Carping, past, present and into the future by Gary Powell

Where do we start on something like this carp fishing or fishing in general has changed some say for the worse, others for the better me its still as exiting as is was the first day I went to fish for a carp on purpose.

My brother Kevin and I went over the south Essex carp fishery using sweet corn on a hair rig we both caught a carp each and that was it the seed was planted and we became part of a family that was to stretch across Europe and round the world all with one aim in mind to catch and enjoy carp, it never entered my head what the out come would be as I watched the sport grow from a Sunday outing on the local pits and rivers to organisations that run lakes and ponds for the carp fisherman to fish in peace and safety and catch there dreams, we have old seasoned carp anglers to instant right out of the shop carp anglers most of the latter fall by the wayside and there tackle ends up in the classifieds of the weeklies and now the internet the old boys go on and on still doing there thing with the same drive and buzz we all get when the bite alarm burst in to life and the battle begins.

In the early days we mixed evil smelling and sticky concoctions that we called bait now days just pick up the phone and order 10k of your favourite bollie and it comes through the post a couple of days later straight in the freezer house don't smell of fish or strawberry or what ever you are in to that season so no GBH of the ears from the other half.

The rods in the early days where quite inadequate to say the least, how we landed some of the fish where beyond me but land them we did. Then with one leap the tackle trade seem to jump in to the 21st century and we could buy all new fangled all singing and dancing stuff with people like hutchie and Nash and others making it and changing the face of carp fishing for the better.

We started seeing names like Kevin Maddocks Rod Hutchinson and other of the big names at the time in the angling weeklies with these big carp the uncatchable was starting to be caught and as the tackle and knowledge grew more and more was being caught the lakes starting to be advertised for all to get the chance for themselves.

The lakes we fished started sprouting green bivvys and the coots and was competing with the sound of a bite alarm with the high nutritional baits along with the particle the carp where growing and thriving personal best was being beat every week end for some.

Books being published on carping, Redmire Pool, that great read, Carp Fever, The Carp Strikes Back and many more lakes such as Ashley pool and Savey was producing big carp and being published in the angling weeklies for all to see spurring on more people to take it up.

Society's like the BCSG and later the CAA was formed now the Carp Society and help push the sport even further forward and bringing out publications that were a must to read to get the new ideas that these people were developing hooks to do just the right job. Low diameter low stretch lines, 'aero dynamic leads', hook length materials that gave you a headache trying to work out which one to use things started to accelerate very quickly we start seeing places like the river Ebro in Spain and one of the most daunting carp waters the famous La Lac Casein where Kevin Ellis hooked and landed a massive 76 lb carp trips were being organised to fish the place by many company's all trying to get in on the carp fishing boom.

The norm in the early days was doubles and the odd 20 if you where on a good stock water many of us went years before breaking the 20lb barrier a 30lb carp where what dreams where made of only seeing the like in the mags and books.

Now days a big carp can be caught first time straight out of the tackle shop and it has happened time over, if we are lucky we keep some of those people in the carp fishing ranks and they go on to learn there craft and be capable anglers.

We have so many waters to choose from now`a days from day ticket and club to syndicate waters that cost you an arm and a leg to fish but we gladly pay the prices for them big carp over the magical 30lb even 40 is not uncommon. But for those who want big fish and cant afford the syndicate prices there are some day ticket with these big 40lb carp in bluebells in Northampton for one where you can fish for the famous Benson at over 59lb on a day ticket we have had the first 60lb carp from Collingbrook in Kent last caught by Gary Bayes of Nash Bait fame at ? lb, we also have love them or hate them some venues with the foreign fish in them with some of them boasting shed loads of 30s and 40lbers in their waters.

And what about the rivers? They are starting to come into fashion, there has been some diehards who fish for carp on the river systems for years, but its only in the last few that its become in vogue all because its starting to produce some fantastic catches only this year some one caught a 41lb common from the river nene in Cambridgeshire, the grand union canal is worth a look it has and is still turning up some very big fish.

But where are we going? I see a great and exiting future as long as we keep our house in order and keep doing what we are doing and make sure the rivers, lakes and fish stay in tip top condition and no-one can have any reason for taken it away.

What of the present day for myself is carp fishing still drawing me to get out as much as I can? I am catching more than I was 20 years ago, the bait I am using is off the best quality, my tackle is top notch rods are first class, comfy bedchairs for the long sessions, better than them Argos things we used to cripple ourself's with.

There is even TVs on the bank now days a far cry from Richard Walker and Co on the banks of Redmire not realising they were forming the plans for the future of carp fishing.

The future looks hopeful, loads of lakes with large carp pike and catfish popping up in the news every week all on day tickets for all to fish as was said by some one long ago we never had it so good never a truer thing said for our fishing.

Good luck to all and tight lines.
Gary Powell.