lee_s_young

Guys, these are all valid points, and well made. I'd guess that it's the circumstances (location, ambience, fishing with buddies, etc.) of catching a big carp that are what it's all about really... for me, I'd not want to catch a 50 pounder stock fish from a hole in the ground... but I've had many memorable days just stalking and sight-fishing for teens and twenties on the limestone flats of Lake Michigan... nothing between me and the horizon but a dorsal fin or three! That's probably the main reason I moved to the US; carping is a big challenge here, but a different challenge from the UK or Western Europe. Here, every fish is wild, every water is enormous, and it's easy to find a good place to fish away from any other angler... I fish a couple of spots within 15 miles from my house where I have never ever seen another human being, every time I've been there it's been like the rest of mankind just doesn't exist! And then there's the beauty of the waters... to make that first cast into some of these lakes is amazing... when you just know that you are the first person ever to fish for carp; it takes me back to the first carp I ever caught, to being a kid on my first trip to a new water, where everything is wonderful and 100% new... Then there's the amazing contradiction that Wisconsin carping offers... the smaller fish (up to 30 pounders!) aren't that shy, but they are clever... generally the biggest problem is keeping away from the singles and teens long enough for a bigger fish to make up it's mind! The final piece of the pie is the fish themselves... 90%+ have never even seen a hook before, and when you get connected they just panic and run, and run... and run! Because they are all wild stock (originally from Germany in the 1870's), they have a different body shape than farmed carp, much more streamlined, beautiful fish. And then you have the river carp, some of those guys look more like a Barbel on steriods... and they fight just like they look! Every time I go fishing, I get that weird feeling... that this can't be real, I don't deserve all these fish, how can I be so lucky? It's truly like visiting carp heaven, every trip. Oh, Pellethead, if you want to come over, you don't need to worry about the gear (although I fly my carp gear over every couple of years, normally costs an extra 50 pounds for the "long tube"!)... if you want to fish with me you are of course welcome to borrow some of my gear! It's still difficult on most days to fish with more than 1 rod, when the big girls start to feed... I've given up fishing 3 rods after playing 3 thirties at the same time... badly!

Hi Pellethead, If you want to save your money, and have a great trip with more big carp than you've ever seen before... you could do worse than try the US? I just checked the flights, and you should be able to get a ticket out of Heathrow to O'Hare, Chicago for around 300 quid... that's less than the petrol money to the south of France. I live just 3 hours North of O'Hare airport, and as the dollar is taking a beating from the pound, your cash will go further over here than anywhere in Europe. But the best bet is the fishing... you ever hooked a 30lb+ wild carp? Have you ever caught ten Twenties in a day? Have you ever caught a 20lb+ wildie from a fast-flowing river? Here in WI, we have the lot, enormous lakes, big rivers, small rivers, canals... and everywhere is stuffed with carp. Here's a couple of links, first is the '07 WI Carp Champs; fished at a local park that borders Lake Winnebago (400,000 acres!). The guys were able to park a couple of yards from their pegs, and they caught 20lb+ fish within feet of hundreds of spectators: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wi_carp_champs/?saved=1 Second link is from my blogsite; a poor pic, but a beautifully proportioned (44 inches long!) 30lb+ fish caught from an average peg on an average river running into Lake Michigan: http://newfishing.blogspot.com/2007/05/nasty-weather-nice-fish.html All the fish are wild, most have never even seen a hook, and there are genuine 50lb+ fish just waiting for the dedicated (WI Record is 57Lb+)... WI... Carp Anglers Paradise!

Hi Folks, Just letting you all know that Wisconisn (aka Carp Heaven) is just 5 hrs from Heathrow. Yes, that's right, you are flying backwards in time, so you can sit back on the plane and have a drink or two, and arrive in Chicago only 2 actual hours after you left Heathrow, then it's just 3 hours in the car and you've arrived! I moved to WI 8 years ago... and don't ever want to go back; all the fishing is fantastic but the carp-fishing is just out of this world. I sometimes joke that if it wasn't for all the twenties getting to the bait first I'd have caught some 50's by now! On May 31 & June 1, we have the 2008 WI Carp Championships in Menasha WI, that's just a 3-hr drive north from Chicago. And as the Pound is killing the Dollar right now, you won't believe how cheap the hotels, food, rental car (and the shopping, for the ladies!) and beer! is until you check it out for yourself. The weather is generally fantastic in late May, early June, with sunshine and 20-30 degree temperatures every day. The WI Carp Champs entry fee is approx. 75 GBP per angler, and it's a guaranteed 100% payout... we have generous sponsors this year! Last year, the average weight was 220lb per angler, and this was after a two-week heatwave of 30+ degrees every day. Top weight was 450lb, so it is a very fair venue; a good angler will be able to win from any peg! Here's a link to some pics from last year: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wi_carp_champs/ For more details on the WI Carp Champs or a trip to WI for big Carp and lots of 'em, PM me and I'll give you all the details. Tight Lines!

Hi Gobstopper, My Brother lives a bit further north, in Borlange. I'll ask him, but I don't think that Carp fishing is very big in Sweden. I know some private lakes have been stocked with Carp, and I think some of them were in Skane, so I'll get him to ask around.