It's a long probably boring one of my early fishing days
I've fished since a young lad around 45 years,starting on one of my relatives ponds in my village. When I reached 11 I was trusted to reel in and go round collecting ticket money in exchange for free fishing and as many maggots I could get in my tubs.
For some reason I was fascinated in the blokes who would turn up and sit behind their 2 rods with strange bobbins hanging from their lines yet mostly catch nothing.This was 1978 and carp fishing was seen as some secret society only practiced by strangely quiet men who would mainly grunt a little when you asked them questions about their fishing,yet tell you not much. I'd hang around them each time annoyingly asking the same questions and eventually my persistence paid off and I was slowly introduced into the way of carp fishing mainly by an older lad who lived a few streets from me.Pete turned out to be my early fishing guru. I think he was about 20 at the time worked down the pit and when not underground he was by the water. While my mates cast out and caught Tench in good numbers that the ponds were well known for I was now sitting behind a carp rod set up complete with monkey climber all loaned to me by Pete, I still have the cardinal 55 he gave me that I first used and caught my first big carp on,all 11lb 3oz, which to me at the time was the size of a whale. After that I was like that first big fish hooked, I quickly turned into one of those strange carp fishermen and learned how to grunt and act all secretive about my fishing.
By the age of 14 I had the full look with army camouflage that I got after joining the army cadets then quickly leaving after getting all the clothing I wanted.I did 2 paper rounds saved and begged mum for money to buy carp tackle.At the start of the 1981 season I was sat on my recliner with two north western carp roads and Cardinal 55s complete with a set of heron bite alarms which ironically never worked if any water got near them, it was at the time the dogs bollocks of a set up.
My personal best at this time was 18lb 5 caught again on on my village pond, 3 pieces of sweet corn was the bait and not even attached to the hook, the hair rig was a secret no more. Some years later I realised that I actually ticketed Rod hutchinson on my village pond, he along with Tim paisley were one of the few carpers who didn't mind my annoying questions and hanging around them so much, some name dropping there but when looking back it is surprising who would fish my little derbyshire village ponds and then went on to be quite well known in fishing and carp magazines.
After school I'd be on my village lake and at weekends if he wasn't working I'd be off to some new lake with Pete in the search of monster carp.
August 15th 1981 was for me at the time the greatest day of my life, 29lb 10oz, I'd not only reached it but smashed through at the time the elusive 20lb barrier, I still remember now my reaction as the needle soared past 20 and bounced around the 30lb on the scales. I don't know who looked more pleased Pete or me as he took countless pics of the stunning mirror carp that I was holding.We both knew it had beaten his PB by 2lb but he couldn't have been more happy for me he really was and still is one of the nicest guys I've ever known. In those early years he'd not only taken me under his fishing wing, he gave me bait, tackle, paid for fishing, supplied me with food, tea and waited when I'd turn up late for our early hours start to some fishing venue. We would throw our gear into his car and drive for hours in search of bigger carp.
Sadly for me at the time we moved in 1982 and my fishing trips declined to the odd trip when Pete would offer to pick me up for a trip somewhere, Pete then got married and with a new family these dwindled even more.
Jump to 1984 and I had a couple of other fishing buddies, Simon and Kev both like me carp crazy. Armed with money from working and a battered ford escort 3 door estate we'd think nothing of driving 100 miles just to walk around a new lake.Over the next couple of years we traveled all over doing day sessions through to full weeks fishing. I'd upped my PB to 34lb on an oxfordshire pit, it was a stunning dark perfect linear mirror and still the best looking carp I've ever caught.
As happens our lives changed over the few years, Kev started a family and Simon finished his training and shift work stopped some of his fishing trips and I was off by myself more often. I was working for my brother earning a decent wedge even at a young age and he was ok for me to not work some fridays and I'd be off fishing for the the weekend.
My fishing took a change and the tranquility of being on a lake with just me there trying to outwit it's elusive big carp was a big part of my fishing over the next few years.Along with a friend I'd met again through fishing we got on a large private pit, again in oxfordshire and I spent the best part of one summer chasing the large carp I'd seen in small bays when walking around in April that year. I saw at least 10 different carp that looked over 30lb and a couple that looked 40lb or it was wish full thinking at the time.I think it was my 7th trip before I caught one, it weighed just under 15lb but I didn't care. I carried on through the summer, my best out was 29lb mirror which was one I saw in the bays that spring as it looked like a leather apart from a couple of large scales down one side so was unmistakable. I caught a few other mid 20s but that 40 never appeared but I was now certain after catching the 29 that one of those I saw was near 40lb. It might not seam much now but at the time was out of reach of most anglers.I planned to go back the following year and catch one but never made it,my mate did and managed a few including a 37. The 29 I caught was pictured in several mags at just under 40lb a few years later, as was the norm back then the venue was kept secret but I knew once I saw the fish where it came from,the same bloke caught a 46 the same year. I fished it for a long weekend with my old mate Pete about 15 years later and like my first catch I caught only a nearly 15lb common, the 40s not touching my bait again.
Carp fishing was becoming more popular and as you went around you'd bump into the same people and through meeting them I was lucky to get to fish some of the best lakes in England at the time which was through the late 80s and the 90s it was in my mind the best days of my carp fishing and to alot of my fishing friends, back then it was more of the unknown what was in some waters, dedicated carp magazines like carp world were just starting out with pictures and features of big carp and new waters that may hold monsters. I was joining angling clubs just to fish lakes that could hold large carp and guested other lakes.
I managed to fish in those years and later some places that are difficult to get on now among them Yately, Birch, Redmire,Mangrove, Horseshoe,Savay,Waveney,Colne mere, Wraysbury,Causweway and plenty more catching some spectacular fish. I got my old fishing Albums out while typing this out looking at the pictures of some special fish I've caught among them my many faves including some well known fish. The pug, Mary but sadly not her mate, Arfur tail, heather the leather being my first 40 in 1987 , Bazil twice, Sally from savay, Split Tail ,The Causeway fish,Toadless mirror,the Black Mirror from Colne mere. These 4 caught on one weekend on Manor, Pin scale, Cut Tail ,Popeye and the little linear, The Sonning Eye before it went all famous at 52lb in 2000 I got it in 1997 at 46 and lost it at the net in 1999 when looking easily 50lb. There are so many more that have given me so much pleasure in gracing my net and mug in a photo, some not even that big in todays terms. Easily the most memorable the my first 20lb with Pete and the best looking The 34lb dark perfect linear mirror. If you don't Carp fish all that lot will not make any sense or mean anything but if you have then you'll agree in carp fishing how lucky and fortunate I've been down the years
Along with the fishing in some beautiful places, I've seen some special things of our wildlife, I've fed young foxes virtually out of my hand,saw a wild deer being born 5 yards away,a kingfishers eating his morning catch while sitting on my rod,9 mallards hatch in front of me and then all taking to the water together and watched the most amazing sunrises and sunsets and fished through sun rain thunder hail and lightening it was all to me as good as the fish I caught.
This might be called fishing snobbery but about 15 years it lost a bit of something, the banks filled with beer, music and barbeques, a quiet weekend away turned into something more like a party on the banks, more and more lakes syndicated and others that most simply can't get on anymore unless you know someone or had you pictures in the mags. Swims and some lakes locked up for months at a time by mates who drop on when one leaves, I got offered days on some lakes just like this and know people who had been trying to get on for years and this isn't joe bloggs doing the swim and lakes locks it's by people you see who write in fishing mags. Carp fishing as gone and got all big big business.
I'd already down the years fished abroad around europe and that was where carp fishing took more of my time the last 20 years, I could type double of all that lot of France alone, battleing uncaught 40 pounders on wild rivers,hardly fished public lakes while children swum around my lines, a hour struggle with a 90 catfish with a broken landing net while up to my waste in a flooded river, fighting off a wild boar at cassien that I think wanted me for breakfast, watching my mate on the same lake nearly being scooped up by a water plane while on the lake in a dingy.
Fishing as given me some of the most special times I've had and most haven't even been with a fishing rod in my hand, from the people Ive met and the things Ive seen and done I don't think I myself could have experienced them doing a different hobby.
If anyone read that lot well done, I typed it to remind me as much as putting down on here.
