Making The Effort

I guess the obvious place to start would be at the beginning, so where did it all kick off for you in terms of your angling?
“From a young age, I’d always dabbled, but really only because of friends… I was never madly into fishing then. I remember a mate’s dad took us for my first night, and I caught my first twenty using some of his spare kit. Then I went out and bought a little set-up. I was around fourteen at the time, and armed with my pair of new Fox rods and alarms, my good friend, Ashley, took me to Farnham Flint for three nights. I blanked, and as soon as I got home, I told my brother he could have all my fishing gear, and that I wasn’t interested anymore. He actually gave me 20 quid in the end, just so I couldn’t ask for it back.”

At what point did this all change then?
“It was when I moved from Reading to Thatcham in 2007. Ashley, and my mate, Nathan, had slowly worn me down, and eventually I found myself making the odd trip to Bellwood Lake. There was a large mirror in there, a mid-forty named Shoulders. I was fishing when I could, but honestly, I didn’t have a clue. My mates were always keen to give me a little push and they told me what was what, and they taught me a lot. I was in my early twenties by this time and doing the odd night here and there. We’d flit about between a few places, like the Thames, Bellwood and a couple of local pits that seemingly didn’t belong to anyone, one of which I went on to catch a forty-pound mirror from.”

So was your fishing starting to become more of a focus by then?
“It was. I had my first forty from Bellwood: the mighty Shoulders at just over 43lb. It all changed from there. I found myself making time to fish, rather than just going when I could.”

Where did it go from there?
“I had been bouncing about, fishing a few different waters, and eventually I ended up fishing a large sailing lake which a friend had been running. It was big, and at 350-acres I felt way out of my depth. There was only a small syndicate, so it was great for getting about on, for baiting areas and for just learning what was what. I remember making a cool little swim out in the lake using scaffolding and everything… it was one of those kind of waters. 

“That spring, I settled in an area which contained a large set of snags. I was keeping bait going in and checking on the snags daily. I remember going down seventeen days on the bounce without fishing it, just looking around from the boat and baiting. On the eighteenth day I had a golf tournament, and I ended up getting badly sunburnt. I had planned to get to the lake afterwards, but was feeling rough with maybe heat stroke, and so I went home. A mate, who had also been fishing a similar area called me at around ten that night to tell me the fish had turned up. I’m fairly confident they were there all day and that he just wanted a head start on me! [laughing]

“I arrived at the lake for first light the next morning, boated the gear over to my swim and got the rods in position. I had two bites within an hour of arriving—I couldn’t believe it. I phoned my mate who was on the other end of the island, but there was no answer. Before I could call again, the other rod ripped off! Shortly after, I slid my net under one of the lake’s proper ones. I stood there, up to my chest in water with two fish in my one good retainer, with this big mirror sulking in my net. I was screaming for my mate, who was only a hundred yards or so away. After a minute or so of shouting for him, it became clear that he was out for the count. I couldn’t reach him on foot as the island was thick with brambles. The only way of waking him up would have been to go round in the boat and give him a good shake. I did have another retainer with me, one of the old Angling Intelligence ones, but I’d heard horror stories of carp escaping from them. I’d planned not to use it again, but my new one was already out and I needed to wake up my mate to help with the fish on the bank. I decided to transfer the carp into the AI retainer, but I tied the top together with some cord. I was confident that the carp wouldn’t get out, and took a minute to get myself together. 

“Just before I went to grab my mate, I thought I’d check on the fish. I couldn’t believe it when I found an empty retainer… the mirror had escaped! I was so concerned about the top coming open that I had completely forgotten to zip up the sides! I was so annoyed with myself… I just couldn’t believe it.”

Noooo! Do you know what fish it was?
“Yeah, it actually went on to do another capture just after spawning that year when it weighed over 45lb! I knew it was big, and at that time it was the largest carp I had seen on the bank.”

It’s funny isn’t it, but if you don’t have the photos, it’s as if it didn’t happen… where’s the trust? [laughing]
“If I’m honest, I can live without the photo, but it’s not knowing the weight. I’m fairly sure that it was a new PB, and potentially, it could still be my personal best to this day. We’ll never know, though. So yeah, that did me in really. Although it wasn’t the fish I really wanted from there, I never did go back.”

I can imagine; so what was next?
“That summer saw the start of my Wasing ticket, 10 years after putting my name down on the list. I’d put my name down in 2007, but I knew nothing of the place back then; it was Nathan who had made me join really. I think at the time, the Parrot was just another 30lb mirror, but there were a lot of nice fish to go at—or so Nathan had told me. If I’m honest, I’d never really thought about fishing there. The winter before I got my ticket, the Parrot had done the British record, but like I say, I’d kind of forgotten about it and was looking at fishing other lakes, then my chance to fish Cranwells came.” 

What’s it like fishing for a potential British record? The opportunity doesn’t come around very often…
“If I’m honest, it wasn’t something I really thought about. It’s just a big carp and close to home, which made it ideal. My main target was actually a carp known as Floppy. I just loved that carp, and I was buzzing when I caught it. I didn’t really think about the weight of the Parrot… I just knew it was a fish I wanted to catch.”

I know you had a chance at the Parrot; would you like to share what happened there? 
“Some you win, some you lose…”

Fair enough. [laughing] What was your time like on Wasing then?
“I did a full year on Cranwells, which was really enjoyable. I did a lot of nights—52 to be exact—and I managed 103 fish. It was just really nice: lots of lovely carp and a beautiful lake. In my second season, I really went for it. I had seen the Parrot on the bank and I was blown away. That was when I changed the way I fished on there. Rather than just fishing for bites like I had been doing, I decided to make more of a concentrated effort for that particular carp. I had worked out patterns by this time and had noticed a few things, and I came up with a plan. In preparation, I decided to bait heavily during the close season and it felt good for the return trip. Sadly, during that opening session, the Parrot was found dead. A mate called and said he’d seen something floating in the water. I had a look through the bins, and at first I thought it was a swan. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the Parrot. After that I did only another handful of nights that year.” 

Sounds like you enjoyed some great fishing, which came to an unfortunate end, so was that it for Wasing?
“No, I did have a go on Oxlease, the lake next door. It’s joined to Cranwells by two channels. One is around six feet wide and ten yards long, and the fish can actually move between two lakes when the water’s up. There was a group of six good ’uns which I would find regularly, and the fish were always together. I decided to start priming a couple of areas nice and early. The prep started paying off and I was having some good hits. I hadn’t seen this group of better fish for a while, though, and with Oxlease being a really deep lake, I assumed that they were in the deeper water. Eventually, one of them turned up on the bank, but from the lake next door—they had obviously moved through when it had flooded! It all got very confusing then, trying to figure out which fish were where. If I’m honest, trying to catch a couple of specific carp amongst all those I’d had already became a real headache. I did do some more time between the two lakes, and I managed to bank one of the fish I wanted: the Long Common at 43lb. That was my last night on there.”

I’m guessing by this time Dinton was on the radar?
“I’d been offered my Dinton ticket a couple of times. I’d actually had a Black Swan ticket a few years before, but with my twins being born and having a business to run, I managed to fit in only a few nights. Obviously Dinton’s changed a bit, and at the time you could afford to turn down the ticket, knowing full well that you wouldn’t need to wait too long for another chance. 

“After Wasing, I went to Lodge Lake, which I ended up doing a very short campaign of about two weeks on. I managed the two fish I really wanted. One was a big common, which I had twice. The other was a really cool mirror known as Blackjack. Both came in four nights’ fishing, with me once again getting to the lake to bait up as often as I could. I had nowhere to fish after that. I was forty-eighth on the waiting list for White Swan, but as mentioned, a lot of people would turn down their ticket. Long story short, it wasn’t long before I was down at the Dinton office waving my money in Hillary’s face.” 

You mentioned fishing Black Swan, but had you ever had a go on White prior to getting your ticket?
“I had done a guesty with Chris Beasley in the March, but had been walking it from February, and as soon as I knew I had my ticket, I started spending the odd day down there. I remember a week before my ticket began, I sat watching 40lb linears jumping clean out of the water. The day before I could start on there, I went for a walk and there were carp bonking out everywhere… typically, though, the next day it was dead! That first week was horrendous… you wouldn’t think there was a fish in the lake!”

They definitely are moody fish.
“They can be, yeah. It did start to pick up later that week, but a big cold snap came in and I blanked that first trip. Unbelievably, after that I went on to catch every trip right up until my last couple.” 

Yeah, I had heard whispers of your results on White Swan. What were you doing differently?
“It was ridiculous really. Prior to getting my ticket, it had been doing bites, but mostly to Zigs, which people were keeping quiet about. For my second trip, I decided to try something I’d done well on elsewhere, and the fish responded. It was just good timing, I guess.”

So after that initial trip, how did it play out?
“The next couple of trips, I got around the lake fishing singles and I had a couple of small ones. People were still nicking the odd fish on Zigs, but the weed had started to get up and I knew they’d respond to bait. I think a big part of my success on White was down to the spots I presented my bait over. They were often small spots created by the carp, rather than anglers. I would spend so long leading about initially, that people thought I was mad. 

“One particular trip, not long after the start of my ticket, I had been leading for what seemed like hours, and I had to have a break. I had seen fish there that morning, and although I did find some larger clearings, I wanted ‘that’ spot, something I felt had been created naturally. After taking a break and going for a walk, I came back and carried on leading. There were a group of anglers gathered on the opposite bank, all giving me grief and throwing their arms up in the air. Eventually, I found the smooth, silty spot I was after, one just big enough to squeeze two rods on. I then spodded out a good amount of bait, and in total, with all the lead work, it must have all taken a good three hours. I could hear the jeering and laughter coming from the guys opposite. I sat down and couldn’t believe it when half an hour later one of the rods tore off! I ended up having six over the two days. I knew the fish wanted to be in that zone, and that they would come back regardless of me leading. I’m fairly sure that if I’d settled on the more blatant spots, it would’ve been a completely different trip.”

It can get a bit intense on there, but you obviously didn’t let that get to you?
“It can get intense, yeah. There are a lot of good anglers on there who are all after a handful of fish, and some of them are after just one or two. Knowing that some of these fish do only one or two captures a season, and a few not even that, just adds to that intensity. But you just have to go in there and do your thing. If you let other anglers control your fishing, you’ll just end up hiding in a corner with no fish to go at. Get in the mix, I say, and just enjoy it. You don’t need to be an arse about it, and that’s just the nature of White Swan.”

Obviously a lot happened in that one year on White, but what were your stand-out captures or sessions from that season? 
“There were a couple of really special trips, the first being a crazy hit out of Peg 65. I was actually on a ride with my daughters in Disneyland Paris that afternoon, then just before midnight the same day, I had Triple Row in my net. That was the first of some really special fish I had that trip. Although Triple Row was an absolute beast of a carp, and a new PB at 49lb 10oz, the next bite blew me away. It was a fish known as 3D, a crazy looking carp, and one that I didn’t even know existed. To this day, it is still one of my favourite captures from White Swan. It just seemed like one of those sessions, though. I went on to have a few more fish, including a mirror known as Two-Tone, and another mega one: the Box Common.”

What was the other stand-out session, as surely that was going to take some beating?
“After that trip, the fish started to spawn, so Simon closed the lakes for a month, as he does every year. I decided to use the time to prep a few swims, not just for the opening, but for the remainder of the summer really. By picking a few swims, I could still get about the lake, depending on the conditions. My theory was that the spots wouldn’t blow as quickly, as I wouldn’t be fishing the same spot week in, week out. It was hard work, though, and on one occasion I even roped Chris in to giving me a hand. With two Spombs going out, it got the job done a lot quicker. Cheers, Chris! [laughing]

“After the lake reopened, I attended the draw, and by stroke of luck, I came out second. I decided to fish a swim known as Harvey’s. Interestingly, this was the only spot which I had made myself through baiting. When I first leaded about, I couldn’t find anything amongst the thick weed, and almost gave up on it, but I still really fancied the area. By this time, though, the spot had been turned over by the fish, and after a few trips, the lead went down with a crack. That opening night, I ended up losing a good fish, and then landed my second bite, which was Jon’s Common, another of the real special ones and one that doesn’t do many captures. I actually caught it again six days later from a spot I’d been baiting at the opposite end of the lake, would you believe!

“I was happy with how the baiting had worked, so I kept those swims constantly topped up. A couple of weeks later, I remember being at work and getting messages from the lads who were fishing. They all told me that I had to get there as the fish had turned up in numbers on the end of a fresh wind. I arrived at the lake two days later, and was told by a couple of mates that the fish had moved out of the zone, and that they were down the other end, along with all the anglers. As I stood at the end of the lake devoid of anglers, a carp slid out not far from one of my baited spots, and I was fairly sure I knew which one it was. It was a good fish and distinctly orange. I decided that I’d fish there for my first night. 

“The evening wore on, and I’d messaged a couple of close mates to tell them what I’d seen. I went from being fairly sure of which fish it was, to being 100 per cent certain that it was Son of Triple Row. I remember getting a text from Scott Lloyd that just read ‘Tick-tock’. He hadn’t been fishing White, but was coming back, so it was a little friendly competition, I guess. As I said, you’re all after the same few fish, really, and again, he’s a capable angler. “Anyway, I didn’t need to worry too much, as the Son of Triple Row was in my net a few hours later. Again, I was just blown away. If I’m honest, I’d never been emotional after catching a carp, but that one had me. I think it was because I had seen shots of that fish, even before getting my ticket, and I knew I wanted it. In that sense, it was my first real target fish. I had joined for that particular carp—the first time I’d done so. The capture was my thirtieth from White. Up until that point, I had done 30 nights for 37 bites during the spring and summer. I did have a couple of blanks trips afterwards, but again, if I’m honest, after Son of Triple Row, I felt like I was done on there for the time being.”

Madness! No one would deny that’s pretty good going. There are a few others in there that you didn’t catch, so will you be returning anytime soon?
“I’ll be back, yes. I did have a little go last year, for one of the others I really wanted, and I’m fairly confident I lost it. If I’d have been standing on the bank, I would have been 100 per cent sure, as I would’ve seen it. It was on its moon phase, in an area it likes, and it was a big fish. I was chest-deep in water and it was so close to going in the net, but the hook pulled at the last minute! But yeah, I’ll definitely be back on White at some point.”

 I guess we’d be silly to not touch on Black Swan, seeing as that’s where we’re sitting now. How have you found it over here? It’s very different fishing, is it not?
“Completely. But I’ve been really enjoying it all the same. Fishing at range isn’t something I’ve done loads of, so that’s been fun at times. Last year was really good, and I caught some really nice fish, including a new PB and my first fifty, a fish known as the Unknown. Hopefully, this year one of those big lins will turn up!”

Before we finish, I’ve noticed a constant thread that runs through your angling, and that is the amount of prep and effort you put in. How do you find the time, with a young family, and a business to run?
“I just try to use my time wisely. I make sure I’ve always got plenty of my trusty Low Rider Rigs tied, and a good supply of quality bait in the freezer. I’ll often walk the lakes early morning before work, and bait on my lunch break or between jobs. When I’m at work and it’s looking good for a bite, or there’s a certain moon phase I want to fish, I just make sure I get the work done. If that means working longer to ensure that five days’ work is finished in three, then that’s what I’ll do. As for family, I’ll do a couple of nights a week, occasionally three, but only through spring and summer. The rest of the year is spent with them, and that’s why I do it that way. I couldn’t do it for 12 months of the year. If I’m doing it properly, then I’m burnt out by autumn anyway!”