2026 Q1 North American Carp Angler Magazine

CARP ANGLER north american

AND MORE THAN 6 FEATURE ARTICLES TO EXPLORE

Editor In-Chief Address

A big mirror caught at the beginning of the spring a few seasons ago

Spring has finally arrived New England after a very snowy winter. Most lakes and rivers are now thawed and it’s time to get the carp gear out of hibernation. Spring has to be one of the best times to catch big carp and numbers of them, as they start to wake up, are hungry and even better they get together in larger numbers, prior to them spawning. A lot of work can be done early in the season to set yourself up for success, so get out onto the banks and put the work in and I’m sure you’ll see good results.

In this edition we have CAG Big 4 results and Essence of Carping. We’ll have a number of spring tournaments to report on in the next edition, so stay tuned.

We also have guest articles from Neil Kent, Joe Ruiz and I’ve even found some time to report on past summer season successes using a simple method.

As always we rely on our members contributions and I want to thank everyone; both past and present who has contributed to this magazine over the years. Without your input the magazine would cease to exist.

Hope you all enjoy this edition and as always, if anyone would like to contribute; please send any communications or materials to:

President Address

Starting off the 2026 season with a small but very welcome common

This winter was brutal across many parts of the USA. Several states had record snowfalls and weeks of low temperatures that put an icy lid on carp fishing for even the hardiest anglers.

As the winter finally recedes it is good to see our CAG members already posting some great catches in the 2026 Spring Big 4 competition. This year saw a record number of entries as well even more prizes. As always we are grateful to our sponsors Big Carp Tackle, West Coast Bait Boats, Hiper Fishing and Bottom Feeder Baits for supporting the Big 4.

My own start to the season got off to a slow start with a visit to the Apalachicola river in north Florida.

I only managed two fish but it was good to get the rods out and the joys of spring with the trees full of migrating warblers making their way back to summer breeding areas.

Tight lines everyone!

Iain Sorrell CAG President

Essence of carping Winter 2025-6 Winners 1st Place

2nd Place Derek Williams

3rd Place

1st Place & Region 3 Winner

– Michael Ledford

2nd Place & Region 1 Winner

3rd Place – Sean Clayton

4th Place – Jay Smithers

5th Place – Tom Peron

6th Place – Cody Clayton

7th Place – Dave Pickering

8th Place

– Jerome Mosiand

9th Place, Region IV & Big Mirror

– Jason Edwards

Region II Winner – Brent Behnken

Big Common

Big Buffalo & Big Grass Carp – Michael Ledford

CT CAG Social 2026

By Sam Williams

CT CAG Social on Saturday 16th of May, at Harbor Park.

As I pulled in I could see the action had started with Karl Pulaski.

Then Frank Sutton brings in a nice common.

I finally got out my own gear and set up next to Norman Finke. There were a lot logs and tree limbs and the flow of the river was going at a good pace. I used a 6oz lead that didn’t hold bottom.

Norman Finke brought in a few nice carp including a 22lb common plus a nice surprise fantail. We had a nice visit from Tom McCarthy and with camera in hand he took some photos.

A big thank you to all that came out.

Our next social is 13th of June at Hubbard Park. Please don’t forget to check out the events pages on Facebook and the CAG forum.

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/carpanglersgroup/ events

https://www.carpanglersgroup.com/forum/index. php?/events/

NY CAG Social 2026

April 27th 2026

By Chris Merrihew

I am thrilled to report that the start of the 2026 season has been outstanding, with wonderful weather and productive connections. The Carp Anglers Group of Central New York social event on the Seneca River was a resounding success, attracting over 20 anglers and introducing several newcomers to the world of carp fishing.

The event drew notable attendees, including local tournament directors and renowned carp fishing figures. Despite the difficulties posed by the strong river currents, the event’s convivial atmosphere prevailed. I would like to extend my gratitude to all participants and organizers, particularly Garrett Stone the CAG NY State Chair and the Carpy Commando team.

I’m looking forward to more events and social gatherings that bring together carp fishing enthusiasts. Please keep an eye out for upcoming events and news, including Austin Delosh’s highly anticipated Take a Kid Karpin’ event on June 27th 2026.

Fantails Fantails

By Joe Ruiz

The first time I lifted the football-shaped fantail from my net, it hardly seemed real. It was January 2020, the air was sharp and bright on the West Coast, the lake rimmed with a thin skin of ice. The fish glistened in the pale sunlight, its scales like hammered silver and its fins—absurdly large for its little body—flared out like silk banners. It had long, drooping barbels and a look of cartoonish mischief in its eyes, as if it knew it was the only one of its kind.

I’d been carp fishing for years by then, and I’d caught all kinds: full-scale mirror fantails, linear fantails, the usual run of common fantails, but none quite like this.

I eased the hook from its mouth, snapped a quick photo with trembling hands, and slipped it back into the water, half-expecting it to vanish in a puff of bubbles like a magic trick.

For weeks I obsessed over that fish. I returned to the same lake again and again, threading my rigs with the same baits, choosing the same patch of shoreline.

Sometimes I wondered if I’d imagined the whole thing, if I’d conjured up a mutant fish out of winter boredom and too many hours staring at the water.

Then, in March, just as the world began to turn strange and quiet, I had a double run. Both rods screamed at once, the alarms shrill in the cold morning air. I scrambled, nearly tripping over my own boots, and managed to net the first fish—a familiar football-shaped fantail, its barbels even longer than before. I recognized it immediately.

The second fish, still tugging at the line, turned out to be another little football-shaped fantail, this one with shorter barbels but the same comic proportions. It was like the universe had decided to reward my persistence with a matched set. That day, I watched them slip away beneath the surface, their fins flashing like pennants in the murky water.

Over the next few years, I kept tabs on them, catching them once or twice each season, watching their fins grow longer and their colors sharpen. Each time, I’d cradle them for a moment, admiring the way their tails fanned out and their bodies grew heavier, then let them go, hoping no one else would snatch them up.

The last time I saw one was December 8, 2024. Its fins were magnificent, trailing behind it like a cape. I haven’t been back since. Life, as it does, got in the way.

But sometimes I think about those two fantails— whether they’re still out there, waiting for someone with a net and a little patience to find them again.

Historic Moment for U.S. Carp Anglers – Carp Angler Becomes America’s First Carp Tackle Brand!

Two years ago, we set out on a mission not just to build a brand, but to forge a movement. We dared to dream that American carp anglers deserved a tackle company of their own. Today, that dream is no longer just a vision, it’s history in the making Carp Angler proudly stands as the FIRST American Carp Tackle Brand, a title earned through dedication, resilience, and the unwavering support of anglers like YOU

This isn’t just about us

This is about every American carp angler who stood up for this sport, who refused to be ignored, who took pride in their craft and helped push carp fishing forward in the U S From our customers to our partners and even to our competitors who pushed us to work harder: “We thank you”! You built this We just delivered

And what a delivery it is! Over 200 new products released all at once, on top of what we’ve already crafted, proving that American carp fishing is no afterthought; it’s a force to be reckoned with. This is only the beginning.

More innovation, more gear, and more history-making moments are on the way!

As we write this with goosebumps, we stand proud, side by side with you, we with the anglers who made this possible Here’s to Carp Angler

Here’s to every American carper And here’s to the next chapter in this incredible journey

The first The foundation The future

Carp Angler - The First American Carp Tackle Brand!

#CarpAngler #AmericanCarpFishing #WeMadeHistory #FirstOfMany

By Dean Brookes

This scaley mirror carp couldn’t resist the sweetcorn With many things in life, we often tend to overcomplicate things, forgetting simple methods that work. I’ve often reflected during my angling journey of baits, rigs and techniques that have been relegated to the ether, in favor of something more fashionable, many times for no reason other than a change.

I started carp angling over four decades ago and in that time I have graduated from fishing with a float and a piece of bread to utilizing all manner of modern equipment, specialized boilies and gadgets, in the effort to outwit our quarry; the humble carp. Along the way, I’ve been successful with numerous methods, baits and techniques and also moved on to newer and ‘better’ things in the attempt to improve results.

While I do use different approaches, rigs and bait to catch carp, at times I like to go back to the basics and strip down everything which removes many of the distractions and confusion. I use a minimum of equipment, utilizing basic and proven rigs along with a couple of highly attractive baits, that I know carp (and other species) love.

One of my favorite lakes is in the middle of a city and as such, presents many and varied challenges. These include local residents enjoying the park areas and swimming in the lake until 2-3am, heavy boat traffic, a local row club and the usual hustle and bustle of an urban environment. Another challenge is accessing bank space, due to the residential houses all around the lake which vastly reduces the number of areas you can fish from.

5am wake-up call

With all this said, I have enjoyed success at this lake from the first time I fished it, with some truly magnificent carp gracing my with their presence. I’ve fished this lake now, for nearly 15 years and over that time some of my favorite spots have been lost to development or in one case a successful renesting of a pair of mating eagles!! One spot that I can still access is in the local park area.

Over the past two late summers and early fall I have put these simple methods into practice on several overnight sessions, most in the 12-16 hour range to target carp from a large city lake. What follows is a description of my approach, basic watercraft and swim techniques and adaptations I made along the way.

The benefits of this spot are that I can park on a side street where my car is safe and it takes me 2-3 trips from the car to bring my tackle to the swim (approx.. 100 yards away).

The area is also below the level of the park so you are somewhat sheltered from sight. To add to this, I choose not to fish in the obvious swims and instead tucked myself away in a corner, where there is only access from one side of the bank. This cuts down on anyone setting up either side of me. With it also being an urban environment, I like to have a clear view of anyone approaching me.

Fox Explorer rods, propped up ready to go!

The swim itself is a definite patrol route of the carp as the margins quickly drop off to 12-15 foot, before sloping down to 30-35 foot deep. This means that I can fish at a distance of 2-3 rod lengths from the bank and can bait by hand. On this lake in particular I’ve had most success by either finding areas where the carp feed naturally (around weed growth) or by presenting baits on a patrol route. With the lake being almost 4 miles long, it’s important that you are in one of these areas otherwise you can sit for days without a single carp coming past you.

As baiting is close range I would not need to use anything more than my hands or a baiting spoon. This lake also has a good population of bull-head catfish but they are much less active as the temperatures drop so my first choice of bait would be sweetcorn and maize. The beauty of sweetcorn is that I can go via a supermarket and grab whatever I need without any real effort or bait preparation. In conjunction with the sweetcorn, I also used a fairly simple method mix consisting of oats, creamed corn and a few other additives.

Simple and effective baits

My main thinking was very simple. Offer a highly attractive and digestible bait which was also very visible to any carp swimming over the top of it. The method mix would also allow me to present my rig via a method feeder inline lead and prevent any tangles on the underarm cast.

Usually, I would not pick a swim without walking around and looking for carp, but in this situation I knew that the swim was an excellent choice to ambush passing carp so I decided to put all of my efforts into developing a couple of spots within the swim. Having already fished this swim a number of years previously, I knew the rough depths and substrata, but I dispatched the Deeper Pro, to check exactly.

A well proved oatmeal pack bait was used to help with presentation I have used boilies on this water in the past with good success but for short sessions and convenience I felt confident that these simple baits would offer the chance at success and I was 100% confident that they would work.

I quickly found the drop off and made mental notes of the distance based on overhanging trees. I also moved a couple of sunken limbs from the vicinity. Having found two rough areas I wanted to fish, I then cast out a heavy lead and checked around the spots for weed and large rocks. As this spot was only 100 feet from the car I could have used a whole array of equipment, but with the nature of the area I wanted to minimize signs of my presence and with this in mind I stripped down my kit to a minimum.

Fox Explorer rods (retractable), small Eos reels (7000 size) loaded with 15lb mono, a small pod and bank sticks and only the end tackle I would need. I also cut down on my camping gear based on the weather. With no rain forecast, I would take only a light bedchair, thermal cover and a large mosquito net (staked out over the bedchair). If it was forecast to rain then I would add a lightweight 60 inch brolly with storm sides.

As the area dropped off quickly and consisted of large sunken boulders and rocks, I wanted to make sure I was on clear spots (mostly sand and soft silt) and not near any large rocks that would offer potential problems if I hooked a carp.

A camping stove, cast iron pan and coffee pot were all I needed for sustenance although I do insist on cooking ‘proper’ food on the bank!! A couple of bait buckets and I was all set. A light bedchair and thermal wrap, enclosed in a mosquito net.

Rigs were also super simple. Reels were loaded with 15lb Berkley Big Game which is absolutely bullet proof for most situations. I did add a 15-20 foot leader of 40lb Big game mono as without it you risk being cut off on underwater rocks.

To the mono leader I added a 3 foot length of lead core, with a 3 oz inline lead. The hook link was typically a 6-7 inch length of coated braid (Fox Camo 25lb) with a size 5 curved shank hook and 2 pieces of fake corn.

The fake corn hookbait is extremely effective as the rig can stay in place without being picked apart by nuisance species and also resets if picked up. I would vary the buoyancy of the rig with it either being popped up 1-2 inches or with a split shot on the hair so it was just sitting off bottom. Both methods work.

Over the course of two late summers into fall, I fished the same area with my simple approach for single night sessions. My typical session would be to arrive a few hours before dark (or even into it) and then I would re-tie rigs, set up my rods and

A typical carp for this lake

sleeping area and then wait until the just before dark or after it, to get rigs into place.

There was generally no need to rush this process as with boats still on the water, the carp would rarely be in a feeding mode.

Most bites would come after 12am into early morning; generally until boats and the rowing club were back on the water. As I am very confident fishing at night, I rarely would use a headlight or make any disturbance, and so for the most part no one would be aware I was there.

One example of this was in my second season of this approach, when I decided to start earlier in the summer. Unfortunately, I failed to remember that as school was still out, even after dark the lake would be very busy.

On one such session, I had several people drinking and swimming directly over my spots until 3am in the morning!! Needless to say, I decided to leave the lake a few weeks before venturing back. On my first session back, I arrived after dark close to 11pm and made my way to the water.

I used my headlight for a minute or so to check the spots and was surprised to see a carp cruising in the margins. I quickly set up my rods and at first light was rewarded by what I think was the very fish I saw cruising. My first carp on my return to the lake

Over the course of the first season, I fished approximately 10 nights and managed just over 30 carp, most averaging between 15-22lb’s but with a few nice surprises thrown in.

On one of my last sessions I was joined by a good friend and decided to fish the same spots from further up the bank so we could fish next to each other. It was a particularly good session as a heavy rainfall moved the boats off the water and resulted in the fish being more active. I had half a dozen fish, topped by a cracking fully scaled mirror.

I was also reunited with an old character of the lake that I have caught several times over the last 15 years. It is a rare common carp, in a lake dominated by mirrors and is a very, very angry old specimen. It’s easily recognizable and it has a hole in it’s dorsal fin.

This unique common is always a pleasure to catch and it does show how catch and release works as it’s always ranged in size from 23-25lb’s.

Another nice moment was catching my first koi carp from the lake. With this lake being in the middle of a big city, it’s not uncommon for people to release their aquarium fish.

On one session I spotted a large orange koi that was close to 20lb’s and I have also been visited by a parrot on one session as well!!

Over the course of my second season, I fished less but still managed around 20 carp. The highlight was on my very last session. I had been catching mostly double figure carp and was also starting to get a few catfish, which in the first season I had not seen. Due to this I decided to put one rod on a new spot, 30 yards down the margins, on a spot surrounded by weed. The main difference was I opted for boilies on this rod.

I fished a large snowman presentation with a 20mm bottom bait and a 15mm pop-up. For bait application I put around 40-50 baits around the area. The spot took me a good hour to locate the exact area I could present a bait, so I was very happy when the rod ripped off and a lovely big fully scaled mirror was on the end of it.

A switch to boilies to end the campaign

My last carp from the campaign was worth waiting for

Over the course of the two summer seasons I didn’t get into the monster I was hoping for, but these short night sessions were a great experience as I reconnected with the lake, and also reconnected with how a simple approach can be the most effective.

I’ll be using this approach on my new explorations for carp.

MORE MORE Catching

Story and Photos by Tom McCarthy

Such was the case when an ex-catfish angler, Douglas McGrath of NH, met another whisker seeker, Tom McCarthy, of Massachusetts, and Doug turned a channel cat chaser into a budding member of the carping community.

Prior to our meeting, Douglas was just entering guide service for carping, as he had abandoned his catfishing ways in favour of much bigger fish in New England, the common carp.

Carp fishing requires attention to detail if an angler is to do well and catch many fish. If an angler is really astute and on their game, they will not only catch more fish, but can actually catch more than fish; they can help build the sport.

In Massachusetts and NH waters, the channel cats generally run around 10 to 15 pounds, with larger ones being extremely rare. Once Douglas discov-

ered what 20 to 30 pound carp fight like, he was hooked and dove deep into the carping experience.

He actively began looking into making his own baits and started seeking clients for beginning a guide business. But his bait business, Carpdaddy Baits took off first.

As Douglass set the guide biz on the back-burner, his baits became in high demand as he began interacting with local bait shops and their customers in New England. That’s when the author if this story met Doug, initially in search of catching big cat fish in September of 2024. We didn’t go cat fishing, but he did reel me into carping.

Once Doug took me out carp fishing at the CT River, in Central Massachusetts, during our initial outing, he introduced me to a screaming bait alarm and he just grinned and looked at me and said, “You have a fish on, just pick up the rod.” Once I did and felt the power of that big pull, the drag began to sing and my eyes widened.”

I landed a fish in the teens that night for the first time, and I helped Doug net a 22 pound mirror that was just about the prettiest fish I’d ever seen. Once it was in the cradle, just seeing how big and beautiful it was, I knew I didn’t need to drive 2.5 hours to the mouth of the Merrimack River any more. My suspicions were right; I have bigger fish locally, I just need to learn how to fish for them.

After Douglass taught me how to tie hair-rigs and use boilies, I was ready to try my hand at catching them on my own. I remember my first night alone on the river, in the dark, with a head-lamp, using packbait, a PVA bag, and I had high hopes. As darkness progressed, eventually my reel began to sing.

Catching that first fish, in the dark, alone, landing it, I was as out of breath as the fish was. The adrenalin rush was that intense. The bigger issue really was that I’d learned my lessons well enough to find, fight and land one myself, and I really am at a loss for words to describe the sense of self accomplishment in landing that first big fish.

Taking new anglers carp fishing isn’t just about catching fish, it’s about something much bigger and more important; growing the community. Teaching newbies how to properly handle the fish, while stressing catch and release, is not only growing the angler’s enjoyment, it’s greatly impacting the mom & pop bait shops adding new customers and products to their businesses. This is a win-win situation for all concerned.

The fastest and best way to grow our sport is to bring in, and welcome in, new members to the carping community. With every new member that goes out carp fishing, we all end up catching more than just carp.

US 64

By Scott Lennox

I grew up fishing with my dad and my older brother, Stuart. My dad ran a tourist fishing business, taking clients to local reservoirs in Cyprus. These days, my brother is crushing the UK fishing scene with a 58lb mirror carp under his belt.

I got back into fishing in my early 20s, spending weekends at a beautiful wild reservoir in Cyprus.

I had a small spot just big enough for a brolly and a chair. I’d get dropped off after work on Friday and picked up on Sunday.

One saying I lived by was “ Get comfortable being uncomfortable”. From heating rocks to keep warm to trying not to die in 110f heat.

I started out using pre-made rigs until I was able to create one I was confident in. I put a lot of work in over a few years and was rewarded with some beautiful catches, including a beautiful 30lb wild common.

When I moved to the States, I started fishing at a small concrete pond at a nearby park. It took me nine sessions to land my first catfish. I’d heard rumors of a single carp in there, but after multiple sessions, often catching channel cats up to 15lb, I knew I needed a new challenge.

While fishing, I’d talk to anyone willing to share information about nearby lakes.

Eventually, I heard about another spot not too far away. I almost wrote it off after scouting it but decided to give it a chance. On my first session there, I saw another carp angler, and I literally ran over to speak to him.

During our conversation, he mentioned a better lake nearby that held bigger fish, where he’d caught one at just under 20lb. It’s here I must mention something about myself, I thrive off of targets or challenges, and unbeknownst to this kind angler, he had just set me on my first challenge, a proper American carp. Catching a 25lb carp on my third visit did little to end this thirst; I was now after the rumored 30 in the lake.

Looking back, 40 sessions in two months might have been a bit excessive. I started exploring other venues, day lakes, sloughs, and channels, before eventually settling on a couple of larger waters.

I aimed for two three-day sessions per month and started putting up solid numbers, including multiple 30lb fish in single sessions. More importantly, I was improving after every trip, refining my rigs, my setup, and my approach.

That summer, I shifted my focus to targeting a mirror carp. Out of the nearly 100 carp I’d caught in the states, only one had been a fully scaled mirror at around 11lb. I wanted something bigger! I committed to roughly five trips chasing that goal, but honestly, I couldn’t stop thinking about the other lakes. After my last session, I realized I was wasting time and decided to return to my main goal: landing a 40lb.

I managed my first solo four-day session, which made a huge difference. The extra time resulted in several quality fish. I went into my next trip with high expectations but had no idea what was coming.

My wife let me head out on the evening of my birthday. I made the long hike to a challenging lake, a 90-minute walk, and the lake being home to a colony of sea lions, only adding to that difficulty.

The session started slowly, with nothing on the first night and the second night, only landing a single fish at 29lb.

The next day, around 11:30am, my left rod screamed off. The fight was fairly quick, but when the fish hit the mat, I knew it was big. I only had an older set of scales with me, and the fish maxed them out, bouncing between 50 and 55lb. Without a precise reading, I was happy to call it a 50.

I was blown away. I’d smashed my 40lb target, beating my previous US best of 36.6lb and my overall PB of 44lb. After resetting my rods and sharing the news with my brother, I settled in for the next day.

A good friend joined me for the session, and even as I retold the story, it didn’t feel real. I never imagined catching a fish that size. Then, around 1:30pm, my right rod tore off. The fight felt similar at first, but then the fish stopped suddenly, like it was caught in weed, but something felt different.

At the time, I’d been dealing with some tackle issues, including new line I’d recently spooled onto both reels, which was terrible. I’d replaced one reel, but not this one. I played the fish so carefully, giving it all the time and space it needed. With help from my friend, we finally netted it after about 15 minutes. It was huge! Luckily, this time, we had digital scales. As soon as we started to weigh it, it shot past 55lb, and the fish wasn’t even fully off the ground yet. At this point, I was just screaming. The final weight: 64lb 3oz.

It was unreal. Either one of those fish would be a once-in-a-lifetime catch, but landing both within 24 hours felt insane.

The question now was: what next?

I was worried, being driven by challenges and always by the next pb that I’d lose interest or enjoyment. But two things reassured me. First, just two days later, I was happily fishing for bluegill in a creek near my house and just enjoying it.

Second, I realized how much I still have to learn. There are still so many gaps in my game, and that’s what keeps it exciting.

It didn’t take long to find my next challenge: the CAG Big 4, Being my first ever competition, it got my competitive juices flowing! And of course, the hunt for an American mirror continues!

orientrodsusa@gmail.com

facebook.com/OrientRodsUSA

instagram.com/orientrods.usa

THE RESERVOIR THE

By Neil Kent

November 2024 and it was the end of my last session of the year on the reservoir. The wind was crashing in, the waves were foaming in the margin, but still it remained warm, enjoyable. Perfect big Carp conditions if I ever imagined them to be. I brought the lines in mid-afternoon.

I’d had a total of five runs that final day catching four. The brace of the 32 and the 28 and also a 25 and a teen. I’d pulled out of another. I felt completely in the zone. Casting and baiting was spot on, full confidence in the rig and bait. Mind was right.

Total for the 5 trips comprising four 30’s, a dozen 20’s and a number of teens. I had given it a lot, thought a lot and learned a lot in return. I had come face to face with numerous deer, turkeys, chipmunks and squirrels and seen eagles swooping frequently in flight. I had met my first fisher cat and driven alongside a small baby bear. I’d even fought off terrorist racoons from both my food and bait bags and atop my car...

I had taken to sleeping in the car when the water level was high and I rated my chances during the night. I would simply bring the Delkim receiver with me and crack the front passenger window facing the water leaving the rods out a short distance away. I would place my glasses between the seats, headtorch around my neck and boots standing outside vertically uniform together next to the passenger door. I had first seen the racoon during the day walking along the woodwork and the upturned boats. It was during the night however, that I woke around 1am and went down to check on the rods. I saw my food container had been opened. One of those igloo hard plastic food containers, white top, red bottom, snap lid.

Scattered all around was silver foil, empty protein bar wrappers and the like, chip packets, Vermont cheese wrapping. I picked up the mess and went back to the car.

I woke up an hour or so later, went again to the rods and this time my tackle and hook bait containers had both been unzipped, pop-up tubs were scattered everywhere along with other stuff. I carried back all the bait: boilies, particles, glugs, pop-ups etc. into the car this time and went back to sleep.

Sometime later (it was still dark) I was awoken by the car moving side to side and the sensation of something on the roof above me. My first thought was the DEP wondering what I was doing but there was no torch, light nor voices. There was no wind. It was deadly quiet. I climbed out the car, shone the headtorch around and I spotted him walking his way back into the woods.

They weren’t perhaps the largest fish nor the most numerous, but I had found focus, the effort had been concentrated (300 miles; 5 plus hours round trip from Manhattan), and I’d grown in determination. I hadn’t set a target, but as I came off the water that day and taking the picture of the rods standing against the trunk, I felt really good, ready for a break perhaps but more so looking forward to what could be done next year.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year roll around again. It’s now early May 2025 but the weather is not attractive. It’s simply downright rough. The winter has been long with snowfall late and what non-existent spring we had is really wet.

It rains and then it rains some more and then if there was any question about it stopping it continues to rain. I was desperate to get out but also frustrated as I knew the water level would be high and the conditions would be poor.

The reservoir basin was almost full volume, the water a Wonka chocolate brown. Woodwork from the winter storms had built up in the margins and wherever it saw fit. Huge, entangled branches were visible up to 50 yards out and still further out huge trunks floated around moving in response to the wind direction which could cover all directions in a single day. Stop, reverse, turn, repeat. Run-off from the mountains had been significant and the water looked sad as if it had taken a beating. I fished that first day until 10pm but did not receive any action and attempted to sleep in the car but I was generally uncomfortable and suffered from the pollen.

I had the baits back out again at 6am the next morning but still no signs of fish and the forecast was set for more rain and thunderstorms. Joined by a friend we went out in the boat and emptied two five gallon buckets of maize and stuff but saw nothing to suggest there were Carp even within miles of where we were.

Then the rain came and at full volume. A squall over an Irish lough. The water level continued to rise and despite numerous retreats we eventually simply ran out of real estate altogether.

Two weeks passed, and I went up again this time again for Memorial week. Andre had spent the previous Wednesday moving logs with the boat, fishing Thursday and Friday with no fish seen. I arrived on Saturday, and we took the boat out. Deepest depth 75 feet. The water was still super high and colored. There was simply nothing to report. Quiet. Sunday and Monday were dead. Andre departed and realizing that nothing was going to occur, I decided in discussion with Ed to leave the reservoir and drive thirty minutes north to another venue.

It continued to rain but in contrast to the windswept, log infested 1200 acres I left this lake is tiny in comparison. I drove up to a spot I knew had produced although I had never personally fished. Not a swim per se but rather a little gap next to the road where I could climb down to access. Lake front houses visible. A miniature culvert where water would flow in from the hills. I stayed looking at the water and after 45 mins or so into the evening I saw my first Carp in 6 months.

With the throwing stick I spread out 3 kilos and dropped some chops in the margin together with some maize. I went straight back up the following dawn. The maize was still there but the chops had all disappeared. Now that was something. I put 3 rods out around 7am. I hesitated with the third. A tiny swim and I knew that these old Carp were very sensitive to pressure, too many lines in proximity

had certainly spooked them in the past. The baits were out no further than 30 yards. I had only to wait the morning and the early part of the afternoon before they showed themselves. First take of the year and I netted a 33. The following day I caught three topped with a 34. Fished again the third day and had the largest of that session at 35. Big old Carp. All Commons. I fished the weekend too, but the fish had clearly spooked. I never saw so much as another sign. Dawn to dusk. No nights. 5 days in total. 5 runs in the first 3 days and then they vacated. Cold, very wet. Fished out the heated car a little that trip. Real feel in the low 30’s but the rain was relentless. It rained all day, every day. Went to the motel at night to warm up. Setting up wet and packing up wet. Kurt Vonnegut and his Cat’s Cradle kept me company. I sticked out 3 kilos as I left.

I returned the following weekend. Fished from 7am to 7pm but didn’t see any sign. Nada. Just for entertainment I went back to the reservoir for a few hours to enjoy another glorious professional blank. Mid-June now and Vonnegut continued to keep me company while the rods were out, The Walkmen, the Eels and Inhaler sang to me while driving.

Occasionally RHCP and some early days Lennon & McCartney. It was evening, and I stuck out a couple of kilos. I was back again the following morning and still with mist on the water I had a low 30 and a 25 within the first 90 minutes. The sun burned through, the mist disappeared and with it the Carp. I stayed until late afternoon but saw nothing more.

Put a few baits in before dark and fished the next day but unlike me they decided not to return.

Late-June now, Slaughterhouse Five had replaced Cat’s Cradle and the weather turned super-hot. I left home around midnight, drove up in the early morning darkness and mist. You should know that I had not yet done a night. I was trying to keep low and out of sight, but I had become a little more comfortable with the surroundings. Enough to hide myself away. Arriving around 3am I dozed in the car with baits out sometime before 6am.

Weed had started to appear and in addition to the boilies I introduced a little hemp & tigers.

There were freshwater snails clearly visible in the weed so I figured these bits might help. This was loose feed along with the boilies. I was catapulting or sticking out my boilies one by one during a session now for fear of scaring them.

My baits continued to be presented snowman style or a hinge stiff in a little area 30 yards out and 50 yards wide and 8 feet deep. The day passed. Just me and Kurt.

I have no idea as to precisely when they arrived nor how many big Carp were in my little swim that night (and of course I will never know) but a total of five decided to make their presence known by personally paying me a visit, intentionally picking up my hook baits and gracing my net. In order of appearance, I managed a 22, 34, 28, 25, and a 34. An outstanding few hours in the darkness. They disappeared at 4am and never came back. I fished until mid-afternoon and dumped in 5 kilos of boilies as I left.

Independence Day weekend, a Saturday and I left early in the morning drove 3 hours up, sticked out 5 kilos of boilies in 20 mins or so, turned the car around, drove 3 hours back home and rolled another 10 kilos. I was super keen. The weed was now up significantly however, and I questioned how long it would be before the swim became unfishable. In addition, they had yet to spawn and full on Summer holiday season was around the corner, and I knew my time was now limited. Next weekend and Kayakers and Swimmers and how to avoid them. They had simply become more frequent as the weather warmed. I tried not to make myself too obvious and arrived just before dusk, sneaking into my little swim. Sitting there rods out 9pm. Darkness. Flat calm. Weed on the surface. Occasional frog. Idyllic summer evening. Everyone has vacated, left the lake gone home for dinner. It’s just me and no one knows I’m there. Faint smell of barbecue from the lake front houses and 100 yards to my left I see a guy reverse up to the boat launch and unload his kayak. Strange me thinks but nevertheless he pushes his boat out.

Rows out. I see a torch on the front of this boat. Reminiscent of the old smuggling days. With him I hear a guitar playing. Not strumming but picking. I assume he has a radio with him but then the music stops as he rows and starts again as he puts the oars down. Just him picking. The sound bouncing off the water, his light shows the patches of weed on the surface. Out he goes, around the weed and I see his light fade along with the music somewhere in the distance. No one else around. I know he’s there, but he has no knowledge of my existence. Every now and again I see the light and hear the music. Three hours later, just after midnight, he re-

turns, backs the truck up to the boat ramp, loads the truck with his kayak and departs.

I was back again mid-July. I went to the lake, but the weed had clearly taken over and feeling a little dejected drove down to the reservoir. Rods out as its getting dark and I managed three low twenties in the night, to my knowledge, the first fish to come out since my last capture the previous November. I wasn’t feeling it though. At 10am I packed it all away and headed back up to the lake prolific weed or not. I did the overnight with no action and then in the morning I heard them crashing in the left hand corner. Mating season. I watched them for a while and then reeled in, drove home to watch Wimbledon. This was my last session of the summer. August passed and I got back up again in midSeptember. Arriving on Friday evening I baited the reservoir. I fished all Saturday with no action. I returned in the morning and after 3 hours became impatient and drove to the lake and baited with a couple of kilos of boilies. I returned in the late afternoon, fished overnight with nothing and drove home on Monday.

Back up again at the end of the month. Ed joined me in the afternoon. Fished all day and I did the night. I packed up the following day at 2pm with nothing to show. 4 blanks in a row without a sighting. I hadn’t seen a fish since mid-June. The area seemed completely devoid of anything. I didn’t return.

October was other commitments and it’s already November again and I’m watching the weather. I realize if I’m going to go, I need to go now. Forecast is real feel down to the low 20’s but clearly, it’s my last opportunity, so I plan the reservoir for the week. I have ten kilos of homemade in the freezer. The bait company delivers an additional ten. I have maize & tigers. No nights, too cold. Stay at the motel but plan for gusty days perhaps hail and snow. Every forecast I consult tells me something different. I pick the most optimistic. Its Sunday 10am and I spend an hour spodding and

sticking 24 mils out at 100 yards. I return at 2pm and fish until dark. I arrive the next day repeating the process and am rewarded with a cat kissing double figures. I return the following day hoping they will finally pay me a visit, they do indeed, and I catch two. I continue to receive action during the week but it’s tough fishing by any stretch. Spodding out into a cross wind which gales at 40mph and accompanying hail and rain. I spod when the weather lets up. I keep the bait going in. A continued effort. I finish the six days with nine 20’s topped by a 27, half a dozen teens, two cats and a foul hooked sucker. Most coming to hinge stiff rigs. A 20 mil pop up a couple of inches off the deck. So, that’s it then. In summary a dozen trips in total for the year. That’s almost 4,000 miles on the car. Some to bait, some to fish and some to catch. A total of 18 fish over twenty and 6 weighing over the magical thirty. All Commons.

Keep Exploring

by Richard De Oliveira

Carp fishing for me started in Portuguese waters when I was 15 years old. It was more about going out with friends than about catching fish.

As I grew older, the obsession started and then a move to the USA (in New Jersey) led me to explore new areas, new lakes and rivers. I spent a lot of time walking around and blanking until I started to get some results.

On a freezing November day, I was at a lake that was impossible to fish during the summer because of turtles. In the spring, I only got fish below 15lb, but the lake had some apple sliced mirrors so I kept going with hope that with the cold weather, the bigger fish were the ones feeding. The only bite, around noon, was a 35lb fish that remained my PB for a long time. I never thought that I would catch a fish that big in there.

I met Mark Lowrie thru his store CarpMart and I helped him at the NECC event where he introduced me to Luis Miguel and Val Grimley who both became great friends. We had and will have many adventures together. Luis helped me a lot to break my PB and catch my first 40.

They also surprised me, showing what a can of corn and a float can catch, they are really good at it.

I started participating in the CAG tournaments like the CCC and the BIG 4 where I learned a lot about fishing in the US. After 12 years it was time to move (this time to Utah) and again explore new waters.

As I was walking around a new lake with a bass rod, I noticed a koi at the surface. My heart started racing and I knew I had to come back with my carp gear. Next time I went to the lake, I saw what looked like the same koi on the bank. Some other angler tossed it to kill it; my hopes were dashed right there.

I still fished for a few hours but no luck that time.

The third time, I took a float rod and a can of corn and that is when the results started to go my way as I got two koi that day. Another angler saw my bite alarms and started chatting. He was an Englishman who likes to stalk them and told me that there were more in there and that there are no other type of carp besides koi.

I kept exploring the lake and started seeing more fish of different colors and different sizes, so I decided to go fish another area. After work I got to the lake and jumped on my bicycle to get more quickly to the other side. When I reached the bank, I saw them feeding by a tree.

I set two rods on the bottom, with small hooks, three feet from the margin, dropping the rig when the carp looped around. After just a few minutes, I got one. Then a second one and a third one. As I was playing a fish, I got another run. I didn’t want to rush because the fish I was playing felt like a nice size. I landed the first koi and walked to the second rod. It felt small but still hooked, that’s what matters. As it was getting closer to the net (which was still holding my first catch), I saw another koi following the hooked fish. My reaction was to drop the net deeper into the water and to try to get both in. To my complete surprise, as I lifted the net, I got THREE koi on a double run! I ended up with eight koi in three hours, what a session.

My advice to all anglers is to keep exploring. Small or big waters, you can get some nice surprises, the US has so many venues to be discovered.