What First Interested you in carp fishing ?

Well Josh, I have been a fisherman ever since I was 8 years old ( I’m nearly sixty now) and for much of that time I have been a fly fisherman aiming for rainbow and brown trout. Unfortunately, this has become a very expensive sport and can cost up to £60 a day! I thought coarse fishing would be a cheaper alternative – but how wrong I was!

What holds your interest ?

Fishing and carp fishing in particular is about analysing and solving problems. How can I catch a fish? Why is this bait not working ? Where can I find the fish I want to catch ? The list of questions is endless, each fishing trip is different and I enjoy trying to come up with successful solutions. This often means doing things differently from other fishermen and being flexible in my approach and this is what holds my interest and spurs me on.

What is the best place you have fished and why ?

That’s a difficult one because I live in a part of the country which is blessed with a variety of waters. I live surrounded by the lakes of the Cotswold Water Park and have the river Thames just over the road in Kempsford for a spot of chub fishing too where I regularly see otters, kingfishers etc. I’m not too far from Little Horseshoe at South Cerney or even Linear fisheries in Oxfordshire either! If I really had to choose I would say Whelford Pools near Fairford although it gets very busy. I love the clear water and the fact that you can often see huge 30lb plus carp cruising around near your bait – very exciting!

What is the best catch you have had and why?

At the present time I have managed to catch a number of twenty pound plus carp and so my next target is a thirty pounder! However, my best catch was not the biggest but the most waited for and first carp I caught!

I go fishing with a mate called Nick who has taught me lots about this strand of the sport and I went carp fishing with him ten times before I actually hooked one! It was about 9lbs, a beautiful common, and as you can imagine after waiting all that time I was really excited – in fact my legs wouldn’t stop shaking!

What is your preferred equipment for carp fishing?

My philosophy is ‘first find the fish’. This means travelling light and not having too much gear to carry about which anchors you to one spot on a fishery.

I am lucky enough to have matching Nash Enigma 3lb test curve rods, Shimano series 8000 bait runner reels, and Delkim bite alarms, Fox Buzzbars , carp mat and of course a large landing net! You could look them up on the internet if you like. Remember what I was saying about being wrong about finding a cheaper type of fishing! I think you should always buy the best quality tackle you can so that it lasts and works well, but be sensible and remember that the fish don’t know what brand of tackle you use.

What is your preferred bait for carp fishing?

Many varieties of bait and boilies on the market are designed to catch the angler rather than the fish! I have to admit that I love the smell of some of them though – pineapple, tiger nut, tutti fruiti etc. I tend to try and keep things simple using sweetcorn, halibut pellets or even maggots! Cell pop up boilies always give you a good chance too.

What is your preferred method of catching carp

I like to suit the method to the way the fish are behaving on that particular day. For example using floating dog biscuits to catch off the surface, PVA bags or to use a method feeder to attract the fish. My favourite of all though, is to use a bolt rig with popped up sweetcorn.

What advice would you give to someone who is taking up carp fishing?

I would suggest reading everything about the subject that you can get your hands on. Keep up with ideas and trends through the fishing magazines, DVDs and angling programmes such as ‘Thinking Tackle’ on Sky channel Shed, and most importantly learn from others and speak to experienced fishermen (& fisherwomen) who can show you how to do things well. This saves a lot of time and stops you repeating the same old mistakes.

I would also say that patience and perseverance are the qualities you need to develop. Don’t give up if you are not successful straight away. Carp fishing takes time to master and you never stop learning. Eventually you will catch that fish of your dreams!

What is your personal best weight ?

My Personal best weight was a 25lb 11oz mirror carp from Whelford Pools in Gloucestershire.

What is your overall opinion of carp fishing?

At the moment it is my favourite type of fishing but I love all types, from catching tiddlers on a roach pole to sea fishing ( although I tend to get seasick)

Carp fishing needs commitment, time and as I’ve mentioned before – patience. Nevertheless it is fascinating and you meet plenty of fellow enthusiasts at the waterside!

What improvements would you like to see for carp fishing as a sport ?

Facilities at a lot of waters are very good although there could be more effort put in to getting access for disabled anglers to enjoy their sport.

Carp fishing is becoming quite an industry and some manufacturers are making a fortune from us poor fishermen, making us buy things we never knew we wanted or needed. But I suppose its our own fault really.

Hope this has helped. Good luck with the magazine. Tight lines Josh!

Regards,

Kev Smith (Carp Fisher Extraordinaire)