Starting a carp fishing career is not an easy thing to do. The problem does not lie in the fact that there is not enough information around; rather, the opposite is true, there is vast amount of information and suggestions to be found in countless books, any number of magazines dedicated to the carp angler, newspapers, carp shows, and, the latest innovation, internet carp forums – lots of internet carp forums.

The problem is made worse by the fact that as soon as you get two experienced carp anglers in a room, you may well find you have two opinions on the many and varied facets of carp angling.


To make matters even worse no two carp waters are the same, and the fish in one water may behave differently to those in another. This variability leads to anglers being presented with varying problems to solve, and therefore gaining varying experience, and gaining varying confidence in varying approaches. As a result, different anglers will offer different solutions to similar problems. Plus, the carp angling magazines frequently advocate the use of new and apparently fool-proof new methods. But, again, these methods may be successful in one place at one time, but cannot guarantee success in another place at another time.

And lastly there are the Tackle and bait suppliers. They, of course, will seek to maximise their profits, and rightly so. But in so doing they continually champion their own products, and try to persuade the angler that by using those products then he will have greater success in his angling. Bait companies will do the same thing.

So, with all this going on, you may be able to see that the man who is thinking of taking up carp angling has a fearsome amount of information through which to sift and discern the best and most effective way forward for himself. And herein lies the problem, because it is not always possible for him to achieve this given the levels of variability in the information available to him.

And this is the reason why I have decided to write this book. I decided to return to carp fishing in my mid-forties after an absence of some twenty years. And, when I did so, I found the sport almost unrecognisable to the one I enjoyed in my younger years. Technology, commerce, and research had got together, it seemed to me, to create a vast confusion of progress. Everything was different from the tackle to the bait, from the methods to an explosion in the number of carp waters. I had no experienced friend to help me through the minefield of buying tackle, mastering apparently complicated techniques, or using the new technology then available.

I made several mistakes, some of them expensive, and I found myself adrift on a vast ocean of information. If I had known then what I know now, I would have had a much easier experience. I looked round in vein for a simple book that could have drawn out some simple and basic truths to help me. I did find several books, and I read all I could find, but I could not see a guide that started from the very beginning and took the reader through each and every step to help him from his first visit to the tackle shop to photographing his first fish. The first and main objective of this book therefore is to do exactly that. It also has some secondary objectives, and these are:

Allow you to understand how to fish in a way that is both effective but also safe for the fish.
Ensure your angling experiences are of a high quality, regardless of whether you catch a fish or not.


A BRIEF HISTORY OF CARP FISHING

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CARP

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COMMITMENT

The first thing to consider is: are you committed enough? Carp fishing can be expensive, it can be frustrating, it will challenge you both physically and mentally, and there will be times when you spend many sessions without a fish, or even a bite. You might (make that probably will) get bitten, scratched, too cold, too hot, too wet, tired, scared, scarred; your precious tackle might snap, you will fall over, you will bash your head on a tree; you might fall into the depths - you might have to launch yourself into the depths to get that "big fish". You will go through all kinds of emotions from elation for a personal best fish, to utter despair after a long, long spell with no fish, and no bites. Carp fishing is not just a case of dropping a line in the water. You have to learn water craft, find the fish, bait the right area, be prepared to lug your tackle to a new swim if nothing is happening in yours; you need to be thinking all the time: why am I not catching? Is it the bait, the rig, the weather, the swim, the noise, the other anglers? Going carp fishing is very, very hard work if you are to be successful.

Further, there are loads of television programmes, magazines and papers showing people catching monster fish all the time. Forget that completely. That is not the real world. You will NOT catch every time you go out. You will NOT land monsters regularly. Those programmes and pictures are usually focused on fantastic anglers who have vast experience, fishing the very best waters, and often at the very best time. So don't get caught up in the hype - it is simply not the real world.

If I have scared you off already and if you are not prepared to put in the hard graft, then you should perhaps reconsider, and spend your time and treasure on other species. If you feel you are committed enough, then read on.


Types of Carp Anglers

There are different types of carp anglers and different types of carp fishing. You need to decide which type you want to be, at least at first. I have listed the different types below as each requires different tackle, commitment, and expense. But before I do, you need to be aware that some waters have rules regardless of the type of carper you choose to be. For example, some waters ban certain baits, some insist you have a mat to unhook your carp on, so as not to damage the fish; still others require you to have a 42 inch landing net. So whatever type of carper you decide to be, you MUST ensure that your budget and commitment level extends to the rules for the waters you think you might fish.

The Casual Carper

This is the most comfortable and cheapest type. You can get yourself one rod, one reel, some other bits and bobs, perhaps a bag and a chair, a license and you are good to go. As long as you have the equipment required by the water you wish to fish, you can go to day ticket waters local to you in the Summer time, enjoy the season and the warmth; pack up at dusk and enjoy a pint with a buddy or two in your local. You may catch a few fish, so you might want to weigh them, but this is by far the most casual approach. That is not to say that it is easy. Carp, especially big carp, are always difficult to catch. You will still have to put in some research, learn your water craft, tie your rigs, choose your bait, locate the fish, bait the swim properly, cast accurately, and much else besides. But at least you should be relatively warm and dry (English weather excepted), and not too much out of pocket.


The Sensible Carper

This chap (or lady) is not so different from The Casual Carper. He will only venture out when the green shoots of Spring are showing, and cease somewhere during "the season of mists of mellow fruitfulness" (the Autumn); and he does not fish nights. He likes the warm. But he may have joined a syndicated lake or club for a fee. He probably has more than one rod, he will have more tackle, such as electronic bite alarms, or he might have spent a bit more on his rods and reels. He reads the monthly publications and chats in the carp forums that abound. He might take a holiday dedicated to carping in France to try and up his personal best. He will try new techniques, and he experiments with different baits. He is serious about his carping but he sticks to the warmer months. He will have put in the research and groundwork necessary to catch the bigger carp, and he probably has a PB over the twenty pound mark. He loves his fishing but spends the colder months cooking a Christmas turkey, and maybe reading the odd carp book.


The Nutcase Carper

Now these guys are completely insane, and I am proud to say I am one of them. They fish in any weather, at any time of the year, during the day and at night. They will endure monstrous conditions if they think they are in with a chance of a biggie, and they will spend a fortune on all the tackle necessary to combat the elements and fool the carp. Their is even a sub-section of this group called "The Tackle Tart", who just has to have all the tackle in the shop and always the most expensive brand - even if they don't need it. Believe me, there are al lot of these around. These guys are not only dedicated, they are obsessed. They eat mouldy cheese sandwiches for dinner so they can afford high protein expensive food for carp; the grave yards are littered with Carp Widows laying flowers at the graves of the fallen carp warriors; they neglect their home lives - the divorce rate for Nutcase Carpers is 89.76%; they eat, drink, and sleep carp; and some even have started to look like them. They are serious men and women, dedicated to their art.

If you decide to be a Nutcase Carper, you must be prepared to kit yourself out with all the gear you will need so as not to feel utterly miserable at the lakeside. Imagine being by a lake in darkest January, at night, fully exposed to the elements with the temperature hovering around zero. The amount of kit you need can be endless: a bivvie (small tent); proper, proper warm clothing; a bed chair to sleep on; electronic alarms that have any number of settings; head torches; cooking equipment, water, fuel, rucksacks, carryalls, boxes, bags - the list can go on and on and on, and so can the cost. I even know one guy who takes a TV that runs from a car battery; and I have also heard of some folk who spend every single moment from late December to early February at the lake. So you can see why I have called this group insane. You will have to take a very deep breath before you decide on this approach, as it takes ALL your commitment, a lot of time, and a barrow load of cash. Whatever you do, DON'T fish overnight in Winter without adequate protection - you won't enjoy it, and you will probably either pack up and go home, or wake up staring at the Pearly Gates!



BUYING YOUR TACKLE

Once you have decided you are prepared for the rigours of hunting carp, and once you have decided upon what type of carper you want to be, you must consider your budget. DO NOT go into debt. There is no point in sitting by the lake side worrying about how you are going to pay the mortgage or car insurance – you are there to enjoy yourself, so save before you buy.  The costs of carp fishing do not just extend to tackle. You may want to join a syndicate water, which will cost you money; you will need a constant supply of bait, more in summer. which will cost you money; you will need to replace items of tackle on a regular basis, which will cost you money. The lesson here is that you must ensure your initial budget must be enough to cover all up front costs and you will need regular cash to cover the on-going costs you will definitely incur.

You can start with a couple of hundred Pounds, and you can start with a few thousand Pounds. Everyone's budget will be different, but the important thing is to set a budget you can afford and stick to it. But to do this, you must know what costs you will incur. Your costs will include:

Fishing licenses in the UK. One license will cover you for two rods, but you will need two licenses should you wish to fish with three or more rods. I would not advise you to start with more than two rods, as you will need to walk before you can run. A UK rod license costs £25 and runs for a year from 1st April to 31st March the next year. That was the easy bit.


Carp Stater Kits

Depending on your budget you may like to go for a complete carp starter pack. Dragon Carp Direct have some very good deals to get you going for excellent prices – as little as £100 at the time of writing. And for £200 they do a “Total Carp Fishing Kit”, which includes:

1 - 3 Rod Set Up Pod
3 - Captor 2pce 2.5lbs - 12ft. Carp Rods
3 - Eurorunner Excel Carp Reels
3 - SuperSonic Bite alarms
1 - Hi-Luxe Carp Chair
1 - Conquest 3+3 Carp Holdall
1 - Conquest Carryall
1 - Dragon Carp 40in. Net Head
1 - Dragon Carp 6ft. Net Handle
1 - Conquest 55lbs Large Dial Scales
1 - Dragon Carp Weigh Sling

To this list you will need add an un-hooking mat as most fisheries insist on them, and they are an essential part of fish care. Nevertheless, this represents outstanding value. I know people who have got started with this kit and landed 20lb using it. The other major item you may wish to consider is an umbrella or a bivvy. Given the chance of rain in the UK, you might be glad of either of these.