carp fishing uk articles

carp fishing uk articles

the go fishing 2001 expedition

Having gone to the frankly disappointing Angling99 I was slightly hesitant about going to this event. Fortunately many of the grumbles have been taken into account and my first impressions of the show was positive. Upon arrival you are greeted with bags full of catalogues or tackle samples and the initially daunting vista of a wall-to-wall fishing shop! Many of the stands are, as youd expect, occupied by the larger, more well-known tackle manufacturers but there is also a surprisingly large contingent of minor companies. This combination provides a good atmosphere and gives visitors the chance to see what new manufacturers have to offer. The much-criticised 99 event lacked the option to buy tackle but this year there was a large retail village. However, the system of buying from say Daiwa or JRC (just two of the larger companies on show) was quite time consuming. Basically the tackle company gives you a ticket that corresponds with the item you wish to buy and then you queue up at one of the large shops that have stands. This means that you can buy from the majors but it takes a lot of time and I found that only Korda had a user-friendly system. Offering discounted PVA tubes and rig sets they really set the standard for others to follow.

As you can see from the photos, the amount of equipment on display was very impressive. Carping seemed to be the dominant branch of the sport with many companies such as Keenets showing off budget bedchairs and accessories. Carp fishings popularity was confirmed by the packed auditorium in the CarpTalk forum. Anglers such as Tim Paisley, Brian Skoyles, Danny Fairbrass, Paul Selman, Des Taylor and many others informed and entertained the crowds (Des Taylors great tale of catching a Cassien carp over 30lbs he believed was a tench was a particular favourite).

Outside, the NECs grey-looking lake played host to casting and coaching, with the added incentive of prizes for fish caught. Unfortunately, although most visitors were coarse fishermen, the fish that were stocked were all trout. This still gave people the chance to catch hard-fighting fish but I cant help thinking that the newcomers to the sport that they were trying to teach would have gone away thinking trout are always caught on waggler or pole. A grandstand was erected for those braving the weather to watch from but it proved too cold for most.

Back in the warmth of the large hall it was nice to spot many well-known anglers simply browsing the stands. Bob James and John Wilson manned the Master line stand and were more than willing to answer questions and give autographs. The Daiwa stand had the largest concentration of known anglers and even ran their own interview sessions throughout the day. On the Angling Publications stand Chris Ball, the Paisley family, Rob Hughes and Julian Cundiff signed and sold books and videos, the best deal being two Crafty Carpers for £1 with a cover signature. As I mentioned earlier, a number of the larger tackle store from around the country came along to capitalise on anglers with money to burn. I picked up a pair of neoprene waders for £40 reduced from £100 but many of the prices werent overly reduced.

All in all I thought the day out was pretty enjoyable. If you went looking for a bargain then the Thorpe Park event may have suited you better but the advice and interaction with the stars was very welcome and well received.

total carp fishing