What We Learnt In 2021

Carpy Podcasts

Certainly not new in 2021, but the long-form interview boom that began in lockdown accelerated rather than slowed over the last 12 months. Cypography’s recent emergence in this sphere suggests pods are here to stay, though Simon Pitt’s departure from the Korda studio will leave very big shoes to fill for the market leader in 2022. 

MOST WATCHED PODCASTS

1. Danny Fairbrass #49 TT Podcast 73K

2. Danny Fairbrass #34 TT Podcast 68K

3. Jeremy Wade #38 Off The Hook 61K  

COMBINED VIEWS*

THINKING TACKLE: 733.4K

OFF THE HOOK PODCAST: 785.6K 

My favourite episode is…

“Answering a question like this is basically podcast host suicide!” laughs Off The Hook podcast host, Hassan Khan. “It’s also pretty much impossible, as all the podcasts have been great/enjoyable for different reasons. That said, if I had to pick some standouts (outside of Nash team members) I’d say Jeremy Wade, Tim Paisley and Jim Shelley.” - Hassan Khan

Books Still Matter

Technically, Terry Hearn’s Through The Mist was launched at the very end of 2020 (and instantly broke the internet and sold out), but we’re including it here alongside Darrell Peck’s Big Carp Buzz and Carl & Alex’s Simple Fishing Guidebook as evidence that there’s still a healthy appetite for dead-tree media.

Form a Company, Bag a TV Show

Korda’s Thinking Tackle series led the way many years ago, but in 2021 the baton was picked up by Ali Hamidi’s nascent One More Cast business and fellow Essex brand Outlaw Pro, both of whom filmed TV series this year. We’ll have to wait until next year to see how successful they prove. 

Life After Fishmeals?

Increasing concerns over the sustainability of fishmeal-based baits led to the appearance of insect-protein boilies including DNA Baits’ The Bug, which went down a storm.

COMING IN THE FUTURE: There are rumours of a very special bait coming from Sticky Baits in 2022… 

Subscription Services Blossomed

The anglers and videographers who took the plunge and opted for a Netflix-style subscription service appear to have been vindicated in 2021. CarpFix, Carp Angle, The Inner Circle, Catch More Carp and Cypography all seem to be nicely carving out their own niches. 

FUN FACT: CARPology has produced over 190 films in 2021—and they won’t cost you a penny to watch! Head to our YouTube channel, CARPologyTV, to binge-watch in-sessions, interviews, fishery reviews, product reviews and plenty of how-tos.  

Nice Guys Don’t Finish Last

Although he’s yet to go public with the pics and details (we’d put our money on some kind of Korda-produced video dropping during Christmas week), Simon Scott made our hearts sing in the summer when he caught the Burghfield Common. One of the nicest men in the business catching the best fish there is. 

FUN FACT: It’s 25 years since Simon first stepped onto the banks of the mighty Burghfield—and back then the BC was a ‘mere’ 30lber.

Carp Anglers Still Need to Think About the Sun

The most jaw-dropping moment of the year surely had to be Danny Fairbrass’s topless appearance on the Korda podcast. To the clear shock of hosts Toby and Simon, Danny revealed the very real impact of skin cancer to spell out just how careful we need to be.

Overseas Venues Bounced Back

Easier travel compared to 2020 meant the return of cross-Channel carping adventures for many, but we didn’t see too many new venues emerge. Euro Aqua continued to do mind blowing weights, with David Nimmo and Pete Holehouse banking three 100s between them in the autumn! 

Corporate Carp Fishing Found its Sense of Humour

Social media has always allowed individual anglers to goof around in public, but in 2021 we have to hand it to the Nash boys for a couple of brilliant self-deprecating adverts, including Alan Blair lording it up over his minions and a great game of ‘camo hide and seek’ for which Henry Lennon should’ve been paid danger money. 

FUN FACT: There’s not a single Dislike on Alan Blair’s: Ready Tied Carp Fishing Rigs for ‘Celebrity Anglers’ video on YouTube. 

We Waited…

Back in the spring a massive container ship blocked the Suez Canal and, as other global events mounted up, tackle companies and consumers felt the repercussions all year. Plenty of big product launches were delayed and larger Chinese-made items proved hard to come by. 

The British Record Sank Further Into Insignificance? 

Back in the summer, the British Record Fish Committee denied 14-year-old Jensen Price an official record after he caught a 73lb 8oz Holme Fen giant (the venue’s second different fish to exceed the approved record). The carping public, perhaps tired of the same old arguments, largely shrugged. 

Record-Keeper

Carp fishing historian, Chris Ball, keeps a detailed log of all captures of 60lb-plus carp. He can confirm there have been at least 126 captures of carp over this weight in the UK!

Food For Fishermen

Scott Lloyd dived in where HelloFresh and Gusto feared to tread—by bringing prepared meals to carp anglers’ doors. His Fink Food Fishing service launched in 2021 and despite some scepticism seems to have struck a chord with many bivvy-bound chefs. 

The Year of the Insta Recap

If there was one breakthrough trend on social media this year it was probably the art of recording Instagram stories as you progressed through a long session, only to upload them in one big sequential dump after the event. It’s a neat storytelling device pioneered by the likes of Alan Blair and Lee Morris. 

2021’s Biggest Insta Accounts

1. Ali Hamidi 179K

2. Darrell Peck 116K

3. Alan Blair 113K

4. Tom Dove 107K

5. Mark Pitchers 93.6K

Carping’s Most X-Rated Fan?

Speaking of Instagram and Lee Morris, a light-hearted battle of angling’s biggest ‘sneaker heads’ in the summer of 2021 saw Mozza and Oli Davies sharing their love of Nike Air Maxes. But who else was tagged in the to-and-fro stories? Keen carper and trainer collector Danny D… who earns a living wielding his rather large rod in the adult industry! 

Portrait Mode Blew Up

Anglers looking for a cheap and easy way to achieve professional-looking catch shots seem to have alighted on the iPhone’s Portrait mode this year, which offers (artificially) blurred backgrounds and pin-sharp foregrounds. It can enhance quickly taken snaps, but it doesn’t always deal with the outlines of fish too well!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year, through buying the magazine monthly, watching our YouTube videos or simply giving us a like every now and again! We hope you have a happy & healthy 2022! - Team CARPology