Beyond Burghfield

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?!
“I have, yes. I was a bit down in the dumps then, but everything’s sorted now and things are good; my carp buzz is back and I’m enjoying it. There was a lot of negativity from jealous people who don’t know Burghfield and had never seen it. I put my video on YouTube about seven weeks after I caught the Common, when all the dust was settling, so to speak. The video was open and completely truthful, and I thought that it would go one way or the other. In the end, it received only two negative comments, from the usual fake accounts, amongst the seven hundred-odd posted. I’ve had positive messages on Instagram too, and I think releasing the video has done me the world of good. People have seen that I’m real, and that I’m a normal 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 people 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 anglers 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.”

We’ve just heard that you’ve won the Angling Times’ Carp Angler of the Year award. Firstly, congratulations, and secondly, how does that rank amongst all the things you’ve achieved so far in carp fishing?
“I’ve won a few awards in the past, and usually, you have to send details of your captures to the magazines, like Carp-Talk. This one, though, was out of the blue, after someone nominated me. I’m humbled to have been nominated and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me. I didn’t put it out there myself, because I didn’t think I deserved the award… Catch of the Year, maybe, but Carp Angler of the Year is all about consistency. Okay, I didn’t just catch the Burghfield Common; I had all those fish leading up to it, and those from this water that no one knows about yet. There are people like Tom Maker and Marcus Clark, for instance, who’ve been consistent and caught a lot of fish; maybe one of them deserved it. 

“The Burghfield Common holds a lot of prestige, though, no matter who catches it, and nothing comes close. I haven’t caught as many fish as Tom or Marcus and I feel a bit gutted for them, but it’s a people’s vote and I didn’t push for it. Thanks again to everyone who voted; it’s an honour to win the award.”

So what did you get up to after catching the Burghfield Common? Did you move on straight away, or were there other targets for you in that lake?
“I did a bit of filming and stuff, and I joined the local clubs. I did one session on Burghfield after I caught the Common, but that was purely to do some filming for my diary. I had a dabble on the Reading club lakes, but I couldn’t get a feel for them and I didn’t get the buzz. Then, this water popped up. People say, ‘Where do you go after Burghfield and catching a 60lb common?’ I want a 60lb mirror, and that’s what brought me to this lake.”

Tell us about this new venue you’re targeting… sizes, stock, features etc. 
“It’s a big, southern club water of 55-acres. I’m not sure about the stock, but I’ve heard that there are about 80 carp in here, but there might be more. There’s a good head of big fish, with probably eight to ten 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. 

“With the first lockdown, the lake wasn’t fished in the spring. I’m hoping that this winter, I’ll get the bite from the one I want. A lot of anglers go for looks, but I like big carp. They give me that drive and that buzz, and I want a 60lb mirror now.

“I plan on doing just the winter here. It’ll be too busy come spring and summer, so I’ll go somewhere else. I’ll come back next winter if I don’t catch the one I want. It’s 137 miles to my house and the journey takes three hours on a Friday. You’ve got to have something worth catching to do that sort of mileage, and this lake has it.”

When did you start, and how’s it been going? 
“I started on here in mid-October, when there were a lot of people on it. You have to be a bit covert and try and keep it quiet if you catch one. Most people know where I’m fishing, but out of respect for the 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 I want… it has a bit of angling pressure, but not so much at the moment, and it has the stock to bring me here.

“So far, it’s been going alright. I’ve had one, a fish of 38lb. I don’t want to say too much about it, though. There’ll be another interview after this one, and then I’ll be able to say more. For now, I just want to have a good winter and do my own thing.” 

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 at this water, and how have you set out to overcome them?
“The angling pressure and the lines around you are the biggest problems here. When it gets colder, a lot drop off, and hopefully, I’ll pretty much have the lake to myself. Burghfield has its big out-of-bounds area, but people bait it and the fish feed there. Here, the out-of-bounds area isn’t fished. The angling pressure’s the challenge, but after 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 Burghfield, you’re a mile away sometimes.” 

Where do you start when setting out on a new water such as this? Do you do a lot of research, or do you just do your own thing, i.e. are you approaching it in the same manner as Burghfield regarding rigs and bait?
“My approach is really the same as at Burghfield, with the same rigs, and the baiting strategy with Cell and a few tiger nuts. On waters like this, I tend to go for areas of the lake that aren’t pressured. I can’t turn up on a Friday and get in the most popular swim. I go for the less popular areas and keep the bait going in. One advantage is, that with Mainline, I can put a lot of boilie in. Some that pre-bait put a lot of particle in. If you can put a lot of boilie in, it gives you an edge, and that’s what I’ve done over the years… being out of position, so to speak, helps me out. 

“Sometimes I’ll turn up on a Thursday night, but it’s mainly weekends, and I’ll arrive after a long drive on a Friday night. I’ll carry on over the winter, and through Christmas. When I have time off work, I can do five nights, before you then have to be off for at least two. I plan on doing my usual five-nighter over Christmas at some point.

“As I said, I was a bit down in the dumps after Burghfield, and then I fished the Reading waters before coming here. The Reading waters, though, were right next to Burghfield, and I needed to escape, which is why I came here. I thought about having the rest of the year off after the Reading waters, but then this one came up and I’ve carried 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.”

Do you change anything come autumn and winter, such as areas you target or baiting levels? 
“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 the same before I leave. I bring a 10kg bag of Cell, but if I’m getting bites, I’ll bring 20kg. Maybe, if I’m getting bites, I might still fish over about five kilos, 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.”  

I think I’m right in saying that you often move off your main target 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…
“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 wouldn’t get eaten. If you get a spot going in October and can draw those carp in, it sets you up for the winter.”

Are you sticking to one area and baiting that, or moving around on what you see? 
“When I first arrived, I couldn’t get on the main spots. I purposely chose an area that doesn’t get fished much, so I could do my thing. I could move to the more popular areas when the angling pressure reduces, but I’ve put so much time in here. The popular swims are available now, but I think I’ve just got to stick it out where I am.”

Aside from the angling pressure, was there anything else that made you focus on this area of the lake then? 
“The deeper water. There are a lot of shallow areas on this lake, but for the autumn and winter, I prefer deeper water. I like to find an area that’s deeper and that’s where I do well through the winters. This corner has got it. There’s less pressure and it’s deeper, so it’s perfect for my style of angling.”

You’ve already touched bait volumes, but how have you gone about baiting it?
“On smaller waters, I usually crush my Cell and I don’t normally 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 out tigers, but my theory is that not that many make it to the bottom, because of the birdlife on here. I wouldn’t use crushed baits on this water… it’s 55-acres, fairly open and it gets big winds. I use mainly boilie so it gets to the bottom. It would be different on a smaller water with a bit of cover. Crushing baits can be deadly, but on here, that approach isn’t viable… it’s flat calm right now, but it isn’t normally!”

Do you make your own special hookbaits? Haven’t you turned into quite a fan of artificial pop-ups after using them on Burghfield because of the crays?
“I never make my own hookbaits, and yes, I love artificials. 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 I’m going to go long, I can’t afford to crack off with an artificial bait, so I’m using Mainline’s Diamond White pop-ups. They’re my favourite. If I’m using artificial baits, it’s always white over the Cell. It’s a nice change to use real pop-ups for once.

“I glug my artificial baits, but not my pop-ups. I use Mainline Supa Sweet Zig Liquid, and I’d say that that’s the reason I do so well with my rubber baits.”

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

How do you keep focused during the long, cold winter nights? What gets you through them and what keeps you coming back each week? 
“That one fish keeps me focused. If I was coming here just to catch carp, they wouldn’t mean a lot. I like big carp, and without that fish, I wouldn’t have the drive and passion to go. Without that fish, I probably wouldn’t come at all, to be fair. I’ve got that fish on my mind, and that’s what brings me here.

“There are plenty of other fish in here that are better looking, but it’s purely for the weight, and the 60lb mirror. I’d love to catch some of the others, especially the fifties, but I’m here because of that one fish. In fact 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 Pingewood; it’s got a big single scale.”

Talk us through what happened with the one you caught…
“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!”

Ha, ha! Let’s talk about rigs now… what are you using?
“Spinner Rigs, and I started using them at North Met Pit. With crayfish and the birds, it’s always resetting itself. I used it on Burghfield and I’ve done well with it. It works everywhere I go; it’s that confidence thing. It’s like bait. I never doubt Cell, even if I put it out and don’t catch. It’s the same with the Ronnie/Spinner Rig; I never doubt it. It caught me the Burghfield Common, so it’ll catch me any carp! People say the Ronnie Rig is ‘noddy’. They said that the Burghfield Common would never get caught on a Ronnie, but it did! If I caught the Burghfield 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.

“If they’re showing and you’re not catching, then they’re in the upper layers, so it’s time for a Zig… it’s never my rig or my bait.”

How do you fish your hookbait? Is it critically balanced or over-weighted? How do you see it working?
“With my rubbers, I can use just the swivel and the hook and it’s critically balanced. The pop-ups are a bit more buoyant, so I use a bit of putty, but only just enough… the less putty, the better.”

You don’t claim to be a long-range angler. Do you think you’ll eventually have to fish at range on here, or do you think that being different will be successful? 
“The long-range stuff is really for the popular swims, and you’re queuing up to 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.”

During this interview, you’ve not once questioned that you’re going to catch this fish, so you must feel confident…
“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 January, it’s gonna come through. It was the same at Burghfield where I was told it was impossible, but I remained confident all year. That was a mad one… I didn’t believe it, really, but it came through in the end.”

Any advice for staying motivated in this cold weather?
“Find a fish that you get obsessed with! Like I said before, if I’m just going fishing to catch fish, I’ve not got the motivation. I want that sense of achievement and the buzz. Even if it’s a twenty-pounder in your lake, the size doesn’t matter… it’s about targeting that one particular carp that you want. If you can finally catch it, you’ll get the buzz, regardless of size. It’s that sense of achievement that motivates me in all my fishing… spring, summer, autumn and winter, whatever the weather, it’s that one carp!”

Obviously you had the Burghfield Common, but what were your top two or three moments from what’s certainly been a weird year?
“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 of the commons! I had some really good ones, including the Saddleback Common from Burghfield. I had the Classic Carp - an old Leney… 1954 I think it was stocked, or 1952. That fish really set me up and I knew I was on for the Common then. I had a 40lb common from Burghfield in the spring, just after lockdown. As I say, it’s been the year of the commons.”

What are looking forward to in the New Year?
“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!”

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

That’s great Greg. We’ll check back in shortly to see how things are panning out. 
“Thanks. We’ll see you next time.”