About me :: BIG CARP

by Tony Stray

About me...

my name is Tony Stray, im from Portsmouth in England. And have been carp fishing for 15 years. I have fished many lakes on South coast of England and have made many friends and caught some nice fish. I have fished many different lakes. Some lakes over 100 acres and small ponds but I love fishing for old pure English strain carp. Some lakes I have fished have only 6 carp and take many years to capture and some lakes have many old scaley warriors. Carp fishing is a beautifull sport and catching fish is sometimes just a bonus because just being next to the pond lake or river is the best thing in the world.

FISHING IN FRANCE...

fishing in France is something that I have been lucky enough to do in my life. I have fished in France many times and have been lucky enough to catch a few fish as well. Again I have fished many different venues. I have fished small intamate ponds and large lakes.

The best fishing...

Thought i would be nice to hear about our catches doesnt have to be portsmouth waters. just days fishing that you will always remember. im no izaak walton so excuse my spelling.

we arrived at the gate of lac dur curton at about 7 in the morning we had been traveling for almost 24 hours and were feeling a bit groggy the weather was lovely about 20 degrees and sunny. the south of frances climate is a few degrees more than over here and the air felt close and humid pukka conditons with clouds masking the sun every few minutes.the first thing we saw as the owner pascal opened the gate was a massive sheet of water with more islands than ive ever seen before, jesus its massive i found myselve saying paul our tour guide said your joking thats not even half of it!we were buzzin.
sitting in front of the clubhouse with a cup of coffe lookin across the lake i could not wait to get to my swim,a SMALL bay of about five acres with another bay about half an acres coming of off it the entrance of witch screemed carp out infront was a snag tree half submerged in the far margin at 140 yards. to my far right was a massisve island half way along was another sunken tree.
we were drop at the swims and i got a rod straight out the bag and rowed out to the far margin sunken tree the echo sounder said 6 foot droping down to 8 feet a bout ten feet to the right of the tree. a bait was drop on a hard patch and a kilo of boiles sprayed around it i rowed back and put the rod on to the bankstick keeping the rod as high as possible as a gravel bar was only three feet beneath the surface forty yards from the bank.
i was fishing at last and could not contain my excitement i was just getting my second rod out of the bag when the rod tip bent down and the delkim signaled a take i had only been in th swim half hour and i was in i couldnt belive it. i jumped in the boat and wound down to be greated with a heavy thump i pumped my way out to the middle of the lake and got above the fish i saw it powering around about five feet under the boat and new straight away it was a forty pounder. i started shaking uncontrolabley, she hit the surface about ten minutes after towing me all round the bay and i slid the net under her she went in first time i was buzzin. on th bank we handled her like a baby she looked like she had been in the wars but it mattered not at 41lb 4oz she was my new personal best but for how long?

After that fish i was more than happy to just chill out i set up my bivvy and open a cheap bottle of french beer. watching the lake thirty yards to the left of the tree i had the fish from a fish came right out! rude not to put a bait on that i thought so out i went and found a depresion in the lake bed i lowered the bait down and put another kilo around it i rowed back keeping the rod high again i put anthor rod to the tree on the island in 25 foot of water and one to the mouth of the small bay, the forth rod went back to where i took the fish from.
we chated about the fish and had a massive dinner everything was perfect. i was inside my bivvy looking out at the lake when the rod put on the spot where the fish showed went into melt down i was on it in a flash jumping in the boat i new it was anthor biggie it towed me around for at least 25 minutes out of my bay and through a german anglers swim and back again it was infrount of the boat and i could see it towing me a sight i will never forget after what seemed hours she was gulping air she went straight in and i went to peices. 45lb on the dot i was in heaven.

After that i was nackered and went to sleep very happy at about 2 in the morning the island rod ripped off and i was once again doing battle with another lump this time i didnt know what was going on the mist was so thick i couldnt see the end of the boat.i went crashing into the island and fell off my seat the fish was still on and wanted to get back into the tree i had pulled her from it was half an hour before she hit the surface she see my head torch and went mental her head looked like that of a horse! she went back down to the bottom and stayed there for another fifteen minutes. i looked at the sounder and it said thirty five feet slowly she came back up it was now or never i put the net under her and lifted she went crazy but she was beaten.i was in bits and didnt know where i was the fog was so thick i slowly rowed back to my swim and woke my freind simon i was so tired i could just hold her up she was massive 47lb 8oz my third pb in 24 hours and all of them over forty.