour whilst supplementing dietary needs

angler’s conscience, ethics and their individual appraisal of ‘acceptable’ damage.

Fine wire hooks are often blamed for mouth damage, and for good reason as, under pressure, they can much more easily slice through flesh due to the thinness of the wire.

However, there have been particular patterns that have been said to be the cause of very bad mouth damage, when in reality, under closer scrutiny and careful consideration, I believe that this was (and still is!) largely due to the manner in which the said hooks were being used. – In the large majority of cases, it was undoubtedly bad angling practices that had rendered such hooks as being labelled ‘brutal’ and ‘lethal’!

Mindful selection of hooks is a critical choice to this end, and opting for a fine wire hook when snag fishing, fishing in heavy weed, or in situations where more than average pressure must be placed on the hook-hold, it becomes tantamount to abuse… fished in these circumstances, you have effectively elected to fish with a ‘wide-smile’ inducing, cheese wire!

When we arrive at the waterside, the next safety issue that we face is the selection of our fishing spots. Of course, without the benefit of sub-surface knowledge and unless we are very knowledgeable in understanding specific places where it is safe (for the carp) to fish for them, then we will be putting them at risk through our actions.

The selection of good but safe areas in which to catch carp carries with it a high level of responsibility for each of us. We should consider whether we are solely selecting this spot, in thick weed or close to snags etc, because we know that we are more likely to induce action or, whether we are taking too much of a risk? In this aspect, as is sadly often the case, we are sometimes immediately guilty of placing more importance on catching carp than we are on fish welfare?

As said, bait is a major consideration in fish care terms, and selection may test the ethics of more than just a few anglers. From ill prepared particles to extremely poor quality boilies, there are plenty out there that, if we were aware, we would choose not to use. Quantities of a poor

bait is a major consideration in fish care terms, and its selection may test the ethics of more than just a few anglers food source are obviously detrimental to welfare, but thankfully, most carp have a balanced diet and more importantly, a choice! – If your bait is a high impact, instant attractor initially, it may also be a short-lived bait that, once the carp have experienced it, they will quickly learn to avoid in the long term because they will recognise its lack of quality as a food source.

Again, are we actually conscientious enough to consider the impact of using excessive quantities of bait? Rotting bait impacts directly on water quality, and it can cause imbalances to the biodiversity and even in extreme cases, stagnation. Sponsored anglers are hopefully more mindful, and although they have limitless bait at their disposal, they also display the knowledge of their experience in most cases, and know that there are limits of constraint.

However, sadly, this is not always the case.

After all is said and done, we should not need to be told why it is important to assess the impact of the effects that our tackle has upon carp.

Angling ethics are down to the individual, but there is a growing sense of appreciation within the sport for the need of a far greater level of fish care. Far be it from me to criticise any angler, but surely we should all consider our responsibilities and duty of care. We must surely make it our business to carefully consider all aspects of fish welfare and through that avenue, display our respect for them. n STEVE HOWARD

‘‘

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STEVE HOWARD CARP CARE & WELFARE

All the planning in the world won’t guarantee you the prize –

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BASIC

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Biggest is beautiful... going with the flow certainly payed off for Team Austria’s Viktor Lehrner

TEAM CARPSPOT BIGGEST FISH 2015

There are several approaches to winning a competition such as the WCC. There are, for example, those teams that are already racking their brains, weeks and months before the event, pondering which baits, tackle, feed strategy, rigs and such things that they would like to use. Or, to put it another way, these folk are more into planning and a more businesslike approach – we could call them the logicallyoriented carp anglers.

And then there are a few teams that will be trying what I would call a more intuitive approach.

It is important to understand, however, that that does not mean that these teams were unprepared.

No, they understand what is needed, but base their decisions and planning on their past experiences and knowledge. They listen to their inner voice, you could say, and and follow their instinct.

Viktor Lehrner and Andreas Gumilar are those anglers who can, on the one hand, take a strictly factual and logical approach, and, yet, if the situation requires it, listen to their inner voice and fish flexibly and quite unconventionally. For them, it is very important that before, or even during, a competition, to get a feeling for the tournament and to connect to the event.

On arrival at the venue – which usually takes place a few days before the competition – both would set about getting to know everything about the event – about the water, all the living things in and out of the water, and the nature of their surroundings. It may happen – you never know – that they could carry over little rituals that served them well at WCC 2015.

At the WCC in 2015 the team got Peg 52. A good place… It might not win 1st place, but it was a space that would allow them to concentrate on their job of catching big carp.

For that event and from the outset, Andreas and Viktor were factual, logical, calculating. Old proven strategies for the edges of the weed fields, and along a promising water’s edge were used – although with limited success. Except for a lost fish on the Thursday night, the two had no notable activity on their selected spots. Using the underwater camera from Carpspot, they found that, at the selected spots, no carp were showing.

Paying heed to the saying, “It is stupid to keep following a failed strategy”, Viktor and Andreas abandoned all their prior efforts and preparations to change everything. Spots were fished that others would not rate at all promising. The presentation of the hook bait was also changed. From then on, the

The drill was breath-taking, exciting and, from the outset, it was clear: this was a good fish!

two began to listen to their inner voice and proceed intuitively. They fished unconventionally –not out of desperation, but rather out of conviction! And their fishing began to be good.

A few hours after delivery of the last assembly, at around 2:00 am (Friday), it happened – the miracle of Madine!

There was a bite on the right rod at the 80m spot! Now they had to get out on a boat to fish – and the dance began. The drill was breath-taking, exciting and, from the outset, it was clear: this was a good fish! And it all became real as the pointer of the scale stopped at 26.2 kg. New PB for Viktor !

It was now the heaviest fish caught on Lac de

sometimes, like Carpspot’s Team Austria, you have to go with your..

INSTINCTS Viktor and Andreas are those anglers who can, on the one hand, take a strictly factual and logical approach, and, yet, if the situation requires, listen to their inner voice and fish flexibly

Madine in WCC 2015. And, what the pair did not suspect, it would stay as the heaviest carp of WCC of 2015.

Every angler who catches such a fish knows what energies are released – adrenaline, endorphins, a veritable hormonal cocktail of impulses – who knows? But sleep was no longer possible for the two. They were electrified, because they knew that with two good average fish the Top 3, or more, would have been possible. They worked all night, made their preparations for the finals on the last night. Both were convinced that on this night something big would happen.

The WCC 2015 saw the team Carpspot Austria, grateful and happy, on the podium, receiving the

biggest fish trophy, with a champagne shower.

And now the desire is always there for it all to happen again.

It is experiences like these that inspire our two team anglers to fish such competitions: they revel in these new challenges, and they need to face these again and again – stimulated to overcome adversity and rise above themselves. You can truly say that it is addictive. n SEBASTIAN HEINZ Director Carpspot

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VMC

YOUR EXPERT IN HOOKS

Mike Madeley gets straight to the point with WCC Sponsor VMC’s David Rossé

SHARP SHOOTERS

French revelation... VMC’s David Rossé and consultant Nicolas Gavoillie MM.. What sets VMC apart from other Hook producers?

VMC.. At VMC we are fully dedicated to hooks!

VMC production today combines a steady innovation with an over-100 year old tradition of hook production. The company started in the early 20th century.

Every VMC hook is designed and produced on machines which are designed and assembled by VMC engineers. What’s more, all production processes forming, hardening, plating are 100% integrated which means enhanced consistency in production quality.

Not forgetting that we are now the only fish hook producer in Europe. We are proud to be able to say that VMC hooks are made in France!

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MM.. Carp anglers judge a hook by its sharpness and Strength how have VMC addressed this?

VMC.. We have developed a new point-

grinding technology to meet the high expectations of Carp anglers in terms of sharpness and durability. In effect, it is key to have a sticky sharp point but it’s equally important to have a highly durable point that doesn’t go blunt. This is an on-going process along all stages of production, right from the start – by choosing the best raw material, by achieving excellence in grinding and sharpening to fine-tuning the heat treatment and finishing stages. Our century of excellence has taught us to go into detail at all stages of production. It’s by improving all the small details that makes the difference in the quality of the finished product!

MM.. What testing do VMC hooks under go?

VMC.. A great deal of attention is given to our fish hooks through on-going and very strict quality checks.

The quality of our raw material is regularly controlled to ensure consistent production.

Hook points are randomly checked during the different production stages with highly technical tools in order to make sure the point shape remains consistent to the defined standards. Strength tests are also performed to

make sure the hardening process is optimised and to ensure maximum strength and resistance to opening.

MM.. Do VMC only specialise in hooks?

VMC.. Yes our core business has been hooks for over a century now. All members of the VMC team from machine setters and operators to logistics workers are living ‘hooks’.. Our motto “You’re Expert in Hooks” is not only words; it’s our day to day concern!

MM.. VMC hooks virtually cover every Angling discipline, how do you cope with the demand without compromising on quality?

VMC.. We work with Consultants and key angler’s in different countries. We export more than 70% of our production, so the proximity of our final customers is a must-have for VMC. No VMC hook is released without real field testing. Most of the people involved in product development at VMC are passionate anglers so very often VMC hooks are also tested first by VMC people. n MIKE MADELEY Angling Spirit, Media Coordinator Thanks to Dawn Partridge, David Rossé, Cyril Alexeline of the VMC team for their kind assistance.

Our motto ‘You’re Expert in Hooks’ is not only words; it’s our day to day concern!

Germany 2007 (50lb 3oz)

1 came 50lb carp number t ever river rs fi s of’ išt Kr g durin ckar river session on the Ne fellow Dyna, te ma with a good Caro. Chosen mite angler Emir ed with ait e-b pr re we s im sw topus boilies 26mm Squid & Oc t his dream gh ni h 7t e and on th g a beautiful came true – landin rrot after a Pa mirror known as fight. te hard fifteen minu

Belgium 2008 (50lb 3oz)

September 2008 and a late change to the destination gave Krištof his first Belgian 50. A week of heavy rain made fishing uncomfortable but a take at 3am late in the week made the wait worthwhile – a stunning 50lb 3oz mirror caught on 26mm Monster Tiger Nut. It’s still one of Krištof’s all-time favourite fish!

(52lb) a 30 hectare Croatia 2011 lake Šumbar -

r On the popula ually booked all year round us is at th er wat m GLM boilie, . fishing a 20m up – Krištof was tti Frutti & Pineapple pophe Tu tipped with a orning he caught the fish m On the second lb mirror.

52 was after… a

Slovenia 2

On a local lake 011 (67lb 7oz) Krištof knew - a 145 hectare water with th known reside e water well and had alre depths to 32 metres nt ad It was third tim , a common named Babyfa y caught the biggest e lu ck y w hen his old fr ce back in 2007 & 2008 lake record w iend . ei Spicy Peanut ght of 67lb 7oz. Babyface showed up again, at a bo w pop-up over a ilie tipped with a 20mm as tempted on a 26mm w be and Monster d of mixed pellets includ hite Coconut Cream ing Source, Ro Tiger Nut. bin Red®

(75lb) to Austria 2012to remember – on his 4th trippartner

n A dream sessio el pit, Krištof and his fishing nine av e the old small gr sive 24 carp over 20kg in th r & es banked an impr ing mainly with the Squid Live ey were day session. Fish Spicy Crab & Garlic boilies, th d day d 3r Black Pepper an ct weather throughout. The ke rfe la blessed with pe a stunning 75lb common – a fell rp saw Krištof land . Krištof’s 1st ever 70lb+ ca p-up.

PB po w m ne m d 15 an a rd th co re Crab & Garlic wi to a 20mm Spicy

Serbia 20

ištof bagged a b 8oz) Bosnia 2014 (70l started any better. Early in the session, Kr with a 15mm Butyric-C Fluro pop-up

esome take. lie This trip couldn’t have lagicevo, tempted on a Crave 20mm boi bringing the rods in – Krištof had an aw te fight the Pe nu 58lb+ carp from Lake okbait Dip. And on the last day, just before wed no signs of stopping. After a 45 mi the business sho Ho d ng an ave doi l Cr lie e ree boi Th the in mm m 15 ked fro soa 80 metres of line er & Black Pepper ut Liv abo uid led Sq pee ain Ag wly . slo ord ian rec The fish ctly 32kg - a new Bosn scales registered exa mm pop-up.

10 r with a Black Buzze

In June, Kri 14 (51lb 5oz) št Lake Treset of fished a session at iš the Hungari te in Serbia close to an Srecko. The border with his mate fourth day br positive chan ought a strong weste ge in the weather with rl y w inds blowing. that day the Later resulting in pair had a double run two beautifu carp. On the l upper 30lb 6t his biggest co h day, Krištof landed m m on from the trip tipping the sc , to a Monster ales at 51lb 5oz! Falling Ti ge r N ut 20 and 15mm Sw m eet Tiger Flur m boilie o pop-up.

To find out more detail on Kristof’s

D

uring 2015 Dynamite’s Krištof Cuderman set a new record to become the first angler to catch carp over the magical 50lb from eleven different countries! An amazing achievement that takes not only great ability but passion, hard work and planning, plus time and sheer determination – not to mention a bit of decent bait!

We caught up with Krištof to get a quick reminder of his achievement and to see what he remembered about each fish.

France 2010

With summer te (56lb 7oz) m Rainbow Lake peratures peaking at 38 degr tu Krištof a first Fr rned into a bit of a grueller, buees, a 7 day session at 15mm Fluro Po ench 50. A Robin Red® snow t none-the-less it delivered man 20mm boili p-up doing the business. e with a

Hungary 2012 (53lb 1oz)

A trip to Hungary in November gave Krištof a 7th 50 - fishing a well known private lake with Emir Caro. Krištof focused on a shallow area of the lake using a single Source 20mm 50/50 hookbait, catching the best fish of the trip a 53lb1oz mirror.

b 2oz) ly at Parco del Italy 2013 (71l s ultimate goal during May in Ita rth day he’d hi fou Krištof achieved re very active all week. On the ing a 20mm we us Brenta. The carp common in the lake at 71lb 2oz was the 1st of landed the biggest pop up. This fish meant Krišt tries. mm un 15 co d t an en d fer Re dif Robin in 8 carp over 50lb’s angler to catch a

Romania 2015 (55lb 15oz)

Krištof exte nd to 11 countr ed his record ie Monster Car s after a trip to p with his fath Lake in Romania er early in the Slavko. A run af 3rd day resu ternoon of the mirror, trippelted in a 55lb 15oz Halibut 15m d up on a Marine m 10mm Butyr bottom bait with a ic also produced -C pop-up. The trip Slavko as he a special fish for common just broke his PB with a over 68lb!

story visit dynamitebaits.eu.com

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CARPSPOT DISCOVER A NEW WORLD

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Bites, camera, action! Carpcrossing.com video producer Ed Skillz captures the moment with the help of the Spotcam Underwater system After last years great success with the prototypes of the new Spotcam Digital IR at the WCC 2015, with the biggest carp of 26,2 Kg caught by our Carpspot-Team, our wireless underwater camera has gained worldwide recognition.

Spotcam’s digital IR-Version’s new infra-red feature now allows every carp angler to watch underwater action not only during the day, but also at night. We have also increased the camera’s battery use, so watching for longer periods doesn’t mean less running time as the system will last up to 50 hours with continuous use – very important if you are fishing far away and don’t want to change batteries every day.

And we’re not just talkng about the benefits for carp anglers here ... we have a large amount of customers that fish for pike, catfish and other species who use the system out of water or even at home in their pools filled with koi carp.

The wireless underwater camera system is now used all over the world. After it’s launch in Europe, we began selling to North America, Asia and now even Australians can enjoy the amazing real-time underwater experience.

These systems are modularized to match every customer’s need. The simplest set consists of one sender unit, one receiver unit with one screen and starts at 1398, but there’s the option to increase the system up to four cameras at one receiver unit and up to four screens plus Carp-Pad. Private Anglers, TV companies, big carp fishing manufactures and universities are just some of our clients, because we deliver and produce the highest quality and innovation. At Carpspot, customer satisfaction is paramount – we don’t just talk about it, we deliver it! Just ask Ross Honey, or any of our customers and they will support that statement without any doubt.

Producing the Spotcam wireless underwater cameras at our home in Germany, means we are able to easily adapt our system to special requirements. For exmaple, we made a unique system for the famous Carpcrossing.com video producer Ed Skillz and for Prof. Dr. Robert Arlinghaus, of Humboldt-University in Berlin, we adapted the system so that the underwater camera could be used to discover fish behaviour in groups.

But the Carpspot Spotcam Digital is relevant for everybody. It helps to understand the underwater world, increase fishing knowledge and use everyone’s fishing time more efficiently by catching more fish in less time.

Mistakes at feeding strategy, location and rig selection can be identified much faster than before. Some Anglers, for example, use these wireless underwater cameras as “additional rods” by placing the cameras in spots without rigs at the bottom so they can check the four main spots with rods and 1-4 additional spots with wireless underwater cameras from Carpspot.

If carps show up in front of one camera they switch the rods with rigs to this camera spot and replace the camera to a different space to find the next hotspot.

A perfect example of how this works could be

SPOT

cam

HITTING THE SPOT DIGITAL

Spend more time fishing and less time looking for the prize catch this year with the help of the Spotcam Digital IR camera .. we guarantee you won’t miss a thing!

Clear as day... Spotcam technology gives you an insight into the underwater world seen last year with the biggest carp of the WCC 2015 being caught by Carpspot Team Austria and the win of the overall Boilie Challenge Masters 2015. If you check the video “World Carp Classic 2015 – Biggest Fish – part 1” at our youtube-

channel, you will see the carp in front of the camera right at the spot the biggest carp was caught later. Take your chance at this year’s World Carp Classic 2016 and have a look at the Carpspot wireless underwater cameras on our booth before the competition starts.

Nowadays, technology is part of all our lives and fishing time is limited, so the increased use of advanced technology in carp fishing seems obvious. Underwater cameras help anglers to use their time more efficiently, offering more insights into carp behavior allowing them to react in real-time. So it is now up to you ... if you want to use your limited time more efficiently and get more carp in less time, then invest in underwater cameras technology solutions from Carpspot. n SEBASTIAN HEINZ Director Carpspot

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SHIMANO WELCOME BACK JACK

All hands on deck... “Captain Jack’’ at 56.8 and a new PB for me, it just proves it’s better to be lucky than good!

BRINGING BACK

CAPT. JACK Making a promotional DVD is not as easy as it looks. It takes months of planning to find the right venue and promote some new kit without turning it into a complete plug-fest.

We were lucky this year at Shimano. We had some fantastic new rods to use in the shape of the TX9 range, but we still had to place the right rods in the right hands for certain swims over at Holme Fen where the DVD was to be shot.

I had chosen the 3.25 tc TX9’s, these are lovely and soft through the top section of the blank, yet had enough backbone in the butt to get me where I needed to be on the lake. My swim turned out to be perfect for the 3.25’s – it was a very deep, snaggy bay, where fishing locked up was a must, while not going too close to the snags that I’d lose every fish I hooked. My plan was simple, not fish too close, but to heavily bait in order to hopefully pull the fish to me where I’d be safe in the deeper water away from the woodwork of the snags.

I spent a couple of nights in the swim next door watching the fish before I took the plunge and faced my fear of snag fishing. I landed a few big fish from there, so it really was a ‘leap of faith’ to change a style of angling I’m not comfortable with and move out of a swim where I was catching steadily. Little did I know what lay in store.

My first couple of bites from the snaggy swim went very smoothly indeed; it was just a case of having my wits about me when the bite came and not panicking. The obvious thing here was to be locked down solidly so the fish couldn’t take any line whatsoever, and to be as close to the rods at all times. Then, it’s just a case of picking the rod up and gently walking back to gain the initial upper hand in order to turn the fish away from the snags.

Once this was done it was plain sailing as the fish would be wallowing about in 30ft. of water.

All of my bites were coming from first light to

around 11am, so as light was breaking, I was lying awake in my bag ready for the day ahead. The alarm bleeped once and I flew out the bed like a coiled spring. The bobbin had only moved about 5mm but I knew there was a fish on, I picked up the rod and walked back, not really thinking too much about what could be on the end. The light was just enough to see without the use of a head torch, it was absolute bliss, just the new day, the peace of the lake, and me doing battle with what was now a very heavy, dogged fight.

I’m not normally a lucky angler – by that I mean it hardly ever happens where I catch the biggest fish in the lake quickly – I usually have to work my way through the rest of the stock before the big ‘uns come my way, but this fight was now something else. The fish was now getting close to me, then a ball of silkweed stuck on the end of the tubing, so I instantly thought that was what the extra weight must have been. Another few hairy moments where the fish made a last few bids for freedom, but I netted him at the first chance.

Now, this was one of those double-take moments where you look in the net, then look in again not believing what you’ve just seen, it was massive! Mike was next door but I didn’t want to wake him just yet so went about weighing the fish myself. Man, it was even a struggle to lift the net on my own and that’s when I knew I’d got something very special.

Up on the scales it was shaking all over the place, but I settled on a weight of 56.8, and to be honest it could only be one fish ... king of the lake ‘Captain Jack’.

I put the beast in the recovery sling, made a brew, and then just sat there trying to take in what had just happened, it was ridiculous. Even now, some 18 months later, it all still seems a blur. I called Griff and Rob who then woke everyone else to come round and see this great fish – it was

Rods of choice.. I used the 3.25 TX9’s, their soft progressive action suited snag fishing perfectly absolute carnage in the swim. It was handshakes, hugs, back slaps, the lot, but we had to keep it all together to do a camera piece about it. In true Tong style I managed it in one take, which, with a carp that big and all the Shimano team looking on, was no easy task I tell you. I was then left to regain some sanity as the crowds drifted back to their own swims, but what a moment for me, what a lake, and what a fish!

The 4 nights we were at Holme Fen simply summed up what carp fishing is all about for me – we were in it together, one unit rooting each other on. I’ve caught much bigger fish from Europe, and had lots of big English fish from a lot of waters, but that session ranks as the best one for me. A great lake, a great atmosphere, and a great bunch of people. It really was a team effort. n Iain Macmillan

85

EVERY ONE The world Carp Classic competition is now a truly magnificent annual event that hundreds of us look forward to all year round. It is by far second to none in its magnitude, camaraderie and sheer excitement

‘‘

‘‘

A CLASSIC! ROB TOUGH

1998-2016 A PERSONAL REMINISCE OF THE WORLD CARP CLASSIC Having competed in 12 (soon to be 13) of the past 17 World Carp Classic tournaments over the past 18 years (2002 was non-event), I find myself in the fairly unique position of being able to regale you with personal memories and tales of this unique competition from its inaugural year in 1998 to the current year of 2016 and on its 5th different venue at the mighty Lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic 1998 Lac De Madine

Perhaps more than anything else, looking back and recalling memories of the first ever year of the World Carp Classic at Lac de Madine in the champagne region of North East France, best highlights how Carp Fishing and indeed Carp angling competitions has changed beyond recognition over the last 18 years.

The first year of the WCC was a singles competition for individual anglers and was held over just a two night period of 48 hours.

In those early days boats were not permitted and so all fishing had to be carried out in the traditional ways, by casting from the swim, regardless that you may have been looking a mile across from your swim to the other bank – your furthest cast was still in the margins ... lol. As with today, the use of rods were restricted to two rods per angler.

A detail very much forgotten by many of us in the years that have passed was that the

competition in those early days was held in the spring , around the month of April.

In that very first year the draw was made by peg only and whatever swim was pulled out against your name would be the swim you fished in for the duration of the 48 hours competition. I was drawn on the mainland and a little to the right of the damn wall (this area became synonymous for a few years as the Boel baits section). None of us knew at that time what areas of the lake would be productive and this first ever WCC draw was met with wide eyed enthusiasm and huge optimism.

Hutchy’s dream team (including the indomitable anglers Rob Hughes and Simon Crow (world title holders themselves), had fished Lac de Madine socially and had a practice a few weeks before the competition, from the damn wall.

This in many peoples’ view, was a fancied area of the lake, and coincidentally most of

Hutchy’s dream team anglers were drawn on the Dam wall for the competition. To those never having seen Madine before as I certainly hadn’t, the size of the lake was bewildering and certainly imposing. Lac de Madine is some 2,700+ acres (11km2) and was by far and away the biggest lake I had ever come across. An inland sea in comparison to the waters most of us had been fishing in the UK. Tim Paisley, Martin Locke, Frank Warwick, Lee Jackson and a host of other big names in the carp angling world were drawn on Madines main Island and would be transported by boats and barges, donkeys and trains, and whatever else had four legs or two wheels in the close vicinity from the shores of the mainland to their drawn pegs on the Island.

Logistically, getting 140 or so anglers of different nationalities and languages from across Europe (more than 50% from the

1998 Lac De Madine (cont..)

UK) around the lake proved to be a far bigger headache and logistical burden than Ross Honey (the event founder and organiser) had even remotely considered. I can remember a tourist steam train with a convoy of attached carriages as one of the methods of transportation around the mainland to the pegged swims.

I don’t think Ross had any Idea in those early days of the amount of gear that was required by each angler. The mountainous task of relocating every angler proved to be an epic and tortuous operation for the organisers and many helpers involved. It is fair to say those early years of the WCC competition proved to be fraught and stressful at the best of times and lent a very steep learning curve to Ross and his team, with a fair few tempers and friendships being tested to the limit.

My memory fails me of the exhaustive catch report for that first ever competition and even the record of captures escapes me. I had one take on the 2nd night which buried itself in the incredibly dense Potamogeton weed beds (extremely thick and coarse) dotted all round the lake. I was to lose that fish in the weed like many of the anglers around Madine in that first 48hr match. However, my very good friend and sometime fishing partner

Funny guy.. Inaugural World Carp Classic Champion and friend, Paul Rayment in 1998 in the UK, Paul Rayment was pegged on the mainland some half a mile to my right and very close to ‘little madine’, the small lake at the end of Lac de Madine. Paul wasn’t beset by the problems of weed that hindered so many of us, and after a fruitless first 24 hrs and a timely wind change, went on to land 5 carp on the 2nd and last night that would reward him with 1st place, £10,000 and the title of the very first and inaugural WCC Champion.

And so it had begun. The competition had been a success and the tears and the tantrums to get here had been worth it. Ross and Rob Hughes (Partners in those early years) had set the trend for the ensuing years of an international Carp angling competition which was to grow surely and steadily in stature and pedigree and become the premier Carp angling competition in the world.

Fill steam ahead.. getting anglers to their swims was a logistical and tortuous nightmare

ROB TOUGH EVERY ONE A CLASSIC! 1999-2000 Lac De Madine The following two years had the competition continue at Lac de Madine and start to establish itself amongst the more competitive Carp anglers around Europe.

These next few years began to give an indication of the fast and progressive growth of Carp angling and Carp angling competitions, not just in the UK but throughout Europe. Many of the Eastern European countries were now emerging with a catch and release attitude to Carp fishing and started to send representative anglers to compete in the W.C.C. The 2nd year of competition saw the first change of format. We would now fish as a ‘pair’ of anglers. The match remained a 48 hr competition and the draw was still a straight peg draw. This was held the night before to determine the swim that we would all compete in for the duration of the match. My good friend Mike Bevan and I were drawn on the main Island, facing the woodland ‘night fishing’ zone – the side of the Island that would affectionately come to be known as ‘no carp alley’.

However, Mike and I were fortunate to land a carp of 34lb on the Sunday morning of the competition. That fish sneaked us the section win from John Lilley and Paul Musson by a matter of ounces and even harder to swallow for John was that it happened at 10.30am, with just an hour or two to the end of the competition. I don’t think John has ever quite forgiven the two of us for that timely capture.

The winners and the first pair to win the 1999 match were Dave Poxon and Mark Redding.

Winning from the same end of the lake as Paul Rayment had done so the previous year, close to ‘little Madine’.

In the year 2000 Mike and I returned as eager and enthusiastic as always.

This 3rd year was now a more markedly fully international event with a much more diverse range of nationalities competing than previous years. Whereas the UK participating teams had made up 60% or more of the field, that share was diminishing and the UK pairs were now scrambling just to gain entry into what was now becoming an oversubscribed competition.

This 3rd year was the year of the storm .. lol, and although Mike and I, who had been pegged on the main dam wall facing the Island, were safe and sound in our battened down Bivvys, others were not so fortunate. A fair few competitors had a torrid time battling the weather and the winds on the 2nd night. In addition to the elements there was the sail boarders to contend with. Ross did well

1999 Champions ... First WCC Pairs Dave Poxon and Mark Redding to avoid (on the most part) the irate and mostly soaking array of disgruntled anglers throughout that weekend.

We failed to catch this year and again witnessed another pair to win the coveted prize of £10,000 and the accolade of World Carp Classic Champions in Paul Harrison and Paul Watts.

This pair were actually pegged almost opposite us, albeit approximately half a mile across the ‘sea’ on the big island facing back towards us on the Dam wall, just into the woods. This was the first year that the competition had been won off the mainland and broke the trend for the area close to ‘little Madine’ as being the most sought after area of the lake at the draw.

2001 Lac Amance The 4th year of the event saw further changes to the competition. The venue had been altered and the competition moved from the glorious Lac de Madine to the new home of Lac Amance .

Mike and I did not enter this year and 2000 was to be the last year Mike would fish the competition.

For the first time the winners were not from the UK. The Dutch pairing of T Stunnenburg and R Breedenbeek were the first continental European winners of the World Carp Classic breaking the UK stranglehold and again illustrating how diverse and more international event it had become.

The Classic took a hiatus in 2002 and wouldn’t return until the Autumn of 2003. In fact it was 18 months before returning to Lac Amance and this year saw more changes to the format.

For the first time the competition was extended to 72 hours and was to be held later in the year in September to hopefully increase the number of captures of fish during the match itself.

We failed to catch this year and again witnessed another pair to win the coveted prize of £10,000 and the accolade of World Carp Classic Champions in Paul Harrison and Paul Watts

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM All aboard... Taking a well earned break with ffriends in 1999 at Madine (top); 2004 Champions Mickey Hinson and Tony Kirrage (left) and Paul Raymant and I on stage, sadly however, not to pic up the WCC 2004 trophy! (above)

2003 Lac Amance My partner in 2003 was my very good friend, neighbour and previously noted inauguaral winner of the very first WCC event in 1998, Paul Rayment.

Paul was (and still is) a complete fruit loon but an absolute joy to fish with. He had not a care in the world and is probably the most laid back fella I have ever had the pleasure to fish with. Although the 3 day event would see us blank, as was the case with the vast majority of the competing field, we had a blast, as I always do in Paul’s company.

Paul always had me in fits of laughter. We nearly always ran out of munchies and choccie bars when we fished together and we always seemed to be hungry. We even managed a visit from the Guarde de Peche during the competition which was a drama in itself .. lol.

The winners of this years event were Mark and Jo Gardener who thoroughly deserved this win.

Like me, they competed in most of the previous years and were a fantastic, friendly couple and always willing to lend a helping hand. This win of the now 6th year of the World Carp Classic competition saw the coveted trophy and title

of World Carp Classic Champions return to the shores of England (although Mark and Jo have now happily emigrated to the French countryside).

2004 Lac Amance

2004 and my 3rd partner of the WCC saw myself and Rob Marsh being transported to our swim by speedboat (well me anyway, Rob had to drive the truck with most of our gear through the woods to get to our peg.)

It was obvious after the first couple of years at the Lac Amance matches that the carp were very elusive and the lake was more sparsely stocked than was initially thought and hoped for. It was also apparent that most of the captures (certainly from the bank and in these 72 hour matches) were primarily from the margins and in only certain areas of the lake. Alas it was to pass that Lac Amance was not to treat us well and another WCC blank was looming for Rob and I. For the 2nd year in a row and for a 5th year (out of 7) of the WCC competition the winners of the event were again from the UK with the pairing of Mickey Hinson (another very good friend and fishing companion of mine) and Tony Kirrage taking the spoils.

It was after this 3rd year of the event at Lac Amance that personally, I wasn’t feeling it so much. The Madine matches always filled me with enthusiasm and excitement. The move to Lac Amance was not realising the burning ambition and desire that I had in me from the early years of the WCC. Although captures in the matches were always hard to come by, having only hooked fish on 2 of the matches and landing only 1 with Mickey Bevan at Madine, I felt that the huge burden and organisation that was involved in competing abroad was too much for too little reward. My participation in the event had come to an end.

2005 Lac Amance

For the reasons just noted, I had no involvement in this event and had no interest other than that the winners for the 3rd year in a row were from the UK and the very deserving pair of Clive Hicks and Keith Turner, 2 of the nicest guys and again, stalwarts of the WCC competition from the early days.

My retirement from the WCC competition was to be short lived.

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WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 90

ROB TOUGH EVERY ONE A CLASSIC! 2006 Lac de Orient Happy days are here again .. whoop whoo, the WCC is reborn! (see article “Justin, runners, club 18-30 party games …..and the mighty Orient”) Well, what can I say. Ross Honey, the inimitable master salesman who could sell ice cream to Eskimos, sand to Arabs and swan vesta matches to non-smokers had hooked me again.

The event was moving to the mighty Lac de Orient, home of some huge and famous old carp. A mecca for French carp fishing and surely an irresistible lure to anyone who had the same burning desire that I still had to compete on these huge French waters and in competition with the vast array of talent of international carp anglers, whose numbers had been steadily growing since the early years of the event.

Andy Chambers had been fishing the Orient at around the same time as the 2003 and 2004 WCC events on Lac Amance. I had an abiding memory of Andys wonderful captures from the Orient during those visits. One session saw Andy land an unprecedented number of massive carp and ever since seeing those reports my appetite for the mighty Lac de Orient had been well and truly nurtured .

Kev Knight from Mainline and I arranged to partner up for this match and the use of boats had now been introduced. The match was also extended to 5 nights.

For the first time since the Madine years my excitement and enthusiasm for the competition had reached fever point. It was in this 9th year of WCC competition that I genuinely felt the event had truly arrived.

The World Carp Classic was now a mature and well established event drawing the very best of continental anglers to the field. Ross was starting to get oversubscribed and a place in the event was now a must for anyone who was serious about the international competition scene.

This year saw the return of many of the more established names in UK carp angling. Highly successful UK anglers who, like me, had become a little disillusioned with the matches in the preceding years. Rob Hales and Des Taylor, Danny Fairbrass and Damien Clarke, Martin Locke and so many more household names of UK carp fishing had returned to the World Carp Classic to engage the magnificent and incredibly daunting Orient.

All 6,200 acres of it. In fact this was the largest field of pairs competing in the World Carp Classic with an incredible 169 pairs of anglers registered.

Andy Chambers entered the competition this year and everyone looked to him for tips and inside knowledge. Andy was the king of the Orient.

Another change to the format was introduced and one that would only last for 1 year. A tweak that involved the peg draw. I won’t harbour too much on it, but suffice to say ... the “Wheel of fortune”.

The draw was to be carried out by a wheel which was to be hand spun in front of an audience of hundreds of participants, runners, marshalls and assorted organising staff. The idea was to place everyone in a pegged swim at the stroke of a spin but it was probably the biggest anti-climax in the history of the event. I swear I witnessed tumbleweed whistling through the hall at one point. Ross! Not one of your best my friend.. lol.

So after the debacle of the ‘wheel of fortune’ Kev and I eventually found ourselves pegged a little way up from Michelin point and yet again, we were to draw a blank over the 5 days and nights of the competition. Never before had I fished with such vigour and optimism as I did each night than this match. Believing and hoping that we may snare a fish.

We were in good company blanking and in a field of 130+ pairs, I believe only a dozen or so pairs caught carp.

But of course this was the ‘Orient’. It was a joy just to fish it and to compete in it. You really didn’t need to catch to enjoy the experience and with Kev and our runner (or very slow walker), Murray, I

Wheel of fortune... Not just any carp ... a Lac de Orient Common carp for Tom and I hadn’t enjoyed a WCC event as much as that week on the Orient.

The winners of the 2006 match came from Poland, Mariusz Chiach and Jarowslaw Plochoki.

This was not only further indication of the ever expanding European involvement in the WCC but also of the accelerating talent and experience of the European anglers. Boat work and vast expanses of water was 2nd nature to these guys. The stranglehold of the UK pairings had again been broken. More importantly and very personally, my continued interest and further enthusiasm for the competition was now assured. I would be back!

2007 Lac De Orient

The idea was to place everyone in a pegged swim at the stroke of a spin but it was probably the biggest anti-climax in the history of the event.

I swear I witnessed tumbleweed whistling through the hall at one point.

Ross! Not one of your best my friend..

Whether it was the ardous week of the Orient match the year before, the hugely burdensome organisation and logistics of getting to the event or simply just a case of my company for the week, I’ll never know, but Kev Knight had decided to call it a day on the match scene (Kev had long before become fed up with the domestic competitions of the UK). So my good friend Thomas Duncan Dunlop and myself were entered into the 2007 WCC competition with a renewed and fresh outlook and a gritted determination to win the elusive mantle of WCC world champions.

The 2007 event saw the induction of Andy chambers to the organising team. Andy, who had competed the year before was now brought into the management of the event. His undoubted superior knowledge and hard earned experience of the massive lakes we were now competing on, was a much needed, timely and thoroughly innovative move.

Andys’ impressive pegging and foresight moved the WCC events up a notch into an unprecedented era of international competition. The WCC had now become the most prestigious annual event it had always threatened to be. It had arrived in all its splendour. Indeed it was now the foremost annual Carp angling event and not to be missed.

Thankfully, the ‘Wheel of fortune’ had been assigned to the bin. The draw, as always in each of the years’ competitions, was greeted with such hope and aspiration by all the participants. The mighty halls that welcomed the 200-300 competing pairs of anglers, with the assorted marshalls, dignitaries and organising members were a hive of activity, a cacophony of boisterous and well-oiled (mostly male) voices who took their places in seats

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rods were ripped from the rests, line cutting deep into the buzzers now rendered useless and both rods were dumped some fifty yards up the bank

Lucky break... after an altercation with light aircraft in 2007, Tom and I clinched fifth place

or stood until their names were called out and have their fate determined.

What followed would be the long and somewhat nervous walk from your place in the hall to the front of the stage, in full view of your fellow competitors and the cameras that captured these moments of the draw. The draw was an event in itself. On stage, the shaky and sweaty hands were invited to clasp the ‘egg’ from the draw bag – the egg that contained a peg number, the egg which promised so much but so often delivered very little.

Our egg was a good egg. Point Italy (Italie) was a peninsular of a mile or so at the top end of the Orient, furthest from the Dam wall and our swim number was right at the bottom of the peninsular.

Tom and I were drawn on a peg facing directly into the huge expanse of 6200 acres of mighty Orient water.

The week that Tom and I experienced could merit a book on its own. Never before had so many incidents taken place in so short a time than that week on point Italy. We named the week the “Carlsberg” week, because if Carlsberg did matches ... So, we were happy with our swim, we were happy with our lot and we were happy with life.

That was until we had to call the medics from the mainland a couple of days in. I badly burnt my hand picking up a cooker that lay on the sandy floor of the swim. After burning a ring of skin into my palm and screaming like a girl whilst running into the water to cool my burning flesh, the medics were called and they very kindly bandaged me up.

This rendered my left hand useless and boat work became difficult. A day or so after that, Tom’s rods was taken out by a plane. Somewhat of an exaggeration you might think? Nope! We actually got taken out by a plane, not a swan, not a goose or a duck nor indeed superman. It was in fact an actual plane!

A microlight with a single passenger from one of the Italian represented sponsors had been taking aerial snaps of the anglers from above. The plane had buzzed a few swims over the last couple of hours and had seemed to be flying exceptionally close and low throughout the day. A lot of shouting, hoisted arms and frantic waving had been the order of the day.

On one of the circuits of the lake, the plane was at a very low height and in very close proximity to the shoreline. So close in fact, that Tom’s rods,

pointing to the skys above and positioned just a few yards from mine and maybe a mere 12 inches higher on the rod rests, got royally taken out by the plane’s tail on one of its flypasts. The rods were ripped from the rests, line cutting deep into the buzzers now rendered useless and both rods were dumped some fifty yards up the bank having had both lines cut at the tips.

There was a fair bit of headless chicken activity going on in our swim for a while after that. A few urgent phone calls and frantic conversations took place and some very choice words were thrown down the phone towards the organisers and, in particular, Ross Honey.

After the dust had settled Tom and I set about recovering both sets of stranded 200m or so lengths of lines now laying tetherless in the lake and after a couple of hours of dredging with the boat anchor, we managed to retrieve both lines. We respooled and rebuzzered (always carry spares ‘Justin’. Just in case).

Now, from adversity comes success and as a direct result of the mishap we suffered with the plane we actually hooked and landed a common carp of around 23lb on one of the rods we had to re-position. Not just any old common carp, but a glorious Lac de Orient Common carp. A touch of sheer genius by Tom, who, faced with the task of repositioning his rods, had decided to place the rod a little further than before and on a different spot than we had been fishing up to then (it was only a little further). One of those repositioned rods resulted in a take during the following evening and afforded us fifth place overall and a section win in the 2007 WCC. Of the 130 or so pairs competing in that match only 5 pairs actually managed to catch, but this after all, was the Orient. The mighty Orient.

This year also saw a resurgence of the WCC team entry. Tom and I had been invited by Tim Paisley to fish under the Carpworld Banner (as I had done so in previous years) and be part of the 6 man team, the team that went on to win the WCC Team Prize with the help not only of our capture but also that of George Csonka and John Lilley’s fish, which earned them a higher placing overall and also their section win.

Tim Paisley was a non-fishing captain and team leader this year and had driven out to be a part of the week’s activities – spending most of it in our swim and playing golf with us (we had taken some balls and a few clubs to practice our chipping during the quiet hours, lol). Let’s face it, we were

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

ROB TOUGH EVERY ONE A CLASSIC! surrounded by Orient sand, something we were all used to as keen but amateur golfers. Sand bunkers being a second home for some of us on a golf course. Did I mention that this was indeed a Carlsberg week?

The WCC Trophy and honour of 2007 Champions went to the French pair Jean Pierre Becker and Yves Hauk and for the 2nd year in a row, victory escaped the field of English pairs.

2008 Lac de Madine Wow! The WCC was moving back to Madine and I couldn’t be happier. The Orient is such an awesome water and the 2 years the competition was held there were very special indeed. Even though the captures were few and hard fought, I do have special memories of fishing it.

Having said that, Lac de Madine was now considered the home of the WCC and many of us veterans were only too pleased to be once again visiting its shores to try and land some of its glorious carp.

Once again, the drive through the tunnel in the now familiar and welcome September month had Tom and I fishing at Lac de Madine. This was Tom’s first visit to the lake and unfortunately it wasn’t a peg that either of us had hoped for.

Another tweak to the draw this year was to introduce the “stick and twist” option, which was more of a watercraft scenario where competing pairs had the chance to ditch the first peg drawn and risk drawing a second. However, the second peg drawn had then to be fished. A risky and exciting development to the draw indeed.

It did Tom and I no favours however and we were drawn at the back of the Big Island and facing the wooded (night fishing) area. This was the unfancied side of the Island (not the more popular side facing the dam wall) and as mentioned before affectionately (or not so affectionately) named ‘no carp alley’.

Even with the boats and the 5 night match (introduced on the Orient matches) we couldn’t buck the trend and prove an exception to the rule of this side of the island. Just as unlucky as us were Lee and Tim, drawn almost exactly opposite us a good 800 yards away on the mainland in the woods opposite.

And so it was indeed a ‘no carp week’ for Tom and I but fortunately, being in the Carpworld team consisting of Tom and I, Tim Paisley and Lee Jackson, Mark Bartlett and Kevin Hewitt, it was a bitter pill easily swallowed and quickly overcome.

Mark Bartlett and Kevin Hewitt, drawn behind us and further into the woods on the Island(facing the dam wall) had a wonderful week landing a fair few Madine carp and their 3rd place overall ensured the Carpworld Team event

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Glory Days... Mark and Kev came 2nd place overall in 2008 (top left), Frank and Jason with one of the victory for a second year running. Another English pair on the Island, albeit right at the foot of the Island and about 20 or so pegs to our right (best part of a half mile maybe), were to ensure another overall English victory and make it the 7th time (of 10) that a UK pair had won the competition. That honour fell to Peter Truckle and Andrew Judd.

2009 Lac de Madine (If Carlsberg did swims ...)

Well, what can I say. Surely you are all aware so maybe I should just skip by this year and move to 2010. Pardon? No! you didn’t hear? And you want to know all about it ... are you sure? Oh, Ok then, well ,here you go ...

The stick and twist rule of the draw had been a popular inclusion into the event and it meant that all the pairs had to have a good or reasonable

Tom and I were drawn at the back of the Big Island and facing the wooded area .. the unfancied site affectionately known as ‘no carp alley”

idea of the lake, the sections and the fancied and unfancied areas of the lake to make an informed choice as to whether to ditch the first drawn peg and to risk another draw, or to keep the peg first drawn.

Just to reiterate, you weren’t allowed a choice between the 2 pegs, it was the first peg drawn or the second one drawn if the first had been put back. Additionally there was only a limited time allowed on stage to make that decision. The pressure was not for the faint hearted.

Tom and I made our way to the stage at the appropriate time and fully armed with our reams of paper, with grids and sections, crosses and ticks, names and labels of favourites and inbetweeners, total lost causes and sure fire winning swims, we stuck our hand in to pull that egg.

Well, I stuck my hand into the net holding the eggs and pulled our swim. Ross read out the swim number and we mentally reconciled the bank space and the water that synched with the peg.

It wasn’t a bad draw, in fact, it was a reasonable peg in a stretch of Lac de Madine that had not been fished before in previous matches. We were confident that we would certainly catch, but would we win from there? What could be the peg

Biggest Fish in 2009 (centre top) and me and Tom, £10,000 richer and a million times happier! we drew if we risked this one and put it back?

We knew there were still a few very good pegs in the net, we had been crossing off the draw but we also knew very starkly that there were still some real shitters (sorry, I mean unfancied pegs) still in the net to be drawn.

I looked at Tom and said “Risk it?” (I was in two minds, neither adamant of keeping the peg, nor desperate to risk it to pull a worse one)...

“Put it back”, he stated, clearly and without hesitiation. “You sure?” I asked, about 5 times. But by that time both our minds were made up, we put back what was a pretty good draw to risk pulling what could have been a complete nightmare of a swim. We could have been back on the far side of the Island in the stretch of bank we had fished the year before ... “no carp alley”.

Tom pulled the egg this time and handed it to Ross. Ross read out the new peg and a little smile broke out on both our faces, we were indeed back on the Big Island, but nowhere near the stretch from the previous year. We had pulled a peg down at the foot of the Island and in a swim that although had produced no fish in the previous year, was actually in water very close to where Peter and Andrew had won from in 2008.

We were happy to say the least. We didn’t punch the air, we didn’t do a jig on the stage and we managed to control our emotions in full view of the 130 or so pairs of anglers – a fair few who still had to draw their own pegs. Inside I was doing cartwheels. This was indeed the best draw I had been afforded in the 11 years of the competition and in the 9 events I had actually competed.

We were boated to our swim (my 3rd time on Madine of having to boat the mass of tackle, bait and provisions for the duration of the week long competition. There were no shops on the Island, just sheep, and lots of them) For the first 24 hours of the match Tom and I stayed out of the water in the dinghy. We deliberately chose not to feature find straight from the off.

We had taken remote microcats with us and planned to recce the depths and features in front of us using the remote boat so as not to unduly disturb any fish that may have been in the swim.

The first 24 hrs of these matches saw 130 + pairs of anglers out in dinghys, plumbing and marking, disturbing the water and baiting up new found spots. Well, we thought that given the opportunity that was now the case in the slack

water in front of us, we would take it softly softly.

We scanned the swim remotely with the fishfinder attached to the microcat and made note of the depths and features. We chose our 4 spots and dropped our baited rigs with a scattering of freebies from the remote hoppers.

We would give the first day and first night a go without using the dinghy.

That first day and night was uneventful apart from Tom’s right hand rod splaying into action in the evening, around 9pm. Unfortunately the fish got into a snag and we lost it. But we knew we had carp in front of us. The rest is history.

We did on the second day, take to the dinghy and found more accurately the spots we were looking for, the hardest and most attractive bottom of the lake that we could find. We already knew depths so the dinghy work was reduced and the time spent was minimal. All we had to do now, was take the opportunity given to us and make the most of it.

That week was to be unforgettable and was by far the most action-packed and sleep exhaustive week of fishing I had ever endured. In 5 nights we had approx. 15 hours of sleep and had landed 29 carp from 31 takes, including 4 fish of 40lb or over.

We actually only weighed in 28 as one escaped from our retainer during the night.

The week included a 12 hour boat ban right in the middle of a frenzied feeding spell, the wind being considered far too strong to be out in boats.

The weight of 770lb was a new WCC record and Tom and I had become the 2009 WCC Champions and £10,000 richer. Our win was also enough to ensure the Carpworld team retained the Team Event for a 3rd year in a row.

At last for me, the elusive dream of winning had been realised and the years before of the bad draws, the miserable weeks, the dashed hopes and the ever increasing costs and heartbreak was all now forgotten. The world was good!

This year was also the year in which the WCC biggest fish record was broken not once but twice.

The first capture by Frank Warwick and Jason Caan on the mainland in the Boel Baits section weighed in at around 58lb. That record was then broken in a matter of a days or so by the German pair and the aptly named angler “Axel Whacker” with his 66lb Madine monster, taken in the area near the marina on the beach section. 2009 was a good year for the WCC.

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This was indeed the best draw I had been afforded in the 11 years of the competition

2010 Lac de Madine Tom and I drew the mainland in 2010, but still had to have all our gear boated to our swim. The bankside where our swim was located was pretty much inaccessible by vehicle.

We were in the wooded area facing the back of the Island , this was of course the opposite side of…. “no carp alley”. We were in fact now on ‘the dark side’. Although we hadn’t been dealt the best of swims and we knew we were up against it we set out our stall and looked forward to the week.

This was, after all, the WCC at Lac de Madine and we were defending champions (just in case you missed that).

We actually landed a couple of carp that week, losing another one on the very first night and falling prey to a huge cat of around 80lb. ‘No carp alley’ had produced by far the most carp in the week of this event more than ever before.

Pegs opposite us on the backside of the Island facing us and pegs further to our right and back to our left had also caught that week which made the sections close fought and very competitive.

Despite catching we ended up without any spoils

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ROB TOUGH EVERY ONE A CLASSIC!

this year and in addition we failed to hold on to the team event for Carpworld.

It was however yet another fantastic competition to be involved in. Old friends of ours and Carpworld team ex member George Csonka with his partner John Roberts went on to win the 2010 title (the 9th UK pairing to win from 12 events) from a mainland swim in the now prolific area of water that had seen the last 3 years winners.

2011 Lac de Madine I am sure my absence was sorely missed (I have no reason to assume that apart from my arrogance) but circumstances meant I was unable to compete this year and therefore the personal account of my passage for 2011 year will be brief.

For the first time a German pairing of Jens Gassen and Thomas Muller were to win the WCC. It had also become quite clear to Ross and Andy that the lake at that particular time of year had a certain predictability in terms of fish movement.

Areas of water that were proving to be more proficient and catchworthy meant that the peg draw if not confirming the winning pair, was at least beginning to indicate who would be at the top of the leader-board from the outset. The event needed a ‘tweak’.

2012 Lago di Bolsena

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(For the 2nd year in a row I was unable to compete in the WCC but hankered so much to be there.

But made me more determined to compete in the following year. My appetite for the WCC had never been so strong.)

Italy. Oh yes, Italy! By now, the event was not just a European World event to be held in one European country. The ever increasing popularity of carp fishing across Europe in general and competition carp angling, meant new waters in more and more European countries were being noted.

France had been the nation for choice of venues for the last 14 years and although the particular Lake venues had been switched 3 times and the wonderful lakes of Madine and Orient had hosted magnificent and hard fought matches (Lac Amance was now just a distant memory), it was now time to switch it up. The tweak had been made. The competition was moving to Italy and the incredible Lago di Bolsena.

Bolsena was by far the biggest lake to host the WCC. At some 10km long and 8 km wide it covered 27,000 acres of crystal clear water. It is reputed to be the cleanest freshwater lake in Europe. That in itself was going to mean some serious aforethought to the anglers gracing its banks and bobbing along in their dinghys above its very visible terrain.

In earnest, I did my homework the following year and kept abreast of the events in this, the first Bolsena competition. I noted the areas, or should I say the different towns around the lake that produced fish in the 2012 comp. With progress generally in the world, came new and innovative ways of preparing for these type of matches. Aerial weather maps and Google Earth allowed me to start building a picture of the lake, the sections with differing depths, and by keeping a track on the live updates online during the 2012 competition, I started to think about the following year and 2013.

It was Romanias turn to take the coveted title of 2012 World Carp classic champions and Peter Micula and Norbert Pongr were the deserved winners of the 2012 competition.

2013 Lago di Bolsena Arnie used to say “I’ll BE back”, but I WAS back!

Yes, I was. Having been in the wilderness for a couple of years, and with Tom fishing with a new Partner in my absence (our good friend Martin Locke), the 2013 competition saw myself and Lee Jackson pair up.

I have known Lee for many, many years and he, like myself, was a stalwart of the WCC competitions having also competed in the very first 1998 48 hr event at Lac de Madine.

Lee and I had the luxury of flying to the Italian event. We touched down in Rome, caught a train to the countryside and hopped on a bus to get to one of the towns surrounding the Lake and got off next to the campsite where we had booked a chalet for the preceding 3 nights before the event took place. Tom Wright from ATT, who was also competing, transported our tackle and provisions and delivered straight to our drawn swim. This was the type of WCC match I enjoyed the most!

The Italian matches had reverted back to a straight peg draw. To have a watercraft “stick and twist” option on a lake as massive as this was far too tall an order given the sheer size of the water.

The first peg drawn out of the hat was where we would be fishing. Lee and I drew a peg at the southern tip of the lake close to the town of Marta.

An area of which I had a fair bit of knowledge, having done plenty of research in the months leading up to the competition.

I had spoken at length on the phone to Mark Gardener (the 2003 Lac Amance champion) and coincidentally we had spent a fair amount of time focusing on the sandbanks that can be clearly seen on the weather ariel maps of Lake Bolsena a few hundred yards out from the shoreline that we had been pegged on. Lee and I, armed with this prior knowledge and with the carp gods looking down on us had a fantastic week at Lake Bolsena and managed to land 28 or so glorious Italian carp from our swim. However, the chains secured to the many bouys dotting the water in front of us thwarted the landing of a fair few more carp.

We managed a 2nd placing in 2013, a magnificent result for us but nevertheless runners up to the overall winners for the Dutch ladies pair of Lizette Beunders and Bianca Venema. This was the 2nd Dutch success story in the history of the WCC competition, but more significantly this was

And now it’s the 2016 event.. a week that will no doubt throw up some more surprises and will certainly form another chapter in the history of the WCC competition

Everyone a winner! Romanians Peter Micula and Norbert Pongr take the 2012 title (top left); 2013 saw the first ladie’s Pairs victory with Dutch anglers Lizette Beunders and Bianca Venema with myself and Lee following closely behind in second (left) and the Legend Tim Paisley with Lee in 2015 making the leaderboard with their prize catch the very first ladies pair victory in 16 years of the event, having outfished 130+ pairs of male anglers, the Dutch ladies were truly deserving champions.

2013 was an incredibly successful year for me in competitive carp angling. Not only did Lee and I gain that 2nd place at WCC 2013, but along with my fishing partner in the UK Matt Jones, we won the British Carp Angling Championship in early September of 2013. An incredibly difficult competition of 3 rounds, involving hundreds of UK pairs battling it out from the months of March and April through to the a ‘final’ in September.

A month after the WCC In the October of 2013, Abbey lakes in France hosted the inaugural European Carp Angling Championships with a format of 3 X 48hr matches consecutively spread over Heron, Fox and Wild Boar Lakes. Tom and I fishing as a pair managed an overall 3rd position to round off an incredible 2013 which I would be hard pushed to repeat.

2014 Lago di Bolsena

Once again, circumstances meant I was unable to make the trip for 2014 and I would have to wait another year to be back competing.

Just like the Dutch, Poland now boasted a 2nd win of the WCC championship and the pairing of Andrej Walczak and Gabriel Starzec became the overall winners and 2014 champions. Well done the both of you. These two, just like Tom, myself and the 14 other past WCC winners were part of a very exclusive club ‘World Carp Classic Champions’.

2015 Lac de Madine

Well, we had come full circle again. The competition moved back to the home of the WCC and once again France and the awesome Madine was to host the 2015 event.

The 2015 competition was once more to be “tweaked”. The draw format had settled back to a single peg draw (since Italy) but the winning weights and overall winners were now to be decided by the aggregate weight not of all the Carp caught by a competing pair, but only of the biggest 3 fish landed. That meant that no longer could a pair race away into the lead after landing a number of Carp whilst other competitors awaited a first ‘take’.

The match was ‘alive’ for the entire week where a pair catching one or two large carp late into the competition could storm up the leader-board and steal the crown. This change, in my opinion was very much a welcome format change and proved to be very popular with many others.

My partner in 2015 was Paul Leadbetter and this was Paul’s very first foray into the world of International Carp angling competition. He was suitably enthralled with the set-up, the organisation, the lake and the sheer size and magnitude of the event. In fact it would be fair to say as I was too. I still had that sense of wonderment and exhilaration travelling to and arriving at the Lakes of the chosen WCC venue and none more so than Lac de Madine in 2015.

The fishing side this year was none too kind to Paul and I. Pegged (yet again) on the big Island in

In the Eighteen years of WCC competition I have managed a 5th overall, a 2nd overall and a 1st overall. A record I am immensely proud of. The support I have had from my many fishing partners and in particular Thomas Duncan Dunlop has been greatly appreciated and invaluable.

In addition, the support from the angling trade and the sponsorship afforded me over these years is also something I am immensely grateful for. The help I am lucky enough to receive from Carpworld, Spomb Ltd, ATT alarms, Phat Fish clothing and PB Products to name just a few has been invaluable.

I perhaps owe most gratitude to one guy more than anyone else. That is my very good friend Kevin knight who along with Steve Morgans own Mainline Baits. For eighteen years Mainline Baits have supported my fishing, especially all of the competitions I enter – without their help I would certainly not of had the success I have enjoyed.

I will end here on a word of congratulations and thank you to Ross Honey and Marianne. Your vision and foresight in 1998 of a prestigious international event involving Carp anglers from around the world drew much criticism and cynicism.

Fortunately enough of us had the belief (you are indeed a supreme salesman Ross) and the faith in you, coupled with our competitive nature to stay the course. The world Carp classic competition is now indeed and has been for many years a truly magnificent annual event that hundreds of us look forward to all year round. It is by far second to none in its magnitude, camaraderie and sheer excitement. I have been blessed and honoured to have been able to compete in so many of these events. The evolution of the WCC from the early days to the now hugely successful competition it has now become, is down to the sheer enthusiasm, determination and professionalism shown by both Ross and Marianne.

Carpe Diem! See you all in Czech Republic, Lake Novomlynska. n ROB TOUGH

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the middle of the Lake but this time on the “good” side. The side of the Island facing back over to the Dam wall and a favoured area of the lake in past years. In fact the week was unusually hard for most of the field and Madine did not fish to form this year. Areas of the lake that had produced in past years proved to be very different than expected. The big Island produced far less captures than I could ever remember, and overall the catch numbers were down on previous years.

Tim and Lee did well in their section and landed a stunning fish to put them on the leader-board.

Never had a pair and certainly the man Tim Paisley, deserved more luck than they did. Tim has been an absolute mainstay of the WCC competition, as indeed in the global Carp scene generally. He has been more dedicated and steadfast in the pursuit of WCC victory than anyone else in its history. He has enjoyed huge success in Carp angling and won many titles including “Double” world champion titles of other events, but I know more than anything the WCC has been a thorn in his side and luck has never been as kind to him as it certainly has to others in this competition, myself included.

The eventual winners of this, the last event in my historical jog down memory lane, were the Trio (another tweak of the competition, allowing a 3rd angler to join the pair but still maintaining the use of 4 rods maximum) of Hans Sissingh, Mattie Curfs (Dutch) and Larysa Switlyk (USA).

So a first had taken place in that a dual nation victory occurred in 2015 for Holland and USA. Many congratulations to all three of you and a special mention to Hans, well done mucca!

I first met Hans on point Italy at the Lac de Orient WCC in 2007. Hans and his then partner Koos Waters had been pegged next to Tom and I in 2007. This victory had long been coming to Hans who has supported the WCC events for almost as long as I and the victory thoroughly deserved .

And now we look forward to the 2016 event. A week that will be tortuous for some and ecstatic for others. A week that will no doubt throw up some more surprises but will certainly form another chapter in the history of the WCC competition.

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xplain it ..

I have to e o d s e tim y !’

‘How man G COMPETITION IN it’s a FISH Flat! After yet another unlucky day at his swim, Tim was feeling slightly deflated

‘That’s it Lee .. nice big smile for my mum! She thinks you’re so hot!’

‘Honestly mate .. I don’t know what happened to your Haagen’s .. why is it me that always gets the blame?’

Rob and Sponge Bob has so much fun that day!

FUNNY OLD 100

Lost in translation.. Everyone began to wonder if Marianne actually understood what the armband said

Rule 798,78, 450... the correct way to photograph your catch

Frank wanted so badly to be one of the hens, and wear a tight, pink top, but the girls refused

So, tell me guys ... how does this spray tan machine thing turn on?

‘I’m telling you .. this site is perfect! all you have to do is move this tree .. yeah?

‘Unt ... this is how I get my pants tight enough ... goot ya?’

‘So gentlemen .. pr Biggest Fish goes ize for the to ....

Shaggy dog story .. Enter Steve Howard, stage right

‘ and Toughy caught what?! None at all?

GAME!

If Mivardi made beds ..

Awkward moment No.1

Ross was continually devising ingenious ways of checking on competitors without them knowing

Awkward moment No.2

Rule 986,6 8 Classic, stay 0,000 ... what goes o n s in the Wo rld Carp Cla at the World Carp ssic

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A-Series QuickTop Tackle Bags n Innovative hybrid soft/hard design n Viewable, fast-access storage in hard top lid n Proprietary polyester soft bag construction with water-resistant lining n Moulded, impact-resistant, waterproof base n Choice of two sizes: 3600 or 3700 n Includes four StowAways in either 3600 or 3700 sizes n Exterior zippered pockets plus two tool holders n MOLLE tactical webbing n Reinforced carry handle and padded shoulder strap

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ANGLING SPIRIT MAKING A DIFFERENCE RESPONSIBLY

RAISING OUR

SPIRITS The ethos of Angling Spirit is to promote angling in a responsible manner; to organise and stage events with the betterment of angling as our focus.

As well as the World Predator Classic, the World Carp Classic and the World Carp Classic Junior Events also come under the umbrella of Angling Spirit

Our aim is to make a difference, responsibly, and we are very well aware of the fact that our status, not only in respect of the angling world but in the eyes of the general public, places a significant onus upon us to ensure that angling is looked upon in a favourable light.

In line with this ethos, Angling Spirit will continue to be environmentally responsible and our events will be staged accordingly. Angling Spirit is synonymous with best practice angling and sportsmanship, and our event rules will at all times uphold the true spirit of international competition. We are proud of the events that we have established and the high benchmarks they have set.

The World Carp Classic was established in 1998 and has become the biggest, most prestigious and popular carp angling event in the world. Perhaps of equal importance to us, it has become known affectionately throughout the carping community as being far more than

an angling competition. Uniquely, it is endorsed by many to be a celebration of angling with an amazing festival atmosphere. That is something that we can all be justifiably proud of.

The World Carp Classic is now entering its 19th event. This is the largest carp fishing competition in the world with over 100 teams fishing at the side of a lake twenty-four hours a day for four days solid. This year will be held in the Czech Republic for the first time. We are very excited to be working with Jakub Vagner international fishing celebrity.

Having sold out this event in just three weeks. We’ve already launched the World Carp Classic 2017 Super Cup, where we aim to have 250 competing teams spread over the two sister lakes, of which the first is being used for this year’s event.

Last year was also the first year of our World Carp classic Junior event. Young anglers aged 10-18 years of age representing 14 countries took part in a three-day event at Lake Katlov, Jakub Vagner’s private lake near Kuta Hora in the Czech Republic. The team from Italy won the event after a very close battle with the local hospital team. The event was a fundraiser for the Motol Hospital in Prague, which will help to purchase much-needed equipment. The event was free for the young anglers as all of the kit and bait that they needed to be was supplied free of charge by our generous sponsors.

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Family values..

Last year we held our first ever World Carp Classic Junior event at Lake Katlov, where we raised funds for Praque’s Motol Hospital

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‘‘

FRANK WARWICK

AT THE WORLD CARP CLASSIC JUNIORS

GOING ON A COACH TRIP

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It’s not every day you get invited to travel to a foreign land, fish on beautiful Czech lakes and mentor the World Junior Classic English team that you’ve never met before – and all in the same trip ... but, as luck would have it, that’s exactly what Ross Honey asked me to do

My good friend Ross rang me and asked if would I like to test- fish the venue where the 2016 World Carp Classic was being held - Lake Novomalynska. I checked my diary and to my delight I found it was possible, so I had no hesitation in agreeing to fly over to the Czech Republic.

It is never easy flying to another country to fish with the limited gear you can take in 22 kilos of luggage on a flight. Ross assured me, however, that the bigger items would be supplied, such as bivvies, bed chairs, sleeping bags, and rods – all would be there already and made available to the group of well-known anglers invited over for the exercise. Some of the Dutch lads such as Ardy Veltkamp, Lars Blood and Peter Hillebrand would be there, along with my Italian friends, Riccardo Battisti and Daniele Colapicchioni, as well as one of the local Czech anglers, Petr Surek.

Luckily Lars and Peter had driven down with the Junior competitors from Holland and had a number of essential tackle items with them that came in useful – such as leads that we were lacking.

Just before leaving the UK I was sent a message asking if I would mentor the England juniors as the original mentor could not make the World Carp Classic junior competition due to work changes and other commitments. This caught me slightly off- guard, totally unexpected as it was. I had no idea just who the England juniors were, or how experienced they might be. Anyway, I had no hesitation in stepping in to help and agreed to do so..

The Junior match was to be held on another venue, called Lake Katlov, a beautiful ancient lake owned by the well-known angling personality, Jakob Wagner. I guess Jakob is the angling equivalent of David Beckham there, judging by the way he was mobbed wherever he went. But he is a very modest man and I was to notice that he had time for everyone.

Ross met me at Prague airport and we were

soon on our way to Lake Novomalnska, which is around 25 miles from Brno. We met the other guys by the lake, some of whom were all set up and already fishing. My first impression was the sheer size of the lake – it is huge, and situated in a vast natural valley set in vineyards and sweeping glorious country side. The weather was hot and calm, not a cloud in the sky.

I was eager to get set up and settled on the vast concrete dam wall, near the Dutch boys. Luckily, a rod pod had been provided, as bank sticks were of little use on the vast dam wall. We were all casting on this trip, as boats were not permitted at this stage –although we did notice several boats anchored up and dotted around the centre of the lake that obviously had carp anglers fishing from them complete with bivvy conversions. You need a special permit to boat-fish apparently, and we were told that night-fishing was not permitted between the hours of 10pm and 4 am, so we were going to wind in between those hours.

The dam where we were fishing from made the use of a bivvy awkward, so the only option was to bivvy up at the rear foot of the wall, some 30 feet down the embankment. As I like to watch the rods I opted to sleep under the stars as the weather forecast said we would get no rain.

What it lacked in rain, however, was made up for by a wind that was almost gale-force, and the valley seemed to funnel it and fuel its strength. Despite the wind, it was red hot and as a consequence, one easily got burnt without realising it, what with the cooling effect of the wind. In fact, I ended up very sun-tanned, indeed, and burned my bottom lip, which ended up swollen and chapped and then split open. Be warned, perhaps best to pack some very good sun protection and lip balm. I got some of the protective white lip gear that cricketers wear. I looked like Al Jolson – but, hey, who cares?

The fishing was awkward with such a strong wind but Petr, one of the local carp anglers, tried fishing much closer in and managed three modest-sized carp around 18lbs. So I tried fishing close and had

Ross had told me the opening ceremony at a medieval city called Kunta Hora was going to be a bit special and he wasn’t kidding

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

We were going to be up against it, because it was not the time nor place for a sudden crash course in casting

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FRANK WARWICK EVERY ONE A CLASSIC! two runs. We were filming both carp scrapping and, as bad luck would have it, both shed the hook after hefty scraps, right at the net. If you had seen the size of the waves as we were trying to land them it was hardly surprising – but I was still annoyed, as both of those carp would have been my first-ever Czech fish.

All too soon time ebbed away and we had to pack up to make our way North for the junior event at Katlov.

After a two-hour drive we arrived at Jakob’s lake and I must say it looked lovely – carp crashing frequently. I secretly wished I was there for my own fishing, as some of the carp showing looked quite large and were plentiful.

I went to bivvy city and met a lot of the other teams and competitors and was introduced to the English youngsters, Scott and Joshua. They were very young, both 14 years of age, and they looked much younger than all the other team juniors, who were mostly around 17 or 18 years of age. I did wonder how the English pair would shape up being those years younger, but I guessed we would soon find out.

Ross had told me the opening ceremony at a medieval city called Kunta Hora was going to be a bit special and he wasn’t kidding. We all got on the coach and made the 30-minute journey to the event, and I have to say it was a beautiful place. It seemed most of the population of the city had turned out to welcome us and join in the festivities. There were people dressed up in traditional medieval costumes, some were on stilts and there were jugglers and all manner of musicians playing. It was some spectacle.

We did a procession through the town centre, where the teams flew their countries’ flags, and made our way to the spectacular cathedral for the official ceremony and the all- important swim draw.

Jakob did the welcoming speech as did the mayor of the city – then the draw took place. It was rather strange seeing a draw take place in this massive, imposing gothic cathedral. As luck would have it, we got what was generally considered a very good draw, which was in the furthest point of the

lake, in a weedy bay. We were happy with that and pleasantly optimistic.

After the formal ceremony we moved on to a rather plush reception in a gorgeous twofloored stylish bar and club, where the buffet and drinks on show were incredible. Jakob certainly doesn’t mess around with these things and it was stunning. There was a 9pm coach back to Katlov and a 12 midnight coach back – so we all thought, naturally, we would be getting the late one, as blokes do….

The following morning we made our way to the swim – a lovely looking area, very weedy and with a lot of weed in the near margins where the boys would have to try and net fish. Our first job was going to be to clear the masses of floating weed with the landing net. Team captains such as myself were not allowed to touch the rods or landing nets in any way, which made it awkward as the two boys with me were both small lads.

Scott put the chest waders on that we had borrowed and the tops of the waders came up to his chin. it was comical – they nearly buried him. Another problem was the margins dropped of dramatically and, after a few steps, the water

was up to the tops of the waders, so things were going to be very difficult. Eventually, the area was reasonably cleared so that Scott could reach – but, further out, it was unreachable and thick.

This was going to be tricky.

We had been very kindly sponsored by my good friend Pele Johnson, who owns Spotted Fin, a very dynamic new bait company, in which I am personally involved. Pele had sent us plenty of the highly successful Catalyst boilie, pellets, a whole selection of liquids such as Krill, Tuna, Salmon oil, minamino and others, plus hook baits - so we were well covered.

I got busy and showed the boys the rigs I favour and we discussed tactics. We noticed a number of signs of carp but these were worryingly at substantial ranges.

I asked the boys what their casting skills were like. These were all right, they assured me. I asked if they could reach the areas where fish were moving and they said they could – but looked worried! That said enough, as I was to find out.

The lads could use two rods each, so that was fine. They asked, “Are we going to spomb to start with?” And I asked them, “How long

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Mixing with the big boys.. Can anyone else hear Vwagner?

An inquisitive mind and a face for radio!

do you think it would be before all the carp in our quiet relatively shallow bay would tolerate being bombed by a spomb before doing the disappearing act?” Not long, in my opinion. I told them to start quietly and build up as they went along. If the carp looked like needing a fair bit of bait we could always build it up, as and when.

I made up a number of PVA mesh bags, containing crushed and chopped boilies, along with heavily glugged pellets. I also pointed out that I liked to use much heavier leads than perhaps the boys were using – up to 4 and 5 ozs.

They were a bit shocked at this and said they mostly used 3ozs.

The horn went for the start of the competition and it was time for me to see what the lads had, casting-wise. After a couple of tentative casts I got worried – they were really struggling to make even modest distances. We were going to be up against it, because it was not the time nor place for a sudden crash course in casting.

We noticed some movement 30 feet or so out and Scott managed a cast to the spot, so we put 30 boilies over the rig with a catapult. Three other spots were covered in much the same way,

How long do you think it would be before all the carp in our quiet, shallow bay would tolerate being bombed by a spomb before doing the disappearing act?

I was extremely fortunate to find myself being asked by Ross to come on board with Angling Spirit and carry out some media work as Media Coordinator, mainly for the World Carp Classic events.

To be honest it was quite daunting as to how I would approach this and try something a little diffrent. At the time of joining Angling Spirit the first ever WCCJ (World Carp Classic Junior) event was only a month or so away so I wanted to promote that, as it’s such a fantastic event.

I carried out plenty of research and put together an article for the website – it was so inspirational to know that these young anglers are the future of our sport. The work that goes on behind the scenes is endless with the aim being to raise much needed funds for vital equipment and research for the specialist childrens’ hospital that deals with seriously ill children with terminal cancer.

So my next project was how to raise awarness of the biggest world competition in Carp angling/ My first idea was to contact various well-known anglers and ask them to sum up their thoughts on what fishing a World Carp Classic was like and to share this on the WCC Website. So I began by sending each angler a pm, to see if they would assist me. I was really taken aback by the positive response. Frank Warwick, Lee Jackson, Rob Tough, Lars Bood, Ardy Veltkamp, Marcel ulje, and Henrik Hansen to name just a few, were all happy to help out with this project.

After getting the quotes, I formatted them ready to go on to the website, helped by Roy Oostindien, who ended up as my proof reader and spotted my mistakes (many!).

To keep things intresting I wanted to get out there and meet some of the major sponsors of the event and do a brief one-on-one. It was absolutely fantastic to catch up with Daryl Hodges and have a tour of the Dynamite bait factory and to meet up with Shimano’s Griff. I also visited the Reuban Heaton HQ and spoke with Andrew Race – that was a real eye opener. From these meetings I

put together a piece on each visit and again put on the official website.

Well, as I have a face for radio, I contacted Radio 5’s sports broadcaster, Nigel Botherway and arranged a live chat early one Sunday morning. We had a laugh and a nice chat about all things World Carp Classic which has also been added on the website.

Having fished the WCC 2015 with good friend Chris Thompson, I can certainly understand the togetherness, the celebration and the fantastic atmosphere created by carp anglers from around the world.

The 2016 issue was how do I do I now do something totaly diffrent.

So first off, was a Q&A with some diffrent sponsors to the event. This included Carp Couture, VMC and Ray Marine who all candidly answerd my questions – extremley interesting as some of them were fairly to the point. Also this year – and I’m still working on this – I’ve approached certain anglers and asked them to name five things that not many people would know about them – we’ve had a laugh with this one! If you havn’t seen the articles, they’re also on the Website and should give you a smile....

There are so many diffrent things that I have undertaken in this role – from following the journey of lasts year’s WCCUK Qaulifers, winners Josh and Brett, interviewing some fascinating angling characters and being on radio.

Being the Media Coordinator is something that I really enjoy doing. It’ might not be for the money, but what it has done is enabled me to meet and speak to so many great anglers and forge some great friendships.

The World Carp Classic is without doubt the biggest event of its kind in the world – a true celebration of carp angling and I’m thankful to be a small cog amongst the big wheels.

Can I just thank my good friend Frank Warwick who has helped me out many times, and Ross Honey for the opportunity to do this. And finally to my wife Sharan who assists me in formating and designing the articles. n MIKE MADELEY MEDIA COORDINATORANGLING

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM FRANK WARWICK JUNIOR CLASSIC 2016

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except we used a naked chod on two rods, in an effort to try to allow the boys to gain a bit more distance – which it did. We then put baits over these with a throwing stick.

Forty-two minutes in, and Scott’s right hand rod belted off to a screaming run – and it was game on. After a tense little battle we had a 23lb common sat in the net. What a good start – and it was the first fish out in the competition. Very nice…

In this match it was the combined weight of your three biggest carp that formed your final weight, so, in effect, you might have fewer fish but be lucky and get bigger carp and still be able to win – who knows what might get caught in the 72 hours of the competition?

A few hours later Josh had a decent take on one of the naked chod rigs and it looked like a good fish. In fact, it was a very long common of 29lbs but looked bigger. I guess it was freshly spawned out and would have been a mid-30 a week or two earlier.

I did a fair bit of teaching on the session, showing the boys how and why I use the rigs and presentations that I do.

I got the lads to tie up their favourite rigs and they were ok, but not ideal, so I went into detail, showing them the finer points of very effective rigs. I also showed them how to tie shock leaders, something they were not familiar with, having fished mostly smaller waters back in the UK. The more subtle approach seemed to be working well, and we had more action and soon had three fish on the board. Once you have three fish on your score sheet, of course, you are in the game, as you then replace your top three fish with any larger ones as you go along.

We noticed a number of fish mooching around in the reeded margins to our left, so we decided to walk down to them, bait up and cast a mesh bag in their vicinity. This worked fairly quickly and bites soon followed.

Getting the fish in was another matter and the boys suffered a number of hook pulls in this tricky weed- infested bay – despite us dumping leads and doing all we could to combat the situation.

Young guns .. Riccardo with his Italian Junior team who came second after a very close battle with the winning Dutch boys, Rowan Bood and Raymond Wiering ... a well deserved result for both After several hours the boys had had a number of bites and were on six carp, with the biggest being, from memory, 29, 28 and 23lbs.

But we needed a few bigger carp, and, of course, that’s where the element of luck plays its part… We got regular score sheets, with news from around the lake and, with the overcast weather, we learned that some of the swims that were deeper in open water were fishing consistently well for some of the other teams.

We needed hot sunny weather to bring more carp into our shallower weedy bay and that was forecast, so we were hopeful.

Riccardo was in the lead with the Italian lads and they had had a couple of low 30s in their top three carp, with their third fish being somewhat smaller. One good carp could easily put us in the lead.

As we were chatting about this, one of Scott’s rods buckled round in the left hand margin. It very soon became apparent that he was into a much bigger carp. it slammed the rod around and gave him a searing, unstoppable run which picked up a ton of weed.

Eventually, after a tense battle, a big common wallowed in the margin with a huge ball of weed around it. I got a good look at it as Josh was in the water trying to ready the net, and it was, in my estimation, 40lbs-plus but small in stature. Josh was nearly up to his neck in the water and he

simply couldn’t get the net under this carp.

Weed was forcing the mesh up on top of it and it was like a tennis racquet on its head. It shed the hook and was gone in an instant. It was such a shame, as that fish would almost certainly have put us up in front and might well have won the whole event.

Despite our best efforts and a good number of fish banked – and more unfortunate fish losses – we couldn’t get any bigger carp, But the main thing was, the boys learned a lot and had some of their biggest carp ever.

They did their best and I was happy with their efforts, them being so young and relatively in- experienced. They had a great time and that was what was important. We finished in 9th place from 14 teams.

The Dutch team won and Italy came in second, in a closely fought battle – so well done to those boys, with some very good angling.

The closing ceremony presentation and after-party was incredible There was an amazing atmosphere and a huge crowd. It was truly a big European occasion and was an absolute pleasure to be involved in it.

Roll on next year – and a big thank you to Ross and the WCC team, and Jakob and his family - all being such welcoming and perfect hosts. n FRANK WARWICK