katfish

Peeps, I just watched it... some scary stuff in there. Particularly when they are seriously considering the introduction of GM carp in Australia through the daughterless carp program, as well as the introduction of viruses to kill carp...WTF!!! I just hope that none of these GM or viral fish find they way overseas, especially into Europe??? Have they thought of that... probably not!

"Chocks away chaps!" Well this is it, we'll be on the 4am ferry to France tomorrow in the final leg of a 16,000km trek to Lac de Madine and the start of the 2010 World Carp Classic. With sponsorship from JRC Tackle, Pure Fishing/Shakespeare Europe for all our tackle, and CC Moore & Co Ltd for all our bait requirements, as well as help from Platypus Fishing Lines we couldn't possibly be any better prepared, equipped or confident as we are right at this moment. Lets hope that those French carp cooperate and we get a few stunner's for the photo album, our sponsors, and of course put Australia on the international stage for the sport? Ben and I would like to thank everyone who have posted comments, or sent PM's to us in the lead up to our histoic quest Au revoir Ben & Andy

CC Moore AUS Dynamic Duo Meet Up It has taken months of planning to get to this stage, and I think we both drew a big sigh once we'd set up in our double swim and had settled behind the rods. This was after all only our second meet up, and the first opportunity we'd had to wet a line together. From the get go we'd decided that if nothing else it'd be a great chance to test out our gear and baits etc. Ben (citycountry) had just bought a second hand bivvy off eBay, and a new bedchair and pod, and was understandably itching to try out the new kit. After a couple of trips to lake I'm now becoming more familiar with all the stuff on loan to me. Though I had opted to use a pair of Greys 12" 3.5lb tc F1 Mk 2's, that have a slightly softer and more through action than the Daiwa Infinities I'd been trying on the previous sessions. After a rather dull and uneventful 48 hour session at same Kent lake last week with the F1's, I was still dying to see what they were capable of? At 0245 this morning I got to find out, when my right-hand margin rod burst into life as a 17lb 4oz common shot off out into the middle of the lake. The rod performed beautifully and I very quickly managed to subdue the fish, despite being still half asleep. Though under these circumstances I didn't mind being dragged from my bed. Fish had been lolloping about around us all night, crashing and slurping amid the thick marginal weed, and with so much obvious fish presence we were both surprised that we'd not had a lot more action. In the far corner of the bay carp had been rolling consistently to torment us, and I couldn't stand it a moment longer. I reeled in the inactive left-hand rod and put a fresh boilie and PVA bag full of crushed boilies on, and powered with frustration I did a manic long-range cast to land right on the money. I've never had much success at casting right at showing fish, but in this instance I was aghast to soon after receive a massive drop-back as the fish had picked up the bait and had begun swimming out of the corner. I grabbed the rod, and wound down as fast as I could whilst simultaneously jogging backwards, nearly bowling Ben over in the process! After I recovered a lot of line I made first contact with the fish, and I was pleasantly surprised it was still attached. After quite an impressive recovery to compose myself I lost the fish at the net. It looked like another common of similar size to the first. I was just a little ticked off to say the least, as I'd still not broken the 'casting at a showing fish' duck! I was running short of bait by now, and was down to my last four boilies! One of those four produced this 'last gasp' mirror from my marginal spot with the right hander. It dived headlong into the weed and was only inches from reeds when miraculously it turned, and headed for open water. It went absolutely ballistic, and Ben managed to videotape the action... so I can't wait to see it. I repeatedly dived into the weedbed in front of me, and I had serious doubts as to whether or not I could keep bullying it out without popping the size 8 barbless hook? As well as not wanting to lose a second fish on camera and look a proper idiot! After about six near nettings I slid her in with half a ton of vegetation... yeeeeees! A result. Not a monster at 18lb 14oz but it was landing it against the degree of difficulty that pleased me the most. Apart from a couple of liners Ben's swim had remained quiet, which was something neither of us could fathom, as there had been plenty of fish showing for the whole of our 24 hour session. His rigs, and presentation were spot on and he was using a going bait on the water... so it was a mystery? Hopefully the carp gods will favour him on our next visit in a couple of weeks time? Happy hippo hunting Katfish AKA Niblet

Peeps, I'm back on British soil, and having only taken 6 days since my arrival to amass all the kit I need for France, I thought it would be good to test it all out at a local Kent lake. I'm happy to report it all works. My older brother Roland AKA Disaster Caster and I had our first carp session together for 15 years... and it was a blinder We both managed new PB's from this venue on our debut visit, which we were stoked about. I managed to winkle out a nice common of 24lb 14oz plus mirrors of 17lb 9oz & 17lb 10oz. While DC had two mirrors going 14lb 12oz & a proper lump of 29lb 8oz So I'm back on it tomorrow for a 48hr sesh by myself - can't wait ATB Katfish AKA Niblet

Isn't that the "British Young Carp Anglers Championships" at Linear??? I'm the vice captain of the CC Moore Aus team competing at Lac De Madine in France in the World Carp Classic, that runs from the 5th to the 11th of Sept 2010 - different comp methinks

Well Peeps, This will be my last post on here from Western Australia for a while. Tomorrow I'm on a midnight horror flight to Hong Kong, which is my first leg of my trip back to Blighty to prepare for the World Carp Classic in France in September with this sections moderator Ben (citycountry). To add to the add to the excitement of our unreal adventure, I received news from the WCC event coordinator Ross honey earlier in the week, to tell me that one of my articles had been picked up by Carpworld Magazine (issue 238)! The three column, four photo feature appears in the July section of International Carper - I haven't seen it yet but my brother in the UK has. I'm pretty chuffed about it for a couple of reasons, firstly, I didn't even know it had been submitted to Angling Publications. And Secondly, I find it quite flattering that a carp mag of this calibre wished to even print my story considering I'm not a 'named' angler, not to mention the irony that there are no proper carp with a gazillion miles of where I live C'mon Aussie, c'mon, c'mon! Katfish AKA Niblet

I was just wondering if their are any carpers based in Hong Kong? I will be in HK from the 7th to the 12th of July, en-route from from Western Australia to the UK, to prepare for the World Carp Classic. It would be really cool to meet up with any fellow carpers during my short visit to China, whether it's for an actual session, or just a social. As I'd love to get some photos of Chinese style carping for an article I'm writing about my long journey to the WCC? Happy hippo hunting Katfish AKA Niblet

That's awesome Did you get any photos?

Ben, Well done mate, I reckon you'll be meeting some of their bigger cousins when you get to Sydney Keep up the good work ATB Andy

Struth Cobber, That's right out beyond the black stump! How on earth did you get onto that water? Good luck with it though, and I'm really looking forward to seeing some photos/video when you're done? ATB Andy

G'Day Possums, It's very hot down here in Oz In the north of my state it has been upto 49 degs C this week! A bit cooler here in Perth though at a chilly 39 degs C. So it's wakey wakey Mr Snakey everywhere So far this year it is tiger snakes = 3 and carp = 0 Here's some very snakey footage taken on New Years day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW0WQpl1K2M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5re_iz4prY Do not try this at home!!!

Hiya, the biggest common I can verify as being genuine was a 40lb 12oz specimen from South Oz, I've seen koi to mid thirty and know of one of 33lb being caught here in WA. I've had a koi of 26lb 12oz - my biggest Aussie carp to date. Mirrors are rare, maybe 1 : 1000 in some waters, and leathers I've never seen or heard of There are some very big commons in Oz, but because of the negative view many have here of carp, captures most often go unrecorded and unreported in order to protect them and their venues Hope this helps? Regards Andy

Ben, That's a lovely looking bit of water there. It'll be great to get a result on it as I've heard so little of Qld carp captures. I wish you all the best with it and say hi to Luke and Tomasz when you catch up with them in NSW later. ATB & Tightlines Andy

G'Day M8, I do target what little there is as outlined in this second-hand and highly inaccurate .gov.au gem of a document. 2.2.6 refers to another gem being: "Introduced Cyprinid (Carp) Fishes in Western Australia and their management implications" which is a combined thesis from Edith Cowan Uni (1996). Which is in my opinion a worthless piece of crud, as it is almost entirely based on very old and unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence, and not on hard proof - hence the lack of any photos of captures, or media publications to support their claims. The whole paper puts ups a very flimsy and shallow argument indeed, and it's quite disturbing that other gov agencies adopt and accept this drivel as factual Even to the most uneducated, it becomes immediately obvious when reading it that no one mentioned within this honours thesis knows the difference between a common carp, mirror carp, koi or goldie. They are all deemed to be just "carp" which is far too vague when examining WA distribution of cyprinid's. One needs to be very clear about which particular variety is being discussed - this paper fails to do that! I don't think the Yanco, Boolarra or Prospect strain made into WA, or any other variety of cyrinus carpio other than koi? But I would love to be proved wrong one day Good luck with your fishing/filming - hope to see some cool footage soon? ATB Andy

G'Day Ben, That's a very interesting topic you have raised here. I've caught heaps of koi and goldies in WA, and of course hybrids of the two. But I wouldn't have a clue what particular strain of carp I've caught on the waters I've fished in SA, ACT & VIC or what their specific distribution is? I can't say I've noticed any dramatic differences between the carp caught in these different states either. Perhaps posting a photo of each variety might shed some light on this? Also wasn't there a strain of German mirrors released into the east Gippsland region - I'm not sure what they were called, maybe someone on here will know?