Here in UK we’ve got plenty of legends: Hearn, Sharpy, Cundiff, and of course that legendary day ticket duo of Hughes and Crow. We’ve got the ‘Hughes’ part in our Below The Surface series, so we got in touch with the ‘Crow’ side. “Yeah, I’ll do your Top Ten,” the 30-year-old-something told us in an accent so northern it made us want to make some Hot Pot.
      This chap is one our greatest day ticketiers and we wanted his guide to the top ten ways to be ‘great’. It all worked out well…
www.venturecarp.com

Simon says: “They've all been different in one way or another, e.g. Horseshoe has the prettiest fish and Linear is the best complex. However, I've a soft spot for Orchid Lake in Oxfordshire.
www.thecarpsociety.com

Simon says: “Get out there and go fishing. You can have a season’s worth of results in a couple of weeks in spring. My tip would be to target the shallow areas like margins, places that warm up the quickest.”

Simon says: “I'm an all rounder really and there isn't anything I haven't tried. I fish in matches, overseas, on the top, stalking, etc. However, I'd love to catch a few more biggies from 'up north' in Yorkshire, especially the Motorway Pond's Big ’Un'.”

Simon says: “I think we'll see a big change in the tackle trade. 2006 was a tough time for the manufacturers and I think discounting really got silly with some shops. The industry in the UK can't survive with discounting leading the way.”
www.shimano.com

Simon says: “Not really. I base everything around one rig, just changing the presentation of the hookbait to suite the conditions I have in front. My standard rig incorporates 25lb Super Nova, Knotless Knotted and line-aligned to a size 6 Solar X-Wide Gape hook.”
www.kryston.com

Simon says: “What a question! There's loads of good lads out there, however, if I had to count on one angler to get me a bite though, it would be Frank Warwick.”

Simon says: “Go mid-week when the lake will be quiet and put more emphasis on finding the fish rather than using the latest 'trendy' rig and hookbait.”

Simon says: “I carry all sorts, but mainly it's tracky bottoms, a T-shirt and a hoodie. I'm not a Realtree man.”
Clobber

Simon says: “The key to success at day ticket waters is being versatile, so you need a bit of everything rather than a lot of one particular bait. I carry plenty of hookbaits, all sizes and flavours of boilie, as well as tins of particles and pellets.”

Simon says: “I've used all sorts of great baits in my time, but at the moment most of my faith is in Solar's BYT. Last year I took it to 18 different waters and caught from all of them.”