Came across this old advert from November 2000 for CarpWise Volumes 3 & 4, and it really took me back.
Back then, if you wanted to learn from the best, you had to buy videos like this. For £14.99 per set (or £24.99 for all four volumes on the Christmas promotion), it was one of the few ways to watch some of the biggest names in carp fishing share their knowledge.
Featuring anglers like Frank Warwick, Ian Russell, Derek Ritchie, Lee Jackson, Bob Newman, Jules Webb and others, these DVDs were packed with information. You’d sit there and watch every minute, often more than once, trying to pick up the little details that might help you catch another fish.
Fast forward to today, and the whole landscape has changed.
YouTube has completely transformed carp fishing media. We now have thousands of hours of free content available instantly. Whether it’s rig tutorials, underwater footage, venue vlogs, bait experiments or full session films, it’s all there at the touch of a button. You no longer have to wait for a DVD to arrive in the post or pay £15 every time a new release comes out.
That said, there was something special about that era. The content felt more exclusive, and when a new CarpWise, Thinking Tackle or other fishing film was released, it genuinely felt like an event. Everyone wanted to get hold of a copy and talk about it on the bank the following weekend.
In many ways we’re spoiled now with the amount of free content available, but I do wonder if we’ve lost a little of that excitement and anticipation along the way.
Who else remembers buying CarpWise or other carp fishing DVDs? Which ones stood out to you, and do you think the quality of today’s free YouTube content is better than the old classics?