Thirty Years Ago this Year…

For more info check the website: http://www.croixblanchelakes.com

by Gareth Watkins

Its thirty years ago this summer that I started carp fishing seriously and Oh! how things have changed since. It all really started by accident, when I landed an 11lb common while tench fishing. Sweet corn was the bait. After that I had caught a double and I was a Carp Fisher. I had a copy of ‘Quest for Carp’ by Jack Hilton on permanent loan form the local library, and we awaited eagerly every article by Rod Hutchinson and Chris Yates in magazines like ‘Angling’ and ‘Coarse Fisherman’. I enjoyed the fact that everyone on our local lake thought we were mad. Sitting behind a pair of parallel rods on buzzers for hours, that wasn’t fishing!!!
We were considered eccentric kids, trying to catch fish that were not catchable with techniques most angers at the time didn’t understand. ‘Noddies’ as we termed them, couldn’t understand why we would wait all day day for one bite. It was though ‘ A Carp Fisher thing they could’t understand’
The revelations at the time for me came in three phases. Firstly it was jointing the ‘Carp Society’ in 1981, where the first edition of ‘Carp Fisher’ contained Lenny Middleton’s article on the hair rig. This was the catalyst that had us all buzzing with excitement.
Secondly I sent off to Rod Hutchinson for his first ‘Carp Book’… another bomb that had me racing round South Wales looking for ‘Maples, Tick beans, Chick peas’ and various particles. The final piece that had us all making boiled baits was Kevin Maddocks’ ‘Carp Fever’ (My mother still remembers the smell of kit-e-kat in the kitchen).

Carp Fishing Tackle Check List

by Gareth Watkins

I don’t know if you are like me but I can be very forgetful, and there is nothing worse than leaving some important piece of kit at home. As a photojournalist it was a stackable offence to forget an item of equipment. I well remember a colleague of mine, who shall remain nameless, who set off for the first Gulf War without his camera bag. So what is the solution for all you scatterbrains out there? Simple, write out check lists!!.

I’ve divided these into categories but as everybody’s gear is different I suggest you go through each bag, list all the tackle items and tick everything off before leaving .
So here are my various Check Lists. They are not extensive as I try to minimise my gear when I go fishing, even on a week long trip. I’m not going to include cooking equipment and photography gear here, just what I need to catch fish.