Carp fishing in earlier times

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The Monk

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Looking back to my earlier days of carp fishing, many of the Northern waters I fished in those days contained low density carp stocks and we didnt catch too often, a monster was a double, a ten pound fish. no many of us fished for carp in those days, very few carp books about and an article on carp in the AT was something worth cutting out and putting in the album

With modern stockings and instant carp pools bolt rigs and hairs, buzzers that work, a thirty now seems to be the norm, and everyone and his cat fishes for carp (and most of them have written books about them too) , have we lost our way or is this really progress. Instant carp fishing, just add water
 
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rob tudor

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Way of the world these days, want want want now now now.

Very hard to be objective about current state of affairs, the ideal would be the carp stocks/size with the amount of carp anglers of 25-30yrs ago and no carp mags

I don't personally have an issue with "instant carpers" just the lack of respect for other anglers that seems to be present on a number of venues where big carp are present. Not that I fish day ticket waters or "circuit" waters but I do walk round them when I am on business in the area. bit of peace and quiet and to be left to do my own thing and if i catch one great if not then there is always next time
 
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The Monk

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Hi Rob, no problems with the instant carpers, its what we have created and they are a product of, as John rightly says, inevitable change, its probably a generation thing of course, had I started carping in the eighties I`d have an entiley different view no doubt
 
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steveo

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Mr Monk

I will reply to your post as my recent toilet humor post hasnt gone down well.

/forum/smilies/embarassed_smiley.gif

I think your sentiments would be wholeheartedly agreed by many older carp anglers;

I remeber in the 80's when there was only a handfull of 20lb+ avaliable for me me and my mate's to fish for in the area we lived and we fished a small estate lake with Leney's,those fish were 20 years old then

.I couldnt sleep if i thought i may catch a double on my next trip.Makingboilees from scratch with semolina,baby milk from chemist's etc.I didnt have a clue what i was doing but loved every minute of learning by my frequent mistake's.

I wont get anymore sentimental but Ithink alot of that essence of Carping is long gone.

One tackle company has teenage consultant's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nuff said

Good Angling to you

All the best Steveo/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif
 
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The Monk

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thanks Steveo, well said mate, I think giving them names killed it for me,

but I can`t say too much because i was the one of the ones who named them all up here
 
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Trisantona

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Happy days Monk,all the travelling you had to do,sitting awake watching rods,hands hovering for that little twitch on the silver paper that never came,cloopers, tenters,etc all them names we gave em,lol.remember that after shave we used on baits 'cause someone caught a fish on one.?blue something i think it was called,i was only a casual carper,more into Eels,but did a bit in the early days, far different now,people travel worldwide almost,bit of a joke in Canada,"those crazy English come all this way to fish for vermin". i've not night fished for about 15 years,my carp gear not been used for 6 yrs.half of it in theloft. a lot of the old school have turned to Barbel or Pike,same gear just need to change end tackle, still room for the pioneers amongst us. iv'e been taking a severly handicapped lad for about 15 years ,fishing and shooting,(i'm no do gooder, he's a great bloke and we have a good laugh and makes me realise any little problems i have are nowt compared to him),but it does restrict a bit on venues,so i tend to mess about a bit with different methods,sometimes with good results,so there are still a few things left to discover./forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif
 
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The Monk

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yes they was happy days mate, things have changed so much, yes we spent some time over on the canadian US boarder, the bass anglers thought we were mad fishing for carp. I think on things left to discover, and you probably know better than me on this one, the eel still holds a lot of interest, still an unknown factor on many waters, a truely fasinating fish
 
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Trisantona

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Don't know about fascinating Monk,certainly provide some entertainment in the middle of the night,lol,used to go to Worcester canal when you could fish in the closed season,have a few pints and a game of darts in the Eagle and Sun,then fish all night ,have a game of darts on way home,same to lake Bala,happy days,met John Siddley once,what an enthusiast,i always reckon it was the Eel anglers who developed the bivvie,as that was the first time i saw one, well the makings of one.
 
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The Monk

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yes I knew John, a nice lad very enthusiastic, Bala was host to one of the early national Anguilla fishiins, I was an NAC member for many years and i`m presently the chairman of an eel group, although rarely fish for them, I have however fished with some very experience eel anglers and have friends who have published books on the specie, I have also corresponded with Arthur Sutton founder of the NAC and Dr Terry Coulson. I`ve always had a fasination with this creature, but my carp fishing was a bit too obsessive to allow me too much time in pursuit of anything else, but yes I expect the eel angler probably was the first to develope a bivvy while spcialising
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay AMIMechE (SA) MIFE (SA) (ACA)

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Old Eric Hodson gave up carp fishing in British waters mate, because of the naming thing and the usual mob going around asking "as this lake dan a firty?"

But the worst aspect to carp fishing has been the stocking of many natural lakes with thousands, if not millions of match carp and F1 hybrids.
 
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Graham Marsden (ACA)

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Overstocking commercial venues is one issue, but the other, where the catching of big carp is concerned, is that we have just become too good at it, and everything we need to catch big carp can be bought - venue access, tackle, bait and knowledge.
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay AMIMechE (SA) MIFE (SA) (ACA)

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Very true Graham - instant carpers ahoy! All you need is money!
 
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Frothey

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everything we need to catch big carp can be bought - venue access, tackle, bait and knowledge.

How much is put into practice though.....

I think part of the issue is people fishing match type commercials with "proper" carp gear where its simply not needed. And people thinking the are the danglies becuse they can catch from them (like me!)

I was "lucky" enough to start carping in the late eighties - it was popular enough that you had a few people you could talk to, there were enough fish to catch if you worked at it, and each one you caught was "special" - 20 fish a season was pretty good.

20 fish a session is possible now (even an overnighter) on many waters - thats not "proper"carp fishing to me..... it can be fun for a while, but quickly gets boring.
 
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Cider Bob*PAC*

Guest
With regards to steves thread about the anticipation,making his own boilies, thats exactly how I feel now,every session.

I fish the same estate lake I believe steveo is talking about,and like he said I fish to learn,and enjoy the constant battle of wills that takes place when I go there.

Im relatively new to Carping after starting again after a break,but i definately wouldnt class myself as an instant carper.

I believe these are easily identifiable by being asleep on a bedchair,no binoculars and at least 6 cans of stella near to hand.
 
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Frothey

Guest
I believe these are easily identifiable by being asleep on a bedchair,no binoculars and at least 6 cans of stella near to hand.

sweeping statement.....
 
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Graham Marsden (ACA)

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My comment: "where the catching of big carp is concerned, is that we have just become too good at it, and everything we need to catch big carp can be bought - venue access, tackle, bait and knowledge."

Was not just about instant carping but about instant fishing - for almost all species. Every time I go fishing for any species that responds to bolt and hair rigs,boilies and pellets, etc, I'm reminded of the great innovations that carp anglers were responsible for.

We've come a long way since honey-flavoured bread paste, freeline rigs and dough bobbins. Let's be grateful.
 
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Frothey

Guest
but it re-enforces the stereotype. i know plenty of anglers that like a drink in all branches of the sport, but its only carp anglers that get pulled on it.
 
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