PAC30

For thirty years the Pike Anglers' Club of Great Britain has campaigned on behalf of pike and pike anglers, turning a once vilified species into one of the country's most popular sporting quarries.

This book not only celebrates thirty years of the existence of the PAC, it also seeks to inspire all pike anglers who read it.

Yet still there is an increasing need for organisations such as the PAC. Threats that the pike face are changing as we enter the twenty-first century, both from their continuing persecution

by those unaware of the importance that pike play within the aquatic environment, and by the threats posed by the changing climate.

Included within the book are stories of the country's largest fish, landmark waters and accounts from  some of the country's leading pike anglers, all bonded 'for the love of Esox' and the realisation that the PAC is the body to protect their chosen quarry.

The PAC sincerely wish that you too are inspired by this book and will add your voice to the battles ahead by joining the only club dedicated to the promotion of pike and pike fishing.

Hardback, 200+ pages, full colour throughout.

PAC30 is available now from www.carptalk-shop.co.uk and costs £25 plus £3 P&P.

Historic Information Wanted

The author of the book History of Carp Fishing, Kevin Clifford, is teaming up with his friend, Chris Ball, to produce a limited edition updated version of the book. If anyone has any information (letters, photographs, anecdotal stories, etc) about the following famous carp fisheries/anglers they would welcome hearing from you.

Croxby Pond &  Otto Overbeck

Cheshunt Reservoir

Mapperley Reservoir & Albert Buckley

Dagenham Lake & members of the Becontree & DAS (particularly George Draper and John Lenton)

Redmire Pool

Billing Aquadrome

The Peterborough Cut

Woldale

Wadhurst

Stoneham Lakes

Horsham

Westbrook Mere

You can contact Kevin and Chris at carpercfn@btconnect.com or on the phone at 01430 440624. You can also write to Kevin at Carp Fishing News Ltd., Newport, East Yorkshire HU15 2QG.

Carpin’On 80% sell out

Over 80% of the available stand

space at the The Carpin’On Carp

Show 2008 has already been taken by some of the best retailers and manufacturers in the country, including Nash Tackle, Trakker Products, Dynamite Baits, Solar Tackle and Korda. The event which takes place at the Five Lakes Resort, Essex over the 8th and 9th of March will also see angling stars such as John Wilson, Terry Hearn, Simon Crow and Rod Hutchinson in attendance. If you’re interested in exhibiting at the show contact Babs Smith on 07983 727214. If you’re interested in coming along to the Carpin’On Carp Show you can book your ticket by calling 01430440624. Advanced tickets cost only £10 and if you’re one of the first 2000 people to pre-book a ticket then you will qualify for a free Nash Tackle package worth over £14.

Wraysbury going syndicate

The former record braking venue is once again

going to become a syndicate. Full details

including the cost and how to apply appear

in this week’s Carp-Talk.

World record brace

Whilst fishing a two week session at Rainbow

Lake, France, Essex angler Simon Smith landed two colossal mirrors, both in excess of 70lb. He also caught two commons over 50lb. A full report and pictures appear in this week’s Carp-Talk.

Fox Stratos 12000 MAG reels

Fox Stratos 12000 Magnesium reels

have been confirmed for February

2008. The new reels, the first entry

into the big pit reel market for

the Essex-based company,

were designed from scratch

with the sole aim of

producing the best big pit

reels on the market. Andy

Little, Fox International

technical director, said: “We didn’t

want to release a good reel. We wanted to

release the best. It’s for this reason that the

12000 MAGs have taken so long to

develop – you can’t rush perfection”.

Benefiting from a Supa-Slow Gear Cycle of

58.9 rotations of the Rotor per cycle, the reels

produce perfect line lay, which in turn will

help anglers put valuable extra yards on their

cast. In testing Fox consultant Ian Chillcott

managed to hit distances of over 200 metres

with the reels. Both reels are super smooth

on the retrieve too, with 17 ball bearings in

the 12000 model and 21 on the 12000FS reel.

The reels are both made with Magnesium Bodies

and Rotors to create a lighter and stronger

reel, compared to more traditional materials.

And unlike many other top-end big pit reels,

both models come supplied with a spare

spool and Neoprene reel pouch. The

12000FS model has a Fox Free Spool

facility. The 12000 reel doesn’t. The reels

carry an RRP of £249.99 for the Stratos 12000

MAG and £349.99 for the Stratos 12000FS MAG.

Epping Fishing Tackle –

Ladies only night

Good news from Epping Fishing

Tackle regarding their recent Ladies

night. Boss Brian told Carp-Talk, “Our

Ladies Only night was a bigger

success than last year, with 20

extra ladies turning up bringing the

total to 55 that we served in 3 hours.

This made it a brilliant and profitable

evening. There were approximately

5 to 10 customers waiting and browsing

around the store at 5.30pm  - yet the

start time wasn’t until 6.00pm! With the

offer of a free goody bag

from Nash Tackle to the first 50

purchases we had served 35 by

7.00pm. It then quietend down for

45mins and then we got the second

burst of customers till the last one

left at 9.10pm. Every Lady seemed to enjoy themselves whilst sipping champagne and scoffing down mince pies. They also received 10% off there purchases and entered in to our £50 Gift Voucher prize draw which was won by Donna Powell from Harlow.”

The 1st class Xmas carp fishing stamp

Imagine the surprise last week when Carp-Talk’s Chris Ball received a Christmas card from Ron Buss & family and straightaway spotted the stamp depicted Ron with a big carp. Closer investigation suggested that it was real (we think) making it quite unique in the world of carp fishing. Anyone else had one from Ron or another carp angler this festive season?

Well the weather has certainly been mild over the last few weeks and around the country there have been loads of terrific captures, unfortunately none of which came to my rods! The weather has now tuned bitterly cold with overnight temperatures falling well bellow zero, leaving a thin layer of ice on some of my local lakes and ponds. I’m becoming a little frustrated with my lack of time on the bank. I’ve managed two short morning sessions of approximately 3 hours each that resulted in the capture of a few snotty little bream. I’ve been fishing to a couple of spots that have been regularly baited with hemp, corn and boilies. I really thought this was going to be easy but I think I’ve got to face facts – I’m a lazy git, and getting out of my warm bed to go sit in the cold for two or three hours just doesn’t seem that appealing at half-five in the morning. As I have said before, I’ve had little success fishing the nights over the last few years, finding the days far more productive so I think I’ll stick with

All that’s required for the short morning sessions - rod bag, rucksack and a pair of warm boots.

Cat ice - something I think I’ll be seeing a lot more of over the coming weeks.

the short day sessions. I especially like how little equipment is required. Carrying only a rucksack and my rod bag, it takes me very little time to set up and pack away. I can also move swims at a moments notice should I feel the need. Anyway hopefully over the festive period I’ll have managed to put in a few extra hours on the bank and you never know I might even manage to put something a little bigger than two pounds on the bank.

On the Sunday just gone I was once again helping out with a work party at

The sun coming up over the horizon, tells me that I’ll be soon packing away for work.

the HDAA Brough complex. My only free day in two weeks and I go shovelling muck and cutting down Hawthorn. Lovely. It was nice to see a few different faces though as it is usually the same old people every year. With approximately 800 members there are probably 40 different people that will attend the voluntary work parties this winter and it’s the other 760 members that spend all year moaning about the condition of the swims and paths. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand that one.

Aside from angling, the other day I was at the hospital with my son for a minor operation and when you see a three-year-old suffering in pain, it really gets you thinking about what’s important in life.

To you and yours, have a wonderful Christmas and an excellent new year.

Tight lines,

Ben Wales

Fox International sign Tom Maker

Andy Little (right) and Darrell Creasey (left) with Tom Maker (centre) as he signs his contract to become Fox International’s junior consultant.

Carp Angling Championships. His biggest carp is a 43lb 1oz mirror. It is Tom’s natural carp fishing ability, superb attitude to the sport and enthusiasm to improve his fishing and help other anglers do the same, which appealed to Fox.

Commenting on his appointment, Tom said: “It’s a great opportunity and a privilege to join one of the most successful and forward thinking tackle companies at such a young age. I hope that I will be able to assist in future developments, testing of new products, ideas and help take Fox International onwards and upwards.”

Darrell Creasey, Fox’s product development manager, said: “I have known Tom for quite a few years, and have been privileged to watch this young lad’s angling ability grow to such an extent that he has an opportunity to become one of the biggest names in the sport. I am excited at the thought of working with Tom now, and in the future, to further strengthen our range of carp tackle.”

Hardly surprisingly none of the exhibitors who objected to Eric’s Angling Centre appearing at the Carp Society Winter Show contacted Carp-Talk to explain their reasoning. For those of you who did not read last week’s editorial, I offered the exhibitors in question the chance to contact us and explain why they didn’t want Eric’s Angling Centre attending the show. As none of them did you’ll have to draw your own conclusions as to who the said exhibitors were and why they don’t want to comment on the matter. Rumours abound of course  - but I guess Eric’s have come out of the affair looking like the ‘good guy’ who was simply trying to offer carp anglers some deals, yet was stitched up by some of his competitors. We’ve been around long enough to know that situations such as this are often not as simple as they at first appear. The way the tackle industry works is complex - with lots of conflicting issues at work. And let’s not forget that Eric’s Angling Centre is no different to any other business (and, yes, that including this FREE newsletter) - they all exist to make as much profit as possible.

This week work in the Carp-Talk office almost ground to a halt, when the greatest debate I’ve ever known erupted (sparked by an article written by Tim Paisley for our Carp-Talk magazine which should appear very soon). The subject - moon phases! After many hours opinions were still split. So we’d like to know what do you think? Do moon phases have any effect upon our chances of putting fish on the bank? If so, what are the best time to be out fishing and are there any times when it’s simply a waste of time even trying? Do you have any conclusive evidence to either support or discredit the effects of moon phases? You can send your opinions and/or evidence via email to carper@btconnect.com or via post to Carp Fishing News, Newport, East Yorkshire, HU15 2QG. We’ll try and publish any interesting submissions.

Ben Wales

Fox is pleased to announce the signing of Tom Maker as its first-ever junior consultant. Tom will join Fox’s already strong team of consultants – Ian Chillcott, Chris Rose, Steve Spurgen and Colin Davidson – to help further improve Fox’s vast range of carp and specialist products.

Despite being just 16 years-old, Tom has banked an impressive 45-carp over 30lb and two over 40lb. In 2007 he became the youngest ever finalist in the Senior British