CARPologyMagazineIssue

CARPOLOGY FEB 24-PAGE GEMINI CARP TACKLE PRODUCT GUIDE 2021

206
FEB

£5.50

MONSTER INTERVIEW

SIMON SCOTT’S LIFE STORY

T H E H E A D Y S PA R S H O LT D AY S ,
HIS PASSIONS, BIGGEST EDGE,
AND LAKES OF THE FUTURE
_

BEST IN THE VALLEY!
Doing things slightly differently helped
Adam Penning get his new campaign
off to a great start…

PECKY’S BAITING TWEAK WHICH E V E R E S T, E G O S A N D P E R S O N A L
R E S U LT E D I N T W O 5 0 L B E R S ! GROOMING… BILL COTTAM DISHES
_
OUT ANOTHER DOSE OF SARCASM!
_

JOE MORGAN / GREG ELLIS / IAN CHILLCOTT / THE ROTARY LETTER



CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 206

Screamer (I.E. THE BITTY STUFF) Features (I.E. THE MEATY CONTENT)
P. 06
P. 0 2 The Social P. 06 Simon Says (Cover Story) P. 31
P. 0 4 YouTube Playlists By CARPology P. 42
P. 14 4 Hold The Back Page
P. 26 Carping Allegedly
By Bill Cottam

P. 31 Beyond Burghfield
By Greg Ellis

On The Cover P. 42 Darrell’s Diary (Cover Story)
By Darrell Peck

P. 54 Penning’s Carp Diary
By Adam Penning

P. 64 The Rotary Letter
By Rich Stewart and
Dave Magalhaes

P. 78 What’s Occurring?
By Mainline

P. 86 ‘If I Leave Here Tomorrow’
By Ian Chillcott

P. 96 Mr. Brightside
By Joe Morgan
Photograph
By Adam Penning P. 1 0 9 All For The Journey
By Harry Waye-Barker
About the cover
“It was a fish that had only been Hardware (I.E. REVIEWS)
caught once in the preceding
three years and at one point P. 117 Natty Knitwear P. 117
was presumed dead,” states this No-one does carpy
month’s cover star, Adam Pen- knitwear like ESP. P. 120
ning. “But as it lay in the net, gills
flaring in anger, I could see that P. 120 To Infinity and Beyond P. 126
rumours of its demise had been Daiwa’s revamped luggage
greatly exaggerated.” It was the range has it all. 00 1
perfect tonic to kick off Adam’s
campaign on Grendon in North-
amptonshire and you can read
the full report from page 54.

Follow us on social

Join our quarter- Binge-Watch every- P. 122 Indulge Yourself
of-a-million friends thing from OlogyFixes Nash’s Sleep Systems have
at facebook.com/ to feature-length films something for everyone.
CARPology at CARPologyTV

CARPology people, Stay on top of our P. 126 Collective Madness
places and things on latest content by Jonathan Savory looks at
our Instagram feed, joining our mailing list carp anglers’ passion for
CARPology-Official at CARPology.net collecting tackle.

Find out what’s Carp fishing’s most P. 140 Spod Partners
interesting us around interactive and This Sonik pairing is all you
the web on our Twitter updated website, need for baiting up.
page, CARPology CARPology.net

SCREAMER THE NETWORK

The Social TEAM
OLOGY
MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
EDITOR
Simon Says… A 17 page interview with Simon Scott! We interview Joseph Wright

It’s no wonder the viewing figures for Simon Scott’s appearance on the We’re excited! E joe@
Thinking Tackle podcast are through the roof. He is a carp sponge you just For next month’s toffeepublications.co.uk
can’t help but repeatedly wring out for fascinating droplets of information. issue we have Happy New Year, guys!
Despite being surrounded, quite literally, by hundreds of carp every day, his another monster Plenty planned in 2021:
enthusiasm for fish and fishing is undimmed and his willingness to share interview, this a house move, ramping
knowledge and brilliantly told stories is just captivating. We hope our wide- time with a guy
ranging interview does him justice, all 10,000 words of it(!) which have been who caught huge up our video output
beautifully spread across 17 pages, and it all starts on page 6. amounts of big (page 4) and a number
carp during the late
MAGAZINE MERCH 90s and early 00s; of trips to France (to
was at the forefront make up for last year’s
Carping Allegedly Lockdown Special Offer! when it came to
developing carp cancelled ones!)
Bill Cottam’s monthly musing Another lockdown - and right in the fishing tactics
is always brilliantly humorous, middle of winter. Meh. To lift your spirits and techniques… SUB EDITOR
but also informative, and a real (and improve your rig tying and bait and then just Mark Brewster
highlight for our sub editor, Mark making skills) we’re offering both Vol. 1 disappeared. Find Come Christmas, our
Brewster. “For me, this month’s and Vol.2 of the OlogyFix book series for out who our special children are always
piece scaled new heights(!). just £9.99 - that’s a saving of over 37%! guest is from the very generous... “Alexa,
Given how the article’s delivered, Both are 148-pages, with Vol.1 covering 18th February. play Mozart’s Clarinet
readers certainly won’t forget bait edges, rig tricks and food recipes, Concerto.” (Pours glass
the quoted facts about Everest. whereas in Vol.2 we show you how to MAGAZINE of Chablis and opens new
Bill covers two or three subjects copy the big named anglers’ rigs and butterfly book.)
in his usual punchy, unlaboured mixes. Tom Dove’s Spinner Rig; Terry FREE Daiwa
style. When I did my second Hearn’s Flipper Rig; Danny Fairbrass’ go-to supplement DIGITAL EDITOR
read-through, I was almost spod mix - they are there plus another 50 Phoebe Stuart
swept along and had to take a more! Just head to CARPology.net/shop More good news!
breath after. Genius!” Page 26 FREE with that New year, new job, new
very issue is a lockdown! I’m excited for
bespoke 20+ page
Daiwa catalogue, the future, but it looks
showcasing all their like the new fishing bits
new kit for the year. Santa brought will have

to be saved until the
spring campaign!

CONTENT CREATOR
Joe Wooltorton

Although 2021 hasn’t
started how anyone
planned, it is still an
exciting year for us…
My fiancée and I have
bought a house! Should
be in by late February.

CONTENT CREATOR
Luke Venus

Well, what a way to start
the New Year… with

another lockdown! Hey,
at least fishing has been
given the green light again!

HEAD DESIGNER
Louisa Cribb

Well Happy New Year all.
Hopefully there will be
a bit more normality as

the weather gets better. I
need a gig in my life or I

fear I may go crazy!

AD SALES
Robert Bell
E robert@
toffeepublications.co.uk
Just received news we can
still fish, albeit days only.
But, we have to salute The
Angling Trust once again.
Awesome work.

MERCH/SUBS
Ian Homewood
Like everyone, a quiet but
enjoyable Xmas and New
Year. Let’s all hope we get
through this crazy time
soon. Stay safe.

PROOFREADER
Dennis Bell

A very strange Xmas and
New Year. Hopefully back
to normality soon. Happy

2021 wishes to all!

INSTANT COLD WATER ATTRACTION

SCREAMER YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV CARP FISHING

New To CARPology’s YouTube Tackle Reviews
Channel This Month…
Hardware Round-Up

TECHNICAL ADVICE “Quality real content as always. As other Nash Titan T1 MK2
people have said, no sales pitch, just Although the fundamental
Winter Carp Fishing Tutorial! sharing his years of experience.” Oyay69 principles of its design remain,
the Titan has undergone plenty
In a new, two-part series, Adam Penning’s back “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Another of changes over that time, and
in front of the camera to talk about winter carp top notch bit of advice and sensible the latest update is the Titan T1
fishing in some depth. In the first part, he discusses information.” James Guinn MK2. Here’s what we made of this
the key elements of his cold-water approach which bankside legend!
give him an edge, and which undoubtedly help him “Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this
catch more. In part two, he covers two of the most series, so much knowledge and a pleasure MoJo by Frank Warwick and
popular subjects: carp rigs and carp bait. He also to listen to. Top chap.” Matthew Tilly Vital Baits
presents his first live promo of his famous ‘Depth This latest offering came at a time
Charge’ system (above); this unique PVA bag set- Subscribe to our YouTube when Frank Warwick has got his
up allows the use of solid PVA bags with all manner channel (CARPologyTV) to never ‘MoJo’ for fishing back, hence the
of rigs and can be tied in a matter of seconds. miss any new films/reviews. name. In this video, Frank goes into
depth about the bait, why he loves
YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV it, and what it could offer you.

ND Tackle’s K9 bite alarms
reviewed
New Directions’s brand-new K9s
are an absolute tech fest! Tone,
sensitivity, volume, night light,
illuminated snag ears, a phone
app to control them... the list goes
on and it’s all topped off by a
mega price tag!

Sonik’s BRAND-NEW AXS Bedchair
Sonik’s new AXS Duralloy
Levelbed has its legs in places
other beds can’t reach… (it’ll make
sense when you watch the video!)
We check out what could be the
lightest - and most compact -
bedchair on the market to date!

IN SESSION

Winter carp fishing: over 90+
carp in one shoal!

CARPology’s Joe Wooltorton once again is
joined by Jay and Chris from Back Of The
Landing Net. For their latest winter trip, the
guys head to Wally’s Carp Lake just outside
of Weymouth, where conditions were Baltic,
but still productive. By chance, whilst using
the drone to capture some aerial footage for
the film, they spotted something that would
completely change the session…

YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV

VENUE REVIEW

Open Access Venues: Twynersh Fishery

In this new video version of CARPology’s Open Access series, we follow Stu Lennox
on his next adventure, this time to the stunning Twynersh complex in Surrey. Fishing
on Pit 7, Stu pits his wits amongst 70 wary carp, adopting a variety of tactics which
certainly go against the grain… one being margin fishing in November! He covers
all his tactics, rigs and baits which he uses to great success, along with giving you a
very detailed review of this complex.

YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV

004

SCREAMER CARPOLOGY DEAL

Lockdown ‘OlogyFix Book’ Offer!

SAV E Vol.1 + Vol.2 =
O£ 3V7E%R! £15.98 £9.99!

OlogyFix Vol. 1

148-pages of rig tricks, bait
edges and food recipes

OlogyFix Vol. 2
How to tie the pros’ rigs and
make their bait mixes
(Think: Terry Hearn, Tom Dove,
Pecky, Fairbrass and co.)

Order yours from CARPology.net/shop or call 01986 802081 (ext. 1)

005

It’s the battered baseball cap that does it,
but it’s also the captivating storytelling of
Simon Scott that creates a whiff of Quint

from Jaws. Our interviewee is infinitely
friendlier, less intense and (spoiler alert!)

has yet to be eaten by a fish - despite our
best efforts for the photoshoot. The cap,

however, is eerily similar, and so is his
magnetic personality and passion for fish.
Dyslexia has not stopped Simon developing
a knack for conveying his thoughts and vast

knowledge of carp, with an enthusiasm
that makes his stories so enthralling. A
former Sparsholt College student and then
lecturer, he represents the perfect example
of how linking a hobby with learning, can
light a spark that’s impossible to put out.

006 FEB 2020 An interview by CARPology

PHOTOGRAPHY CARPOLOGY AND SIMON SCOTT

RIGHT Carp fishing’s go-to guy for
fishery and environment questions
in the angling media, Simon Scott

Simon Says

Following on from his insightful
diary series, we chat to Simon
Scott about his life, his passions,
and his time at Sparsholt College

1. C.O.____ Does your love of fishing fluc- pensation claim calculations made
tuate? by the polluted fish farms - for some-
The S.C.____ “Yeah, I think it does. I deal one who wasn’t very good at maths,
with thousands upon thousands of it was quite a responsibility! The fish
Sparsholt fish at the farm, and I also have other farmers submitted their claims and I
interests away from fishing. I’m mas- considered whether they were fair or
Years sively into growing things - trees and required further investigation. Look-
vegetables, for instance. I love be- ing back, it was all quite scary! I went
CARPOLOGY____ Where did your love ing outdoors just enjoying the wild- up to Shetland and was treated like
of fishing begin? life, so I don’t have to be fishing all royalty, because I would effectively
SIMON SCOTT____ “I guess my love of the time. It still runs through me, be paying the farmers lots of money,
fishing began at the age of seven. For though. Like a stick of rock, there’s an of course - or at least would be rec-
my seventh birthday, I was given a angling thread that never goes away.” ommending the level of payment.
short, bright-red fishing rod with
yellow handle, along with a very C.O.____ Most people know you “I then did a bit of fishery manage-
small reel, both of which probably through VS Fisheries, your own fish- ment at various locations and met up
came from Woolworths (some might ing exploits or your time as a lecturer with Shaun Leonard. ‘Have you seen
recall the store). I was taken down to at Sparsholt College, but what came that we’re looking for someone at
the river near where I grew up, and I before Sparsholt? Sparsholt?’ he said. The rest is history.”
caught a rudd. From that moment, I S.C.____ “When I was at school, as I’ve
was fascinated. Before then, I’d been already mentioned, I was dyslexic. C.O.____ Was it an easy decision?
similarly fascinated by ponds, so as I struggled like mad and the whole S.C.____ “Yeah, it was, because I’d ab-
a little tiny kid, I was in or around concept of lessons was torture. I solutely loved being at Sparsholt
water all the time.” found things in class extremely as a student and I had huge respect
difficult, and I absolutely dreaded for those in the fishery team there.
C.O.____ How many years have you having to read aloud in an English I think at that point, the fishery sec-
been fishing? lesson, but I was lucky in that I had a tion at Sparsholt was in its heyday; it
S.C.____ “A long time… about 43 or 44 bit of outdoors contact; I loved that. was absolutely the place to go. Shaun
years now!” Whilst doing my A-Levels, I found has become a friend and I have a lot
Sparsholt. It seemed to be absolutely of respect for him. ‘You’ll be bril-
C.O.____ Is the buzz still the same? perfect for me… you could go to a liant!’ he suggested.
S.C.____ “It’s slightly different. The college and learn about fish and fish
mystery’s gone a bit, I suppose. I’ve farming! I liked growing stuff from ‘Really?’ I replied.
been very, very lucky and have caught a very early age, so the prospect of ‘Because of your dyslexia and
some amazing fish. Through my pro- going to Sparsholt to learn about struggles with classroom stuff, you’ll
fession, I obviously work with fish a fish farming - more than just fishery be able to relate to the students re-
great deal too. I know a lot of other management - captivated me. ally well,’ he said.”
fish farmers, and it’s quite difficult
to remain enthusiastic when you’re “I was very lucky to get in, and then C.O.____ What year was that?
dealing with fish in respect of your the fire was well and truly lit. Learn- S.C.____ “That would’ve been 1995 or
work, but when my fishing head’s on, ing became enjoyable. My struggle 1996, I guess.”
it’s very much on, and I absolutely with dyslexia became a thing of the
love it. I’m still a ‘bite junkie’ and I past and I just went from strength C.O.____ And how long did you stay at
love it when you sit there with a cup to strength. I did what would now Sparsholt?
of tea at first light and the rod pulls be regarded as a degree. At the time S.C.____ “I taught there 20 years.”
away; that’s always a great moment.” it was a three-year, Higher National
Diploma (HND) course. I was in- C.O.____ What were those years like…
008 FEB 2020 credibly fortunate in having such very heady?
brilliant tutors, many of whom I still S.C.____ “Yeah, very heady! It was a
consider good friends. That set me great time and I joined a brilliant,
on the track I’m still on now. exceptionally tight-knit team. Being
in that gang really was a fantastic
“Then, I went off to do a master’s period in my life.”
degree at Plymouth University,
where my thesis was all about carp C.O.____ Work hard, play hard?
nutrition. My first proper job in the S.C.____ “Yeah, we worked very, very
industry was some work at a con- hard. We were madly enthusiastic
sultancy company called MacAlister for it, but as an example, we used
Elliott & Partners. In 1993, the MV to play ultimate frisbee out in the
Braer oil tanker had run aground off playing fields every lunchtime. Most
Shetland during a storm. It had split of us were massively into physical
in half and I think about 70,000 tons training and going to the gym. It was
of crude oil had spilled into the ocean a time when you were able to enjoy
and a dozen fish farms. Pretty much lunch breaks, because there were
my first job was to assess the com- no emails to check. Our hour off for

TOP Shaun Leonard became a great friend and I have a lot of respect ard and I sat down and tried to work
for him. Here we are with a huge haul during one of our many nettings out how many paid fishery manage-
ment positions there were in the UK,
MIDDLE Sparsholt: I had a great time and I joined a brilliant, and it was only around 18 or 20!”
exceptionally tight-knit team; it really was a fantastic period in my life…
BOTTOM One of the many nettings me and my students carried out on C.O.____ How many would you say
there are now?
the Yateley complex. Great memories S.C.____“There must be hundreds with
all those day-ticket fisheries. They’re
lunch would be 55 minutes of ulti- places doing them, but there’s still a proper businesses and they need to
mate frisbee, two minutes to eat, two core of really sound guys at Sparsholt. be run correctly by people who un-
minutes to wipe the sweat off and Through my Instagram account, I’m derstand the water and fish biology.”
then a minute to get to the classroom frequently asked, ‘Where can my son/
for the next lecture! We also went daughter go to learn about what you C.O.____ You’re the go-to guy for fish-
on some amazing study tours across do?’ I always reply, ‘Go to Sparsholt.’ ery and environment questions in
Europe, so it really was a great time.” I owe that place a great deal.” the angling media, and on social
media. What are the most common
C.O.____ You’re now slightly removed C.O.____ There are definitely more questions you’re asked?
from the teaching world, but how day-ticket carp waters about these S.C.____ “There are lots of questions I
have those courses changed? Are days… get asked, such as ‘What is the right
there now more around the country, S.C.____ “Yes, there are certainly more level of oxygen?’, ‘What should I feed
or are they less popular? opportunities [for fishery manage- them in the winter’, ‘Are there too
S.C.____ “I think the numbers have ment employment]. Way back when many fish in my lake?’, ‘What is the
come down a bit and there are other I was there as a lecturer, Shaun Leon- correct stocking density for my lake?’
The answer to all of those is how long
is a piece of string? ‘How many fish
should I put in my lake?’ Well, what
sort of lake are you trying to create?
I’m always slightly amazed that the
people who ask these types of ques-
tions haven’t got a better understand-
ing of what they’re actually trying to
create, before they head off down that
path. The oxygen question… it beggars
belief how many times I’ve dealt with
people running fisheries, or big clubs
with several lakes, that don’t have an
oxygen meter!”

C.O.____ Are there particular fishing-
specific questions you get asked?
S.C.____ “I get asked a lot about spots.
If I post a picture on Instagram, I’ll
get, ‘Is this a good spot to put a rig?’
or ‘How do I find that on my local
lake?’

C.O.____ And are they easy to answer?
Do you offer bespoke responses?
S.C.____ “I try to answer them all. I get
swamped occasionally, but I do try to
answer them as best I can, and if it’s
been a long day, it might be with only
a couple of lines. If I’m feeling enthu-
siastic, I might write pages! I should
have a set of pre-prepared answers

FEB 2020 009

ABOVE I thought to myself, My god, she’s worked like an absolute ox all day! And she seems to be okay
with pouring rain, chest waders, mud, silt and everything else! It was the start of a perfect relationship!

which I could just drop onto! That’d maths and English tuition, it just on for me was when she joined us on
save me a lot of time!” [laughs] didn’t work! a netting practical. I took her, along
with the lads, to Brownwich Pond,
C.O.____ You work with your wife, Sue. “Sue was in charge of my group and near Portsmouth. I’ve got a photo of
How did you meet, and was she inter- I had a meeting with her. ‘We need to her holding a thirty-five-pounder.
ested in carp before you came along? get your students to my classroom, be- After, I thought to myself, My god,
S.C.____ “We met at Sparsholt. A lot of cause they just don’t turn up!’ she said. she’s worked like an absolute ox all
the students I taught were dyslexic day! Not only is she brilliant at maths,
like me, so we had a brilliant centre “I can’t take any of the credit for she’s a pretty hardcore worker as well,
for learning difficulties. It was called what happened next, as Sue hatched and she seems to be okay with pour-
the Tony Dowling Centre - hopefully the plan. ‘How about we do some ing rain, chest waders, mud, silt and
it’s still called the same - and my stu- fish-related maths?’ she suggested. everything else! It was the start of a
dents were timetabled to go every ‘Would it be possible to grow some perfect relationship!”
week, but it was difficult enough to little carp? The students can give
get Sparsholt fishery lads to sit down them names and then we can basi- C.O.____ Did she have an existing in-
in the classroom for a lesson about cally follow their growth curve and terest in fishing?
fish farming, so the moment you told weave maths into it?’ I agreed that S.C.____ “Her granddad had fished,
them they had to have some basic it could be done, Sue started run- and she’d had a little bit of fish and
ning it and it was just amazing… they fishing in her life. She had a fish tank
010 FEB 2020 went from no-show to 100 per cent at that point as well, so there was
attendance in a week, because they potential there! Now she does a lot
were fascinated.” of work at the farm. She does at least
three days a week here, and she’s my
C.O.____ She wasn’t your wife at the right-hand man in the hatchery -
time, so you were clearly impressed she’s my stress coach too!”
by her way of working…
S.C.____ “The moment the light came

2. with me, so as soon as I caught any-
thing I thought was an old, original

carp, I was straight into the books. It

Wraysbury, Consultancies was a common he’d caught with a big
twisted scale on its left-hand flank
and, as I say, I caught it at the same

and Scary Moments weight. When I caught it, it looked
like a really old carp. In the photo

with Jack Hilton, however, it looked

like a young fish, but it was clearly the

same one. I was very lucky and caught

C.O.____ You’re perhaps best known, C.O.____ So some of those historic fish 19 fish during the week I was there.”

angling-wise, for your time on were still in there…

Wraysbury, but where were you fish- S.C.____ “Yeah. I had a fish at 22lb C.O.____Was it a case of ‘never meet your

ing before that? which had been caught by Jack Hilton heroes…’? Did Redmire disappoint, or

S.C.____ “Oh gosh, that’s going back a at the same weight about 50 years be- did it exceed your expectations?

bit! I grew up in West Sussex, and bi- fore! I had all the books and pictures S.C.____ “No, I absolutely loved it! It

zarrely, I fished a pond which we now

rear the fish in. I didn’t catch my first

carp there, but I caught plenty and

now it’s one of our production ponds. BELOW Life before Wraysbury
“I fished a lot of muddy, estate lake-

type waters around Sussex, and then

I went to university in Plymouth and

fished a couple of lakes down there.

One of them was St Germans in

Cornwall, but I was fascinated with

crystal-clear gravel pits. You could

see into the water and watch what

was going on. That led me down the

stalking route and it became my big

passion. I ended up fishing on the

gravel pits around Chichester where

the water was clear. I caught a fair

few fish down there, including what

was, at the time, the biggest fish in

West Sussex.”

C.O.____ What sort of weight was that?
S.C.____ “It was 39lb 12oz, if I remem-
ber rightly. It had been 40lb forev-
er, of course… [laughs] It was a big
old fish from a lake called Church-
yard on the Chichester and District
ticket. I loved fishing down there,
and I then went to Burghfield. From
Burghfield I went to Wraysbury, via a
few other places, including Redmire,
Coate Water Park in Swindon, and
Cotswold Water Park.”

C.O.____ When you say Redmire, were
you getting tickets in ballots?
S.C.____ “No, I got incredibly lucky.
I got to know Les Bamford, who’s
a great character. I went netting
at Redmire with him when it was
closed. I returned to fish it with him
for a week and I loved it. I was very
fortunate and caught a lot.”

C.O.____“What sort of era would that be?
S.C.____ Late 1990s, I’d guess.”

VENUES was amazing… it’s such an atmos-
pheric lake. I think when you stand
PERSONAL FAVOURITES there and think about the history of
the sport you’re passionate about, and
Simon reveals the top five venues he’s what has taken place on those banks…
fished during the past 40 years, explaining
“You can look at it now and say
why they are so special to him and what that it has no monsters in it, or that
he caught from them. the myth has gone, but it’s the venue!
You can stand in a massive football
1. Wraysbury Num- phere of the place “They stadium and there doesn’t need to be
ber One, Staines completely electric. weren’t a few a game on for you to appreciate the
“I fished this iconic The nights, cloaked pounds above cauldron you’re in, so to speak. To
venue when it was beneath the thick stand on the bank at Redmire and to
at its very peak: a canopy of alder the British consider what has gone down there…
huge simmering trees, were dark record then,
cauldron of carp- and intense, while “We live in a world now, where you
fishing heritage and the misty dawns they were can see all those fish in magazines
history, containing oozed a carp- 20lb over it! and you can look at pictures on the
some of the most fishing expectancy. It must’ve internet, but you imagine Albert
sort-after carp this It felt like I was Buckley and those pioneering an-
country has ever casting into one of been an glers that went to Redmire… their
produced. Mary carp fishing’s most amazing eyes must’ve been on stalks when
was the British famous stadiums, time. It they first saw those fish swimming
record and many of so to speak, and would be around. They weren’t a few pounds
the other fish in the the fish that lived like someone above the British record then, they
lake were magazine within it were all finding a lake were 20lb over it! Imagine climb-
cover stars in their superstars of their now, climbing ing a tree whilst wearing a tweed
own right. It was time: Heather, a tree and jacket and a tie, and looking out
an awesome venue Dustbin, Arthur, seeing a and thinking that a fish looks more
with a brilliant, Chunky, the Big 120lb carp like a dolphin than any kind of carp
cheerful crowd Orange, Pearly Tail saunter past!” that’s been caught in the country!
of anglers, and a and Single Scale, to It must’ve been an amazing time.
delicious set of fish. name but a few.” 012 FEB 2020 It would be like someone finding a
It was carp-fishing lake now, climbing a tree and seeing
paradise! I can 4. Burghfield Main a 120lb carp saunter past. To capture
remember every Lake, Reading fish from that lake and to sup up the
single bite I had “On the outskirts atmosphere was good. I went back a
there as if they of Reading is the couple more times, and I loved it.”
was yesterday!” hugely well-
known Burghfield C.O.____ Was Wraysbury the logical
2. Redmire, complex. The next step, or was it you reaching for
Ross-On-Wye main lake is an the stars?
“Hidden within a incredible maze of S.C.____ “I wanted to go somewhere
shallow, tree-filled islands, bays, bars before Wraysbury, as that was my
valley, amongst a and promontories. Everest of carp fishing. To attempt
tapestry of green Within its clear my Mount Everest seemed a bit fool-
and reddish-brown waters swim some hardy for a mountaineer who’d only
fields, a few miles really character- ever walked the South Downs, shall
west of Ross-On- ful carp, and over we say, so I went to Burghfield and
Wye is the birth- the years, I have enjoyed a season on there. Then it
place of the modern really enjoyed seemed to be the right time to move
carp scene: Red- catching them… on to Wraysbury.
mire! Just standing big, hard-fighting
on the dam wall fish living in lovely “The Wraysbury bug bit when I
and pondering the clear water.” read the Phil Thompson and Dave
events that un- Lane books; Wraysbury was the ab-
folded at that lake 5. St. Germans, solute pinnacle of carp fishing at
over half a century Cornwall the time. It was 120-acres and there
ago makes the hairs “This little lake was were 40-odd carp. They were the fish
on the back of a spot I fished a fair that were on the cover of Carp-Talk,
my neck tingle. To bit while doing my whether it was Mary or Mallin’s,
cast into that lake master’s degree in Cluster or the Pug… they were iconic
is a privilege, and applied fish biology carp of my period.
catching one of its at the University of
inhabitants is like Plymouth. It was “There’s a colour plate in Dave
connecting with the only a small lake, Lane’s book of Mallin’s, and I said to
founding fathers but it was relatively
of our sport. I am clear and the fish
blessed to have were lovely. I thor-
cast into those red- oughly enjoyed my
dish, murky depths time there and even
several times and caught a few fish
I completely loved on pop-ups fished
the experience.” two feet straight off
the lead - before
3. The Car Park Zig Rigs were in-
Lake, Yateley vented! They were
“When I fished the happy carp-fishing
Car Park Lake, I adventures in the
found the atmos- West Country!”

ABOVE Wraysbury: it was massively daunting at the start! I remember just bought cheap gear from anyone, be-
walking around with Ben and thinking, How do you start? Where do you start? cause of what happened… you don’t
know where it comes from!
my mate, Ben Gratwicke, ‘Imagine S.C.____ “I guess it would be, although
catching that carp … that’s the one I it’s not far off that all the time… as “I lost the lead that I’d caught
went to catch!’ I said, it was the Everest of my carp Mary on. Fishing gear becomes very
fishing, and the target.” personal. It’s your special teaspoon,
“When you walk through the gate, the lead you caught your best fish
the atmosphere is absolutely crack- C.O.____ When was this? on, the hook you used that you keep
ling. You see the lake and you think, S.C.____ “It started around 1998/1999. in a piece of cork, or a favourite item
Imagine catching a carp here.. so I was on there for five years or so given to you. I lost a pillow that had
that was me for five years, pretty to catch Mallin’s. I’d lost it previ- been given to me by a girlfriend. It’s
much solidly!” ously, and I wanted to cry a lot! I’d those little sentimental things that
been stalking it and on its case for have no financial value to anyone
C.O.____ Were you daunted or excited? about three days, and I’d lost it. If I’d else, all gone!”
S.C.____ “Oh, massively daunted at caught it then, I might have called it
the start! I remember just walking a day. I’d already caught Mary at that C.O.____Around that time, your first con-
around with Ben and thinking, How point, so that might have been the sultancy deal began with Wychwood…
do you start? Where do you start? I end of my Wraysbury chapter, but S.C.____ “Yeah, Colin Davidson was a
was a mobile angler and it was just I went on to catch all those I didn’t Wychwood consultant. I knew him
walk and walk until I found the fish, think I ever would, so it worked out well and got on very well with him
so we walked… and we walked… un- quite well in the end!” back then. He got me the consultan-
til we fell apart from dehydration. cy. At the same time, he was involved
Then we went again! Eventually, C.O.____ Any scary moments on there? with Ocean Fresh Baits at Soham,
you’d see a fish, or something would S.C.____ “It was a pretty wild spot. I and I got involved with those guys.
happen and you’d get a clue. I got suppose my darkest moment was
clues quite early on. One of the first probably in 2000. We knew there “I remember Colin giving me this
fish I saw feeding was Mallin’s, and I were some dubious characters huge great catalogue and saying, ‘Go
fed it a can of sweetcorn. I remember around that place, but in hindsight, through there and fill your boots!’
thinking, That’s exactly the fish I’ve we’d probably become a little com-
seen in that book… I can catch them placent. We’d left two full sets of gear ‘Anything!’ I said.
here. Obviously the reality was that it in Ben’s car, and I remember see- ‘Anything,’ he replied, ‘you can
wasn’t going to be that easy! ing the rear screen smashed out and have whatever you want.’
just a towel hanging out of the back… “So I went through the catalogue
“I got going and once I’d caught you just knew, even from 50yds away and I made a list of about five things.
one, it was like having an injection of that all the gear had gone. That was a He sent it back to me and said, ‘No, you
the strongest, most exciting drug you terrible day. It was like someone had need to do better than that!’ Eventu-
could possibly imagine! That bite, ripped the heart out of our fishing. I ally, I morphed all my gear over to that
when the rod went off… I thought, remember driving back to my little and it was my first consultancy.”
No, it can’t be! Then, when it actually flat at Sparsholt with no gear in the
was a carp… I’ve got one!” car thinking, What happens now? My C.O.____ You’re now very settled with
gear wasn’t insured. I’ve never, ever Korda and Baitworks…
C.O.____ Was that the peak of your carp S.C.____ “Yeah, I’ve been with Korda a
fever, so to speak? long time now, as I have with Mark
Bryant at Baitworks. I’ve never been
one to flit between companies; I
think loyalty’s quite important and
it says a lot about the gear.

“I remember when I was out of
consultancy, I had a discussion with
Ben, and I said, ‘It would be really
handy if I could get a consultancy
with someone like Korda, whose
gear I use a lot,’ because I wanted
to be a consultant for someone
whose gear I actually used. At that
time, Adam [Penning] got the job
at Korda and it all fell into place re-
ally well.”

FEB 2020 013

MUST-HAVE C.O.____ So, Adam approached you? C.O.____ Going back to Wraysbury,
S.C.____ “Yeah, Adam said, ‘How do you what are your views on the current
SIMON’S KIT fancy being a consultant for Korda?’ set-up there?
S.C.____ “I think it’s a different place
So what would be the top five ‘Yes, please,’ I replied, ‘that’d be now. When I fished it, there were 44
essentials for someone like Simon absolutely fantastic!’ fish in there. It was crystal clear and
very quiet - you could go days with-
Scott? Thankfully he told us! “I grabbed it with both hands and out seeing other anglers. But places
I’ve been there ever since.” change. I used to say this when I was
1. Polaroid 100 per cent teaching. I had an Ordnance Sur-
Glasses confidence in C.O.____ What’s it like being a consultant vey map of Yateley from 1964 and I
“These are, them. They work now, compared to back at the start? would roll it out on the table in front
without doubt, an brilliantly with my S.C.____ “I’m very lucky. I think the of the students. I’d say, ‘Come and
essential item. I standard shank- guys at Korda are very patient with have a look at this, lads,’ and they’d
never leave home extension, line- me, because I’m not the media whore all gather round the table. I’d then
without them and aligned set-up.” I possibly should be, and possibly ask them to name the most famous
currently have don’t post enough [on social media]. lake in Yateley…
four pairs!” 4. Baitworks I’m still a huge fan, though, and my
Scent from Hell tackle box is full of their stuff. I use ‘The Car Park Lake! The Car Park!’
2. Chest Waders Pop-Ups Kamakura Wide Gape hooks all the they’d all say.
“Brilliant for allow- “I’ve caught so time, as I do a lot of Korda products.
ing me to reach many carp on Danny Fairbrass and the team he ‘You find me the Car Park Lake on
awkward spots, these that I can- has, are hugely professional. Don’t this map from 1964,’ I’d reply.
superb for staying not ever leave get me wrong, there are lots of great
dry (normally!), them out of my tackle companies out there, but I’ve “It isn’t that long ago, but there’s
and very carpy in bait bucket. I been a Korda enthusiast for a good no Car Park Lake; it’s a field… carp-
the catch shots!” absolutely hate while. Their gear is fantastic and I fishing history evolves pretty quickly.
the smell of them, use it with great confidence.”
3. Korda Kam- but the results “I’d chat to Pete Springate when
akura Wide Gape override the nose C.O.____ Any disadvantages to being a I used to see him, and he’d talk to
Hooks (size 4) punishment!” consultant, or have you found any in me about Wraysbury still being dug.
“I cannot remem- the past? These places change, and Wrays-
ber the last time 5. Binoculars S.C.____ “No. To be fair, I remember at bury’s a different place now, but it’s
I had a hook-pull. “Essential for the start Dan said to me, ‘I want you still making people happy. This is a
They are scar- watching the wa- to use products because you want to bizarre twist in the story, but on my
ily sharp, super ter and looking for use them, not because you feel you Instagram feed a couple of days ago,
strong and I have signs of activity.” have to use them.’ I’m very proud to up popped a picture of Dave Lane
be associated with Korda.” holding a forty-eight-pounder from
014 FEB 2020 Wraysbury, one from the modern era
which, bizarrely, was a fish I stocked
BELOW The one I wanted from the first start: Mallin’s into the lake! I think that’s pretty
bloody cool! I’m a happy man… what
more could you possibly wish for!”

C.O.____ You’re very much like Dave
Lane when it comes to the aesthetics
of your fishing kit… [Simon laughs
heartily] Nothing’s level and noth-
ing matches, which might be unfair,
but do you think folded reel handles
and having your rods close together
is quite funny?
S.C.____ “No, not funny… I think it’s
very serious! [laughs] Great ques-
tion! I’m never known as the tidiest
angler and that’s been levelled at me
many times. I’ve got photographs
taken the morning I caught Mary
and my rods are completely on the
piss! A few people have seen those
photographs and said, ‘Look at the
state of that set-up!’ but I think, for-
tunately, and through my ties with
Korda, my fishing kit is slightly tidier
than it was… although I do definitely
have some tape holding an eye onto
one of my rods at the moment, and



3.

Simon The
Angler

ABOVE I’ve never been one to have everything lined up perfectly! C.O.____ What’s your biggest strength
as an angler?
one of my reels sounds like a coffee S.C.____ “One thing I think is really im- S.C.____ “I think observation. I watch
grinder with gravel in it and is tem- portant: you go fishing for your own the water very closely. I think if I had
peramental at best - the last time I enjoyment, not anyone else’s. I would one snippet that I could pass on to
had a run, it was quite hairy!” never criticise anyone who wants to the readers of CARPology, the most
C.O.____ You could have the pick of the have their tackle set-up a certain way. important tool that I see anglers lose
tackle you want, so is this indicative of I’d say the same thing about venues. is watching the water. I think the mo-
your focus being solely on finding fish? If you don’t like the fish that are be- bile phone is like poking one of your
ing caught from a certain venue, then eyes out, because I watch young lads
016 FEB 2020 go and find somewhere else to fish. A fishing and they’re not watching the
man I hold in very high esteem once water… they’re watching their phone
said to me, ‘If you’ve got nothing good because they want to see what else is
to say, you shouldn’t say it.’ I think being caught. But, take my word for
that’s a really good way to go about it. it, all the really good anglers I know,
Just enjoy it. We’re only here once, so watch the water like a hawk when
you might as well make the most of it.” they need to. Turn the phone off and
do your text messages or Instagram
posts at two in the morning! When
I’m fishing, during the important
times, my phone will be on silent and
out of the way.”

C.O.____ Is there anything about the
carp’s biological and physiological
make-up that you could pass on?
S.C.____ “Obviously as a fish farmer,
I see carp every day. I’m walking
around seeing a lot of carp and you
see what a lot of carp are doing.
I think you learn a lot about their
movements in relation to oxygen and
temperature. We live in an oxygen-
constant world. We don’t think about
it day to day, but for a fish, it’s an im-
portant part of their lives, because if
they get it wrong once, they’re dead.
I think it becomes watercraft, when
you can work out where the carp will
be: in the most comfortable spot for
oxygen and the temperature.”

C.O.____ Pre-baiting plays a big role
in your fishing. Is that an edge, and
perhaps a forgotten edge?
S.C.____ “I’m not sure that it’s a for-
gotten edge. I think the anglers out
there catching a lot of fish pre-bait.
Anyone who listened to Tom Stokes’s
brilliant Thinking Tackle podcast
will know that he puts a huge empha-
sis on pre-baiting, and I would be ex-
actly with him on that. You can teach

“I think it becomes watercraft, THAT’S WEIRD!
when you can work out where
the carp will be: in the most THE ODDEST THINGS
comfortable spot for oxygen and
In the 40+ years of surrounding himself
the temperature.” with carp, Simon’s witnessed them do
some rather odd things, such as these…

carp to do some funny old stuff if you C.O.____ Do you have pre-baiting mis- 1. Jump clean out in a nearby snag.
feed them, and you can feed them sions, so to speak, or would you have of the lake! When it reached
into some funny old spots. You’re ba- pre-baited at the end of your previ- “Not a great tactic its larger compan-
sically just training an animal to feed ous session? for staying alive, ion, the lesser fish
where you want it to feed. It’s a great S.C.____ “No, I do pre-baiting mis- but during a mo- gave the other
way of cutting down the hours and sions, as well as baiting at the end of ment of its highly one a nudge,
improving the results. I’m no long- a trip. If it means being at the lake at over-charged before leading it
session angler - the longest I’ve ever 2 a.m., then so be it.” sexual excitement, back to the baited
fished is seven consecutive nights, I watched a mid- area. It was as if
and that was a long time ago now - C.O.____ Are you a better angler now double male carp the smaller fish
and I find two nights is a long trip for than the one who rocked up at jump clean out of was saying, “Come
me, so I try to do a bit of pre-baiting, Wraysbury 20-odd years ago? a lake and land on and have a look at
and hopefully, the fish come to me a S.C.____ “Good question! [thinks hard] the grassy bank. what I’ve found!”
bit and make the odds better.” I’m probably better at catching them He was stranded
there and needed 4. Eat a Lego
BELOW My biggest strength as an angler has to be observation to be helped back man’s head!
into the water!” “A good few years
ago while ex-
2. Eat another fish! perimenting with
“Although we different hookbait
don’t normally use options, I caught
live fish as bait for several carp on a
carp fishing, per- Lego man’s head.
haps we’re miss- It seemed amazing
ing something… to me then, but
I once watched twenty years down
a huge orange the line, we’re far
koi that lived in a more confident
large show tank about using small
at a garden centre pieces of plastic as
where I worked, hookbaits!”
herd a shoal of
six-inch grass carp 5. Try to eat a
into the corner, dog… well, sort of!
before it then “I once watched a
consumed one of ridiculously tame
them! It was like common that
watching a shark would take bread
on Blue Planet. from your fingers,
The big old koi grab the nose
had mastered the of a small terrier
trick of catching and try to pull it
his little tank- into the pond!
mates, and after The fish clearly
a few more went mistook the dog’s
missing, he was nose for a piece
moved out!” of grub and in
its enthusiasm
3. Lead another to feed, it pulled
fish to a rather hard. Even-
baited spot! tually, the fish let
“I once watched go of the dog’s
a small fish leave snout… the dog
a baited area and didn’t go any-
swim over to a far where near the
larger fish which pond for about
was resting up six months!”

FEB 2020 017

INSIGHTS

RANDOM FACTS

Here are five facts you wouldn’t
have known about Scotty…

1. “I struggled like actress, Minnie
mad at school and Driver, best known
was diagnosed as for her role in
severely dyslexic. I Good Will Hunting.
still find spelling a We weren’t the
bit of an issue!” best of friends…
I got thrown out
2. “My favourite of a geography
car was my very lesson for calling
old, and very her a cow!”
clapped-out
Renault 5 Prima. 4. “Despite being
We had some dyslexic, I can
crazy carp-fishing speak a little
adventures Spanish!”
together!”
5. “I love growing
3. “I went to stuff, monster
school with the vegetables in
English-American particular!”

now, but not with the same ridiculous ABOVE Watching carp has definitely helped improve my angling over the years
enthusiasm. When you’re in your 20s
and 30s, your level of enthusiasm and C.O.____What’s your angling allowance? the lake for too long, I’m missing
your level of keenness, be it running, S.C.____ “I don’t have an angling allow- other stuff going on in my life.”
going to the gym, photography, or ance, but I have a wife whom I love
whatever you do… you’re ultra-en- very, very much, so I don’t like to fish C.O.____ Can you switch off when
thusiastic. When you get older, that more than two nights a week now. I you’re fishing? Are you thinking
pin-sharpness blunts down slightly, could probably do three, but I’ve got about the fish farm?
like an old hook, perhaps. Now I’m too much other stuff to do.” S.C.____ “I’m thinking about every-
50, sometimes I think, It’s looking a thing! No, I do think about the farm
bit horrible outside…” [laughs] C.O.____ And does it fluctuate by season? a lot, but I’m very lucky in that we’ve
S.C.____ “It does a little. If I’m very got a good team here and communi-
C.O.____ Do you write notes about busy, I might do one night. If it’s go- cation is brilliant.”
your fishing, or store information ing well, I might do three nights. I
somehow? like lots of stuff. I feel that if I’m at C.O.____ If we dropped in on you in ses-
S.C.____ “I do write stuff, but I write
on my tackle box, on my Tupperware
tub, or on the side of my kettle or my
stove… and I write notes to myself.”

C.O.____ Using Post-Its? Or do you en-
grave them?
S.C.____ “No, I use a permanent pen.
So, for example, on my rig bin, it’ll
say, ‘Seven wraps towards the tree.’
But I’m not very good and I don’t
write enough notes! It’s fine in the
short-term, but if I go back two years
later, I can’t remember which tree!”

018 FEB 2020

sion, we wouldn’t see you reclining I think if I write one, it mightn’t be 4.
on a chair, a fag and a beer in hand…? much of a fishing book… I don’t know!”
S.C.____ “Ha, ha! You certainly wouldn’t VS
see me with a fag and a beer in hand! C.O.____ What about, post-COVID, the Fisheries
When I’m fishing, I’m fishing. I’ve been possibility of doing slideshows…?
on social trips where I’d be like that S.C.____ “I do quite like telling a story. and
and where I’ll have a few beers with I did Sandhurst historically, and was Breeding
friends, but if I’m fishing on my own, subsequently asked for more, but I
I’m pretty focused on the job in hand.” said no. I did what was called ‘The Carp
Wraysbury Experience’ a few times.
C.O.____ Some people go fishing to re- That was two and a half hours with C.O.____ Going back to the beginning
lax and unwind… a break in the middle, which I loved of VS Fisheries with Viv Shears,
S.C.____ “No, I actually come back doing. It was great fun, and it wasn’t was it a bit of a leap of faith to set up
pretty grumpy and tired! And that about me catching carp all the way the business?
can cause problems at home!” through, so, yeah, I could do another S.C.____ “I was spawning carp at
[laughs] slideshow.” Sparsholt and growing fish for friends
and stuff - all a bit ‘in the back gar-
C.O.____ How was your 2020 on the C.O.____ Who are the best anglers den’. Viv said that we should set-up a
angling front? you’ve seen on the bank? business. I was doing a short course,
S.C.____ “It’s been quite good, actually. S.C.____ “Oh, there are just so many. and in it there was a couple who had a
It was an interesting summer…” I’m very fortunate to have met and site in Sussex. They said, ‘Would you
fished with many great anglers who come and have a look?’ It sounded
C.O.____ You’ve gone coy… are far better than I am. I remember like a potential site and I went over
S.C.____ “I go fishing for me!” [laughs] the first time I went fishing with Dan with Viv. That was the start of VS
to do a Thinking Tackle shoot. I re- Fisheries. Unfortunately, the site
C.O.____ Are we going to see your member him casting about twice as wasn’t perfect for what we wanted,
Burghfield exploits? far as I could, popping a marker float but it got us going. A year later, we
S.C.____ “If I catch a couple more, I’ll do up and going, ‘There’s a little gravel moved to our current site. We started
a slideshow, maybe… possibly. [laughs] spot out there.’ I was thinking, That’s here with five-acres, and now we’ve
I don’t hanker for catching a fish and about a mile away! And then he pro- got… well, a fair few more!”
posting it on Instagram like I used to. ceeded to spod to his marker float! I
I’m very lucky in that I think I can do was completely blown away by the C.O.____ When did VS Fisheries begin?
enough for Korda without having to clinical style of his fishing, which was S.C.____ “I think we’re about 13- or
post about every single fish I catch. so far removed from what I do.” 14-years-old now.”
Dan might say I’m a nightmare!”
C.O.____ After that experience with C.O.____ Now, you might demur from
C.O.____ It’s quite a human desire to Danny, did you think, I’m going to go answering this, but did VS help cre-
show off your catches, though, even away and improve my casting? ate the current wave of carp-fishing
if only to your mates… S.C.____ “I did try to push my casting popularity, or did you ride it?
S.C.____ “Oh, I definitely show my envelope a bit, and I did manage to S.C.____ “No, I think we rode it. I think
mates and my gang of friends I talk to go over about 130yds once or twice, carp fishing was popular already,
on a daily basis. There’s no big hush- but the long chucking just wasn’t but it has continued to get more so.
hush within my little gang, and I to- for me. I always seem to gravitate I don’t think VS can take the credit,
tally understand people who want to 60yds. [laughs] I seem to find a but I think the likes of Korda can,
to post their catches on Instagram; spot at 60yds that always seems to and for driving it along. We’ve been
there’s no criticism of that.” produce good ’uns!” [laughs] in the right place to provide fish to
fisheries, and that’s helped.”
C.O.____ Do you think people might be C.O.____ Is there a trait that you see
surprised by what you’ve caught over which separates the good anglers FEB 2020 019
the last couple of years? from the mediocre ones?
S.C.____ “No! No! [smiling] They’re S.C.____ “Yeah, location. Pin-sharp lo-
just big old carp…” [laughs] cation, and the ability to move and
move and move. I’m great friends
C.O.____ There hasn’t been a Simon with Adam Penning and everybody
Scott book. Is there one in the offing? that knows him will know he moves
S.C.____ “Oh my god! I don’t think there all the time. That mindset of I’ve just
will be. That’s a question I get asked set-up here, but the fish are clearly
a great deal, but I don’t know. I was over there and moving again. I think
in Yateley Angling Centre a couple of Damian [Clarke] once said of the
years ago, chatting away at the coun- Korda Underwater films, ‘If you think
ter. I looked up and there were just you should’ve had a bite and you’ve
rows and rows of books. I thought, not had a bite, then re-cast and redo
Fishing books… that’s been done! it,’ and I took that on board.”





ABOVE Viv and I started the business some 13 or 14 years ago now the prettiest and had deformed fac-
es. If you try rearing little carp from
C.O.____ Lockdown has encouraged go and rear a load of carp and lob them eggs, it’s quite common to see spinal
the ‘home brew’ fish-rearing boom. into your local lake. There are dis- deformation, and also skull deformi-
What’s your general view of it? ease implications and a risk to exist- ties. They get funny mouths and gill
S.C.____ “I don’t have a problem with it ing stock, particularly if they’ve come plates, twisted fins, and you get vita-
at all. As I kid, I was collecting roach into contact with other fish, like, for min deficiencies coming in.”
eggs, tench eggs, bream eggs and example, ornamentals such as koi.”
carp eggs from the river near where C.O.____ Because of lack of sunlight?
I grew up, and I tried hatching them C.O.____ On a technical level, there’s S.C.____ “No, it’ll be the lack of getting
and rearing the fish. If people want to talk of these fish being stunted if the right nutrients at the right time.
have a go at that type of thing, that’s they’re tank-grown… It’s quite difficult to do that, so that’s
fine. There are health issues and legal S.C.____ “Yeah, I look back at some of one of the reasons that, as a carp farm,
requirements, though. You can’t just my very earliest fish; they weren’t we don’t hold fish indoors for months
and months on end. As fry, they’re
hatched indoors and they spend may-
be five to ten days indoors. As soon as
the weather is appropriate, they go
out into a pond which has been filled,
manured and spiked with plankton…
it’s effectively like opening Waitrose
and saying, ‘It’s a free-for-all!’”

C.O.____ Are you excited by any mod-
ern carp waters in particular, like
Grenville?
S.C.____ “Yeah, it’s fantastic. Places
change and Grenville will be to some
anglers, what Wraysbury was to me.

BELOW Farm life

shoulder – I remember it really well.

He said, ‘Right, Swim 17… rods at 45

degrees, make sure your banksticks

are a couple of feet into the ground,

have your clutches as tight as you

can get them, and then a bit tighter

again! When you get a bite, put the

rod over your shoulder and just run

backwards up the bank.’

“I remember thinking, Oh my god!

He said that I had to be on my rods

all the time. The bites would be sav-

age and ferocious, he told me, and I

shouldn’t give them an inch of line.

Ninety minutes later, I was in Swim

17 and was unable to tie a hook on, I

ABOVE My one experience of fishing at Rainbow was like reverting was so over-excited! I was complete-
back to being 16-years-old again! It was just incredible ly gobsmacked by the venue. I got

myself set-up so that my rod butts

were by my bedchair and I sat there.

I had a splitting headache, thinking

I don’t necessarily have a hanker- C.O.____ Some anglers have seen that, that I couldn’t sleep because I had to

ing to fish there, but it’s always in- and having become dismayed by the be ready for a bite. About 3 p.m. there

teresting to see these places come British scene, they’ve gone looking was this ‘be-da-dosh, be-da-dosh’, in

up. It’s amazing to think that when for adventure in France and beyond, the snags between the two rods I was

I was a student at Sparsholt in the but we don’t really associate that fishing. I remember thinking, There’s

1980s, I totted up with my mate, Alan with you; is that fair? one over there… there are carp in my

Black, the number of 40lb carp in S.C.____ “I’ve been to France, to Gigan- area! I didn’t sleep a wink all night.

the country. I think we got to about tica and a couple of other places, but “The next morning, these liners

eight or nine. Obviously there would I like catching them in the UK. One of started on my left-hand rod and the

have been a few we just didn’t know the most exciting bits of French fish- rod started clattering up and down

about, but to think about it now… I’ve ing I had was at Rainbow. I was very and bouncing back up. It got to

caught two or three forties in a sit- lucky to be able to go, and I’d love to about midday, it’d all gone quiet and

ting, or in a morning, and I’ve fished go again if anyone reading this wants I thought I’d been done. I thought,

venues where there might be twenty to take me! I’ll go out and redo the left-hand rod. I

or thirty of them swimming around! “Being at Rainbow for a week was got out in the boat and reeled myself

The sport has changed and that just like being 16 again, and first catch- to the spot. I lifted it off this little

illustrates how it has changed.” ing carp. It was just one of the most 6ft ledge that it was on, checked the

intense angling experiences I’ve ever rig and it was all absolutely perfect.

C.O.____ Is it difficult to imagine a wa- had. I was in Swim 17. You’re sur- The hook point and bait were still

ter coming out of nowhere now? For rounded in this cauldron of intense good. I started to think to myself,

a water to make its mark, it would angling vibes and huge great Scots You’ve fished at Wraysbury… you

have to be quite extensively man- pine trees. I was a guest of Myles know how to do this. I mapped the

aged, wouldn’t it? Gascoigne on one of Martin Locke’s area I was fishing with corks, and I

S.C.____ “It’d be lovely to think that trips. Martin met me on the first lowered my rig down with a thump,

I’m way off the mark here, but sadly, morning and he put his hand on my and as I did, I heard this ‘beeee-beee

the time of the massive windswept

gravel pit producing an absolutely

enormous unknown fish is probably “Being at Rainbow for a week was like
gone, because I just see what otters being 16 again, and first catching carp.
do. Even in 200-acre lakes I know
of, they find the carp and they kill

them. The Wraysburys of this world, It was just one of the most intense
pre-fencing, are becoming fewer and angling experiences I’ve ever had.”
farther between… the style of fisher-
ies is changing.”

VENUES SIMON’S FISHED OVER THE YEARS The River Thames / The River Ouse / The River Arun / The Car Park Lake, Yateley/ Sandhurst,
Yateley / Wraysbury Number One, Staines / Burghfield Main Lake, Reading / Burghfield Blue Pool, Reading / St. Germans, Cornwall
/ Redmire, Ross-on-Wye / Churchyard, Chichester / Whyke, Chichester / Vinnetrow, Chichester / The Boating Lake, Chichester / The
Bypass Pit, Witney, Oxfordshire / Summerleaze, Maidenhead / Various venues throughout Cotswold Water Park / Various venues around
West Sussex and Hampshire / The River Ebro, Spain / Gigantica, France / Rainbow Lake, France.

beeep’. I looked towards Swim 18 S.C.____ “I think variety’s the spice of 5.
and Myles was just sitting by his life. My favourite places have been
rods, relaxing in the sunshine. I then where you never quite know what And The
looked towards Swim 16, and the two the next fish was going to look like,
Dutch guys in there hadn’t moved… whether it’s a big, long zip-linear, Future…
‘beeee-beee beeep’ I looked towards or a deep-bodied, gutty fish. One of
my swim and thought, You’re 100yds the massive attractions of the sport C.O.____ What would the Simon Scott
away from your rods! With that, my is that they all look different. If you of 30 years ago have said if you told
remaining rod on the island abso- post a photo of fully scaled fish on him that he would make a career out
lutely doubled over. I could then see Instagram, everyone will like it. But of angling?
it thrashing about. if you post several in a row, after the S.C.____ “Where was I 30 years ago?
second or third, you’ll get something Hmm… I was a quite drunken 21-year-
“In the boat with an electric out- like, ‘We’ve seen that now.’ I think old! I don’t think I would’ve been sur-
board, I was basically going at walk- that’s why it’s nice to have a variety. prised. My enthusiasm for fish and
ing pace back to my rod, which was If I was developing my perfect fish- fishing has always been pretty solid.”
going mad. At the same time, over my ery from scratch, I’d want to have
shoulder, I could see this fish thrash- 100 different-looking fish.” C.O.____ Is there a fallback career you
ing about on the surface. I was think- would’ve gone into?
ing, That’s the carp I’m attached to… C.O.____ Would you ever develop a S.C.____ “I love photography… I enjoy
that’s on my rod! I was slowly closing fishery? it a lot. I’m not a photographer - I
the distance, and eventually, I leapt S.C.____ “We have talked about it a bit, don’t understand what ISO means,
from the boat and grabbed the rod, but I think probably not at the mo- or F-stop, but I know when I see a
doing exactly what Martin had told ment.” nice image through a lens. I’m sure,
me to do. The fish came out of the with a bit of training, I could’ve been
snag and the fight went on for a long C.O.____ Can I ask what would put you quite good at it. I like the filming
time. I could see this massive two- off, is it dealing with the public day that goes on now. I hugely admire
tone carp coming in… it went 63lb! in, day out? the Korda film crew. Every time I sit
S.C.____ “ Yeah, I think possibly… down and watch a Thinking Tackle
“That was my first bite at Rainbow. [laughs] I do hear some horror stories piece that I’ve been involved with, I
I just sat there with it in the net, an from day-ticket fishery managers!” think, How did they manage to make
emotional gibbering mess, thinking, it look so beautiful? It’s just wizardry!
How did I land that? It was incredi- C.O.____ Would a syndicate be more
ble! I went on to catch a fair few more likely? “I also love gardening, which sounds
that week and it was all very exciting. S.C.____ “Yeah, I think a syndicate’s a like an old man’s thing to say, but I’ve
That fish was the biggest, but I did nice thing to run if you get a group always enjoyed growing stuff - wheth-
have some titanic fights with oth- of really good lads. I’m a member of er it was fish eggs, or pumpkins. I used
ers. One thirty-six-pounder had me some lovely syndicates and it’s al- to enter the marrow-growing com-
swimming with my landing net over ways a pleasure to shut the gate and petition at my local village fete as a
my head. It was towing me along and see old friends.” school kid, and I still do that now, so I
I remember thinking, I’m going to might have become a gardener or gar-
be drowned here… I’m going to be C.O.____ Would you practise what you den designer, or something like that.”
drowned by a carp at Rainbow!” preach, so stock it exclusively with
VS fish or go to a variety of fish farms? C.O.____ On the subject of filming, do
C.O.____ What do you see as the future S.C.____ “I like to think that when Viv you enjoy being on camera?
of British carp waters: more day tick- and I set out the business, our plan S.C.____ “I do. I think it was Darrell who
ets or more booking-only venues? was to produce a variety of differ- first came up with the expression that
S.C.____ “I think a mixture of the two. ent fish. The reality is that it’s not filming is like fishing with the hand-
There’s always going to be a place always easy to do that, but in the brake on, and it is so difficult.”
for day-ticket fisheries, but I think hatchery every year, I try to do as
there’s a lot of room in the market- many different crosses as I can, to C.O.____ But you still enjoy it?
place for exclusive booking, and that’s mix things up. S.C.____ “Yeah, because I enjoy the ex-
a great way to run a fishery. It’s a nice perience of the filming and the fin-
thing to do as an angler too: having a “Our plan was that we wouldn’t ished product. Crikey! I grew up in a
place to yourself, with a few mates.” need to buy from 10 different sup- world where there wasn’t a great deal
pliers, because every time you buy of fishing to watch, and now we’re just
C.O.____ Are you seeing any trends in from another person, you’re adding awash with beautiful camera work.”
the types of carp that anglers cur- more of a risk. I’m not saying buy
rently prefer? exclusively from us, but buying from C.O.____ Would you ever do a raw, vlog-
two or three suppliers is safer than style YouTube channel?
022 FEB 2020 using ten different ones.” S.C.____ “I don’t know. I’m not very

C.O.____ Any expansion plans for VS?
S.C.____ “We’re always looking to devel-
op a new pond or two along the line.”

up and down in a pond… that’ll be me!”

C.O.____ And you’re not bored with
carp? You do see hundreds of them!
S.C.____ “I do see thousands, yeah, but
I still remember how I felt when I
first went to a carp farm, and I re-
member just being so over excited as
I looked into the tanks of small carp. I
get that too, when a customer comes
here… I love that. It’s really nice to
deal with customers and it’s always a
really pleasurable experience. It’s a
pleasure to see them picking fish. If
it takes them an hour to pick two or
three fish, that’s fine by me, because
I would take just as long!”

TOP I love photography… I enjoy it a lot. I’m
not a photographer - I don’t understand

what ISO means, or F-stop, but I know when
I see a nice image through a lens

BOTTOM I don’t really see myself as a
retiring sort of guy. I’m criticised quite
frequently at home for never sitting down.
Poor Sue, she sometimes says, ‘It’d be nice

to just have a day doing nothing!

ABOVE The love and passion for breeding carp is just as strong now as it was all those years ago

good at that sort of stuff. I always And never mind that, you’ve written
think afterwards that I should’ve about your trials and tribulations in
taken more pictures! I’m not one a magazine, so you’ve set yourself up
to sit with a camera running all the for a complete disaster!” [laughs]
time. I do get asked this, but I’m just
not sure I’m techie enough.” C.O.____ Where will you be in 20 years’
time? Is there a retirement plan?
C.O.____ What do you make of the cur- S.C.____ “I don’t really see myself as
rent fishing media scene? a retiring sort of guy. I’m criticised
S.C.____ “I think it’s great that people quite frequently at home for never
document their fishing. In the past, sitting down. Poor Sue, she some-
Joe (CARPology’s editor) has asked times says, ‘It’d be nice to just have
me to write a diary, and I think if I a day doing nothing,’ but my days
wanted to disable my fishing, it’d be by doing nothing just don’t happen, be-
writing a diary about how I’m getting cause I like doing stuff.”
on, because the moment you start a
diary for a campaign on a venue - ‘My C.O.____ And that’ll continue forever…?
quest to catch Big Scale’ or whatever S.C.____ “I think I’ll just collapse in a
- then you’re never going to catch it! heap somewhere, or be found bobbing

CURVE SHANK

JA C K GR E E NWAY - LANDING A HISTORICAL YORKSHIRE BRUTE AT 52LB 4OZ.

THE HUGE FRAMED MIRROR EDGED

CLOSER AND CLOSER

AND I KNEW IT WAS HER;
THE QUEEN OF THE LAKE.

CARPING ALLEGEDLY

Everest, egos and even personal grooming…
Bill Cottam’s with us once again to dish out another
dose of cynicism and sarcasm

BY BILL COTTAM

@cottamcarpangler It’s tough, but hardly as challenging
Bill Cottam Carp Angler as climbing Everest…

026 THE EVEREST OF CARP ANGLING?

read quite regularly these days, that
several of Europe’s particularly challenging waters are referred as being ‘the
Everest of carp fishing’. Now, as tough as they may be, and as gruelling as they
undoubtedly are, this does strike me as being something of an exaggeration…

For the non-mountaineering experts amongst you, Mount Everest is 29,029
feet high. To put that into a more comprehensible perspective, it’s five and a
half miles to its peak. Scaling it involves a ten-day trek to reach base camp,
intense and lengthy altitude training, and an eight- to ten-week expedition
costing something in the region of forty thousand dollars per person! Climb-
ers can expect temperatures of -19ºC in summer and -36ºC in winter, and it is
snow-capped throughout the twelve months of the year. After around 26,200
feet, climbers reach what is commonly known as the death zone, due to the
likelihood of mountaineers meeting their demise on this particular part of the
climb - Mount Everest has claimed the lives of some 300 people!

And for those of you who have a fascination with climbers’ toiletry habits -

Tough undoubtedly, but thankfully touched to have been given free rein by asked for or not; having the right spon-
not quite like scaling Everest the boss men of CARPology, to launch sors; and most of all, being comfortable
our new ‘Egomaniac of the Month’ talking about themselves in the third
and I know there are a few - those on the competition. Sadly, you are not able to person and being able to make every
world’s highest mountain are required, put yourself forward, but you are free to angling news story about themselves.
by law, to carry a poop tube: a section of suggest anyone else you consider wor- Being a time-served carp angler, having
plastic drain pipe with a removable end. thy of consideration. Successful appli- long-term experience on a wide variety
The accepted procedure is to have a cants should be totally self-centred, so of different waters, and having a good
number two in a resealable plastic bag, far up their own backside that it hurts, track record of catching a few decent
before stuffing the bundle into the tube. and not at all frightened to tell others fish are all totally irrelevant and of no
The contents of the tube can then be just how remarkable they are. consequence at all.
deposed of when you eventually make
it down the mountain - and there was Other traits that It is vitally important that you under-
me thinking that being forced to an- will enable the an- stand that we live in times where social
swer the call of nature in the woods and gler in question media content can fool a great number
burying it was a little inhumane! to potentially get of people, and where public perception
themselves a seat at is everything, so don’t be tempted to let
So, my point is, that although a hand- the top table of carpy the facts get in the way of putting for-
ful Europe’s toughest big-fish venues egomaniacs include: ward a potentially suitable applicant!
may well represent the ultimate carp- claiming to have in-
fishing challenge in a similar way to how vented just about To illustrate just how unbiased we are
Everest is recognised by mountaineers everything good that and how we offer equal opportunities
as being one of the world’s most difficult has ever happened to all, the winner doesn’t even need to
climbs, I will never accept that the two in carp fishing since be a capable catcher of carp; he can be a
are even remotely comparable. 1968; being per- serial no-hoper… we just don’t care! It’s
sonal friends with all about just how highly the eventual
COMPETITION TIME the carping greats; winner rates themselves!
sharing hints and
I know you all like a competition, and tips, irrespective of REEL HANDLES
I am not ashamed to reveal that I am whether they are
camo-trouser-wettingly happy, mas- Folded reel handles… if ever there was
sively honoured, and more than a little a carp tiger trait designed to make life
harder than it need be, it surely has to
be this nonsense. I can only assume that
the idea is to enable the aforementioned

Cold, but hardly -36ºC

“Other traits that will enable the
angler in question to potentially get
themselves a seat at the top table of
carpy egomaniacs include…”

027

calities fade into piscatorial insignifi-
cance when compared to looking the
part and impressing the life out of your
fellow carp tigers, but it does strike me
as being rather an unnecessarily tedi-
ous way of going about things.

I am currently using Shimano Ulte-
gra 1400 XTD reels, and I have to say I
am very happy with them. I hear on the
carpy grapevine, though, that some folk
would not dream of using them due to
the fact that the handles don’t fold down,
and consequently, their use doesn’t al-
low rods to be positioned 10mm apart
on the rests. Well, fear not, for I have a
solution that will take your street cred to
a whole new level. As I have mentioned
on numerous occasions in the past, I
am all about setting trends, not follow-
ing them - sheep and shepherds, and all
that stuff! My way of doing things now,
is to cast out, wade 20yds to my buzzers,
tighten down, set the bobbin, and then
totally remove the handles by undoing
their screw caps. The handles can then
be stored in the bivvy at the bottom of
the rucksack, and the rods can be posi-
tioned as close together as you want! I
honestly don’t know how I do all this for
the money… see you around carp tigers!

TOP Being capable of catching a SNOW CARP
few is a total irrelevance!
BOTTOM Thankfully the handles As I write, the weather forecast has sug-
can be removed gested that we - those of us in the frozen
North - might be in for a bit of snow, and
“Surely, having to get out of bed, locate I will certainly be keeping my eye on pro-
and put on your waders in the dark, and ceedings. I have been doing a few day
paddle the length of a football pitch up to sessions of late - and catching the odd
your neck in onion weed to get to the rods one - and the chance of getting out in a bit
is hard enough, without having to partially of white stuff would be too much for me
assemble your reel…” to resist. If my memory serves me cor-
rectly, I have caught four carp in what I
carp tiger - or indeed, tigress - to stare football pitch up to your neck in onion would class as ‘proper’ snow: one scraper
longingly at a battery of rods that are weed to get to the rods is hard enough, twenty, and three little ’uns from a very
positioned ridiculously close together, without having to partially assemble prolific water which, in truth, I only went
but in truth, the practice leaves me to- your reel - all before you can even think to because there was snow on the ground.
tally bemused. Surely, having to get out about stopping the scaly banger making Having said that, any carp caught in the
of bed, locate and put on your waders it to the snags when you get there. snow is pretty special in my book!
in the dark, and paddle the length of a
I realise, of course, that such practi- Snow carp aficionados might recall
that a mate of mine, the late Nick Elli-
ott (ex of Bankside Tackle in Sheffield),
hit the headlines when he caught a fish
known as the Pilgrim from the Tip Lake
at Darenth in the mid-eighties, in a bliz-
zard and with a considerable amount of

028

Hans Van Keijzerswaard COCONUT OIL any residue being left. My prediction,
with a fish to die for… therefore, is that Nick Helleur, having
80lbs of snow carp! Without wishing to blow my own rightly pointed out the error of so many
trumpet, I like to think that every day carp tigers’ ways, will soon be signing a
snow on the ground. The capture was is a school day as far as ‘Carping Al- multimillion-pound consultancy deal
awe-inspiring, and just reward for the legedly’ is concerned, and with that with one of the top coconut oil manu-
effort he had put in on the Tip and the in mind, I thought I would take this facturers, as carp anglers across the
miles he had travelled to get there on so opportunity to educate you regarding world run out and buy up stocks to help
many occasions. some of the joys, and the myriad of them remove all those stickers from
uses, of good quality coconut oil. their bait buckets!
Snow carp don’t get much better
than Nick’s capture, in my opinion, It is no secret that moisture-rich co- BILL COTTAM
but another mate of mine, Hans Van conut oil is largely re-
Keijzerswaard from Holland, arguably sponsible for my being Of great benefit to
topped it a couple of years ago with the able to maintain the the carp angler…
capture of a glorious 80lb common. To complexion of a twen-
catch a carp in the snow is a dream, and ty-five-year-old, and the
to catch an 80lb common is arguably flowing locks of a prize-
an even bigger dream. Realising both winning Afghan hound,
ambitions in one capture is nothing but it has many other
short of unbelievable… a win-double to uses that can be of great
die for and one that would undoubtedly benefit to the carp an-
have the head honchos of Sky Bet quak- gler. It is a little known
ing in their boots! fact, that by generously
rubbing them with co-
Hans’s common came during a very conut oil and leaving
tough week on Lake Sumbar in Croatia, them overnight, sticky
which, it has to be said, is quite prolific backed labels can be re-
in terms of captures of very big fish, but moved from just about
even taking that into account, it was a any surface, without
truly amazing capture.

029



BEYOND BURGHFIELD

AN INTERVIEW BY CARPOLOGY

03 1

It’s been a year to remember for Greg Ellis, for more reason than one.

We caught up with him on the banks of his winter water as he explained
what’s keeping him motivated through the colder months…

Read: another sixty-pounder,
but this time it’s a mirror.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS PORTER LEFT: THE FIRST ONE FROM A NEW WATER IS ALWAYS A BUZZ

CARPOLOGY:

Last time we met up,
it was to get a rundown of your epic capture

of the Burghfield Common;
have you come back down to earth yet?!

03 2 GREG ELLIS: “I have, yes. I was a bit down LEFT: THE
in the dumps then, but everything’s BURGHFIELD
sorted now and things are good; my COMMON
carp buzz is back and I’m enjoying it. HOLDS A LOT OF
There was a lot of negativity from jeal- PRESTIGE, NO
ous people who don’t know Burghfield MATTER WHO
and had never seen it. I put my video CATCHES IT. I
on YouTube about seven weeks after I HAVEN’T CAUGHT
caught the Common, when all the dust AS MANY FISH AS
was settling, so to speak. The video was TOM MAKER OR
open and completely truthful, and I MARCUS CLARK
thought that it would go one way or AND I FEEL A
the other. In the end, it received only BIT GUTTED FOR
two negative comments, from the usu- THEM, BUT IT’S A
al fake accounts, amongst the seven PEOPLE’S VOTE
hundred-odd posted. I’ve had posi- AND I DIDN’T
tive messages on Instagram too, and I PUSH FOR IT.
think releasing the video has done me
the world of good. People have seen RIGHT: STARTING
that I’m real, and that I’m a normal A NEW CAMPAIGN
IN THE AUTUMN
PREPARES GREG
FOR THE WINTER

working angler doing weekends. When
I get grief, I show it, and I think people
can now relate to that.

“There were negative comments on
the thread on CarpForum, but those peo-
ple won’t say those things to your face
- I’d love to bump into them at a carp
show! I’m sure there’ll be another thread
about the video… they love me on there!

“I could put another video out about
where I’m fishing now, showing the carp
I caught back in October, but all the an-
glers would come back and that would
ruin my winter on here. At the moment,
I don’t want to draw attention to myself,
or the lake. I just want to do my thing.
I’ll probably put a video out, but it’ll be
in the spring after I’ve long gone.”

CARPOLOGY: We’ve just heard that you’ve

won the Angling Times’ Carp Angler

of the Year award. Firstly, congratula-

tions, and secondly, how does that rank

amongst all the things you’ve achieved

so far in carp fishing?

GREG ELLIS: “I’ve won a few awards in the

past, and usually, you have to send de- “ P e o p l e s ay, ‘ W h e r e d o y o u g o a f t e r
tails of your captures to the magazines,
like Carp-Talk. This one, though, was Burghfield and catching a 60lb
out of the blue, after someone nomi-
nated me. I’m humbled to have been common?’ I want a 60lb mirror, and
nominated and I’d like to thank every-
one who voted for me. I didn’t put it out that’s what brought me to this lake.”
there myself, because I didn’t think I
deserved the award… Catch of the Year, CARPOLOGY: So what did you get up to after catching the Burghfield Com-
maybe, but Carp Angler of the Year is mon? Did you move on straight away, or were there other targets for you
all about consistency. Okay, I didn’t in that lake?
just catch the Burghfield Common; I
had all those fish leading up to it, and GREG ELLIS: “I did a bit of filming and stuff, and I joined the local clubs. I
those from this water that no one knows did one session on Burghfield after I caught the Common, but that was
about yet. There are people like Tom purely to do some filming for my diary. I had a dabble on the Reading
Maker and Marcus Clark, for instance, club lakes, but I couldn’t get a feel for them and I didn’t get the buzz.
who’ve been consistent and caught a lot Then, this water popped up. People say, ‘Where do you go after Burgh-
of fish; maybe one of them deserved it. field and catching a 60lb common?’ I want a 60lb mirror, and that’s what
brought me to this lake.”
“The Burghfield Common holds a
lot of prestige, though, no matter who CARPOLOGY: Tell us about this new venue you’re targeting… sizes, stock,
catches it, and nothing comes close. I features etc.
haven’t caught as many fish as Tom or
Marcus and I feel a bit gutted for them, GREG ELLIS: “It’s a big, southern club water of 55-acres. I’m not sure about
but it’s a people’s vote and I didn’t push the stock, but I’ve heard that there are about 80 carp in here, but there
for it. Thanks again to everyone who might be more. There’s a good head of big fish, with probably eight to ten
voted; it’s an honour to win the award.” going over fifty-pounds. There’s a rare one that hasn’t been out for a year
or so, that might be around sixty-two pounds.

BELOW: GREG OPENED HIS ACCOUNT WITH THIS 38LB 8OZ MIRROR

Burghfield, it’s easy… it would’ve been
hard, fishing the two the other way
round. I might not catch another fish
all winter, but it’s easy, because you
can see most of the lake. Everywhere’s
accessible, apart from one area. The
fish might be a long way away, but you
can still get to them, whereas at Burgh-
field, you’re a mile away sometimes.”

034 CARPOLOGY: Where do you start when

“We drove home on the Friday and setting out on a new water such as this?

the journey took 4.5hrs. I then came Do you do a lot of research, or do you

straight back, so that was another just do your own thing, i.e. are you ap-

3hrs on the road… the buzz is back, proaching it in the same manner as

and long may it continue.” Burghfield regarding rigs and bait?

“With the first lockdown, the lake wasn’t fished in the spring. I’m hop- GREG ELLIS: “My approach is really the
ing that this winter, I’ll get the bite from the one I want. A lot of anglers same as at Burghfield, with the same
go for looks, but I like big carp. They give me that drive and that buzz, rigs, and the baiting strategy with Cell
and I want a 60lb mirror now. and a few tiger nuts. On waters like
this, I tend to go for areas of the lake
“I plan on doing just the winter here. It’ll be too busy come spring and that aren’t pressured. I can’t turn up
summer, so I’ll go somewhere else. I’ll come back next winter if I don’t on a Friday and get in the most pop-
catch the one I want. It’s 137 miles to my house and the journey takes ular swim. I go for the less popular
three hours on a Friday. You’ve got to have something worth catching to areas and keep the bait going in. One
do that sort of mileage, and this lake has it.” advantage is, that with Mainline, I can
put a lot of boilie in. Some that pre-
CARPOLOGY: When did you start, and how’s it been going? bait put a lot of particle in. If you can
put a lot of boilie in, it gives you an
GREG ELLIS: “I started on here in mid-October, when there were a lot of edge, and that’s what I’ve done over
people on it. You have to be a bit covert and try and keep it quiet if you the years… being out of position, so to
catch one. Most people know where I’m fishing, but out of respect for the speak, helps me out.
others on here, I won’t name the water. If I have a good winter and start
putting it out there, it’ll upset some of the members. It’s got everything “Sometimes I’ll turn up on a Thurs-
I want… it has a bit of angling pressure, but not so much at the moment, day night, but it’s mainly weekends,
and it has the stock to bring me here. and I’ll arrive after a long drive on a
Friday night. I’ll carry on over the win-
“So far, it’s been going alright. I’ve had one, a fish of 38lb. I don’t want ter, and through Christmas. When I
to say too much about it, though. There’ll be another interview after this have time off work, I can do five nights,
one, and then I’ll be able to say more. For now, I just want to have a good before I then have to be off for at least
winter and do my own thing.” two. I plan on doing my usual five-
nighter over Christmas at some point.
CARPOLOGY: Burghfield has its own set of challenges, the main one being
the nature of the lake. What are the biggest challenges you’re faced with “As I said, I was a bit down in the
at this water, and how have you set out to overcome them? dumps after Burghfield, and then I
fished the Reading waters before com-
GREG ELLIS: “The angling pressure and the lines around you are the big- ing here. The Reading waters, though,
gest problems here. When it gets colder, a lot drop off, and hopefully, were right next to Burghfield, and I
I’ll pretty much have the lake to myself. Burghfield has its big out-of- needed to escape, which is why I came
bounds area, but people bait it and the fish feed there. Here, the out-of- here. I thought about having the rest of
bounds area isn’t fished. The angling pressure’s the challenge, but after the year off after the Reading waters,
but then this one came up and I’ve car-
ried on after that fish in October.

“I went to the New Forest for a week
with my girlfriend, and I joined whilst
we were down. We had a drink in a pub
and I had a look at the lake. We drove
home on the Friday and the journey
took four and a half hours. I then came
straight back, so that was another
three hours on the road. I camped out
by the shallow bay, as I just wanted to
be here… the buzz is back, and long
may it continue.”

05 1

TOP LEFT: GREG
CAN GET HIMSELF

INTO THIS!
BOTTOM LEFT:
THE BAITING MIX:
TIGERS AND CELL
TOP RIGHT TWO:

GIVING THEM
PLENTY OF FOOD

BOTTOM RIGHT:
PRE-BAITING

PLAY A MASSIVE
ROLE IN

GREG’S FISHING

TOP: FIRST NIGHT SWIM the same before I leave. I bring a 10kg
SECOND: WHERE THERE IS GRASS, THERE’S NOT ANGLERS… bag of Cell, but if I’m getting bites, I’ll
bring 20kg. Maybe, if I’m getting bites,
THIRD: WATCHING THE WATER UNTIL YOUR EYES BLEED! I might still fish over about five kilos,
BOTTOM RIGHT: LUCKY LEFT-HAND ROD but because I live so far away, I’ll put in
all the rest in one hit before I leave. In
winter, though, if the tufties find you,
it feels like you’re wasting your time.
I’ll put a load of bait in, and when I’m
driving home, I know the birds have
found it, but I still carry on. It does pay
off in the end.

“I have two spots, normally. On some
lakes I’ll have one spot with three rods
on it. On this lake, I have one spot
that’s quite a big area, with two rods on
it, and I have another spot. With two
hookbaits on the larger spot, I can put
quite a lot of bait over the rods. When
fishing three rods on a spot, I think five
kilos is nothing.”

CARPOLOGY: I think I’m right in saying

that you often move off your main tar-

get water and head for higher stocked

venues for the winter months, mainly

so you’re fresh and ready to go come

early spring, but you’re still here…

GREG ELLIS: “I joined this lake, because
the fish I want does do bites around
January. I’m trying to set it up and set
my stall out. Mid-October is a good time
to start baiting for the winter ahead. I
like to get the spots going and get bites
consistently. Then, if I’m lucky, it all
flows through the winter. If I’d have
started in December and tried to get
a spot going, chances are it wouldn’t
have worked. You’d put bait in and it

CARPOLOGY: Do you change anything come autumn and winter, such as

areas you target or baiting levels?

GREG ELLIS: “Everything pretty much stays the same, all year round. With
a lot of my angling being at weekends, I pre-bait. Being so far from home
and not being able to bait during the week, I put a lot in before I leave.
It’s the same everywhere I go. I don’t fine my tackle down or use smaller
baits or whatever; everything stays the same.

“Usually, I’ll fish over about five kilos, even in the winter, and I’ll put in

wouldn’t get eaten. If you get a spot go- ABOVE: THE BIRDLIFE IS A PAIN ON THIS NEW LAKE
ing in October and can draw those carp
in, it sets you up for the winter.” CARPOLOGY: You’ve already touched bait volumes, but how have you gone
about baiting it?
CARPOLOGY: Are you sticking to one area
and baiting that, or moving around on GREG ELLIS: “On smaller waters, I usually crush my Cell and I don’t nor-
what you see? mally use tiger nuts. On here, I’m using 15mm boilies with tigers. The
tigers are lighter and the gulls take them before the boilies. I will Spomb
GREG ELLIS: “When I first arrived, I out tigers, but my theory is that not that many make it to the bottom,
couldn’t get on the main spots. I pur- because of the birdlife on here. I wouldn’t use crushed baits on this wa-
posely chose an area that doesn’t get ter… it’s 55-acres, fairly open and it gets big winds. I use mainly boilie so
fished much, so I could do my thing. I it gets to the bottom. It would be different on a smaller water with a bit
could move to the more popular areas of cover. Crushing baits can be deadly, but on here, that approach isn’t
when the angling pressure reduces, but viable… it’s flat calm right now, but it isn’t normally!”
I’ve put so much time in here. The pop-
ular swims are available now, but I think CARPOLOGY: Do you make your own special hookbaits? Haven’t you turned
I’ve just got to stick it out where I am.” into quite a fan of artificial pop-ups after using them on Burghfield be-
cause of the crays?
CARPOLOGY: Aside from the angling pres-
sure, was there anything else that made GREG ELLIS: “I never make my own hookbaits, and yes, I love artificials.
you focus on this area of the lake then? Even with the tufties, rubber hookbaits are never going to come off. This
place, though, is renowned for long-range casting, and I thought that if
GREG ELLIS: “The deeper water. There are I’m going to go long, I can’t afford to crack off with an artificial bait, so
a lot of shallow areas on this lake, but for I’m using Mainline’s Diamond White pop-ups. They’re my favourite. If
the autumn and winter, I prefer deeper I’m using artificial baits, it’s always white over the Cell. It’s a nice change
water. I like to find an area that’s deeper to use real pop-ups for once.
and that’s where I do well through the
winters. This corner has got it. There’s “I glug my artificial baits, but not my pop-ups. I use Mainline Supa
less pressure and it’s deeper, so it’s per- Sweet Zig Liquid, and I’d say that that’s the reason I do so well with my
fect for my style of angling.” rubber baits.”

03 7 CARPOLOGY: As we record this, it’s mid-December. How many nights a week
are you currently doing and do you plan on continuing?

GREG ELLIS: “I’m doing two nights a week at the moment, sometimes
three if I can get down on a Thursday, and I’ll be here in all weathers…
nothing stops me. I’ve got that carp on my mind, so I’ll come out in all
conditions up until the spring.”

BELOW: GREG’S TRICK: THE TIGERS GET EATEN BY THE SEAGULLS AND THE
BOILIES MAKE IT TO THE LAKEBED

I’m hoping to catch some of the others,
but after a 60lb common, I want a 60lb
mirror… it’s like The Brute, from Pinge-
wood; it’s got a big single scale.”

038 CARPOLOGY: Talk us through what hap-

pened with the one you caught…

GREG ELLIS: “I was fishing up in a bay -
camping, basically. I went for a walk and
found these swims down here that are
all grass. I thought to myself, These don’t
get fished much. I had a lead about and
found that it’s a lot deeper here than
where I was fishing up the other end.
That was the Saturday. I did a night
down here and I saw a fish show to my
right. I thought that if fish were showing
in October, there’d be a good chance of
a few being here in the winter. I put out
about ten kilos of Cell before I left - it
took me around two hours. I managed to
get in the same swim the following week,
and I caught a carp. I thought, Right, this
is it! It was gut instinct at first, but then
a fish showed in the swim. It was good
observation, perhaps a bit of guesswork,
but then good angling, I suppose.

“One thing about this place is that the
fish look a lot bigger than they actually
are. The fight wasn’t too savage, more
plodding… your normal big-fish battle.
I got it in the net and I thought, That’s
a good forty. It had massive fins and it
looked huge. I weighed it, and it went
thirty-eight and a half pounds! I thought
something wasn’t right and weighed it
again, but there was no mistake. I dread
to think what a fish of 60lb will look like
on the bank… it’s gonna be scary!”

ABOVE: HOOKBAIT OPTIONS CARPOLOGY: Ha, ha! Let’s talk about rigs

“If I caught the Burghfield Common now… what are you using?
o n i t, i t ’ l l c at c h a n y t h i n g t h at s w i m s
in here. As I said, it’s all about GREG ELLIS: “Spinner Rigs, and I start-
confidence. If you’ve got confidence, ed using them at North Met Pit. With
y o u c a n b e c o m e d e a d ly. ” crayfish and the birds, it’s always reset-
ting itself. I used it on Burghfield and
CARPOLOGY: How do you keep focused during the long, cold winter nights? I’ve done well with it. It works every-
What gets you through them and what keeps you coming back each week? where I go; it’s that confidence thing.
It’s like bait. I never doubt Cell, even if I
GREG ELLIS: “That one fish keeps me focused. If I was coming here just put it out and don’t catch. It’s the same
to catch carp, they wouldn’t mean a lot. I like big carp, and without that with the Ronnie/Spinner Rig; I never
fish, I wouldn’t have the drive and passion to go. Without that fish, I doubt it. It caught me the Burghfield
probably wouldn’t come at all, to be fair. I’ve got that fish on my mind, Common, so it’ll catch me any carp!
and that’s what brings me here. People say the Ronnie Rig is ‘noddy’.
They said that the Burghfield Common
“There are plenty of other fish in here that are better looking, but it’s would never get caught on a Ronnie,
purely for the weight, and the 60lb mirror. I’d love to catch some of the but it did! If I caught the Burghfield
others, especially the fifties, but I’m here because of that one fish. In fact Common on it, it’ll catch anything that
swims in here. As I said, it’s all about
confidence. If you’ve got confidence
and you don’t question anything you’re
doing, you can become deadly.

ABOVE: THE SPINNER IS A RIG PRESENTATION GREG HAS MASSES OF CONFIDENCE IN CARPOLOGY: You don’t claim to be a long-range

“If they’re showing and you’re not catching, then they’re in the upper angler. Do you think you’ll eventually have to
layers, so it’s time for a Zig… it’s never my rig or my bait.”
fish at range on here, or do you think that be-
CARPOLOGY: How do you fish your hookbait? Is it critically balanced or
over-weighted? How do you see it working? ing different will be successful?

GREG ELLIS: “With my rubbers, I can use just the swivel and the hook and GREG ELLIS: “The long-range stuff is really for
it’s critically balanced. The pop-ups are a bit more buoyant, so I use a bit the popular swims, and you’re queuing up to
of putty, but only just enough… the less putty, the better.” get in ’em. I like to bait and get an area going,
but with those swims, I’d never be able to get
back in there. I’ve got long-range gear, like the
Avid Amplifier rods and braid. I could join the
rat race and learn to go 180 to 200yds, but I
don’t think I want to.

“The big ’un would’ve been out by now from
those swims, and there’s a reason for that. My
thinking is that by doing what I’m doing at a
shorter range, it will all pay off.”

CARPOLOGY: During this interview, you’ve not

once questioned that you’re going to catch

this fish, so you must feel confident…

GREG ELLIS: “It hasn’t been out for eighteen
months. All the big, named fish have been
caught, but not this one. With me doing my
own thing and being out of the way, it might
slip up. I’m quietly confident that come Jan-
uary, it’s gonna come through. It was the
same at Burghfield where I was told it was
impossible, but I remained confident all

®

New

F-S Range - The Non ADJ Bankstick
Availble in CB & ST/ST Range
Sizes 11”,15”,19”,23” & 29”

ABOVE: IT’S TIME TO WALK A NEW PATH… SEE YOU IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS

TOP: EQUIPPED FOR THE JOB of size. It’s that sense of achievement that motivates me in all my fish-
BOTTOM RIGHT: KEEP YOURSELF COMFORTABLE ing… spring, summer, autumn and winter, whatever the weather, it’s
that one carp!”
year. That was a mad one… I didn’t believe
it, really, but it came through in the end.” CARPOLOGY: Obviously you had the Burghfield Common, but what were
your top two or three moments from what’s certainly been a weird year?
CARPOLOGY: Any advice for staying motivated
in this cold weather? GREG ELLIS: “I’ve got myself a girlfriend! I met her in January and I’m still
with her now. As you say, I had the Burghfield Common… it was the year
GREG ELLIS: “Find a fish that you get obsessed of the commons! I had some really good ones, including the Saddleback
with! Like I said before, if I’m just going fish- Common from Burghfield. I had the Classic Carp - an old Leney… 1954 I
ing to catch fish, I’ve not got the motivation. I think it was stocked, or 1952. That fish really set me up and I knew I was
want that sense of achievement and the buzz. on for the Common then. I had a 40lb common from Burghfield in the
Even if it’s a twenty-pounder in your lake, the spring, just after lockdown. As I say, it’s been the year of the commons.”
size doesn’t matter… it’s about targeting that
one particular carp that you want. If you can CARPOLOGY: What are looking forward to in the New Year?
finally catch it, you’ll get the buzz, regardless
GREG ELLIS: “I’ve no doubt there’ll be another lockdown and that the lake
will be shut in the spring, but if I can repeat this year, then so be it… I’ve
had the best year ever. I’ve got myself a girlfriend, and yeah, 2020’s been
emotional!”

CARPOLOGY: You’re going to spend the rest of your winter on here, but
what’s the rest of 2021 looking like?

GREG ELLIS: “This place gets really busy in the spring, and I can’t be
dealing with that. I’m thinking about a big lake in Cambridgeshire that
doesn’t get fished much. I can go there and do my thing, away from the
crowd. They aren’t massive in there… I think it has fish to mid-forties,
but it’s a big, wild pit and I can take the dog and be on my own - dogs are
banned on here. I want to just be on my own and enjoy it… I can’t be
doing with the crowds. I’ll do the winter on here, then the spring will be
more chilled and I won’t care about the size of the fish. If I don’t get my
sixty, I’ll come back here next winter… in the summer, it’ll be spawned
out, and it won’t be sixty!”

CARPOLOGY: That’s great Greg. We’ll check back in shortly to see how
things are panning out.

GREG ELLIS: “Thanks. We’ll see you next time.”

04 0



DARRELL’S DIARY

Decisions

and

BY After tweaking his baiting approach,

DARRELL PECK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
SCOTT MCCULLOCH

042

DECISION, DECISIONS…

Dilemmas

Darrell Peck finishes a continental filming trip with a flourish

It’s fair to say that coronavirus restrictions caused T O P Assessing I had to travel 48hrs after the rest of the
mayhem with our filming schedule during 2020, my options team as I needed to attend the celebra-
and as a result, the autumn Korda Masterclass tions for my youngest son’s first birth-
film almost didn’t happen. Danny was forced BOTTOM With day. I won’t bore you with all the details,
to put out a last-minute SOS after rule changes the spot found, but I arrived at dusk, just in time to lay
meant that our entire crew would have to quar- I popped a eyes on the water before darkness fell. The quick
antine when we returned home, if we filmed in marker up so I brief was that the lake was about 600 metres long
Belgium or France. Fortunately, Jürgen came could bait up by about 100 metres wide, with depths down to
through with his commercial venue in Southern extremely tightly about 9 metres. In total, it had five swims: two at
Germany, and it was absolutely perfect for what from the boat each end and one in the middle. Dan was fishing
we needed. With us set to arrive during the last in the first swim I came to, at the nearest end.
week of October, however, we’d perhaps be a tiny RIGHT I baited He passed me a beer and told me about what had
bit late to see the very best of what the water had a one-metre occurred during my absence. He had been fish-
to offer. square area ing for 24hrs prior to my arrival and had caught
around the float a single fish of 28lb. The swim opposite looked a
reasonable bet, numerous jumping as I listened
to what Dan had to say. It was pretty close to
him, mind, and with just the two of us fishing the
entire lake, it seemed a bit off to fish right on top
of him. Dan had also baited and put a bivvy in a
second swim at the opposite end of the lake. The
remaining swim at that end also looked a little too
close, and the water it covered was also pretty un-
inspiring. With all this in mind, that left the final
swim in the middle of the lake as my best option.

Within 30 minutes of my arrival, it became
pitch dark, and before setting up camp I wanted
to have a quick walk round. The lake was said to
hold several hundred fish, and I certainly couldn’t
doubt it… they were crashing absolutely every-
where! As I walked down the far bank, opposite
the earmarked central swim, I heard several. On

044

very well stocked venues like haps medicinal beer sending me thinking was that until I had caught, I was reluc-

this, you rarely go wrong fishing into an extremely deep sleep. tant to overcommit much bait in any spot.

around the middle of the lake. It Waking some nine hours later, I Long story short, I had a lone tench for my efforts

was likely that if I fished tidily, I felt very well rested. during my first 24hrs. I spent long periods of that

would have enough carp traffic My opening gambit was to fish first night awake, and the number of fish I heard

to see me catch a few. two rods to the far bank on sepa- jumping was nothing short of obscene. Given the

After setting up camp and rate spots: one dropped from the level of fish-crashing activity, I knew that we really

having just spent 12hrs at the boat due to the range, the other should be catching several each night!

wheel, I was soon tucked up in cast across, and with both fished I spent the second morning casting a bare

my sleeping bag, that single, per- over a light scattering of bait. My lead all over the area in front of me, and having

a good feel around. For

the most part, the bot-

tom was nondescript…

presentable, yes, but

with little in the way

of gravel or variation.

“BAITING A ONE-METRE SQUARE AROUND THE FLOAT, Eventually, I did find

THE GUYS ON THE BANK COMMENTED THAT IT LOOKED a tiny gravel patch out

LIKE I HAD ALMOST POURED THE FOUR OR FIVE KILOS in the middle, where it
OF TIGERS AND 15MM CELL BOILIES DIRECTLY OVER IT.” was 20ft deep with con-
siderably better drops.

I joked with the cam-

era guys that England

045

cricket legend Sir Ian Botham was down there TOP First blood for A t this point, I had been on the bank
returning my leads on the full toss! me was a low thirty- three nights. Having fished two, it was
pound common
Due to the general bland silty and muddy nature starting to feel like the session was
of the bottom in the rest of the swim, I opted to set BOTTOM I started
my stall out on this one spot. The plan was to fish on my tried and slipping away. The activity at night
both my rods there. For them to both crack down as trusted Multi Rig
I wanted, they needed to be no more than a metre set-up was seriously tormenting my ego, and
apart. I had leaded the swim to within an inch of its
life, perhaps, and thought there was little point in RIGHT Just as they I was acutely aware that we were not making the
worrying about whether I’d scare the fish further have all year, tigers
by using the boat to bait up. If anything, using the played a part in my most of the lake’s potential. Dan had caught three
boat was probably more discreet than 50 large baiting approach
Spombs slapping on the surface.

When baiting from a boat, it’s easy to lose per-
spective and unintentionally spread your bait over
a much wider area than you would from the bank.
With this in mind, and knowing that the spot was
really tight, my plan was to bait it as such. The
marker was deployed first and then I just ambled
out there on a low throttle, baiting a one-metre
square around the float, the guys on the bank com-
mented that it looked like I had almost poured the
four or five kilos of tigers and 15mm Cell boilies
directly over it. The night that followed produced
my first fish: a common of just over 30lb.

046