World Carp Classic 2017 official magazine by Angling Spirit

OFFICIAL EVENT MAGAZINE

FOR THE WCC 2017

www.worldcarpclassic.com

ans keep li a It e w y h W returnung to Madine

elcomes w ic s s la C Carp gan The Worldack to where it all be you b THE BIG REVEAL: Ross on 20th Anniversary

INSIDE

Czech team’s dreams all came true on home soil

WCC INFO THINGS YOU

76 THROUGH A LENS

Angler, media man and photographer, Pete Castle, shares some of the best moments he’s captured at the WCC

SHOULD KNOW... 8 MEET THE TEAM

Ross Honey introduces this year’s WCC Event Team

18 2016 WINNERS

ITALIAN MOB

12 24 THE FICKLE

FINGER OF FATE It’s one of Tim Paisley’s favourite lakes, but unfortunately, Madine’s got it in for him!

Check out artist Remko van den Berg’s artwork THE of carpBIG for the INTERVIEW Official World Carp Elite Bass Angler Kevin Classic painting Van Dam copy goes int othis space irer

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

100

IT’S A FUNNY OLD GAME However seriously you take your angling.. there must be some humour

10 WINNERS ‘R’ US

135

A round-up of last year’s leaderboard

The three musketeers look back on previous years at Madine and why they love to keep coming back

COMPETITOR TO CAPTAIN Karpela’s Vadim Korunskij explains how he caught the World Carp Classic bug.

22 2017 PRIZE TABLE

Over £70,000 worth of prizes up for grabs ..You know you want it!

32 2017 QUALIFIERS 42 WPC17 PARTICIPANTS 64 OFFICIAL GUIDE MAP TO THE EVENT The zones and sponsors

57 CARP CONNECTIONS TEAM EVENT

STROKE OF GENIUS

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Welcome...

to the World Carp Classic 2017

It is with tremendous pride and pleasure that I write this welcome message prior to everyone arriving here in Madine for the 2017 event.

This year represents the precursor to yet another big landmark on the timeline of the event. For me personally, and fittingly, the event being held here at Madine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; back where it all started â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because as this 2017 event concludes we will enter into the events 20th anniversary year. For many, this longevity and success would have seemed far too incredible to envisage back in 1998. And yet, as incredulous as it might seem, that was indeed my vision, and here we are now on the very cusp of that anniversary. Of those here on that very first occasion in 1998, some are present yet again to participate, which for me is an incredibly encouraging aspect and one that is far more notable than one might at first appreciate. Keeping everyone happy is difficult, but to have such a long history with wonderfully ardent support from the carp angling community, that speaks volumes. For that loyalty, I thank you! In all fairness, things have changed quite a bit over the years since that inaugural event in 1998. Long gone are the early teething problems in coming to terms with the logistics and establishing the foundations of a new event. But, as regular participants know only too well, we, the organisers never stand still. On that note, here is a brief synopsis of one or two changes for this year! There will be a limit set of 300 metres for fishing (bait placement) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where it is possible, and the water between opposing swims, divided equally where not. Positioned well beyond that distance, so as not to interfere with fishing, marshals boats will be anchored offshore, with event personnel equipped with night vision apparatus (More information on that included elsewhere in the magazine). Also new for this year, a fantastic free draw for a VIP swim, provided by Lowrence, will take place. We know that you are going to absolutely love this one, but considering the amazing benefits (as you will read about elsewhere), perhaps not so much if you draw a swim to either side of the VIP swim! As always, our sponsors have done us proud, and their support fully deserves our/your support in return. It requires a little thought, understanding and good will to recognise that without our sponsors, the event would be vastly different by necessity. With that in mind, please do all that you can to show our sponsors that they are greatly appreciated. Thanks! Likewise, Event Staff, Support Staff, auxiliary helpers and marshals are vital to the successful and smooth running of the event. The Event Team is at the very epicentre of this body of selfless individuals and their huge workload, largely unnoticed by the majority, is absolutely

It requires a little thought, understanding and good will to recognise that without our sponsors, the event would be vastly different by necessity

vital to the event. Simply put, it would be impossible to run the event smoothly without any of the aforementioned people! While it is entirely necessary to take some time out to thank people for their endeavours, it is also completely necessary to now reflect back over those many years and fondly remember those who are no longer with us. Please join me in a moment of remembrance of those kindred spirits, and great anglers who are no longer able to be here. On a final note, I wish the very best of luck to all competitors. Please remember that at all times, you are here representing your country in an international event. We should all honour the ethical codes of angling and adhere to the ethos of this event. Good luck, and I hope to see a good number of you on the stage at prize-giving!

TOURNAMENT FOUNDER

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

2017 EVENT TEAM WORLD CARP CLASSIC

It gives me great pleasure and pride to present my Event team. A team consisting of hard working individuals hugely involved behind the scenes in the staging of the World Carp Classic. I place my utmost faith in them to ensure that this World Class event merits its title. I thank them all for their dedication and involvement. Without their efforts, this event would not be possible.

Head of Event Organisers

Marianne Guillois Event Director

Local Logistics

Jan van der Knaap Oliver Taylor Radio Communications Event support

Ron Van den Burgh Event Technology Developer

Martin Carter Event Logistics

Official Film, Photography & Media Team Event Magazine Lucy Allsopp Art Director/Editor Steve Howard & Bill Allsopp Editors n Special thanks to

Robert Kiss Official Cameraman

Pete Castle Event Media

Dorien van de Kuilen and all the photographers who provided pictures for the magazine.

Stephan Gonzalez Rob Hughes Media Media Carpe TV Presenter

Head Marshals Marshals

Danny Cooch Head Marshal

Jem Cocker Head Marshal

Damo Davies First Response

n Mo Fox n Lee Offord n Chris Dixon n Ed Abigail n Stephanie Lestiou n Dalton Elliston n Zach Cox n Gregg Putt

n Gavin Gilbert n Martin Healey n Bas van Vlugt n Damian Jackowski n Dennis Fine n Domonic schaafsma n Ramon van de berg n Coen Ursem

Official WCC Agents

Vadim Korunskil Ukraine

Hans Sissingh Netherlands

Przemek Mroczek Poland

Bob Cuyvers Belgium

Riccardo Battisti Italy

Daniele Colapicchioni Italy

Paule Brasel Denmark

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

DARYL HODGES

DYNAMITE SPONSOR

WELCOME BACK TO MADINE Of course in between we had a visit over to the Czech Republic for what was a very eventful and memorable week - in more ways than one! The heat was only just about bearable so I take my hat off to everyone who spent the full week on the banks of the picturesque but unforgiving Lake Novomlynska. Lots (and I mean lots) of fish were hooked (well, down one side anyway) which always keeps anglers happy! Equally almost as many if not more fish were lost in the many underwater tangles and snags that we now know a lot more about! It was however an exciting and gruelling endurance to say the least - made memorable by the stunning scenery and support and help of the Czech people and

of course readily available quality Czech beer, that kept most of us well hydrated! Dynamite are very happy to be working with the WCC again for what will be our 5th year sponsoring the event and we look forward again to seeing some familiar faces and meeting some new ones too. We have made some good friends both personally and for Dynamite and we look forward to making many more. I have good memories of Madine – it was a really exciting week as the new rules came in to play - only the 3 biggest fish counting, of course this rule remains and it is now readily embraced by everyone as being a good and fair way, and also the best way, to keep the contest alive right to the end! Madine, of course, won’t be easy! Before the event two years ago I hadn’t realised how ‘peggy’ it could be although I understand the hot areas change from year to year. Of course there will always be some favourite areas that have produced the results in the past but if there is one thing we know for sure about Madine it can definitely throw up some surprises and some stunning original fish! My advice for what it’s worth, don’t ignore the margins especially if you are lucky enough to have some deepish water close in, although I know of quite a few fish

‘‘

Hello and a big welcome from myself and all the sponsors, back here at the mighty Madine. It really doesn’t seem 5 minutes since we were here, the last two years have gone that quickly.

that were caught in only a few feet deep last time and less than 20 from the bank! And of course try and avoid the cats – these grow to huge proportions! 2017 has been a fantastic and really busy year for all at Dynamite. We introduced a fantastic new boilie range in Complex-T with UK legend Terry Hearn, we have given our overall packaging and brand a new look, launched a brand new website (please take a look) and supported and attended every UK and many European consumer shows amongst everything else! Phew! Of course we have a few new products to show you for 2018 and look forward to welcoming you in our oversized ‘bivvy’ for a welcome ‘pick me up’ drink and free goodie pack. Please feel free to share any of your catches on our bait to catchshots@ dynamitebaits.com. Before I sign off – I trust everyone has a safe journey to Madine and back home again afterwards, and that you make some great memories at the 2017 WCC. As always, best of luck to everyone in the peg draw - there are some great fish to be caught and some great prizes to be won. Enjoy! n DARYL HODGES Brand Marketing and Export Sales Manager

LIVING THE 2016 CHAMPIONS

Any angler knows it’s an achievement to become a WCC Champion, but to be the first Czech team to win on home soil? Now that’s just dream come true

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

E DREAM

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

2016 CHAMPIONS

‘‘

LIVING THE DREAM

Hope and prayers... Jakub, Karel and me hold our breaths awaiting the final results on the Saturday morning

The year since we became champions in the 2016 World Carp Classic has gone at such a pace it is almost unbelievable. And it was a great year for all of us, not just in fishing, but overall. Now we are just few days away from the day when the WCC2017 champions are about to be announced - here, on the mighty Lac de Madine in France, where World Carp Classic started 19 years ago. But, first, let us share a little bit about how we became the WCC2016 Champions, and the year that we spent as champions.

Our journeys to become WCC Champions started at different times and in different places, but, finally, these brought us all together – to form Team Carp’R’Us. Karel Nikl, for example, is a die-hard carp-fishing competitor. He was actually the one who established a series of carpfishing competitions under Carp Club Czech Republic. It was called “Carp Liga“ (Carp League) and had four rounds. Karel set this up with one vision in mind – the winner gets a free ticket to the World Carp Classic, the most prestigious carp fishing competition that there ever was. At that time, Karel could not afford the entry fee, so this plan gave him a chance to enter the WCC. And, as it was, he fulfilled his dream and managed to win all rounds of Carp Liga that first year and got himself into his first WCC on Lac Amance. As it turned out, he only managed to catch one small roach, but fell in love with the event and the dream of winning it one day was firmly rooted in his head. For me it was a slightly different journey. I fell in love with carp-fishing at the age of 11, after fishing for other species since I was six years old. At that time, I used to read the Kapri Svet magazine, in which I had seen the features about the World Carp Classic, with pictures of the trophy ceremony and all that went with it.

At that time it became a “childhood dream“ - to win it one day. But one knows how it goes with childhood dreams - it can be drowned by other dreams. But it was always in the back of my mind every time that time of year came around and I read about people experiencing the challenges of the WCC championship. Jakub Ehrart Kumsta had a very similar story to mine. He lived and fished in the UK, honing his carp fishing skills and getting a lot of experience in the country where carp fishing - as we know it these days - started a long time ago, and which fed the continent with a lot of trends and deep knowledge about the sport.

The Road to becoming champions.. In 2012, Karel and I went to the World Carp Classic that took place on the mighty Lago di Bolsena. It was the first time I had entered the competition, the second time for Karel. Even if the draw was not brilliant and we didn’t manage to catch any fish, the fire was lit and we decided that the luck of a good draw would come one day and that we would win. In 2014, Carp´R´US team Poland managed to win on Bolsena and Carp´R´Us also got the first place in the team competition. It was the first time the team had managed to get

Even if the draw was not brilliant – the fire was lit and we decided that the luck of a good draw would come one day and that we would win

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

2016 CHAMPIONS LIVING THE DREAM

Shock and awe... For the first time in the competition’s history, a Czech team won, and, on home soil. Unbelievably, it was us! on the podium during the ceremony together with good old “Mr.Carp´R´US“ Ray Dale-Smith. It was an unforgettable experience that lit the fire even more with the will to win one day. In 2015 on Madine the team felt very confident after the draw, but, as it is in carp fishing, if the fish are not in front of you and you can´t move on them, it becomes very hard. And that is what happened. Just one fish caught but it left us hungrier then ever for the future. On Madine, Karel and I – already together as a team for some time – took Jakub on board for the first time. He proved himself well, so it was a no-brainer to go to the WCC2016 in the same order!

The 2016 World Carp Classic took place in the Czech Republic for the first time in history, and, on home soil, the spotlight was on the Czech teams.

There was a good deal of discussion about the lake and where to go and where not to go. To be honest, the team was not positive at all after the draw as Karel drew one of the least favourite areas on the whole lake. But as Karel mentioned: “Heads up, it is not a masterpiece to win from a favourite swim. It is a masterpiece to win from a sh*thole.” People were grinning about the draw, telling us that we should go home and suchlike. But how wrong they were. The swim was unbelievably snaggy, with an old forest under the surface and fishing it was really hard work. The first few fish were lost, but as the week progressed we managed to put all our technical abilities into the fishing. It was super hard work, an exhausting and never-ending story of preparing rigs, spare rods, changing shock-leaders and lines and all the rest of it. The lake is not just demanding on the tackle, but it was slowly trying to take its toll on us with an almost complete lack of sleep, and experiencing during the week high temperatures and nowhere to hide on the concrete dam wall. But the will to win kept us going until

In 2015 on Madine the team felt very confident after the draw, but, as it is in carp fishing, if the fish are not in front of you and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move on them, it becomes very hard

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

2016 CHAMPIONS LIVING THE DREAM

To sleep, perchance to dream... I trIed to catch up on lost sleep (above) when I could watching the online reports. Huge thanks to all of you! And now it is about time to let the battle for WCC Championship begin once again - and who knows what could happen: the title has never been defended successfully before. Is that our dream now - to become the first two-times champions of WCC in the history of the Classic? Maybe, because you have to have dreams! But anything can happen and that is the beauty of carp fishing! n JAN DADAK

‘‘

the very end, especially after we got to the lead on the Thursday afternoon and managed to hold it until the very end. The end of the competition was surreal and difficult to describe - it will always be a moment to remember, probably for the rest of our lives. It was when a long-term dream for Karel and a childhood dream for me became reality. For the first time in the history of the competition, a Czech team won - and on home soil as well. It really was a day to remember, despite the stress towards the end of the competition. We’ll never forget the pure happiness we felt on that Saturday morning when Ross, Rob and the team came to hail us as new WCC champions. The ceremony and party afterwards were also unforgettable. The year that followed as champions gave us, of course, a lot of recognition. We were invited to give lots of talks in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia about becoming WCC2016 Champions. We tried to share our story with others - of the amazing experience when your dreams come true. Many people asked us if becoming the first Czech team ever to win the WCC (that is now forever engraved on the trophy!) changed our life? Yes, it did. It gave us great experience and unforgettable memories that we will treasure until the end of our days. Just to look at the trophy that we have in our offices or at home always brings a smile to our faces. But did it change us? Only in a good way. There was a lot of hard work involved in becoming champions and we believe it was well deserved for all the hard work we put into it. Signing autographs and taking hundreds of pictures with the fans was great, and we appreciate and thank everyone for their congratulations. Of course, we would like to thank our families, all our fans and those who supported us before, during and after the competition - they did not need to be there, but they sent good vibes by just

There was a lot of hard work involved in becoming champions and we believe it was well deserved for all the hard work we put into it

2016 WINNERS

WORLD CARP CLASSIC

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 18

We are very proud of our champions and celebrate their great achievement. A World Carp Classic Champion has rightly gained a highly respected status that many aspire to have. The World Carp Classic is the longest running carp angling event of its kind in the world and thousands of talented anglers have participated since its inception in 1998. There is always a great atmosphere amongst the competitors who have spent a year planning and preparing for this year’s challenge in the quest to be crowned World Carp Classic Champions 2017 and join the angling elite. The question on everybody’s lips is, who will it be ?

2nd Place and Biggest Fish .. Poland’s Jacek Wojciuch took the

biggest fish as well as runners up with teammates Wojciech Janoszek and Piotr Bursa

3rd Place .. Lars Bood, Peter Hillebrand and Rowan Bood from Team PB Products and Jochym Marine, Netherlands

ROLL OF HONOUR 1998-2015

2015 Champions... Larysa Switlyk, Hans Sissingh and Mattie Curfs win for USA

1998 Champion: Paul Raymant, England Weight 127.15lbs Best Lady: Cathy Bell, England Weight 30.3lbs Biggest Fish: John Craven, England Weight 49.5lbs 2000 Champions: Paul Harrison & Paul Watts, England Weight 81.3kgs Team Event: Team Cobra/GB Baits, England Weight 114.3 kgs 2001 Champions: T Stunnenburg & R.Bredenbeek ,Netherlands Weight 164.4kgs Team Event: Fishermans World, Netherlands weight 258.9kgs Biggest Fish: Sam Oakley & Barry Mann England Weight 21kgs 2003 Champions:

Mark Gardner & Jo Gardner, England Weight: 67.35kgs Biggest fish: Hans Sissingh and P Vermeulen Netherlands Weight: 1.6kgs

Czech us out! WCC 2016 Winners Karel Nikl, Jan Dadak and Jakub Kumsta from Team Czech Republic Carp’R’Us

2004 Champions:

Mick Hinson and Tony Kirrage, England Weight: 85.35kgs Team Event: Birch Syndicat Carp Team, Wales Weight: 20.85kgs Biggest fish: Brian Warwick & Michael Perry, Wales

2005 Champions:

Team Event.. Team Carp ‘R’ Us celebrate as Champions

Keith Turner & Clive Hicks, England Weight: 35.5kgs Team Event: GB Baits, England Weight: 31.6kgs Biggest fish: Mavis Unwin, England Weight: 17.4 kgs

2006 Champions: Mariusz Chiach & Jarowslaw Plochoki, Poland Weight: 80.85Kgs Team Event: SBS, England Weight: 23.5kgs Biggest fish: Eddie Matthews & richard Bradley, England Weight: 23.5kgs 2007 Champions: Jean Pierre Becker & Yves Hauk, France Weight: 22.1kgs Team Event: Carpworld, England Biggest Fish: Jean Pierre Becker Weight: 22.1kgs

2008 Champions:

Andrew Judd & Peter truckle, England Weight: 140.4kgs Team Event: Carpworld, England Weight: 89.6kgs Biggest Fish: Pascal Gallon, Luxembourg Weight: 23.7kgs

2009 Champions: Rob Tough & Tom Duncan Dunlop, England Team Event: Carpworld, England Biggest Fish: Axel Wacker, Germany Weight: 28.9kgs 2010 Champions: George Czonka & John Roberts, England Weight: 216.2kgs Team Event: team Renmar Latvia Weight: 167.7kgs Biggest Fish: Mikulas Elek & Pavel Snevajs Weight: 27.4kgs 2011 Champions: Jens Gassen and Thomas Muller Germany 337.6kgs Team Event: Team Deutschland, Germany Weight: 409kgs

Biggest fish: Aivars Rudzinskis & Varis Lazo, Latvia Weight: 25.3kgs

2012 Champions:

Peter Micula and Norbert Pongracz, Romania Weight: 329.9kgs Team Event: Thomas Vanek & Peter Hofierk, Cz Republic; Andrea Campanini & Filippo Mongrandi, Italy; Stuart Downing & Rob Nunn Weight: 382.8kgs Biggest fish: Peter Micula & Norbert Pongracz, Romania Weight: Weight: 22.5kg

2013 Champions:

Bianca Venema & Lizette Beunders, Netherlands Weight: 366.5kgs Team Event: Andre Pieters & Craig Wood, Bianca Venema & Lizette Beunders, Netherlands. Wim Hanegraaf Dave Kesseler 366.5kgs Biggest fish: Krzysztof Mroz, Poland Weight: 22.6kgs

2014 Champions:

Andrzej Walczak, Gabriel Starzec & Krzysztof Chamusko, Poland Weight: 166.2kg Team Event: Carp R Us, Poland and Czech Republic Weight: 181.8kg Biggest fish: Brit Terry Houghton of Spomb. This is the WCC record common carp caught to date Weight: 23.9 Kgs

2015 Champions: Larysa Switlyk, Hans Sissingh Mattie Curfs 61.6 kgs USA/ Netherlands (3 biggest fish) Team Event: Team Carp Connections Weight: 61,6kgs Biggest fish: Viktor Lehrner, Austria Weight: 26.2kgs

With its soft, open texture and no artificial colours or flavours anywhere in sight, we know we have created ‘Terry’s vision’ in a bag!

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

f you want to build a space rocket, from the ground up, you’d go to NASA for advice. If you want to make one of world’s finest boilies – you team up with one of the world’s greatest carp anglers...Terry Hearn. And that’s exactly what we did.

Since its UK launch in early 2017, (Europe late 2016) our Complex-T boilie has literally ripped waters apart, both in the UK and Europe and it is fast becoming the ‘go to’ bait in the carp world. Having last worked this closely with the great Terry Hearn five-years ago, when he helped us develop The Crave, we felt it was time to introduce a new premium bait that would sit right at the top of our bait tier. Initially, the brief to Terry was ‘don’t hold back’! We wanted to develop a bait that anglers would happily use anywhere, any time and have 100 per cent confidence in and must be beneficial to the overall health of the carp thus, hopefully, making a massive difference to anglers’ catch rates. In the winter of 2014 we met with Terry to discuss our ideas and reflect on his initial thoughts. During this embryonic stage, the process actually began with a view to producing a twist on The Crave, using the same base mix, only adding some additional ingredients and perhaps changing the colour, similar to what we had very successfully done with the RedAmo and Monster Tiger Nut range. As the bait began to take shape and with Terry enthusiastically throwing some new ingredients onto the table, almost immediately the new bait started to take on a life of its own, pulling further and further away from The Crave. As well as changing the ingredients, Terry was keen to create a ‘subtle’ bait with lower flavour levels to the previous conceptions. He still wanted it to be made with the highest quality fishmeal, but he was also looking for the new bait to have more of a coarse and open texture meaning that it would breakdown quickly and could easily be digested by the carp, 365 days a year. In Terry’s words, “a real ‘food’ bait that would stand the test of time on a water and would continue to be effective all year round.” Having studied the nutritional requirements of carp for many years, our objective now was to ensure that this new bait would be a ‘complete food source’ and provide all the nutritional requirements that a carp needs all year round.

Complex-T is born .. Following strict guidelines, the bait has been made using the highest quality ingredients including Norwegian LT94 fishmeal, Haith’s bird food and Robin Red, a pre-digested liver extract, spirulina and high nucleotide yeast. With its soft, open texture allowing for maximum leakage and no artificial colours or flavours anywhere in sight, we know we have created ‘Terry’s vision’ in a bag!

There are carp baits... there are good carp baits...and then there is Dynamite Baits’ new Complex-T range. A boilie that is helping to rewrite the rules of carp fishing... Add to these ingredients the inclusion of an exclusive and specially-developed feed trigger, to further add to the bait range’s nutritional profile, the response we have witnessed to the bait over since it’s official launch and extensive field-testing has been mind-blowing. Regards the range itself, alongside Terry’s personal favourite 12mm boilies, are 15mm, 18mm, 20mm and a 26mm for European waters. To compliment the bottom baits, Foodbait popups in 15mm and 20mm, supplied with a liquid booster, are also available as well as Fluro pop-ups in 10mm, 15mm - which also come supplied with dumbbells - and 20mm, all again have a liquid booster delivered with every pot. To combat the attention of nuisance species, the range we have introduced Hardened Hook Baits, with mixed sizes in one pot. For the ultimate buoyancy, when fishing Chod rigs or other pop-up presentations, we have made both Corkball Foodbait and Fluro pop-ups, both in 15mm along with Wafters of the same size. To complete the range, two dedicated liquids, a 500ml Re-hydration liquid, designed to ‘cut’ into baits as they soak or to apply to pellets and spod mixes etc. and a thick, sticky dip, developed to coat your hookbaits, leaving a highly-attractive scent trail once submerged. But, don’t just take our word for it. Dynamite’s new Complex-T range is about as close as you can get to having Terry Hearn as your personal bank partner. It’s all of his years of experience as well as all of ours too, in a bag! All in all, Complex-T has been an incredible success and it’s not even had its first birthday yet. We can’t wait to see what monsters it will slay next. Watch this space...

The results speak for themselves .. From the day the first samples were sent out to our team of sponsored anglers, Complex-T has made its mark. Just a few of the more notable captures to date are: n During a trip to Pascale Lake in France, Iain Macmillan (pictured above) smashed both his common and mirror personal bests, landing a fish known as ‘The Perfect Common’, at 60lb 4oz and an absolute chunk of a mirror at 68lb on the nose. During the same trip, Iain also banked fish of 32lb, 33lb, 47lb 4oz and 53lb 4oz, all caught on a 15mm Complex-T popup presented over a bed of 15mm bottom baits and Frenzied Hemp. A month later, Iain also set a new lake record at Lac du Pulpier with this stunning 66lb 8oz mirror, again falling to Complex-T. Backing it up with a 44lb 8oz mirror! n Complex-T did the business big time for Slovenian angler, Kristof Cuderman, as he banked the biggest common in Austria – Erna at 87lb 11oz on a single 20mm Complex-T boilie. n The new Romanian common record, an incredible carp of 34.65kg, was set by Cristi Olaru at the end of April on a Complex-T 20mm boilie with a 15mm Source pop-up. n The bait’s creator, Terry Hearn poses with a 47lb 10oz Complex-T caught mirror (Pictured left).

PRiZE TABLE

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2017

E L B A T E Z I R P M U M I R O F MIN R E T S E T D L E A FI World Carp Classic 2017 Champions n Title: “Champion of the 2017 World Carp

Classic” trophies with a £15,000 cheque.

n Plus! personalised boilies rolled to

their own recipe by Dynamite Baits Champions will receive boilies to your own personalised recipe to the market value of €2000 RRP*, n Plus! Unique golden Reuben Heaton scales, WileyX sunglasses, Lowrance fish finders and equipment, Carp Spirit prizes, n Plus! Two weeks international fishing holiday, a years of international PR and Marketing as the World Carp Classic Champions, Invitations to have guest appearances at international anglings shows, a 4 page plus feature in the 2017 WCC official magazine and a promotional video made about a year in the life of the WCC champions.

Second Overall winners n Trophies and a £3000 cheque. n Plus! Dynamite products up to the retail

value of €1,000 RRP*.

* For Dynamite prizes follow the link to get details and T&C’s

n Plus! WileyX sunglasses, Lowrance fish

finders, Reuben Heaton Competition scales, Carp Spirit prizes and two weeks international fishing holiday.

Third Overall winners n Trophies and a £2000 cheque. n Plus! Dynamite products up to the retail

value of € 500 RRP*.

n Plus! WileyX sunglasses , Lowrance fish

finders, Reuben Heaton Competition Scales, Carp Spirit prizes and a weeks’ international fishing holiday.

7 Section Winners n Trophies and £2000 in sponsors’ products.

E COMPACH ETITO W PRIZEILL RECEI R VE S WCC PROVIDED SPON SORS BY plus WELC ! O

2017 EVENT ITINERARY

ME B AGS

Friday 8th September n 10:00: Bivvy City at Lac de Madine is opened

to welcome WCC17. By sports hall at 55210 HEUDICOURT SOUS LES COTES

n 15:00 – 19:00: On-site Participants

Registration

Saturday 9th September n 09:00 – 18:00: On-site Participants

Registration

n 17:00 – 18:00: Carp R Us Sky Sword

competition

E B . . S U L P ! 0 0 0 , 0 7 £ S OF T I A B E T I M A N DY WCC17 Biggest Fish

WCC17 Biggest Fish Trophy Plus! Dynamite products up to the retail value of €600 RRP*

n 19:30 onwards: Pre event party with catering

and entertainment

Sunday 1Oth September n 09:00 – 12:00: On-site Participants

Registration

n 13:00 – 15:00: Casting competitions finals n 16:00: Official Flag Parade followed by Official

Picture n 17:15: Official Opening Ceremony n 17:30: Official Peg Draw

(Please see full details in your info pack: RULES)

WCC17 Sportsmanship Award Trophy WCC17 Champion of Champion Trophy WCC17 Record Fish n Break event record of 28.9kg and become

Team Event Winners First Place

Team Event winners Trophies Plus! a holiday at Fishing Resort Du Der from Carp Connections.

Second Place

Team Event Second place Trophies Plus! a holiday at Fishing Resort Du Der from Carp Connections.

Third Place

Team Event Third place Trophies Plus! a holiday at Fishing Resort Du Der from Carp Connections.

a field tester for Dynamite for a year. Plus! WileyX sunglasses. n Plus! £1,000 cash prize from Karpela for the biggest fish caught using Karpela Cont.

‘No Fish Prize’ by Dynamite Baits n Any anglers unfortunate

enough to ‘blank’ during the week will have a chance to be drawn at random to win €300 RRP* of Dynamite Baits from their full product range. Web draw 3 weeks post event

Monday 11th September n 07:00: Anglers invited to go to their swim n 14:00: Start of the competition – 114 hours non

stop, from WCC16 defending champions swim

n 20:00: Broadcast of daily event up-date

Saturday 16th September n 08:00: End of competition n 14:00: Closing Ceremony followed by Prize

Giving. (Please see full details in your info pack: RULES)

TIM PAISLEY MADINE 2015

THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE ..

(and female pheremones)

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

What people commonly call fate is mostly their own stupidity. Arthur Schopenhauer

‘‘

TIM PAISLEY MADINE 2015

was retiring from the World Carp Classic, until it returned to Lac de Madine and re-awoke my enthusiasm for one last visit to one of my favourite venues, and favourite occasions.

Then, when I sat down to write this, it occurred to me that next year is 2018, the 20th anniversary of the first WCC, also held at Madine, which means I’ll have to give it one more shot. Partner Jacko is definitely up for that. Ever the eternal optimist (I’m more of a realist where Madine is concerned), he’s emphasised that we will win it this year, and return to defend our title in 2018. Whatever… I’m not holding my breath on at least two counts there – possibly three; firstly winning it this year, then defending our title – and at my age even being around to go back next year anyway. Late in his life Fred J. Taylor used to prefix all his future arrangements with ‘God willing’. I’ll say Amen to that. I’m open to correction but by my reckoning I have now fished five WCC venues – Madine, Amance and the Orient, in France, plus Bolsena in Italy, and Lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic. Madine is my favourite by a country mile. The place invariably beats me up, but to a far lesser extent than all the other WCC venues I’ve fished, in addition to which it’s a nice place to be. And there’s a golf course there. And it owes me…

Now I’m fairly philosophical about waters beating me up. The Orient had honours degrees in it, both during the WCC and in private sessions, and the WCC Amance beat nearly everyone up for two or three years. But not catching is one thing, and part of the game, but being cruelly deprived of a possible result by capricious fate is something else altogether. Apologies if you read about what follows in Carpworld, or have heard me whinging about the hand the fickle finger of fate dealt me and Jacko in the 2015 event, but it is impossible to not recount the outrageous stroke of bad fortune visited on us during that event. I’m still outraged that Madine could be so cruel. My blood pressure is rising to a dangerous level just reliving the circumstances nearly two years on. In other words what happened there in September 2015 is still bugging me good-style, although quite recently have I got over having sleepless nights about the bizarre turn of events there. Now it’s fair to say that the Madine World Carp Classic has not been over-kind to me and partner Jacko. In fact, since the inaugural event in 1998, when it was a two-night singles competition and we both caught, we have been paying back for what turned out to have been a fairly decent draw that year. A succession of poor distant draws on islands, and a lost fish for Jacko during the 2011 Madine event, suggested that Madine was not for us, although I was fortunate enough to land a fish during that 2011

Once bitten.. Swim 53 on a windy Lac de Madine during the 2015 World Carp Classic. As it turned out our lone 2015 fish.

‘‘

park, which was in the middle of nowhere, we saw a guy standing 20 yards away in the thick mist. “He may know where the swim is,” I suggested. “He probably doesn’t speak a word of English,” said Jacko, being unusually pessimistic. “I think he might; it’s Andy Chambers.” (Andy was chief on-the-bank organiser at that time.) I’d just recognised him through the mist. For those who don’t know, Andy is one of the most successful anglers of overseas waters of all time, and, happily for the participants, for some years Head Marshal for the World Carp Classic.

match. I’ll give Jacko ten out of ten for determination: he keeps going back through thick and thin, and he achieved second place (fishing with Rob Tough) in the event the second year it was held at Bolsena in 2013. It was an event I simply couldn’t face on the grounds that the Classic draws had always given me such a mauling. I actually like Madine as a venue, notwithstanding its obvious dislike of me, so when the event moved back to the 2,500-acre eastern France venue for September 2015, I was as up for it as I ever am when I have to disrupt my charmed existence to uproot to some distant venue. We got a tad luckier with the draw that time around, in that it wasn’t an ‘Oh no!’ swim, and we were on the mainland (for the first time ever at Madine, at the eighth attempt!), which meant that my partner Julie could visit us each day, and bring fresh supplies as and when necessary. If you draw a swim that is a boat-ride away on a desert island you live with it, but when you keep drawing desert-island swims with no fish within half a mile, the week’s camping and the lake’s scenery, start to lose some of their enchantment. The 2015 draw was a ‘this’ll do’ one. Not on our list of ‘highly desirables’, or to do backflips over, we felt, but seemingly not a write-off before we even got installed. Jacko and I set off to find our swim soon into daylight on a very misty Monday morning. As we pulled into what we thought may be the nearest car

Madine is my favourite by a country mile. The place invariably beats me up, but to a far lesser extent than all the other WCC venues I’ve fished

or those of you who aren’t familiar with these events on big waters, you’ll have to understand that ‘a swim’ is at least the size of a 15-acre lake, and possibly bigger: even much bigger if you stretch the 250-yard distance boundary by a few (hundred) yards. We were allowed to scope out the swim by boat from 1.00 p.m., with the match starting at 2.00 p.m. We were hiring a boat, which arrived at 2.15 p.m., delivered by the aforementioned Andy Chambers, who had to be in at least six places at once throughout the week of the Classic. I don’t think Jacko was impressed by my boat arrangements, but I’m getting too old to lug inflatables around, blow them up, and cope with the odd puncture which occasionally rears its ugly head. (As happened during one of our Madine island exiles.) Punctures in inflatables can be the kiss of death. As it was, the boat we hired for the 2015 event was built along the lines of the QE2, and a bit of a handful in the strong crosswinds. In its favour, there was no chance of it being punctured. Jacko went out first with the echo sounder (feature-finder) and discovered that what we had in front of us was a 25-acre Canadian pondweed meadow – 4ft of Canadian pondweed, with 3ft of water above it – as far as the eye could see. The strong crosswind made finding fishable spots difficult, and when Jacko did eventually find one, it was so far into next door’s swim to our left that it was embarrassing. The Austrians next door were fine with it, bless ‘em! What lovely people. As it turned out, over the next couple of days our likeliest spots were at about 50 yards and 350 yards, which in matches converts to 249.99 yards. We set up camp, hoped, waited, and ate royally from Jacko’s splendid menus. Swims 1 and 63 had been the must-haves, and they were both off to fliers, but the new rules for that year’s Madine event, specifying that a team’s three biggest fish would represent their final weight, gave everyone hope. In the past Madine had been very swim-specific, and on occasion the winners have been known straight after the draw, or within an hour or two of the event starting. The three biggest fish rule is a great one. Even if you don’t catch fish it gives you hope that you may do so, even if you haven’t caught or seen a thing with an hour to go! Hope springs eternal, and all that, and apart from compulsive gamblers carp anglers must be among the most hopeful species on the planet. We were pegged at the mouth of a wide extensive bay about a quarter-of-a-mile long, flanked by a wood on our side and reedbeds on the far side. I was nervous of going across to the far margin because of the distance rule, and hung back until we knew what the two bay pairs pegged to our right were doing. We figured that if these guys were going across to the far side then it must be in range, and they couldn’t protest if we did so, even if it was stretching the distance limit by a few inches. I should add that Laney and Mr F., or even former winners Tom D-D and Toughie, would have been across there from the word go like rats up a drainpipe (sorry about the terminology guys). But I figured that if we were told not to go across there, we couldn’t, but if we weren’t told not to we could. So, I waited till two days in to make my far-margin foray, which, on reflection, was undoubtedly overcautious.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TIM PAISLEY MADINE 2015

Show stopper.. ‘The old buggers have caught a fish: we’d better go and see this!’ We’d had no action and seen nothing for two days, so by Wednesday it was time to make a move. The far side of the bay turned out to be extremely shallow, 2-3ft at best, with pernicious tree stumps fronting a bed of impenetrable reeds. Fishing tight to the reeds was out because of the tree stumps, but I found a lovely spot adjacent to a small potamogeton bed 15 yards short of the reeds. Potamogeton beds in France are an attractive proposition because they are apparently favoured by bloodworm, which means they are likely to be favoured by carp, too. The water was 2ft 4ins deep where I positioned the PVA bag and Mark One Snowman, with a Mainline Pineapple Juice pop-up on top. These hookbaits have a track record at Madine, and on many other waters come to that. In his great book Fallen Kings, I was interested to read that Dave Levy often uses Pineapple Juice hookbaits when he is fishing singles. If they work on pressured Essex waters they are going to work on Madine, and have done so in the past. Pineapple is one of those flavours that just seem to have an eternal life.

arly on the first night with a bait across, I had an occurrence of some sort, although I never felt a fish. When I got across there and picked up the end tackle it was solid, and hooked up to a tree stump. I suspected it had probably been a line bite or line trailer, dragging the hookbait out of position and into the stump. I retackled with a heavier hooklink, and put it back out there with renewed hope. At 1.30 a.m. the long-range locked-up rod almost left the rests, and this time I could immediately feel the fish kicking on the other end of the line. I eased it away from the far side, hoping it didn’t bed down in the thick Canadian weed, and Jacko held the rod while I donned the life jacket, sorted out the boat, and set out into the night, pulling hard on the fish in an effort to keep it above the weed and in the open water. When I got out there I saw it immediately in the head-torch beam, and soon had it engulfed in the Solar Rolls-Royce landing net. We were on the scoresheet, and Jacko and I probably got unnecessarily giddy about what was, after all, a modest carp of 34lb+ (15.6 kilos). By 2.30 a.m. the PVA-bagged Pineapple pop-up Snowman was back in position by the distant pot bed. We downed a coffee by way of celebration, talked up the prospect of catching another two fish, which would put us in with a shout, and went back to bed. The fish was weighed and witnessed soon after its capture, but one of the rules of the competition is that you keep the fish in a retainer sling until it can be officially recorded in the morning. I wasn’t over-happy about the length of time we had to keep the fish, but eventually an extraordinary assortment of filmmakers, organisers, bailiffs, groupies (I exaggerate: partner Julie was there) and lookers-on gathered for the far-from-momentous fish to be recorded. It was

Fruity little number.. ‘Mainline’s Pineapple Juice wafters and pop-ups, universally successful baits. a touching occasion, tinged with the thought that there was an element of ‘those two old buggers have caught a carp, we’d better go and see this!’ about the gathering. It was all going rather swimmingly to this point, but then Madine decided we’d done well enough and kicked us in the guts! In fact, unbeknown to us, it had already done so some hours earlier. Late afternoon, I decided to redo the distant hookbait by the pot bed, simply because I’d put it out in the dark, and went out to retrieve it. As I got nearer I realised that all was not as it should have been, and an awful realisation started to dawn on me. The hookbait was not by the pot bed at all, but 15 yards beyond, through two tree stumps and hooked up to a thick reed stem, minus the heavy lead. I felt sick, and a moment from the early hours came back to me. When I got back after the repositioning following the fish capture, Jacko and I had commented on how little line there was left on the spool. I guessed I hadn’t laid it in a straight line in the big wind. Fifteen hours later I discovered that I must have had a take while I was bringing the rod back, and had spent the rest of the night, and all that day, with the pole-position rod out of commission. (You can probably hear my teeth grinding as I write this.) That was both sickening and bizarre. Jacko and I had experienced five runs between us in our numerous attempts in the Madine Classic. I’ve spent thousands of hours fishing waters where you go out with the rod, drop the end tackle, and take the rod back with you without ever previously experiencing a take on the way back. In this instance I was fishing in just over 2ft of water, spending some time with the headtorch to find the exact spot for the hookbait,

It was all going rather swimmingly to this point, but then Madine decided we’d done well enough and kicked us in the guts! and then lining up the boat ready for the start back. Sometimes it can take you a few minutes to get set for the drop and the start back, particularly if there’s a strong wind to contend with, as there as during that event. Add to that the fact that the hookbait was in a big bag of bait chops, and the pickup within a couple of minutes becomes incomprehensible. (I’ll emphasise that I was fishing locked up with that rod, so the take must have come before the rod was set in the rests.)

was so aggrieved about it all that I told the story to anyone who was willing (or even unwilling) to listen, and in the end I guess Jacko got sick of hearing the tale, which doubtless had a few embellishments added in the retelling. That was the last of our action (apart from a mayhem-causing final-afternoon intervention from a distant coot, which I won’t bore you with). The fact remains that we had fish in the swim for those few hours, that one night and possibly day, and if we’d landed the second fish we could have been in with a shout of more action. Jacko is great to fish with, and we work well as a team. We’re both good waiters, and I would say that our only difference in outlook and approach is that I’m familiar with the long wait on the big waters, while Jacko does much more short-session and overnight-session fishing. Once I know my baits aren’t being interfered with by crayfish or poissons chat, I’m happy to leave the hookbait out for days on end, while it’s fair to say that Jacko is less sanguine about such a tactic. Big-water fish in particular are accustomed to encountering and eating baits which have been in the water a long time, and if and when they do encounter my baits, I like the hookbait to have been immersed for a lengthy period, to match the free offerings. Arising from this long-immersion tactic there was one more teeth-clenching kick in the guts. After much deliberation, Jacko and I decided that I would put both my end tackles across for the final night, to

Catch and release..The fish going back after the photo-shoot: unknown to us Madine had already kicked us in the guts by this time (main picture). Jacko with his carp of 39lb 14oz during the first Classic in 1998 (above).

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TIM PAISLEY

supplement the one Jacko had across there. Prior to moving the end tackle, the 50-yard baits had been in position for four days with no signs of carp life, and only a take from a bream to show for their presence. On the final morning Jacko said, “I don’t know if you heard it, but a big fish crashed in the area of your close-in baits last night.” No, I hadn’t heard it. I was too busy sobbing into my pillow to hear anything but the noise of screaming in my head! And ‘the hookbait from closer in’ was by now on the far side of the bay anyway. On the other hand, there was a moment on the last afternoon which brought a smile to my face. Jacko was checking out the distant far margin while I had the company of our engaging marshal, Mick, and one of the head marshals, whom I won’t name, in the swim. We were idly chatting when Julie, bless her, commented, “He’s a long way out,” which Jacko was. The most senior of the party asked, “Who’s that?” and started to reach for his distance checker. “My partner, Jacko,” I said quickly. “I’d better put this away then,” came the reply, and our man withdrew his hand from his pocket. Madine can have its kinder moments. One final thought… We go on about female pheromones and their attractiveness to fish. Well, the World Carp Classic of 2013 at Lake Bolsena was won by the Dutch pair of Lizette Beunders and Bianca Venema, who came a very close-run second in the 2015 Madine event, when the winners were Larysa Switlyk (an all-American lady carper), Hans Sissingh and Mattie Curfs (runner) from Holland. Well done to all of them. I had a personal interest in who finished up winning, because at the moment Steve Briggs and I are the only pair to have won two world titles, and Lizette and Bianca came close to equalling the achievement this time around. If anyone does aspire to such a success while using boats (as in the World Carp Classic), Briggsy and I still have an ace up our sleeves. Both our titles were won casting from the bank. Jacko and I would like to win one, with or without the use of a boat! The mischievous playfulness of Lac de Madine apart, it was a rather lovely week, and for the record, our 15.6 kilo fish earned us 14th place. Our thanks to Gary Peet of The Tackle Box and Brian Houghton of Spomb for their lavish entertainment during our evening meals before and after the event, and to Ross

Honey, Marianne, and all their splendid helpers for making it all possible. The first World Carp Classic was held at Madine in 1998, and with the introduction of the new rule of three fish to count, I think it is the best venue it has been held on so far. In a way I wish I hadn’t written this. It’s re-opened all the old wounds and got me smarting from the injustice of that premature unannounced take. The trouble is that I have no idea how you guard against such a thing ever recurring. Surely even the enigmatic Lac de Madine couldn’t be that cruel again! n tim paisley

‘‘

MADINE 2015

A woman’s touch .. (clockwise) Lizette Beunders and Bianca Venema, who came a very close-run second in 2015. The winners were Larysa Switlyk (an allAmerican lady carper), Hans Sissingh and Mattie Curfs (runner) from Holland. Thanks to Ross Honey, Marianne, and their team of splendid helpers for making it all possible, yet again.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

For the 25 competing pairs, all that stood between failure and victory over the next 48-hours was who amongst them could ‘trip-up’ the three largest carp, out of the hundreds stocked in the South Lake, into taking their baits, so they could be crowned the 2017 UK Qualifier victors.

Cheers! As well as winning, Chris Wild and Tom Icon won the Biggest Fish prize and the unofficial accolade of landing the most carp

ith Tournament Founder, Ross Honey and Dynamite Bait’s Head of Marketing, Daryl Hodges sounding of the horn on the stroke of two o’clock, for the next few minutes it was all hands-on-deck.

Every angler on the complex was either marker floating, spoding, catapulting or baiting up boilies with a throwing stick. When it comes to this type of event, any seasoned competition angler will tell you that there is no time to waste. Time is a thief and before you know it, the two-days that only moments ago seemed to stretch endlessly in front of you are gone in the blink of an eye and the ‘stop fishing’ horn is sounding. Having held last year’s event on the North Lake, Ross and his team were disappointed somewhat in the results. The probable cause was holding the event in August. “The weather was stinking hot and the carp just didn’t want to feed,” Ross said. “Don’t get me wrong, it was still a really great and highly-successful event, but the actual fishing could have been a little, well, a lot, lot better!” Unfortunately, only three teams caught during last year’s competition, so, it was all eyes on what the South Lake would do. With less than 90-minutes gone, Ross’s dream of a few fish started to come to fruition. Wraysbury’s South Lake pedigree didn’t disappoint, with no less than 18 runs and 10 carp landed! With fish seeming to come mostly from the upper teens - 18 through 20. The perfect start however, was executed by Tom Icon and Chris Wild. Drawn on peg 18, they experienced six runs between them, all in the first hour. Sadly, the first run, falling to Chris within minutes of casting, came off at the net. Only moments later, after recasting to the same spot, Chris’ rod was off again, and a short time later, their first WCC 2017 carp was sitting in the folds of the 31-year-olds landing net. “With mine only just netted, we could hardly believe it, as one of Tom’s rods rattled off,” Chris explained. Post the official weighing, both fish were confirmed in the ‘mid-double’ range - Chris’ being the largest at spot on 7kgs (15lb 4oz), whilst partner,

2017 WORLD

QUA

Seven countries competed at seven

ENGLAND WRAYSBURY LAKE

VICTORY IN THE SOUTH

CARP CLASSIC

ALIFIERS

great events with the dream of winning entry to the WCC17

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 34

ENGLAND WRAYSBURY LAKE Tom’s weighed in at 5.1kgs (11lb 2oz) - as well as both being fin-perfect mirror carp. This early flurry of fish seemed to open the flood gates, as only minutes later the marshals’ walkie-talkies came alive with news of fish being landed all over the complex. Following a hectic period, Ross and Event Director, Marianne Guillois were able to confirm that there had been more fish caught in the first four-hours on this year’s event, than there had been over the whole of the 2016 event! “There have been 18 carp in total banked, as well as a number of missed, dropped or lost fish,” Marianne said. “The biggest at the moment is a 10.4kgs (22lb 9oz) mirror, landed by Jim Roberts on peg 20. It also looks as if the two lads on peg 18 have kept up their initial momentum, as the marshals are reporting a nine-fish haul with around half-a-dozen lost or hook pulled. They have even had three double takes! An absolute dream start for any competitor and even better for us as the event organisers. You couldn’t have had two more different events, between last years and this.” As the rest of the day unfolded, still more carp were caught and reported, but it was peg 18 which was the talk of the complex, as Tom and Chris enjoyed run after run. With day turning into night, it was a surprise that the sport suddenly slowed. But what would the night bring ... Saturday morning dawned bright and chilly, as the marshals staggered in, some bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, a quick total of the catch sheets revealed that over a third of the pegs had caught. The South Lake was proving itself to be a great choice of venue, the number now standing at 21 officially recorded, with an average weight of 7.6kgs. Although, it came as little surprize to find out that Tom and Chris had spent more time in their waders than in their sleeping bags. They had enjoyed, or is that endured a crazy night, with two fish falling to Chris’ tactics, whilst Tom had landed three, including the biggest fish so far, a stunning, broad-shouldered 13.7 (30lb) mirror carp. They also again reported losing quite a few – due to the combination of the very soft mouths that are a feature of the Wraysbury South Lake ‘stockies’ and a number of vicious snags in their swim. The lads were still in the lead, though. “When we first drew peg 18 out of the bag, we were both gutted,” Tom recounted. “Stuck at the bottom of a small bay, neither of us were particularly happy. In fact, when we first saw the swim, we were not going to fish at all. Boy, were we wrong!” “The way we fished it was loose feeding little and often, with bottom baits, then casting hi-vis white or pink pop-ups over the top.” By the time the mid-afternoon catch sheets were brought to HQ, it was revealed they were then up to 40 runs, with 30 fish landed! “If this had been a standard ‘total weight’ competition, we would be walking it, but the great thing about the three-fish rule that Ross employs is that it keeps things fair and interesting, right up to the wire. But it’s just plain nerve wracking for us, if I’m honest!” Chris continued. “It could have been easy for us to sit back and think we’ve got this, but that’s not our style. Having the threebiggest fish rule really keeps you on your toes.” Tom said. Touching base later on with Ross, we quizzed him about the introduction of the rule. “It was an idea I had around four-years ago,” he told me. “I was never wholly happy with the total weight rule, as even on the larger venues there were always a few hot swims, whilst others were not so good.” Ross found that those anglers who had a poor first 24 to 30 hours were packing up early as they realised they had no chance of catching up the competition leaders. So, to create a much more ‘level playing field’, he started the three biggest fish rule. It immediately changed everything. The competition remained exciting and tense right up to the final horn sounding. Even those struggling initially knew that a late flurry of fish could put them right back in contention, if not the new leaders!” Having initially trialled the rule on the UK event, he

Stuck at the bottom of a small bay, neither of us were particularly happy. In fact, when we first saw the swim, we were not going to fish at all. Boy, were we wrong!

rolled it out across the rest of the qualifiers, as well as the final. The really brilliant thing was the complete acceptance and embracing by all the competitors seasoned and inexperienced alike. The final day of the competition again started bright, clear and slightly chilly. And, although there was a buzz in the HQ, until the marshals came back with their nightly catch reports, very little had changed on the leader board. Peg 18 were still in front, with peg 20 and peg 17 being 2nd and 3rd respectively. At 7.30am, everything changed! Calls were coming through that the fish had moved and swims that had been through lean periods, had caught through the night and were still catching. Jim Cameron and partner, Roy Moffatt had landed two carp in the night and one at 6.50am. Once the weights were officially recorded, their new total of 21.2kgs had rocketed them from 12th to joint fifth, with another Dynamite Baits’ pairing, Adam Sharpe and Henshaw Ramadan on peg 19. Obviously stirred by this blatant assault, both Adam

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

the Lincolnshire-based rods were declared the winners of the WCC 2017 UK qualifier. Even though they had a rake of fish, 14 out of 25 pegged swims all caught carp, proving what a wise choice moving the event to the South Lake had been. As well as winning, Chris and Tom had won the Biggest Fish prize, as well as the unofficial accolade of landing the most carp too. “It has been a great privilege to be allowed to be the first ever to run an event on the famous South Lake,” Ross concluded. “But, even though I am the Event Founder, without the enthusiasm and willingness of the marshals, the venue and the various sponsors, like Dynamite Baits, Carp Spirit and Lowrance, to name a few, the competition would be a shadow of what it has been and has become. “I’d just like to say well done to Tom and Chris, as well as a huge debt of thanks to all involved. “Here’s looking forward to a great and exciting final in Madine.”

2017 WORLD CARP CLASSIC

and Henshaw landed fish within minutes of each other, only half-an-hour after the new positions had been announced. With the current average weight being around 7.22kgs, a fish of 10kgs-plus would move the boys into third place. On a boat-accessible only peg, it was a tense few minutes waiting for the marshals to get across and weigh their prize. Sadly, the news came back that it was 6.8kgs, only just bigger than their previous third carp. This meant they would stay in fifth for now, but they had pushed Roy and Jim into sixth. Back on peg 18 though, things were still going crazy, with another four runs in the night and three landed. But, similar to Adam and Henshaw’s first that morning, they also failed to up the weight of their three-fish total. It was shaping up to be a really exciting conclusion! With Marianne counting down the final minutes of the match over the walkie-talkie, with only 30-seconds left, Chris’ right-hand rod rattled off again. Unfortunately, he pulled out of the fish, but with nothing else coming out, Ross sounded the horn and

QUALIFIERS

more fish were caught in the first four-hours of this year’s event, than there had been over the whole of the 2016 event!

QUALIFIERS

2017 WORLD CARP CLASSIC

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 36

DENMARK Sorø Lake & Tuel Lake

Here come the vikings.. Team DT-Baits, Peder Lichtenberg & Anders Frenk proved unstoppable

It’s a Double whammy for great Danes Peder and Anders 17 Danish teams from all over the country were invited to join the first offical Danish WCC qualification event, that took place over two lakes – Sorø Lake and Tuel Lake. The first part took place at the famous Sorø Lake with a size of over 220 hectares and carp up to over 40 pounds. After Friday’s peg draw, all teams went out to find their swims for the weekend. The first two fish were caught on Saturday morning at 3am from PEG 23 – Team Slack Lines – a common carp of 7.3 kilo and a mirror carp of 14,0kg. A good start for two young guys from North Sealand. The fishing was very slow at first, but by the afternoon, the next fish were landed. A small common for Team Warriors on PEG 22, a lovely mirror on PEG 21 of 12,8 kg for Team DT-Bait caught by Peder Lichtenberg, and a nice mirror of 11,2kg on PEG 13 for Team Panik, caught by Kasper Demant. The second night changed everthing for Team DT-Baits (Peder Lichtenberg & Anders Frenk). They caught two common carp of 8,9kg and 10,2 kg. The rest of the lake was still fishing slow and only two teams (Team Warriors on PEG 22 with a mirror of 8,0kg and Team Arvingerne PEG 10 with a mirror of 7,0kg) The first part of the qualifying ended with only 9 fish on 5 of 15 PEGs. For the second part of the qualifying, only 15 of 17 Teams arrived at Tuel lake, only 4km away from the Sorø Lake. An interesting lake of 180 hectares with many fish. The teams went out to the swims after the peg draw on Friday. It was raining like always in Denmark. The first fish were caught on Saturday morning at PEG 6 by Team Danish Big Game with two common carp weighing 5,5kg and 4,1kg. The winning team of Sorø Lake Team DT-Baits, also caught two mirror carp of 4,7kg and 4,8kg

– so they were still in the lead. Team Warriors on PEG 12, who also caught two fish in Sorø Lake, continued with a mirror and common carp weighing 6,5kg and 7,1kg. Everything was still possible for both of the teams. The rest of the lake was again fishing really slow. On Saturday and through the night into Sunday Team DT-Baits secured their lead and managed to catch 4 more carp, ending up with a total weight of 26,9kg for the 5 biggest fish. All fish were caught by Anders Frenk. The other teams didn´t catch any more fish. Team DT-Baits also won the second part of the Danish qualifying and Sorø Lystfiskerforening was proud to announce Peder Lichtenberg & Anders Frenk as the winners of the Danish WCC qualifying. The prizegiving ceremony was held at the lake on Sunday at 1 PM where the two vikings from the north of the island Sealand were given their ticket for the WCC event in France and some nice echo sounders from Lowrance.

Leaderboard Results:

Lake Sorø 1st Place: Team DT-Bait PEG 21 - 3 fish 31,9kg 1st Place: Team Slack Lines PEG 23 - 2 fish 21,3kg 1st Place: Team Warriors PEG 22 - 2 fish 11,7kg Lake Tuel 1st Place: Team DT-Baits PEG 9 - 5 fish 26,9kg 1st Place: Team Warriors PEG 12- 2 fish 13,6kg 1st Place: Team Danish Big Game PEG 6 - 2 fish 9,6kg

Total results Danish WCC qualifying 2017

1st Place: Peder Lichtenberg & Anders Frenk – 58,8kg 1st Place: Michael Pawlowski & Kasper Viesø Hansen – 25,3kg 1st Place: Emil Arends & Rasmus Sommer – 21,3kg

The second night changed everthing for Peder & Anders – catching two common carp of 8,9kg and 10,2 kg

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SPAIN GARCIA SOLA LAKE

Where there’s a will.. Spain’s Carlos and Alvaro with one of their first specimins caught at peg 20, despite the extreme weather conditions.

arlos Corrales and Alvaro Miguel Roa Martin from Extremadura, Spain, won the Spanish WCC qualifying event on the giant Garcia Sola lake in Extremadura. Their winning weight was 17,400kg. The young dynamic team drew the last peg in Lowrance Swim 2. On arrival they found fish jumping. The high spirited team used simple tactics, casting with waders on, fishing at approx 120mt. range in 15ft (4.5mt) of water. In their first night four carp were caught, three of which went straight onto the scoreboard! Those early fish were crucial, despite many other carp being caught from all around the lake by other competitors. After collecting the prize Carlos Corrales said ‘’I wanted to cry, this means so much to us, I cannot believe we are going to the final’’. Both Carlos and his teammate Alvaro Miguel Roa Martin will now participate compete here at lake Madine and represent Spain on an international level with other countrymen. The team used just 3 kg of micro pellets, and 1 kg of corn to keep the fish interested during the event, fishing with a small snowman type presentation at the hook end. The 70 plus anglers travelled from all over Spain to compete, some driving 7hr to the event. The competitors fished from 2pm on Friday, right through until 9am on the Sunday morning. Conditions were hostile with gale force winds, extreme sleet, snow and torrential rain, however the anglers battled on to catch some great fish despite the unusual harsh conditions. The Garcia Sola lake is a massive 900 acres with depths of over 200ft. Anglers were grouped in 3 sectors – Dynamite Baits, Shimano and Lowrance, all of which were located close to the village of Peloche in Extremadura. Most of the fish were caught in about 13 to 15ft of water. Before the event the organisers CARPdiem Magazine’s Andy Macgregor, Fran Granados

THE REIGN IN SPAIN Hostile weather conditions couldn’t put a damper on the winning Spanish Qualifiers Carlos and Alvaro’s spirits

and Angel Bonal were expecting hundreds of carp to be caught. Marshall Angel Bonal said: “We were expecting to catch many fish. It’s quite common for the lake to produce a winning weight of 300kg with up to 50 fish caught in the better swims over a 48hr period.” However, due to the extreme changes in the weather Andy Macgregor continued: “The fish were not really that interested, they were not getting their heads down”. Despite all of the above numerous carp were still caught. More than 12 teams caught fish throughout the event, the biggest came from the Dynamite Baits Section Swim 26-06. This fish was caught by last year’s WCC Spanish qualifying winners Roberto Royan Ruiz and Francisco Escobar. The team fished at long range in 26ft of water using a snowman presentation with a pineapple pop up. They dropped the lead to help catch the carp from very long range. Roberto and Francisco’s fishing style was a much slower fishing tactic, decideding to fish and wait. This tactic proved ideal and landed them an amazing fin-perfect common. Roberto said, “I knew it was a perfect fish as soon as I picked up the rod.” The Common Carp was the biggest caught during the event with a weight of 23,14lb (10.5kg).

Colleagues from Seville, Jesus Garcia Hidalgo and Jose Antonio Fenandez Hervas, also caught several fish in the Dynamite Baits section 21-01 to finish 2nd overall with a weight of 15,800kg. At the Lowrance section swim 03, Alvaro Martin and Francisco Garcia fished well. Alvaro’s team fished next to the winners and quoted, “We did all we could to keep fish in our swim – we worked all night, but it wasn’t enough to win’’. Alvaro baited every hour, through the last night, putting Dynamite Bait Source boilies in with a throwing stick, and kept fish interested. His team also caught another big fish which would have won them the event, however it was caught minutes after the final whistle. In the end they took 3rd place with a final total of 15,500kg and won a Lowrance Hook 4 Sonda and other Lowrance products.

Leaderboard Results: 1st Place: Carlos Cottales and Alvaro Miguel Roa Martin – Total 17,400kg 2nd Place: Jesus Garcia Hidalgo and Jose Antonio Fenandez Hervas – Total 15,800kg 3rd Place: Alvaro Martinn and Francisco Garcia – Total 10,800kg

ITALY LAGO DEL SALTO

Bravo boys! 2017 Qualifying winners, Roberto Bonomo & Gianberardino Franchi As it approches its 20th anniversary in 2018, the World Carp Classic has steadily continued to grow in popularuty and is now deeply ingrained within the minds of carp anglers and also the very fabric of carp angling all around the World. Here in 2017, we are now at the point where the concept to promote national qualifying events in several countries to decide which anglers will qualify to go forward to the final event in September, is a long, established tradition. The concept of this incredible event was conceived by Ross Honey over 20 years ago, which in itself is remarkable, but to have envisaged exactly where he ultimately wanted it to go, shows quite amazing vision. Our community Four Angling Company, was honoured to organise the Italian qualifier this year on an incredibly beautiful lake, the majestic Lago del Salto – known in Italy as a“must-fish” for carp fishing. This season was a little strange due to problems with the water. It had not rained for a while and the carp felt uncomfortable at such an unusually shallow level. However, in the end we had a winner. The Carp fishing World Semifinal at the Lago del Salto ended a three-day, adrenaline-high sport fishing match, which unfortunately did not see a large number of catches due to the bad weather conditions. All the participants, however, were excited about the event that opened the doors to the WCC finals at Madine Lake this week. The victorious pair of winners who will join the final this year are Gianberardino Franchi and Roberto Bonomo from the province of Rieti.

Leaderboard Results: 1st Place: Roberto Bonomo & Gianberardino Franchi – 5.0, 4.9, 4.3 (Achieve the final) 2nd Place: Flags Flags 4.1 3.9 3rd Place: Alagni - Stanghieri 5.5

BEDTIME STORIES

The Avid Benelux Carp Master 2016, what a top event! 12 Belgian and 6 Dutch teams fought for a place in the top 3, but not without some push or shove. Exciting to the end, the last night was all-important. A match just like it should be!

good month before the match, the organization received the amazing news that Ross Honey, organizer of the World Carp Classic, had agreed to receive the top 3 of the Avid BCM in 2017 at the WCC.

In order to win these well-deserved tickets, of course, first of all it was necessary to fight for a place in the top 3. But before starting the real work, there was still time for relaxation, comfort, good food and drinks during the opening weekend. In the Sportex Casing games, the participants and the Sportex anglers were tested on their pitch limits. This produced a lot of fun, funny scenes, but Xavier Vangompel’s throw could not be matched by anybody. The Ridgemonkey throwing games also seemed easier than they were. These “warmers” in the opening weekend already indicated that there was a fighting spirit among the participants. After the meal on Sunday it was time for the draw. The tension was intense and the atmosphere was difficult to bear. Just like last year, the draws on the forest side and west bank were favorite (rocks 1,2 and 3). After the lottery there were happy but also less happy faces. Monday morning at 8am all participants drove towards their pegs and at about 1pm the first anglers went into the water. The first was fish caught from the Raptor Boats sector within the hour, by

Benvinny’s team. This really started the game. Team Carperfun caught the first bream and not too much later the first grass carp. The three first prizes went out at the same time, all of them to teams in the Raptor Boats sector. With another 16 kg fish on Team Proline’s mat, the BCM entered its first night. That first night produced a nice fish for Team Fishing Geleen. This catch meant the start of a whole week-long battle between Stitch 2 (BenVinny’s team) and Stitch 3 (Team Fishing Geleen). Throughout the week you were lucky to catch a fish, but eventually every sector got fish on its side. The most remarkable catch was in the FOX sector. Team NTEC had to wait until Thursday night to get the first fish in this sector. The neck and neck race for 1st and 2nd place was fought between Team BenVinny’s and Team Fishing Geleen. The match between these teams began on day 1 and ended at the same time with the final signal of the match. Each fish was important to both teams, who were also next to each other. It was a sporting fight, beautiful to see: with every fish caught by the other team, congratulations followed. Nobody could catch the weight of numbers of 1st and 2nd, but the third place remained long undecided. Team Proline was able to defend this place for a long time, but on the last day, fish were caught on the forest side, making the battle for the third place run still further. After almost a whole week of silence, Team Geerts got their fish on the bank. This gave Team Geerts a 6th place and more

NETHERLANDS FISHING RESORT DU DER The Qualifying event for the Netherlands has always been well supported and well run by Hans Sissingh and his team and this year was no exception. Staged at the Fishing Resort Du Der in France which has developed a name as a big fish water anglers enjoyed a fantastic Hans Sissingh welcome and barbeque where the excitement built up in

advance of the all important peg draw. Competitors started eagerly and it was not long until the first fish started to put in an appearance and what stunners they were as well.. As with all of the World Carp Classic events the winners are decided on the team that has the highest overall weight from the biggest 3 fish that they catch. This has proven

fish registred for a whole day...their lead seemed in danger but none of all that. They hadn ‘t stopped catching carp all day long, just not big enough to call in the marshalls for they allready passed the magic 60kg. limit over 3 fish. A great match was fished. There was a very enthusiastic and very positifresponse in which the only minor point was “Why dont you let us fish for a full week in stead of just five days Hans..” food for thought.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

to be very popular and keeps the competitors fully engaged in the event right until the last moment. As the new rules in which the biggest 3 fish count the last night is the most spectacular, as proven by Ricardo Eerland who caught a magnificent 28 kilo mirror and positioned his team firmly on second position. A non expected move for this peg as Berkley lake had not delivered any fish for a while.. Abother bizarre aspect on the new rules was that team TKbaits had no

NETHERLANDS RESORT DU DER

2017 WORLD CARP CLASSIC

... it gave them back hope. Before these catches, they were going to head home, but these catches on the night before the end of the game made the team change their minds. The last night of the Avid BCM became one without sleep for the marshals, the media team and of course the contestants who fought for a place in the top 3. These participants sat behind their rods all night because every fish was counted. During the night BenVinny’s Team Leaving Team lead with a difference of almost 19kg. The biggest surprise, however, came from Team Geerts. That night they caught two more beautiful fish. Robby Fish Carperteam also came up with two fish. Both teams flipped over Team Proline and ranked 3rd and 4th respectively. The three winning teams received a nice prize pool and will now represent their country at this year’s World Carp Classic.

QUALIFIERS

bELGIIUM Paalse Plas

Leaderboard Results: 1st Place: Ton Krijgsman & Paul Breedveld 66kg. CARPCONNECTIONS 2nd Place: Ricardo Eerland & John Ijsselstein 62,2kg. LOWRANCE 3rd Place: John Hendriks & Jeroen vd Berg 47,4kg. REMKO vd BERG Biggest fish: 28,2kg. AFISHIONADO First fish caught: Guillome Pawtowski & Pascal Goubaux

QUALIFIERS

2017 WORLD CARP CLASSIC

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 40

POLAND DOBRO KLASZTORNE

The big time.. Runner up Arek Zaremba, with the biggest fish of the competition, a beautiful 24.8 kg mirror

To Zig Rig or not to Zig Rig ... that was the question For the 8th time in Pobiedziska, near Poznan, on Lake Dobro Klasztorne, the Polish qualifying match for the World Carp Classic took place. The organizer was Karp Max magazine and it’s General Editor Przemek Mroczek who has been the Polish agent for the WCC since 1998.

21 teams fought not only for participation in the WCC, but also, perhaps, the biggest carp. Everyone asked themselves one question - this year on Zig Rig or bottom bait? Zig Rig is a way of fishing that was popularized in Poland thanks to the competition in Pobiedziska. This technique was quite unknown in Poland before 2012 when Arek Zaremba was the first angler to try to fish that way, and with great success (3rd place in the competition). However, last year, carp were feeding almost exclusively on the bottom. This time, however, there was no derogation, the Zig proved irreplaceable. Interestingly, the largest fish were also taken from open water. Of the 5 carp over 20kg caught, only one took from the bottom. Already the first night brought fantastic results, with two fish over 20 kg. They were caught from pegs 12 and 26. In addition, P.Krzemianowski and A.Krugiołka (peg 26), apart from the specimen of 22.5 kg, had two fish of about 18 kg, so after the first night of the competition they took the lead. In the following days they became even stronger in the lead, catching 20kg, and some fish slightly below that weight. It was not until the Friday night that they were in the position where no one could threaten them. However, from Friday to Saturday, the wind changed direction, which resulted in catches on the other side of the lake. Arek Zaremba on Saturday morning caught, as it turned out later, the biggest fish of the competition, a beautiful 24.8 kg mirror. This is the biggest fish caught in the history of this competition.

First place.. Pawel Krzemianowski and Adam Krugiolka Then his companion pinned the 18.4 kg carp and started to look serious. Until the last moment it was not known who would win, but the rain on the last night caused the carp to stop feeding and neither of the two leading teams caught any bigger fish. A fierce battle for 3rd place continued though. Andrzej Sosnowski, who for the fourth year (!) in a row drew peg 30, along with Paul Gielec, on Saturday afternoon slightly ahead of D.Florczyk and R.Wolak and lasted until the end of the podium. In addition to fighting in the main category, daily additional competitions were held: the largest carp caught on Thursday, the biggest grass carp on Friday, and finally on Saturday the most interesting photo under the slogan “UFO is among us”. The founder of these awards was Fantazy Baits, while the Czech producer of unleaded weights UFO Sinker, each of the participants received a set of weights. Of course, the main prize for the victory was the free entry into the World Carp Classic 2017.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

AUSTRIA WCC17-008 WCC17-015 WCC17-050 WCC17-054 WCC17-097

Captain Vice Captain 3rd Angler Michael Loser Michael Moche Robert Brunner Jauker Rene Jasmine Schuster carpspirit Elmar Herbst Andreas Rumpler Karl Haager Thomas Riedl Kiesling Manfred Markus de Buigne Andreas Papesch Stefan Strasser Baitservice-Austria

BELGIUM WCC17-004 WCC17-006 WCC17-019 WCC17-032 WCC17-052 WCC17-055 WCC17-056 WCC17-057 WCC17-085

Captain Thierry Podevyn Joel Wauthia Martin Sterckx Ben Flaiming Frederic Van Rysseghem Hainaut Peche Patrick Gijzen Joey Geerts Mario Gijbels Sebastian Schuuman NTEC

Vice Captain 3rd Angler Jose Gonzalez Frederic Laroche Jean-Pierre Capitte Tom Sterckx Davy Sterckx Vincent Van de Abeele Christian Gilbard Cedric Rouze Patrick Hoebrights Kevin Vandevenne Kris Simons

BULGARIA WCC17-026

Captain Pencho Zlatev

Vice Captain Peev Peyo

3rd Angler

CZECH REPUBLIC

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC17 -067

Karel Nikl Jan Dadak Jakub Kumsta Defending Champions Carp R Us

WCC17-070

Tomas Slavik

WCC 2017 FRANCE WCC17-012 WCC17-018 WCC17-023 WCC17-024 WCC17-025 WCC17-036 WCC17-037 WCC17-038 WCC17-039 WCC17-040 WCC17-060 WCC17-073 WCC17-082 WCC17-084 WCC17-088 WCC17-090 WCC17-095H

3rd Angler

DENMARK Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-035

Peder Lichtenberg DT Baits

Anders Frenk

Captain Paul Sharman Stephen Payton Simon Bates Shimano Frank Granados Dynamite Baits Tom Ison Tim Swain Paul Johnson

Vice Captain Paul Butler Gary Cable James Young

3rd Angler

Angel Bonal

Andy Mcgregor

Chris Wilds Andy Swain Darren Weatherley

Bob Williams

WCC17-051 WCC17-072 WCC17-077 WCC17-093 WCC17-096H WCC17-094 WCC17-099 WCC17- 100

Jonathan Hughes Jasper Giles DT Baits Keith Turner Clive Hicks Champions 2005 Champions 2005 Steve Howard Tom Wright David Mark Pendegrass Darren Hilton Carp Couture Jack Lamb Brian Byford Tim Paisley Lee Jackson Carpworld Dan Moorcroft Colin Gray Rob Tough Tony Reynolds Champion 2009 Jochym Marine

3rd Angler

Jeremy Meyer

Scott Rice Jean Louis Cannitrot Fabien Hermal Sylvain Schumacher Florian Ackerer Jerome Lambert

Tom Lethered Jean Guillot Pierre Coche Kewin Zadra Michel Rothe

Jean Baptiste Roussel Dious Drouy

Stijn Praet

Anthony Garcia Simon Birley Xavier Estreich Jean Claude Facchin Lionel Meier

Captain

WCC17-007

Thomas Muller Stephen Freeland Frans te Dorsthorst Champion 2011

WCC17-010H WCC17-022 WCC17-068H WCC17-075 WCC17-078

Jan Ulak Bjorn Emans Shimano Markus Hippchen Jens Kleine Timo Koppermann Kai Pommeranz Dream Baits Axel Wacker Hermann Kreidenweiss Horst Wacker Biggest Fish Sebastian Brandau Florian Halder Emir Lezic

ENGLAND WCC17-003 WCC17-005 WCC17-011 WCC17-014 WCC17-031 WCC17-044 WCC17-047

Vice Captain Romain Boutinaud Julien Pennerad Frederic Langlade

GERMANY

Petr Korbicka

Captain Stephane Beconne Jerome Keller Pascal Trehoux Maison Deconinck Steven Albenesius Anonymous Bait Mark Gardner Champion 2003 Irwing Menicucci Philippe Hermal Gilles Menicucci Brice Ackerer Jonathan Rothe Capriver Stephane Gentile Dynamite Baits Christophe Trap Carpsounder Charles Monet Arnaud le Strat Julien Kehlert David Sturer Sebastien Meier SPIE

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

ITALY

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-033 WCC17-045 WCC17-079 WCC17-091

Gianberardino Franchi Fabio Mori Riccardo Battisti Giorgio Rigucci

Marco Savarelli Daniele Colapicchioni Andrea Rigucci

Roberto Mattei

LUXEMBOURG

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-013

Ron Van der Bergh

Yoann Cloarec

NETHERLANDS John Stembridge Joey Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;kelly Benji Petutshnig- Fisherlauser Nick Hollands

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-002H Martin Hertogs Frank Hertogs WCC17-029 Paul Breedveld Ton Krijgsman Carp Connections WCC17-043H Richard Van Leeuwen Dennis Nijland WCC17-049 Brian Raats Corne Faro WCC17-058 Nico De Vries Marco van Poelgeest WCC 17-065 Lars Bood Peter Hillebrand WCC17-066 Marcel Ulje Peter Vlasveld PB Products

Maarten Kok John Hendriks Peter Borninkhof Richard Bredenbeek Champion 2001 Jan Willem Braam

PARTICIPANTS list SLOVENIA

NETHERLANDS CONT. WCC17-071 WCC17-074 WCC17-083

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

Hans Sissingh Champion 2015 Carp Connections Jeroen Hoving Sint Brouwer

Mattie Curfs Champion 2015

WCC17-048

Damijan Pucnik

Marko Vivod

Narsej Horvat

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

Raymond Dekkers Willem Perridon

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-064

Marius Koekemoer

Gareth Edwards

POLAND

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC17-016 WCC17-017 WCC17-020 WCC17-021 WCC17-028 WCC17-041H* WCC17-042 WCC17-046 WCC17-059 WCC17-061 WCC17-076 WCC17-080 WCC17-081 WCC17-086 WCC17-089

Dariusz Kulczycki Andrzej Walczak Champion 2014 Carp R Us Adam Paszko Lukasz Starzyk Paul Krzemianowski Jaroslaw Ulfig Marcin Mizera Bartek Trocer Adrian Modzelewski Lukasz Walotek Tomasz Bilski Leszek Ataman Leszek Rutecki Gabriel Starzec Champion 2014 Karol Olejnik

Jacek Wojciuch Dariusz Kups Krzysztof Charmuszko Champion 2014

ROMANIA

Captain

WCC17-043

Dan Constantin

Vice Captain

RUSSIA

Captain

Vice Captain

WCC17-098

Aleksei Tretiakov

Evgeny Kiselev

SLOVAKIA

Captain

WCC17-009

Carlo Lences

Vice Captain Carlo Gras

Captain

WCC17-027H Roberto Royan Ruiz Jose gonzalo de la cruz WCC17-034 Carlos Corrales Macarilla Alvaro Roa Martin

NEW ZEALAND

Ryszard Basita Adam Krugiolka Witold Smolarczyk Karol Majewski Adam Zawistowski Janek Zawada Lukasz Pinocy Krystian Feilert Krzysztof Mroz Tomasz Wasniowski Jaroslaw Dabrowski

SPAIN

TURKEY

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-053

Umit Saribacak

Mustafa Turan

Abdullah Kabakyer

3rd Angler

UKRAINE

Mariusz Grzegorczyk Krzysztof Kozber Agata Korzeniowska Ryszard Buzala

Captain

Vice Captain

3rd Angler

WCC17-001 WCC17-030 WCC17-087

Vadim Korunskij Karpela Pavlo Matviienko Andrii Surkov

Yevhen Skulbida

Stanislav Porozhniuk

Iurii Usyk Andrii Raiskyi

Kostiantyn Dmytrenko

WALES WCC17-062 WCC17-063

Captain Daniel Townsend Mike Robbo

Vice Captain Ryan Green Luke Hayes

3rd Angler

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

30 YEAR

OF ABSOLUTE PREMIUM PRO The story of premium eyewear brand Wiley X begins back in 1987 when the company set out to become a world leader in the research, development and marketing of protective eyewear for military, law enforcement and civilian markets. Since those early days, Wiley X has set the benchmark for safety, style, and utility in the premium performance sunglass category on a global scale.

ILEY X insists that all its adult premium eyewear products meet the ANSI Z87.1 safety standard for High Velocity/High Mass Impact as well as being EN.166 certified.

Furthermore, it’s no secret that many models also meet various MIL-SPEC ballistic military standards for spectacles. In short, you won’t find better eye protection out there than in a pair of Wiley X sunglasses. This high-end ballistic technology that is worn on the battlefield is available in many civilian markets, with fishing being a key segment. By fusing fashion with function, durability and this unrivalled technology, Wiley X eyewear has become an essential tool for fishermen. Whether it’s anglers who hunt for predators, fish for carp or target salmon, Wiley X has the right pair of eyewear to suit the needs of active fishermen. Wiley X is the only company of its kind, whose entire range of sunglasses is certified as protective eyewear – but is this important? To find out the answer to this question, World Carp Classic (WCC) founder Ross Honey talks to Wiley X EMEA Vice President Thomas Wæver. It turns out that protective, polarized eyewear is far more important than you might think in the fishing market.

Ross: “Thomas – I have witnessed firsthand what a great start you have had this year as a brand – what happened at Efttex earlier this year?”

Thomas:“Wiley X entered the EFTTEX Best New Product Awards for the first time in our history at this year’s show in Budapest Hungary (June 29th to July 1st) with the brand new version of our popular WX Boss Climate Control sunglass, featuring new Kryptek® Highlander® camouflage. We beat off competition from sunglasses and eyewear brands around the world to win the award, as voted for by a panel of highly knowledgeable judges at the show.”

Ross: “Thomas, - I know there is much more to the certification of Wiley X polarized eyewear than meets the eye – please explain to us what the benefits for a typical angler are.” Thomas: “We at Wiley X have been preaching to anglers across the globe that they should actually only use certified eyewear when enjoying fishing. The advantages of using certified polarized eyewear are numerous, but the main one is that they might just save your eyes one day from flying lures or flies – with that said our glasses offer exceptional optical quality too. All Wiley X lenses are tested before they are even cut in order to maintain the best optical quality. Furthermore, all Wiley X polarized lenses are carefully measured through cut files for each and every product in order to maintain pure optics in the final product. And finally, all Wiley X eyewear are tested by independent certified labs. This ensures you as an angler that Wiley X delivers the quality we promise.” Ross: “Isn’t a polarized filter just a polarized filter?”

Thomas: “Not at all. Wiley X ONLY use the best polarized filter available in the market today. This filter is produced in Japan, whereas many other polarized eyewear manufacturers use the much cheaper and inferior polarized filters produced in places such as China. The difference is quite staggering to be honest – a bad polarized filter is probably worse than none at all.”

Wiley X ONLY use the best polarized filters available in the market today

WX Boss:

Featuring a polarized Gold Mirror with an Amber lens in a Matte Black frame. Lens description: Great for sunny conditions and ideal for fishing in shallow water. Improves contract and depth perception. Light transmission: 12%

OTECTION

Styles of the Champions ... The winners of the WCC each year will receive a pair of Wiley X sunglasses and almost all the prizes this year comes from the company’s Climate Control™ Series with a slick design, a wraparound-style and a soft removable Facial Cavity™ Seal that block out wind, airborne debris and reflected light. They create a comfortable, climate-controlled environment for the eyes while boosting polarization.

WX Peak:

Featuring a polarized Blue Mirror with a Green lens in a Matte Black frame. Lens description: Designed to provide high contrast and absorb reflections across mirror surfaces. Diminish glare and therefore ideal for bright conditions. Light transmission: 12% As WX Peak is from the active styles – it is not supplied with the gasket system.

WX Echo:

Ross: “Understood – but what happens when the polarized filter meets the lens?” Thomas: “This is a very important part when it comes to only supplying certified polarized eyewear. We at Wiley X have to mount the polarized filter with a +/- 3 degree tolerance. I think we all have tried a polarized eyewear at some point, where we have had to move our head to one side in order to get the maximum out of the polarized filter. I personally guarantee you that when wearing a pair of Wiley X you will not need to move your head as the polarized filter is mounted perfectly with a tolerance on only 1.6%. All other polarized sunglasses suppliers, whose eyewear is not certified, can place the polarized filter as they please with inconsistent results.” Ross: “I must say I’m impressed, I wasn’t aware that there was so much to it. Do you have anything else to add regarding your polarized eyewear?” Thomas:“When choosing a pair of Wiley X eyewear you are guaranteed full clarity across

the entire lens, where ordinary lenses can distort objectives viewed from a distance. Wiley X also provides you with true image size, where inferior lenses can alter the true size of objects, as if looking through another person’s prescription lens, Wiley X ANSI rated lenses always maintain true relative object size. All Wiley X polarized lenses also block 100% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. “Finally, all our lenses are delivered with a scratch resistant coating protecting the lens against damage and extend the life of the lens. On the outside of the lens all polarized versions are produced with a hydrophobic coating, which lets the water slide off instead of sticking to the lens and the lens has an anti-reflective coating on the inside of the lens, which will eliminate distracting reflections of the lens surface. To top it all off, Wiley X provide all eyewear styles with a lifetime limited guarantee.” Wiley X has set the benchmark for safety, style and utility in the premium performance sunglasses by absolutely insisting that all adult premium eyewear products meet its tagline of being ‘ABSOLUTE. PREMIUM. PROTECTION.’

Featuring a polarized Emerald Mirror with an Amber lens in a Gloss Black frame. Lens description: Designed to amplify color contrast and deliver high visual definition and depth perception. Distinct colors and crisp acuity in all light conditions for superior vision performance. Light transmission: 18%

WX Gravity:

Featuring a polarized Blue Mirror with a Green lens in a Black Crystal frame. Lens description: Designed to provide high contrast and absorb reflections across mirror surfaces. Diminish glare and therefore ideal for bright conditions. Light transmission: 12%

MARSHALS

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 46

‘‘

JEM COCKER & DANNY COOCH

year seems to have passed so quickly and we find ourselves back at the biggest and most prestigious international carp fishing event of its kind.

It is our pleasure to be associated with the World Carp Classic, established in1998 it has grown to become the biggest and best festival celebration of our sport, endorsed and supported by many top anglers from around the world. Returning to the majestic Lac de Madine in France is something of a homecoming for the WCC team. The 19th edition returns to its birthplace. Those familiar with Lac de Madine will remember not only the amazing carp and the thick weed but also the idyllic location to fish. Most of the swims offer a good level of comfort as well as being sheltered from the weather (though those on the dam wall may disagree) it is generally a very nice place to fish. We know for sure that the marshal team are happy to be back at Lac de Madine after the 2016 competition at Lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic. There were many fish caught there and we had some amazing sunsets but it was a very difficult lake to marshal. The main problem for us as Head Marshals was getting from one place to another. With very few access points on the lake, the only way round the lake was in a clockwise direction on a very small track, full of anglers, their equipment, spectators, mountain bikers, media crew, dogs etc. This meant that if we were sorting out a problem, for example on peg 12, and the next issue was on peg 63, it sometimes took two hours or more to get to where we had to be, taking into account that many of the anglers wanted a ‘quick word’ as we went past.

The amount of fish that were caught, coupled with the intense heat, made it tough going last year for many of the Marshals. Most of the guys worked themselves into the ground and were in a state of exhaustion by the end of the competition. Without these guys we couldn’t run the show and as Head Marshals we are so grateful for the effort they all put in. The lads did themselves proud. We are pleased to welcome some old and new faces to the 2017 Marshal team. Everyone gives up their time and are away from home involved in setting up the event and assisting anglers where they can, prior to the competition starting. The Marshals primary role is to act as an ambassador for the World Carp Classic ensuring that all WCC rules are strictly adhered to and that the competitors captures are accurately weighed and recorded. Please respect all decisions from the team as they are made to promote safety and fair play for all anglers. Every competitor is responsible for reading the rules on the WCC website and anything not understood should be clarified by a Marshal prior to starting the competition. If in doubt please ask.

Talk to your neighbours to make sure you all agree on boundary markers

Imagine sitting in your swim with all four rods reeled in and no access to the water, whilst the competition carries on around you.

Boat checks will be undertaken prior to the competition starting, so please ensure that you have all the correct equipment as stated within the WCC rules to obtain your boat pass. You will not be allowed onto the water until you have been given your boat pass by your Marshal. If the wind causes significant waves, a boat ban may be enforced across the entire lake. What may seem calm on one side, could be extreme around the corner for someone else. Life jackets must be worn and fastened at all times during the competition whilst boats are afloat on the lake. It is the most common offence for anglers obtaining yellow cards, so please be warned and wear your life jackets fastened when using boats on the lake!

Keep it friendly .. The Marshals have previously dealt with a few competitor fall out issues relating to border disputes and abusive behaviour. Please ensure any issues which may arise are reported to Marshals to deal with to avoid receiving any unnecessary penalties or a fishing ban for unacceptable behaviour at the lake. A red card was issued at last year’s competition due to aggressive behaviour - this is something that will not be tolerated. Keep it friendly and uphold fair play, anyone caught cheating or acting in an inappropriate manner will be dealt with appropriately and could be banned from future events. Talk to your neighbours in the next swim either side of your peg to make sure you all agree on boundary markers, ensuring everyone fishes within their allocated waters. Please treat the Marshals with

respect, as they are there to ensure the competition is run fairly and goes smoothly for everyone. As usual they will be equipped with two-way radios to liaise with Head Marshals and HQ as necessary. They will also have access to range finders and night vision for patrols around the clock.

Boundaries .. For the first time, we shall have anchored boats positioned in areas of the lake that in the past have not been so easy to keep an eye on. The boats will be equipped with time-lapse motion cameras as well as being manned from time to time. This may make anglers think twice about dropping bait and rig in the clear spot 20/30 metres beyond the distance marker. Anybody caught deliberately fishing outside their boundary will not only get a yellow card but will also receive a fishing ban, ranging from 6 to 24 hours. Imagine sitting in your swim with all four rods reeled in and no access to the water, whilst the competition carries on around you. You have been warned…stay inside your allocated water!

Carp care .. Fish care is vitally important for all, so to avoid stress please ensure you use wet unhooking mats and only keep fish out of the water for a minimum amount of time. If waiting for a Marshal please use a retaining sack, keeping the fish in the water. Whilst weighing is taking place please keep a bucket of fresh lake water available in order to keep the fish wet and comfortable. Seeing fish swim away in perfect condition ready to fight again another day is something we must all strive for.

Madine Wacker!

The opening ceremony will be lakeside with the usual flag parade and peg draws on Sunday. Bivvy city will be located close by and we are sure that you will enjoy all the facilities available. This lake has some amazing carp. The competition record hails from Lac de Madine at 28.9kg caught by Axel Wacker. Maybe this year we could see that record broken which would be amazing!

Keep it clean .. Remember to take care of the environment around the lake for the benefit of the environment and everyone whose uses it. Litter and debris left in swims is not acceptable. Please keep your own peg environment tidy and clean up after the competition has ended. Please do not leave it for someone else to find - you will be named, shamed and banned from any future event.

In memory .. We would also like to mention the sad passing of Stan De Vries who was tragically involved in a fatal road traffic accident. Stan loved his fishing and was a very well liked and respected member of the Marshal team, having helped out at both the WCC and the WPC in 2016. He will be sadly missed, but will not be forgotten. RIP Stan. In memory of Stan, please enjoy the competition and the very best of luck to you all with 114 hours of non-stop fishing. Bring it on!

‘‘

Boat Safety ..

JEM COCKER & DANNY COOCH RESPECTING LAC DE MADINE If you cannot sort out the boundary of your swim with your neighbour and I have to be involved in a dispute, then I will cut down the amount of water you are able to fish considerably

PLAYING BY THE RULES

As with any major competition, there has to be rules .. and along with a new venue come new rules. Lac de Madine is a large and sometimes unpredictable so boat safety is paramount, but it’s also a beautifully well-kept lake so it is vital that as competitiors we leave it as we found it. This is a subject very close to my heart so you have been warned!

The wrath of Ross .. ‘them’s the rules, so read them!’

n Respecting Lac de Madine

Lac de Madine is a beautifully well-kept and clean lake and we want to keep it that way. It’s disgusting the way some competitors think they can leave their swim after the competition and if I had my way every single one of them would be banned for life. There is no excuse for this – remove your rubbish and put it in the rubbish bins or the designated rubbish areas which will be signposted. If you’re still not sure, ask your Marshal.

n Distance One of the most important rules for the competitors is the distance allowed for competitors to fish and this has been raised this year from 250m to 300m. There will be Black Cat yellow and black distance markers on every swim placed just beyond 300m. I will be very strict on anyone who thinks they can go beyond this limit. I have rangefinders and night vision for myself and my team of marshals so be aware. n Peg Markers Your peg marker indicates the spot where you must place your rods, and it’s up to you to have them no more than 3 metres to the left, right, front or back of the peg. Any further than that and you will be asked to move them. There may be an exceptional reason why this is not possible and in that case you must get the okay from the Marshal who is looking after your peg. n Markers Competitors may use up to six permanent markers in their swim and no more, these must be removed at the end of competition. The markers must be placed within the confines of your swim; Some competitors try to extend the boundaries of their swim as much as possible into the water of other pegs.

Carp come first .. be prepared, with enough retaining slings and sacks to manage any situation If you cannot sort out the boundary of your swim with your neighbour and I have to be involved in a dispute, then I will cut down the amount of water you are able to fish considerably. So it’s simple, sort it out, as you really do not want me to come and do it for you. There will also be competition markers out in the lake marking the maximum range you are able to fish. If you remove any of these markers you will be disqualified immediately – you have been warned. n Carp Care Make sure you are prepared, with enough retaining slings and sacks to manage any situation. Any carp caught must be notified to your local marshal as soon as it is landed so that the fish can be weighed, recorded, photographed and returned to the lake as quickly as possible. It goes without saying that the safety of the carp is of the highest importance and proper unhooking

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

n The Rules The most important one of all is that you read and understand all the rules before you start competing; the set of rules provided to each team is comprehensive and covers everything you need to know. If you break one of the rules and try to come up with the excuse that you hadn’t read or understood the rule, that will not be acceptable. READ THE RULES! Don’t jeopardise your place and earn an early exit by disqualification.

mats must be used, the fish wetted if necessary and not kept out of the water for photographs/ filming etc. any longer than is necessary. n Weighing The minimum weight of the fish that may be recorded for the competition has been raised this year to 4kg as there are many small carp in the lake and not all of these are of the strain cyprinus carpio so this new minimum weight will eliminate the problem of another species being mistakenly recorded. n Rods Competitors may only have four baited rods in the water at any one time and two reserve rods, but these must be broken down. Each rig used by the competitor must only have one hook. All hooks must be micro barbed or barbed, which is generally the case these days with hooks from the major brands.

Safety first on the water n Boats Lake Novomlynska is big and even an average wind can create very choppy water. Your boat needs to be up to the job and it needs to have all the safety equipment that is required. We have been having boat checks for long enough now that you should all know you need to have proper lifejackets, horns, bailer, anchor and anchor rope plus, of course, oars to row the boat should the battery run out for the electric outboard. So make sure you have a boat to do the job – the guys at the boat check this year will be much stricter. n Boat Checks To ensure that all of the boats/security equipment to be used during the competition has been checked and approved by the event organiser and local authorities, all competitors must arrange to have their boat ready to be checked at their swim on Monday morning. Once checked and approved, competitors will receive a boat pass that will be securely

attached to the boat by the Marshal. Only then will the competitors receive the Official Catch List Form and Security Tag. n Boat Safety Safety whilst out on the water is a major aspect in the rules and lifejackets are an absolute must, not just occasionally but every single time you go out on the water. More yellow cards are given to competitors for not wearing a life jacket than any other broken rule. It really is quite simple - be prepared; given how quickly conditions can change on the lake there will be no warnings so this year, the first time you go out without a lifejacket, you’ll get a yellow card. If you do it again then it is disqualification. n Boat Propulsion The only means of propulsion for your boat is either by rowing or using an electric outboard. You should ensure that you have enough battery power to last you the competition plus a means to recharge batteries. We are

not able to provide charging facilities for you. Some competitors have no idea how long a leisure battery actually lasts when going out into the wind to place baits, I have said this before, rowing will save the life of your battery considerably, leaving you enough power to use them when they are really needed – when playing and landing of fish. Not making proper use of your batteries and running out when the carp go on a feeding spree could cost you dearly and even lose you the chance of becoming the champion. n Boat Time Something else that always seems to crop up each year and I do not know why… This is the allowed time when competitors can go out on the water. It is quite simple; when the hooter goes for the start of the competition! There is no period when you can go out on the water to try your echo sounder or to put markers out prior to the start of the event, so stay off the water until it’s time.

LAC DE MADINE YOUR PEG GUIDE

Official WCC Map 2017

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

DYNAMITE BAITS SECTION SPONSOR

There are probably not many anglers around Europe that haven’t heard of Dynamite Baits or purchased some of our products. From market leading products like Swim Stim to The Source boilies – what better example is there of innovative baits that have stood the test of time? www.dynamitebaits.com/about-us/

CARP ‘R’ US

SECTION SPONSOR A highly innovative UK based company producing tackle founded and inspired by Ray Dale-Smith. During the past few years, Carp r Us International has concentrated on a range of products specifically for large Continental Carp. www.carprus.eu

KARPELA

SECTION SPONSOR Karpela Cont is the unique, innovative bait delivery system that offers anglers complete versatility in their choice of baits, whether it’s particles, maggots, method mixes or meal worms, Karpela Cont gets the bait to the fish: guaranteed. www.karpelacont.com

PB Products SECTION SPONSOR

A brand that everyone knows and probably will experience with pleasureProducts which are of high quality, fit perfectly and a further function extremely well , thereby achieving better catches. www.pbproducts.nl

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SECTION SPONSORS WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2017

AVID

SECTION SPONSOR Here at Avid Carp our aim is to help you take your fishing to the Next Level. To achieve that, we endeavour to deliver innovative products that truly make a difference, but also tackle that you know won’t let you down. www.avidcarp.com

Jochym Marine SECTION SPONSOR

Jochym Marine has developed a unique kind of boat to meet specific requeremets of fishermen. After a long journey, in the year 2016 we finally developed a product, which fully used the potential of a small vessel. It is an inflatable catamaran made of high quality materials with excellent transportability www.jochymmarine.com

NTEC

SECTION SPONSOR NTEC specalises in end-tackle products for carp fishing and is driven by quality and continuous improvement is their most important objective. www.nteccarp.com

Carp Connections enjoyed using the WCC as a brand marketing tool, but they also took the opportunity to show the world their angling skills

CARP CONNECTIONS

DUTCH COURAGE

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

HANS SISSINGH

A well-known face among the WCC crowd, Hans Sissingh is not afraid of a challenge – he is the sponsor for the Team Event and the Gladiator Games, organised the Dutch WCC Qualifiers and now Team Carp Connections are proving to be a team you want to challenge

he year 2010, twelve years after the first WCC, saw the first WCC Qualifier ever. This was organised at the Sloterplas Amsterdam Holland. And with 30 pairs, it was a sold out success for 3 years in a row.

Then, the WCC Dutch Qualifier moved from Amsterdam to Carp Mekka France and became an international event open for Dutch, Belgium, French and German subscription. The 170 acre Sloterplas in the Dutch capital, made places for the 100 acre carp lake tourist attraction, Fishing Resort Du Der, situated in the French Champaign area and organised by CarpConnections. Carpconnections has been a Carp Lake tour operator for almost 20 years now, running its own lakes in France. Owner, Hans Sissingh, as marketing engineer, has been closely involved in the WCC organisation since the very start. Not only has CarpConnections sponsored the Team event, they also invented the Gladiator games, handing the opportunity to Team event sponsors to get their brand some publicity before even having caught their first fish of the event! Another CarpConnections’ initiative and marketing tool, was the WCC local FM radio Lac de Madine ‘Gooood moooorning Madiiiine!’ which enjoyed great success. CarpConnections enjoyed using the WCC as a brand marketing tool, but they also took the opportunity to show the world their angling skills; with a biggest fish prize during the French event in 2003 at Amance, several section winner titles over the years, also winning the team event, biggest fish and Biggest WCC carp ever in 2007 (28,9kg. by German team member Axel Wacker). Realising second place in the main event in Italy at Bolsena in 2014 and then finally

Posing a threat .. Hans and his winning team at the 2015 World Carp Classic at Lac Madine winning the WCC the year after at Lac de Madine, which not only made team Carp Connections one of the favorites amongst competing teams, but also a team you want to challenge, beyond any doubt. Therefore it wasn’t a big surprise when Hans Sissingh anounced that he was to start up the first qualifying event ever in Amsterdam. Want to win your WCC ticket for 2018 and pay only 197 euro each? Subscribe now and hit the Fishing Resort Du Der from 4 to 8 June! Fishing Resort Du Der, close to the famous French resevoir Lac du Der, is one of the most prestigious private lake resorts in France. The ‘100 acre record breaker’ complex of four lakes, of which three are designed for carp angling, holds a stunning stock of carp.

1200 big fish, 22 double pegs, over three carp lakes with an average catch weight of 35 lbs, and holding fish up to 70 lbs ! Hans Sissingh : “As long as we deliver more personal bests than blank sessions, with a regular clients catch rate of 90%, almost everyone of them catching a 40lbs carp and with most of them doing more than one session a year, we are on the right track to become one of the most wanted French carp venues ever” Being the ‘’BIG3’’ venue for the WCC Qualifying event 2018, 4 to 8 June, it is open for subscription to all nations now and with a surprisingly low entry fee, we expect to sell out our ‘WCCQ number 9’ in no time! Come to France and join if you dare ! ‘’ Check out the details on www. carpconnections.com WCCQ.

www.reubenheaton.com

See us on Facebook and Twitter

SPONSORED BY CARP CONNECTIONS There’s everything to play for at this year’s WCC Team Event as Carp Connections are offering three amazing angling holidays at Fishing Resort Du Der worth over 5000 euros The World Carp Classic team competition is a side event within the main event itself and this year you can compete in the team event with only two couples instead of three couples. With the big 3 fish rules, only the three biggest fish of your couple count, even if you catch more than 3 fish. If you’re participating in the team competition, the total combined weight of the three biggest fish of your first couple and the three biggest fish of your second couple count for the team competition. If you can’t reach the top three in the overall event, or you are not in the team event, there are lots more prizes to aim for. These include the biggest overall fish, one of the 6 section prizes and the sportsmanship award. Also new for this is the Champion of Champions award – which is open to all former World Carp Classic champions who will be competing for the new trophy. The winner of this trophy will be the former champion that catches the biggest 3 fish during the event and will be based on an individual basis. These fantastic rules mean you can still catch that fish you need in the last minutes to get your place on the stage. But what if you finished first, second or third in the team competition? You as a team, will win an amazing prize – to go

on a fishing holiday sponsored by Carp Connections at Fishing Resort du Der. This resort is divided into three different lakes, ‘De La Haie’, ‘Le Chenet’ and ‘Des Fourches’ which are located in the north of France. So, will you win the team competition and set a new record weight for this fish? If so you could be enjoying a holiday with big fish, great scenery and fresh baguettes!

Carp Connection Team Event Prizes: n First Prize: Free holiday for 6 anglers on 3 double swims at Etang le Chenet, including fully equipped 4-bed Chalet and three double swims worth 2000 euros n 2nd Place: Free holiday for 6 anglers on 3 double swims at Etang De la Haije worth 1650 euros. n 3rd Place: Free holiday for 6 anglers on 3 double swims at Etang Des Fourches worth 1500 euros. Whether you’re competing in the competition, or just want to know more about Fishing Resort du Der, you can check out our website at www.carpconnections. com or the Carp Connections Facebook page.

TEAM CARP CONNECTIONS 1

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-029 Paul Breedveld Ton Krijgsman John Hendriks WCC17-071 Hans Sissingh Mattie Curfs Champion 2015 Champion 2015

TEAM CARP ‘r’ us

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-017 Andrzej Walczak Krzysztof Charmuszko Champion 2014 Champion 2014 WCC17-017 Karel Nikl

Jan Dadak

Jakub Kumsta

TEAM DYNAMITE BAITS

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-014 Frank Granados WCC17-060 Stephane Gentile

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TEAM EVENT

Angel Bonal Andy Mcgregor Jean Baptiste Roussel

TEAM POLAND

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-016 Dariusz Kulczycki WCC17-081 Leszek Rutecki

Jacek Wojciuch Krzysztof Mroz

Dariusz Kup

TEAM SHIMANO

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-010 Jan Ulak WCC17-011 Simon Bates

Bjorn Emans James Young

TEAM WALES

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-062 Daniel Townsend WCC17-063 Mike Robbo

Ryan Green Luke Hayes

TEAM KARPELA

Captain

Vice Captain 3rd Angler

WCC17-001 Vadim Korunskij Yevhen Skulbida Stanislav Porozhniuk WCC17-087 Andrii Surkov Andrii Raiskyi Kostiantyn Dmytrenko

TEAM JOCHYM MARINE

Captain

WCC17-065 Lars Bood WCC17-100 Rob Tough

Vice Captain 3rd Angler Peter Hillebrand Tony Reynolds

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 58

REUBEN HEATON TOTAL WEIGHING SOLUTION

ANOTHER FINE SPECIMEN S Since its launch way back in 1989, Reuben Heaton’s flagship Specimen Hunter scale has gained a reputation for the unmatched accuracy and reliability.

Launched at a time when the scales market offered very little in terms of high end weighing products, the Specimen Hunter scale was way ahead of the curve in terms of performance, accuracy and reliability when it comes to fishing scales. Born out of the commercial weighing sector which is heavily governed by European standards, quality regulation and conformity requirements, the Specimen Hunter was the result of a collaboration between Reuben Heaton and one of the leading British manufacturers of commercial scales at that time, Waymaster. By this time, Reuben Heaton had already been building high quality match scales since the late 1920’s and the he resulting combination of angling and metrological knowhow resulted in the scale we know today and the rest is history. There have been quite a few incarnations of the Specimen Hunter since that time including the blue faced Millennia launched in 2000 and the ultra-scarce 5 – 1 Series St George cross limited edition which was launched in 2001 shortly after England beat Germany 5 – 1 in the European

Championships. Limited-edition Specimen Hunters like the 5 – 1 Series are much sort after and many are now collector’s items especially the lower numbered scales. More latterly came the limited Black Edition of which only a few hundred examples were made. New models of the Specimen Hunter scale have always been popular with the hard-core specialist angler and in keeping with the Specimen Hunter trend for innovation and development, Reuben Heaton launched their latest incarnation of their class leading specialist scale in May this year. The new 2017 model Specimen Hunter has inherited an updated version of the high-spec graphics enhancement package from the much sought after limited production Black Edition Specimen Hunter scale launched at the end of 2015. The Black Edition scale featured a revolutionary multi-layered lithographic print process on its dial face called Enhanced Vision System or EVS for short which was designed to enhance readability of the dial graphics in different light conditions.

For the 2017 model Specimen Hunter scale, the EVS system has been further developed using improved inks and layout specifically designed for this new 2017 model Specimen Hunter project in a bid to further enhance the scale’s visibility and readability. Developed through Reuben Heaton’s Total Weighing Solutions programme (TWS), the new 2017 Specimen Hunter scale dial has been coated with a highly-developed light reactive ink that greatly improves readability of dial markings in normal and especially low light conditions. The EVS coating also reduces glare and flash from bright sunlight and other direct light sources such as head torches improving dial readability and reducing weigh time so that fish can be returned sooner. Improved inks specifically designed for this Specimen Hunter application and exacting lithographic print processes are used to produce multi-layered highly accurate dial graphics which utilise the available

As you might expect, the new Specimen Hunter is manufactured to the highest of standards

light to maximise contrast between the black dial background and the printed weight graduations. The readability of the dial is then further enhanced by an additional matt transparent layer overprinted onto the dial surface. This final layer reduces surface flash and reduces the tendency for parallax error, focussing the eye more easily on the dial graphics. As a result of its light reactive properties, the EVA system coating can also be artificially charged using any standard light source to provide additional glow style illumination of the dial surface during night time use but its primary function is that of improving visibility of dial markings. As you might expect, the new Specimen Hunter is manufactured to the highest of standards. As part of the British made Reuben Heaton 4000 series, all Specimen Hunter models are calibrated to tolerances as specified in European directives for non-automatic weighing instruments (Class IV) and each scale is calibrated to required tolerances using traceable verified M1 class weights and all materials used in the construction of these scales conform to the relevant British BS/European Norm EN Standards. All new Specimen Hunters carry a warranty registration card inside the box so that you can register your scale and receive full after sales support. Some of the 2017 Specimen Hunter models are now available through UK retailers including the 60lb and 120lb versions. There are more capacities to follow during 2017 as the company implements a rolling change through the weigh range adhering to its “no dumping” product change policy.

160th Anniversary Specimen Hunter In keeping with tradition, Reuben Heaton are about to release the first details of their limited production 160th Anniversary Edition Specimen Hunter. Again, quantities made will be strictly limited in number with both imperial Lbs and metric kilo only versions being made available. The 160th Anniversary model will also benefit from the advanced EVS graphics package as well as some other unique features courtesy of recent developments from Reuben Heaton’s Total Weighing Solutions (TWS) programme. These latest multi-layer lithographic processes developed for the new breed of Specimen Hunter are currently being used to reproduce a carbon weave effect to back up the enhanced EVS graphics, updated interior and increased material specification. Anyone wishing to acquire one of the new 160th Anniversary scales should contact their local Reuben Heaton stockist to reserve their scale. Alternatively you can watch us on social media for updates on the new scale and its launch dates for UK and Europe. www.reubenheaton.com www.eagleclaw.co.uk @reubenheaton.com

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

MISSION POSSIBLE

For six decades, Lowrance has continued to help anglers spend more time catching than searching

For six decades, Lowrance has led the marine electronics industry in product innovation and customer service, supported professional anglers around the globe and dominated the tournament trail.

Track record.. Winner of the Bass Master

Classic, Jordan Lee (above); Founder Darrell Lowrance with an early FISH Lo-KTor fishfinder (main image)

It all started in the 1950s, with Darrell Lowrance and his efforts to use transistorized sonar technology to detect fish. “We are going to change the way people fish. And we are going to do it ourselves.” - Darrell Lowrance. He did just that in 1957 with the introduction of the first recreational fishfinder, the FISH-LO-K-TOR, affectionately known by millions as the Little Green Box, which revolutionized the fishing industry. The FISH LO-K-TOR is one of the most popular fishfinders ever created, with over a million sold from 1959 to 1984. Darrell Lowrance’s efforts didn’t just change the way people fish, but paved the way for the recreational fishfinder industry, pushing the industry forward with innovations and breakthrough technologies. Lowrance has many accolades including, launching the first sonar unit to include a micro-processor; patenting a low-profile Skimmer® transducer capable of high performance at boat speeds up to 70 mph; introducing the world’s first hand-held GPS for

under $500; developing the world’s first LCD product with integrated GPS, mapping and sonar and patenting a sonar system with an interactive display. Today the Lowrance brand continues to dominate the market with recent innovations including; the award-winning StructureScan® 3D, SideScan and DownScan Imaging™, independent dual channel CHIRP sonar, StructureMap™, Broadband Radar™ and SiriusXM® Weather Chart Overlay. The reputation of the Lowrance brand across the fishing community means that professional anglers worldwide turn to Lowrance as their marine electronics brand of choice. The array of specialist features designed for anglers available in Lowrance products often result in the difference between first and last place when used in a tournament setting. During the 2017 Bass Master Classic, Jordan Lee used the Lowrance HDS Gen3 12” with StructureScan® 3D imaging. In the practice stages of the tournament he identified an underwater “point” with a hardbottom area that he thought would hold fish, Lee said, “I shot out about 80 feet to the left and right to find the spot that I eventually went off, I was looking for brush piles. That’s one of the main reasons I was shooting out to 80 feet - big distances so I could see everything on these points”. On the last day of the competition, Lee faced mechanical issues on his boat, which

Always having your StructureScan on is a critical key in fishing – you never know what you’re going to run across - the things you can find with StructureScan are remarkable Jordan Lee

LOWRANCE

A LEGACY BORN ON THE WATER

Mapping the future.. Angler and innovator, Darrell Lowrence in 1957, with one of the early Fish Lo-K-Tor units

PROUD SPONSORS OF THE WORLD CARP CLASSIC

The new display size also features the option to set up a fourpanel split, which is the equivalent of four seven-inch screens on a single display held him in the same spot the he had located on the previous day with his Lowrance equipment. This proved to be the difference as he jumped from 15th to 1st place with a 27-pound, 4-ounce, five-fish limit, the biggest single-day catch of the tournament! Jordan Lee’s victory at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic Championship marks the sixth consecutive championship for Lowrance. Describing his achievement Lee said it was “an amazing week for me. A dream final day catching that big bag and bringing it up on the stage. I can’t thank Lowrance enough”. True to Darrell Lowrance’s mission to change the way people fish, the features and products that Lowrance bring to market today are committed to help anglers catch more. StructureScan 3D is a great example, adding a new dimension to fishing, scanning underwater terrain and fish-holding structure to create a high-resolution, 180 degree, three-dimensional view beneath the vessel. This unique imaging view gives anglers a better understanding of where fish and structure are located in relation to their vessel. Highly detailed, high-definition views of contours below the water’s surface shown to the sides of the vessel, up to 600 feet port and starboard. StructureScan 3D was a key

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

LOWRANCE

A LEGACY BORN ON THE WATER

Good to go.. The HDS Carbon brings modern smartphone-like comfort with integrated wireless and Bluetooth® connectivity component to Jordan Lee’s success at the 2017 Bass Master Classic. With 3 x HDS 12” multi-function displays on his boat, Lee has one solely for dedicated to StructureScan 3D. “Always having your StructureScan on is a critical key in fishing – you never know what you’re going to run across - the things you can find with StructureScan are remarkable”. The latest innovation from Lowrance saw the introduction of the HDS Carbon 16-inch, a new fishfinder/chartplotter with a 16-inch screen. The new device has the largest screen that Lowrance has ever produced, providing a bigger stage to highlight the SolarMAX HD technology, which is exclusive to the HDS Carbon series. 3SolarMAX HD provides clear viewing from any angle, even when wearing polarized sunglasses, giving anglers a distinct advantage on a clear day. With a dual

core high-performance processor, delivering faster redraw speeds and quicker response times easily powering dualchannel CHIRP sonar, dual network sounder, StructureScan® 3D, StructureMap™ and future high-powered fishfinding upgrades. The new display size also features the option to set up a four-panel split, which is the equivalent of four seveninch screens on a single display. Live Network Sonar, also gives anglers the capability to view and control two independent, live sonar sources at different locations — like the front and back of the boat, providing anglers with a comprehensive picture of underwater activity. The HDS Carbon brings modern smartphone-like comfort with integrated wireless and Bluetooth® connectivity. With a Network Analyzer that notifies users when new software is available and a Service Assistant that transmits a detailed network report directly to technical support for

custom hands-on assistance, the HDS Carbon range truly enhances the user experience. In a recent survey of 750 boat owners conducted by Lowrance, 60% of respondents admitted that they have never updated their software, most of them stating they don’t know how to, so this new functionality in the HDS Carbon range is a great example of innovation that addresses current pain points for anglers. The Lowrance brand was born out of a passion for fishing and 60 years on their mission remains the same, to help anglers spend less time searching and more time catching. With an extensive range of fishfinders/chartplotters including, the affordable Hook series, the standalone Elite-Ti series and the full-feature HDS series there is something for every kind of angler.

‘‘

BACK TO THE FUTURE The Italian Stallions are returning to Madine to continue their love affair with great French Lakes

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM Madine memories.. Section winners 2011, Daniele and Riccardo reap the fruits of the majestic Madine (above) and return again in 2015 (left)

ur first experience on lake the Madine was also our first time in the World Carp Classic.

2011 is already long time ago. I can still remember the emotion and my skin tingling, because it was also the first time in a international competition with all of the best anglers from every part of Europe and other parts of the world. Madine has something very special for all carp anglers, but for me and my team it was the begining of a real experience. The drawing of pegs was ‘’pick and ditch’’ so every angler can choose either the first pick, or ditch it and go for the second. Our first pick was in the middle of a section so we decided in the end to put it back and then, and at the second pick, my team mate Daniele picked out one of the best pegs on the lake, SBS 11. When we showed it to all the people in front of the stage the public began to scream and clap their hands. It was a crazy atmosphere and I still get goose bumps thinking about that even now. We began the competition and after one night we were already fighting for the section. In those years the winner was the team that caught the most weight, we were in a good position, and although we did not get too many runs, at the end we won the section for the first time at WCC. The emotions we had, to be there, up on the stage in front of anglers from every part of the world, and they could not have known that we were like kids on our first day at school - a day that we will never forget. The event took place for 3 years in italy, on our lake Bolsena, and nice memories were created on one of the most beautiful volcanic lakes in the world. The difference between Madine and the last one were the number of the pegs that were catching carp. Then in 2015 we came back to Madine and we already knew the tactics we would use for the lake but you can never know where we would fish for 6 days and 5 nights. We drew number 70 in the middle of the 110 teams. Lady luck was still on our side and

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

BACK TO THE FUTURE RETURN TO MADINE

Nice to be back.. Roberto, Daniele and Battisti on Peg 1, Madine 2015; Daniele and Riccardo with fine examples of common caught at Madine guys’ – what a nice statement. This short article is not meant to be about the fishing or the tactics, because fishing is also about the feeling, the emotion and ambience. Its about the connection with nature, which Madine knows how to show. I’m romantic and my memories will endure the passage of time because, sometimes, although we feel that it’s important to get on the stage, on a lake like Madine, its also important to catch a fish once in your life time - we were lucky for sure! This year, it will not be easy to live up to our last victory on this amazing place, but we are here, and we’ll try very hard right to the end just like always, because nobody will give you a present! Hello again to our dear Madine ... we are back! n Battisti Riccardo, Daniele Colapicchioni AND Roberto Mattei

‘‘

on the draw we took pegs number 1. We were very happy with that because that peg is a place where the fish are, almost all of the year, but this year we needed bigger fish because the winners would be decided by the 3 biggest fish. The competition began and after one night we had caught a 21,5 kg and 19,2 kg. Incredibly, in five days we caught four at night but nothing in the middle day. We were in 1st position, leading the event with three fish and more than 16 runs, but in fishing, just like in life, you never really know what’s going to happen. In the last hour we dropped to 3rd place, which we felt was a little unlucky – being so close to winning the competition for so long and to be so close to having your names on the trophy in an event as important as the World Carp Classic, was a little hard to accept. I’ve learned a lot of things from the World Carp Classic. I grew too much, too quickly in many respects in my life as a carp angler, but the phrase that I will always remember was said at the end of the event by Tim Paisley ‘good angling

fishing is also about the feeling, the emotion and ambience. Its about the connection with nature, which Madine knows how to show

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

CAPTAIN KARP! This will be my second experience at Lac de Madine and my forth-time participating in World Carp Classic. Since my first encounter with the inspirational Ross Honey back in 2014 in Bolsena, I have made many great friends and now, from deep in my heart, I have a sense of belonging to the World Carp Classic family

How it all began ..

The whole thing started for me much earlier, in 2004, when I came by the book “Carp Clinic” by Lee Jackson. In Ukraine it was the time when carp fishing culture had begun to evolve. We saw the arrival of the new fishing gear, new items for comfortable camping and learnt about the “catch and release” principle. The most remarkable and revealing part in the Jackson book for me were the passages that describe the baits and carp flavours. I learnt that they enjoy meat paste. Back then, I used to make baits out of potatoes, corn and peas. I started experimenting with bait ingredients mixing bits of canned meat, potatoes, pate and pea seeds. My experiments made me realize that soft baits need a container designed with stable partitions that ensure that it will not open when hitting the water with a powerful cast. It had to be a container that you could fill with any soft, particle and powder components. A container that could be open and closed with thread connection, it also had to have many holes; it should not scare fish off; and prove functional for an angler with any fishing pursuits and experiments. It was Lee Jackson’s book, in 2004, that inspired me to come up with the idea of a new fishing accessory called Karpela Cont. At that time I was collecting materials for my book “Fishing Sites’ Guide” – traveling in Germany, France, Italy, fishing at different places, exchanging ideas with the fellow anglers and soaking up their first-hand experiences. In my travels I always brought along the prototype of my invention, put it to test, kept

it was Lee Jackson’s book in 2004 that inspired me to come up with the idea of a new fishing accessory called Karpela Cont. adding changes and upgrades until finally I arrived at its ultimate version that proved “catching” for fish and practical for a fisher. Making sure I invented something really new and worthy, in 2012, I applied for its patent and set down to its manufacture with my long-time friend and partner Mikhail Markov. Meeting Ross Honey was a turning point for me. The time spent with him and fellow anglers at Bolsena in the autumn of 2014 came as a great inspiration and since that time I just couldn’t imagine my life without their company, because I got to appreciate it so much. I was really amazed by the enthusiasm of Ross.

Meeting Ross was a turning point for me. The time spent with him and fellow anglers at Bolsena in 2014 came as a great inspiration I just couldn’t imagine my life without their company

He just projected it upon others and never stopped producing new engaging ideas. Shortly after that memorable time at Bolsena, Ross flew to Kyiv and offered to hold a charity Juniors’ WCC fishing tournament in May of the same year. He suggested that I should become a captain of the Ukrainian team. It was a great honor for me; to return the favour, I volunteered to assist in the event organization and came up with the idea for the tournament award. It was going to be the “Karpela Cup” sculpture by the famous Ukrainian artist Evheniy Derevyanko. We faced serious time constraints, yet with the help of my friends and fellow anglers, we managed to come fourth with the team of boys who later turned out to be the youngest contestants at the first WCCJ tournament. Since that tournament, the Karpela company I founded has become the official sponsor of the World Carp Classic and I have been eagerly engaged in the sport events organized by Ross and I always take a great delight in their promotion and organization. Early 2017 brought me the offer of becoming the head of World Carp Classic office in Ukraine. Although my work remained busy and

Young guns ... Although Vadim’s Ukranian Junior team were the youngest contestants at the first WCCJ, they still managed to come a very respectable fourth place in th tournament

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Team Leader Vadim CAPTAIN KARP Vadim Korunskij

T Taking shape.. Vadim and Eugeniy working on the WCC Junior’s trophy challenging, I couldn’t say “no” and I was really honored. I was aware that fishing tournaments on big, wild in nature venues were hardly a popular concept in Ukraine. At the same time I saw carp-fishing gaining popularity, and understood that I could still draw a crowd of eager anglers to a big trophy carp event. Such competitions are as not common in Ukraine as they are in Italy, France, and England, because the big bodies of water here are overexposed to illegal fishing. Naturally, it is a big turn-off for true anglers as they will have to use lots of fish feed and still go away empty-handed. To enjoy a regular catch these days they are forced to look for small, privately owned lakes, and that makes the outcome of any contest predictable. The recent establishment of the Ukrainian World Carp Classic office now makes it possible to build up the carp fishing following in Ukraine as well as to put pressure on the state officials to make them address the problem of illegal fishing.

Up for the cup.. Sculptor Eugeniy Derevianko

Sculptor Eugeniy Derevianko was born in Kiev, 1968, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union. He is an expressionist sculptor, artist, and art teacher. As a talented boy from an artistic family, Eugeniy went to the Republic art school of Taras Shevchenko in 1987. After graduating, he went to the National academy of fine art and architecture in 1995. Then he became a member of the National union of artists of Ukraine, in 2003 and went on to found his own art school, called Gulfstream, in 2009. One of the greatest of Eugeniy’s works is the monumental sculpture known as the Monument of Nicolet Svyatosha, in Kiev. The sculptor’s creativity is widely represented not only in Ukraine but also throughout Europe, Canada and the USA.

I met Evgeniy Derevyanko in 2006. Back then I was looking for some original awards for our fishing tournaments. It had to be the award that reflected the spirit of our tournament, something that contending anglers would enjoy having for a prize. Probably, I was rather expressive in my ideas as, few days later, Evgengiy invited me to his studio and showed me a carp figurine made out of cherry-wood. It was just what I fancied it to be! I made a point of having the item made exclusively for our award ceremonies, and not for sale. When Ross Honey told me of his plan to hold the charitable WCC tournament for juniors in Ukraine, I already knew we had an exclusive award for such a great event. I was really excited when Ross took time off and came to Kyiv just to make sure the award lived up to what I told him. Every year Evgeniy Derevyanko creates one figurine that comes as a main award at WCCJ tournament. This year the 3rd copy winner’s Cup award will travel to England for the 3rd WCCJ championship. The event boasts a great number of competitive teams, which makes it hard to bet on what country will claim the Karpela Cup this time. I wish good luck to all competitiors of the prestigious tournament, and may the best ones win in a fair and uncompromising way!

he 18th World Carp Classic Championship took place in September 2016 at Lake Novomlynske in the Czech Republic.

It was my third World Classic championship – and my third lake. Each venue and competition is unique. On the one hand nothing is simple and one must start from scratch each time, and find your way through hits and misses. On the other hand, water is similar everywhere, and fish eat approximately the same food. It is more important to consider your previous mistakes, and even team selection, and prepare properly for the event. When it came to putting the team together for the 2016 championship my decision to involve Nikita Krupa and Konstantin Dmitrenko in the WCC competition was taken quickly but, at the same time, it was a reasoned decision. In the first place, the boys had learned carp fishing together. And, in the Spring, Nikita had written his report on fishing in Pustovity, and his report was in the top ten best by Karpela ratings. Later the team with Nikita won the competition in Marievka, the format of those competitions and the WCC being similar to some extent. And we also went with Kostia to junior WCC competitions in Katlov. Despite his young age he demonstrated full understanding of the subject - and he is 100-per-cent a team player. Even now I remember how wistful he was when looking at the winners of the junior championship. At that moment I felt Kostia should have another chance to show his character and all his skills. I had some doubts about his age, however, as, according to the rules of the championship, any participant under the age of 18 is forbidden to venture on the water. As in the previous year, Maksim Ritus was invited to be an assistant, and Natalia Ritus was to be our team guardian. We knew the lake on which the event was to take place was not a simple one: we knew all the sectors were situated in line - and we saw the list of competitors. There were seven winning teams from previous years, seven best world producers, and the main thing was that there were many teams from the Czech Republic who were familiar with the lake. But we got quite comprehensive information on the lake beforehand and a breakdown of the weather for the lake. That September it was so hot one would think it was July. Our feeding programme consisted of two parts. The first one was large-size granules and big boilies for carp attraction and feeding - these products had been bought in Holland and delivered directly to the Czech Republic. The second part was boilies, which I made. These are based on the mixtures from FF Baits, but their flavour and ingredients were chosen separately, considering the season and desired size of fish. We travelled to the venue by two cars independently from each other, and only met at the cross border point for passing through the border control. Polish border officials made us unload each car and checked each sack and every granule. We spent our night at customs control, discussing any possible tactics and exchanging opinions on our forthcoming challenge. Upon arriving at Novomlynske Lake we dived into the family atmosphere of the World Carp Classic – meeting up with real friends and like-minded competitors. We were warmly welcomed. I must say that the atmosphere of this great event overwhelmed us. Within in a few hours our tents were put up, and we settled in. We decided to become registered among the contestants on the very first morning. It was the time to face our first challenge. I knew that any competitor under 18 may not come on the water, but I hoped for some exception for Kostia who had been a competitor at World Carp Classic Junior. Nevertheless, that, as it turned out, meant nothing in this case, and he got his

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Korunskij puts Ukraine on the World Carp Classic map

Leading the way ... Vadim proudly shows off his team and new Karpela Cont products to Ross Honey during the 2016 WWC event

restriction and a red bracelet. Nikita was appointed to take part on behalf of our team in any draw. When we got number 96 in the draw I forecast that all the most inconvenient pegs would have been chosen by the time for our draw and the best would be left for us. Having no idea of the lake and relying just on intuition we would like to be closer to the waterway… Then it was high time for the official flag parade and main draw. And the customary procession of the drummer girls’ band and all of the contestants entertained everybody resting in camp. There followed Ross Honey’s address, the actual draw and the calling of the pegs – and those we would have liked began to “go away” from us! We entrusted Nikita to draw lots and that peg 12 looked like an unbelievably lucky number.

According to the rules, we might move to the peg not earlier than 7 a.m. on the starting day of the competition. Knowing that the lake was10km away from our camp, we decided to rest and to preserve our energy. Our morning started rather early, at about 4 a.m., and at 6.30 a.m. we were in column. I should say I really liked how the event was arranged and organized. But, to be honest, I was not a little shocked as we came closer to table number 12. I didn’t know the depth of the lake and its bottom state, but I was sure that moving on the nearly destroyed ledges leading to the water was dangerous enough. I warned everybody again and again that any sudden, nervous and ill-considered movements would result in injuries or worse. I

appealed for great care moving around near the water. At that moment I didn’t know how we would place out tents and organize our everyday life. In general, there were more questions than answers, but by the third day everything was comfortable and convenient - and by the fifth everything was cool! We went on the water right after the start. The echo-sounder showed the bottom was almost even but with some surprises. The water was green, and it was impossible to see anything clearly. So we placed our markers in the way it seemed convenient for us to deliver and to run out. The average depths were 3.20-3.80. While fishing, we learned about some surprises on the bottom - namely, stumps and

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Our movements were correct and tactical, the hooks were barbless. The fish was balancing. We let it turn once again, and, at last, it came in our net. Our movements were correct and tactical, the hooks were barbless. The fish was balancing. We let it turn once again, and, at last, it came in our net. We could not believe our eyes, it was 17,200 gr. It was really a worthy start, and it was so pleasant to receive the first congratulations on our “big fish” from the neighbours. On September16, at night, we caught a big fish that had been feeding heavily on our bait, and about two hours later we caught another. In any case, now we had a clear picture about fish preferences, and having caught three fish we

Karpela Big Fish Prize

This will be an award for those who use Karpela Cont in their fishing tackle box. This year, recording and registration of a catch will require making official photos of a fish and also the fishing equipment used. The scoreboard will have an additional check box for marshals to register the fish that was caught with Karpela Cont container.

All the requirements about recording of a fish caught with Karpela Cont equipment are to be made by Marshalls at the weighting procedure. This year’s winner will walk with the prize of 1,000 pounds in cash. The 2016 tournament saw 45 teams competing for the Karpela Big Fish prize that went to Rob Tough, the 2006 champion, who landed a 16,9 kg fish.

found that the team occupied the 13th position according to the catch board. It inspired us and strengthened our wish to go on fighting. On that last but very decisive night, we had six successful bites. At 01.50 a.m. we caught a carp of 15,500g, but we needed to catch one more, approximately the same, to get on prize position. But the next fishes didn’t bring us any scores - there were carp which we even didn’t bring to the bank and released them directly from the boat, changed the tackle, cast, and returned to the bank. But at 4.00 a.m it seemed that everything died, and until 7.00 in the morning it was complete silence all around. Finally, there was the signal to stop at 7.00, and everything finished. We had worked very hard and achieved a very good result, and although we didn’t get into any of the prize positions, there were a lot of congratulations from the other contestants on what we had achieved. To sum up, I would like to say thanks to my team for its devoted fighting and for the result we achieved, to which they contributed all their forces and energy. My special thanks, of course, go to our assistants, Maksim and Natalia. We did not have any problems with food and cooking – indeed, we had very tasty food, just like at home. I am grateful to our partners for equipping us: to Katran company, for very reliable lines and leaders; to Technocarp company, for our loads, and Carp Classic Baits company for their assistance and help in preparation of our feeding program and for our “big fish” 17 200 g, which was caught with Karpela container with species flavour and dusting boilie, and the FF Baits company. I am very thankful to everybody who supported us. It was really pleasant to communicate with all other participants and receive live reports and get the sound advice that we did. See you next time!

‘‘

bushes. Some of those were just flooded and covered with shells and that disturbed us. We decided to deliver the first line somewhere close and to feed the place, where Kostia would be able to take out the first scoring fish, while Nikita and I would place markers. But there were some doubts as to our tactics to attract fish in the sector – whether it was worth starting to feed with small-size grains. We finally decided to make a middle-size mixture from grains, fine pellets and boilies. We finished with our first delivery and feeding by night and didn’t think about fishing till the next morning. The next two days were boring and sometimes hard, as the first figures appeared on the catch board, and our neighbours had already caught some fish. On the third day our neighbour, Mr. Spomb, explained to us what exactly we had on the bottom. We started to move our markers and change fishing points. It should be noted that on the third day we abandoned small fractions and grains and started to use our secret boilies, 28 – 45 mm in diameter. Our first scoring fish came on the evening of our third day, on September 14. We took our places in the boat and went for a fish. When we were about to take our first carp we saw a flip in the moonlight. We thought it would be another bream. But, as only carp can, it bent our rod and went under the boat. We were terrified we were going to lose it.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

TROKAR

TO THE POINT

SHARP SHOOTERS T he TroKar hook point concept developed by world renowned hook maker Eagle Claw, changed the rules of specialist fishing in the US overnight when it was launched in 2009.

Since that time the Trokar brand has developed an enviable reputation in a range of angling disciplines collecting many awards along the way. Trokar pro-staff have won many major events including FLW Championship, BASS Elite Series and Open wins proving that the unique properties of the TroKar point can give you the edge when it matters. This competition level hook technology has now been transposed to specimen coarse fishing in the form of the Trokar Magnum carp hook range Trokar emerged as category leader in a very short period of time by changing the perception and value of the fishhook in the minds of today’s discerning specialist anglers. This latest concept in hook point technology brings together elements of both medical and fishing industries to create a point design with a dramatically reduced penetration pressure requirement that also has a strong geometric design. Many modern hook designs attempt to reduce penetration pressure thresholds using ever finer and longer points that are highly susceptible to damage and turnover. The Trokar concept negates the need for a finer point by engineering in penetration efficiency without the removal of metal. Surgically Sharpened Technology (SSI), is the term used to describe the one-of-a-kind machinery and manufacturing techniques used to make the TroKar hook. SST comes from the medical field, where the sharpest instruments in the world are developed for all types of medical and veterinary medicine. Eagle Claw worked hand-in-hand with one of the world’s leading manufacturers of surgical grade needles to develop and engineer a point specifically designed for fishing. The TroKar brand spares no expense during the manufacturing process using only quality components and materials. The base for the SST process is an ultra-clean high carbon steel with reduced impurities and increased carbon content that acts to amplify tensile strength and durability. Specifically made for the TroKar brand, Q741 high carbon steel is a superlative wire which when formed and cold forged, provides consistent grain flow in the metal resulting in an increased strength-to-weight ratio. To complement the high quality Q741 wire, TroKar Magnum carp hooks feature a specially formulated Black Chrome finish which uses ferromagnetic elements and an auto-catalytic chemical plating technique to help prevent corrosion and premature wear both in fresh and saltwater environments. An additional PTFE layer

www.reubenheaton.com See us on Facebook and Twitter

Official Eagle Claw brands distributor

Eagle Claw introduces Trokar’s Magnum Carp Hook range

improves performance still further and gives the hook the slightly dulled finish preferred by specimen anglers. To complete the hook, Trokar seal the eye joint with a specific epoxy. This process not only helps prevent damage to fine braids and filaments it also allows for better presentation of rigs with improved seating of material within the hook eye.

What makes Lazer TroKar so different?

Laser Trokar Facts ..

Where are Lazer TroKar hooks made?

What does TroKar mean?

The term TroKar comes from the word, Trocar, which is a medical instrument with a sharply pointed end, often three-sided. In modern times, surgical trocars are used to perform laparoscopic surgery and are deployed when the utmost sharpness and ease of penetration is needed.

TroKar hooks are not made like any other hook in the world. TroKar hooks use Surgically Sharpened Technology (SST) to grind and hone a threesided symmetrical point that is scalpel sharp and capable of penetrating and withstanding the toughest membranes and cartilage.

TroKar hooks are proud to be the only premium brand of fishhooks to be made in the United States of America. Made in Denver, Colorado by a team of dedicated American workers, TroKar hooks employ the finest craftsmanship and engineering and are the product of over 90 years of hook manufacturing experience.

The Eagle has landed... Richard Shenton Holybush lake record 36lb 5oz

What patterns and sizes are available? TK880 Magnum Long Shank: Sizes 8, 6, 4, 2 and barbless 8 and 6.

TK881 Magnum Wide Gape: Sizes 6, 4, 2, 1 and barbless 8 and 6.

TK882 Magnum Chod: Sizes 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 and barbless 6 and 5.

TK883 Magnum Curved Shank: Sizes 8, 6, 4, 2 and barbless 8 and 6.

What makes TroKar’s point so durable?

Each TroKar hook has a special and unique point ratio that has been specifically designed for its technique. The TroKar point was developed to mimic the strongest natural shape in nature, a three-sided triangle. The unique triangular point helps to disperse pressure amongst its 3 symmetrical sides, allowing for a sticky sharp point all day long. TroKar uses a special and proprietary highcarbon steel called Q741 specifically created for TroKar hooks.

How are the hooks tempered?

The tempering process for the TroKar hooks is specifically tailored for the Q741 wire and performed in Eagle Claw’s own in-house heat-treatment lab. The molecular structure

of the high carbon steel wire is specifically manipulated to bring out the maximum strength in the hook whilst imparting just the right amount of flex to resist breaking.

Do you ever need to sharpen TroKar hooks?

The three-sided symmetrical point of the TroKar hook is especially conducive to sharpening and makes the process very easy by simply following the natural contours of the hook. We suggest relying on common sense, but if the point of the hook seems to be dulled, a few strokes with a fine-grained hook hone is all that is required to add sharpness to the point.

TK884 Magnum Wide Gape HD: Sizes 6, 4, 2 and 1.

A PTFE layer improves performance still further and gives the hook the slightly dulled finish preferred by specimen anglers.

https://reubenheaton.com/tro-kar/

Each pack of Trokar Magnum Carp Hooks contains 10 hooks per pack – all sizes. MSRP £6.50 - £6.99/pk

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 76

THROUGH A LENS

Pete Castle is one of the most-recognisable faces in carp fishing. Having forged a strong career in the angling media, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a skilled photographer and filmaker. A versatile angler, he is equally at home nicking a bite off the surface as he is stalking or sitting behind three rods.

Caught in action... Although Pete is based in Suffolk, this hasn’t stopped him taking lots of big carp to over 40lb, including an awesome mirror called The Dragon from a hush-hush water. He’s not just a big-carp man though, in fact, he’s adept at getting bites from a whole range of waters be they dayticket, club waters or pressured syndicates.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 78

STEVE HOWARD A FRENCH REVELATION

ASSESS, ADAPT AND OVERCOME

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM When the last minute opportunity arose to fish from the gite at the beautiful High Mill Lake (E’tang de Brigueuil), in Charente France, I hesitated for just one millisecond before blurting out my delighted ‘ooh, yes please’. Some background info: I discovered that there had been 3 anglers on the venue for the week previous and their catch report showed that they had caught 8 carp between them (losing equally as many). They had fished at the very far end of the lake in the shallower water (The deepest water being in front and to the right of the gite). I sensed that, being early March, the fickle carp could have been basking in the slightly warmer shallows because of the early season sun that we that had been enjoying, and I suspected that unless the fish moved toward me, I might struggle a little to earn a fish or two from where I was. The big consideration: I really didn’t want to leave the gite anyway, but after two consecutive blank days and nights I nodded to myself knowingly… Still firm in my mind and reluctant to move to the other end of the lake for what would only be ‘day-only’ sessions (as I never took a bivvy and all the paraphernalia that ‘camping’ entails, with me), so I decided to revaluate my tactics and reposition my traps instead.

bit of history:

I had been to the venue several times before to see my good friends Tracey and Andy Jones, who own the lake but, for whatever reason, I’d only ever fished there once on a short overnighter a couple of years back.

Unfortunately I had blanked on that occasion, but this time, I had a whole week there with the whole lake to myself, how fantastic is that? Pause to smell the roses: I took my time on arrival, exchanging pleasantries and drinking tea in the welcoming lounge with my gracious hosts, before some time later accepting the offer of a tour of the gite so that Tracey could explain a few things to me such as rules, regulations and other requirements. With that done, I unloaded my kit from the car and began to settle into my home for the week, which is absolutely ideal to fish from. What a ‘bivvy’!

Critical Evaluation: Including all of my previous fishing from any pre-booked swims and when taking part in competitions such as the World Carp Classic, I have now fished a far greater number of fixed-position pegs over a large number of years, and here, given the ‘open checkbook’ to move wherever I wanted, I had no reservations in declining it. Experience tells me that either way, move or stay, it is perhaps just a gamble at times. Sure, we can take into account prevailing winds and weather conditions to assist us in making a choice but, without confirmed sightings, the truth of the matter is that wherever you are on a body of water, there is always a chance of a fish. Right, wrong or plainly bad choices: I admit it, I have at times made completely the wrong choice of swims, what can I say, I’m human! I have also made the wrong choice in the timing of moves; moving or staying is a gamble. We have all made bad choices at times, and it is very common to hear the sob stories of how an angler moved from a swim only to hear that his target fish, the lake record, the fish that is only caught once every 10 years, or whatever, was caught within 20 minutes of his departure by the incoming angler

over his baited spots! Yes, we have all heard these sad tales, so please don’t try to convince me that, to move, is always the best or only option. It’s not. Alternative Philosophy: Staying put in a swim is not the lazy option, nor is it simply admitting defeat. In competition angling, where the random nature of peg draws produces some tough challenges, no question, some swims demand that the angler must display courage, skill and judgement to try locate potential feeding spots and, in this situation, in a specific area, produce fish! Without question, the need to adapt in these situations is prerequisite to any potential success. When there is no option to move, in this situation the angler must display good watercraft and angling skills to overcome the challenges before him and, sure, we have all drawn ‘those’ pegs, the worst ones in sections that never produce carp, but I will never give up, because when you can only fish the water in front of you, it then becomes a personal challenge akin to fishing a rock hard, low stocked lake. We all appreciate that situation where the challenge and reward is heightened considerably due to the tough nature of the water. So why give up? Staying put and the required changes: That night, after casting my 3 rods to new areas; one to the shallow left-hand margin in around 3’ of water, one 50 yards to the right of that in around 6’, and the third in open water directly in front of the gite, I felt confident in my new and carefully considered plan. I had scaled down hugely from my more normally considered approach on a big fish venue to a size 8 SBS Tactical Baits Grip-Tip hook set up on coated braid. On all three I made a slight adjustment to the way it was presented by using 4”, 5” and 6” hooklengths. These I baited up one with 3 x 10mm SBS C1 boilies, another with 2 x SBS C1 boilies and on the third rod, in deeper water, I placed a single16mm SBS C1 wafter. Down to Business: I was now fishing for one run at a time, with slight tactical differences to increase the possibility and potential of pick ups. To each rod, I attached a very small pva mesh bag with between 10-15, 10mm C1 boilies and a tiny amount of pellet - just a small mouthful - to invite a pick-up. A few C1 16mm boilies were

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

STEVE HOWARD A FRENCH REVELATION then scattered around, across the line of all 3 rods, to hopefully create a trail that carp would follow. The plan worked just as darkness approached… a double figure bream had sprung the trap on my left hand rod, the shallow water trap. But by this stage, any confirmation that ‘something’ was working, was comforting! First Blood: Deep into the night, and even deeper in slumber, my receiver hit a sweet note that it seemed to like and it never broke the deafening scream from the very first indication until the moment that I picked the rod up to restore peace. The buzzer had been in complete meltdown the entire time. One could be forgiven for assuming that it was probably not a big fish, and that a slightly more vigorous and less weighty inhabitant had made off with my bait, but no! My efforts to slow this fish down were met with very heavy resistance, and I began to question my knowledge of the lakes inhabitants… Were there catfish or sturgeon in here? I thought to myself. As the strong and dogged fight progressed I reminded myself that I was only using size 8 hooks… I comforted myself with the certain knowledge that the hooks had more than proven their worth previously, in a session where I had caught 12 carp over 35lb off the top on them. Confidence restored, I continued with my attempts to bank this Brigueuil beauty before finally drawing it over the cord of the net for my first fish of 2017. Bitter Disappointment: My success, however enjoyable up to that point, was dampened after I had safely slipped the fish back into the water… and as I write, I remain deeply ashamed of the extremely poor quality of the photos I took (due to my hasty self-take photography) and I am disgusted with myself that such a good fish, a 19kg mirror, could possibly be made to look so small! (The sling, unknowingly at the time, caught over its tail, and that was another indication of my utter uselessness on the night!) No time to reflect: I returned the fish, thanked it for its visit and happily returned to the gite to fill in the lake report sheet… but, I never even finished writing in the details before the receiver for my left-hand, shallow water, rod was bursting my eardrums with its cry for attention! Already partially in my starting blocks (at least I was awake) I was off down to the rod at break-neck speed (about on a par with a 3-legged tortoise with chronic arthritis in two of its legs) and I was in again! Great Expectations: This fish was discernibly very much larger than the first, and that had been 19kg… now, that thought was incredible! It took me what seemed like eons to encourage this carp towards the waiting net, and I confess that I felt that it was in the balance whether or not I would be successful, such was the struggle. Again, the thought of a size 8 hook in a very large carps mouth was ‘ever-so-slightly’, no, extremely concerning! I really needn’t have worried though, as the hook performed exceedingly well and on inspection, showed no sign whatsoever that it was ever likely to let me down. Feeling Elated: As I tried to lift this leviathan from the inky blackness and watery depths of its home, I could not estimate its size, although its reluctance to be lifted had me thinking… ‘This is a very big fish!’… Indeed, adjusting my stance and grip, my 2nd and 3rd attempts to lift the fish onto the mat were again met with stubborn resistance… she was indeed a lump! Finally, with considerably more effort, very much approaching my ultimate limit, I hauled my prize clear of the water and safely onto the mat and I peeled back the folds of mesh to reveal her. What a fish she was! I had to weigh this huge

enter my pathetic attempts of self-take photos – I had forgotten the adaptor that screws into the bottom of the camera so that it can be mounted on the tripod… alas, I had also forgotten my remote! mirror three times, as I stared at the scales in awe and disbelief, double-checking them each time. A staggering 28.2kg no less. Annoyed with myself: Again, enter my pathetic attempts of self-take photos – I had forgotten the adaptor that screws into the bottom of the camera so that it can be mounted on the tripod… alas, I had also forgotten my remote! Not to be denied at least some form of pictorial memory, I assessed, adapted and overcame the problem by utilising a nearby plastic table and my 10-second repeat delay function. Shame on me and obviously it remains deeply regrettable, but my inability to hold the fish up enough, or indeed ‘out’ enough, combined with the poor angle, ensured that my images were poorly composed. I can only apologise to my friends at High Mill Lake and to SBS for the poor quality images. Sorry chaps! All is not lost: It seemed that the fair wind that had been blowing down into the gite end overnight was beginning to peter out a bit now, and I could do nothing but hope that the carp might hang around long enough that there would be one more chance of a fish before they returned to the far end of the lake. Another big old bronze bream that night was all I had, it was bigger than the last, but no carp. There was still reason for hope, though, as I heard a couple of carp crash out very early in the morning during darkness.

Keeping the faith: I continued with my successful tactic regardless. It had worked and I could be sure that it would work again if the carp were to come across it. The only slight problem that I had encountered with this approach was that the boilies, being so small, needed to be replaced every 6 hours or so, as they were attracting the attention of crayfish and poison chat. The following morning just after sunrise on the penultimate day of my session, I was in action again. This fish ultimately turned out to be the smallest of my session at just over 15.5kg, but at least my lovely hosts were at hand to take some better images for me! A very happy ending: That last night was unfortunately a quiet one for me, but then, right on very first light, off we go again. This last minute opportunity felt like a very nice carp indeed, and so it proved, at 19.5kg. To say that I was elated by this 4-fish haul, averaging out between them to over 21kg, is understating it; it was a fantastic week on a truly wonderful venue. My new PB mirror was quite by chance the new lake record for a mirror (there are bigger commons!) even if it was perhaps carrying a good deal of spawn. I’ve now set my mind on meeting one of those big Brigueuil commons one day, for sure! On Reflection: I would now venture the question, had I moved from the gite and invested my time and attention in the shallow area at the far end of the lake, would I have actually caught any fish at all? I’m really not so sure that I would, you know, because the wind changed and that meant that at least ‘some’, possibly most of the carp went to the exact opposite end of the lake, in front of the gite. I guess that the moral of this story is to never give up, no matter where you find yourself fishing, because every swim on every lake (especially on Madine) has the potential to produce 3 fish of a good size, and this week, those fish could make you World Carp Classic Champions 2017. Good luck to you all! n steve howard https://www.sbsbaits.com/us/ http://www.etangdebrigueuil.com/home.html

NTEC TACKLE

BREAKING THE MOULD me Beco EC .. T aN t ant with l u conse biggest fisnh NTEC

a th Catch nd become t a year! s a a C NTE nt for at le team with a y n lta consu rovide ever rials that ca 17 p l We’l g with mate in the WCC ba ete goody ed to comp s be u

The NTEC product range ... Our main products are the hooks and the hook links. Please take a look at our catalogue for our complete product range. But here is a little more information about some of our best and strongest products. NTEC Hook Range .. All hooks have a Teflon coating, which results in lower friction while hooking the fish, and it doesn’t wear off easily. The NTEC hook range will be extended in the near future with other

hook types. At the moment, we have three types of hook: the super strong anti-snag hook, the aggressive curve shank and the efficient wide gape. The NTEC T-Anti Snag: The perfect hook to fish near obstacles. The hook has a special “Cutting Point” and provides less resistance while hooking the fish. This will result in the fish being hooked much faster. In addition to the more rapid hooking, the Cutting Point

makes sure the point of the hook will last longer. The NTEC T-Curve Shank: An aggressive claw-shaped hook with a straight point. These characteristics will lead to the highly efficient hooking of the fish. This hook can be used for both bottom and pop-up presentations. The NTEC T-Wide Gape: Perfect for anglers who prefer an optimal hooking (and hold). The wide bend in the

NTEC specialises in end-tackle carp products for some of the most hardcore river anglers ... if you need strength, you’ll need NTEC!

hook and the almost completely straight hook point make sure of this. 3.2 Hook links The NTEC Hook Link range contains three types of uncoated hook link: the ultra-natural Kratos, the fast sinking Hero, and the super abrasion resistant Thor. The NTEC Kratos: A very supple and natural hook link, perfect for fishing situations that re-quire secure and subtle fishing. This soft but

welcome to the world of NTEC and thank you for sharing your interest in our wide range of end tackle products.

NTEC is a dynamic and innovative brand with roots in Belgium. We specialise in end tackle products used for carp fishing in some of the most extreme conditions. NTEC’s complete product range has been developed, produced with and tested by the most hardcore anglers in the fishing scene. The founders of NTEC, Niels and Nick, are both Industrial Engineers with a lot of fishing experience. Thanks to their engineering background, combined with their

angling experience, they succeeded in producing delivering high quality products. NTEC is driven by quality and therefore continuous improvement is our goal. Why hardcore river anglers? Simple: when it’s strong enough for most rough rivers, it’s strong enough for everywhere else! We started developing and testing the products in 2014 and continuously improved the materials until we were satisfied with the quality of the result. NTEC consciously chooses to use the less traditional form of marketing. The reason for this is that we want to differentiate ourselves from all the other brands in everything we do. We believe that the fishing industry is an outdated market in terms of marketing. We determinedly choose not to invest in very expensive marketing campaigns and advertisements. In order to sell a product, you need to reach your market. The best way to reach your market (in our case: the carp fishing community) is by finding the ideal mix between online exposure, social media, partnerships and product placement ... and of course, a great product!

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

REEL IN THE BEST

strong hook link will definitely not disappoint. The NTEC Hero: A fast sinking, abrasion resistant hook link, for the most extreme conditions. The NTEC Thor: Particularly strong despite its small diameter, thanks to its extremely durable hard fibres. This might just be the strongest hook link on the market with a diameter this small.

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SONSOFNOONE CARP BOAT EXPERIENCE

ESCAPE TO THE WILD 84

The collaboration of four angling companies and an Italian holiday organiser has created a unique carp angling experience, offering visitors the chance not only to enjoy some of Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful lakes, but follow the carp as they move, in the comfort of a fully-equipped boat ... introducing Sonsofnoone

We gave the name to the boat to express the idea of freedom – the same idea the angler has when fishing for carp that are free, wild and unknown

Trip advisor..

WCC Agent, Riccardo Battisti (below) has had 20 years experience in carp angling with a personal best of a 27kg Common and a 32kg mirror, so you know you will be in good hands

We are formed by four Angling Companies and a group that organize holidays in Italy - which is not just famous for ice cream and pizza, but it is also a lovely place to stay and breathe in the amazing sights of nature. We trust in nature, respect her and all her creatures that move around.

Carp are just one of those creatures and our aim is to provide a very different feeling during the fishing session. Our idea may be unusual, but we’ve work hard on the construction of the boat because it’s important that the anglers feel like it is home when they are out on the water. Using a boat as a house is not a new idea but, at the moment here in Italy, we are the first group that promotes this concept for many reasons. Carp often move during the daytime and if we are there in a fixed position, camped in a bivvy, a long time could pass before we have a run. But with a Sonsofnoone boat you can follow the carp as they move and continue to

try to catch them. You also have the option of spending the day on regular daily sessions and then come to sleep in the hotel, use the swimming pool or go out for an excellent Italian dinner. Either way, we are organized to make the dream come true. We gave the name Sonsofnoone to the boat to express the idea of freedom, wilderness, the randomness of nature itself – the same idea the angler has when fishing for carp that are free, wild and unknown. That’s why we promote fishing only on public waters and open spaces like Lago del Salto, which is also the World Carp Classic Italian qualifier took place. Also Lago del Turano, Lago di Scandarello and Lago di Vico; these lakes and many more hold the origins of Carp fishing history in Italy and that’s the reason why we’ve worked with passion and heart on this project. We wanted something that was completely diffferent, something that no other session

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

SONSOFNOONE

CARP BOAT EXPERIENCE

could be compared to. Just the perfect angling trip – no stress, good food and to be able to enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets as you have a run, which could be a big one! Totally flexible carp fishing from a top-ofthe-range boat, designed with anglers in mind. The boat has been custom built with two foam beds, an oven and fridge that are all inclusive. Or, if you want more of chance of catching a few fish, we can also offer bivvy packages on some great wild lakes where we’re sure we could get you some monster carp in the bag – the choice is yours. A week on the boat and a week in the bivvy would make a dream session for someone!

What will be included and what are the adventures like? You will be collected from the airport, then it’s off to the supermarket for supplies. Once you have your fishing licence (also included in the price) you will then be driven down to your chosen destination. Alternatively, we can pick you up from the airport and head back to ours where we can talk about where you want to go fishing over a few drinks and, maybe, a BBQ and then the next morning we can head off fishing. We are also willing to put customers up after your session for a night – this way, it’s more relaxed, more organised and you get a FULL 7 days fishing on top form and 9 days on holiday (this only applies for bookings of two anglers). All the necessary cooking equipment and a fridge is included. The gas charge is 30 euros per week, per person. This will power your fridge to keep beers and your full week’s food cold as well as cooking it. The oven is fantastic and makes life much easier .. there’s nothing quite like an ice cold beer on the bank or boat and a pizza :) quality!

Sonsofnoone packages: n One Angler trip: Fully guided trip for one angler including tackle hire, boat or bivvy with free airport transfers

Spoilt for choice ... Lago del Salto, Lago del Turano, Lago di Scandarello and Lago di Vico are just some of the amazing lakes that hold the origins of Carp fishing history in Italy n Two Angler trip: A week for two anglers sharing the boat or fishing from bivvys , free airport transfers (the two angler option also includes 2 extra nights stay at my home if required. I am here to cater for your requirements so if you want to split your session or fish a lake or river that’s not a problem - I am totally flexible, just contact me and we can discuss the details. Fuel, depending (if you’re moving lakes then fuel costs must be considered)

What’s included on the boat? n Gas Cooker n Gas operated fridge n 2 Landing Nets n 2 Cradles n 2 Carp Sacks n Brew Kit n 1 bivvy n 2 chairs

n 2 Cups, Plates and Cutlery n 2 Boat fixed Rod Pod n Solar Shower n Use of the cabin boat n Inflatable boat Catamaran Jochym Marine 320 n Lowrance Echo sounder gps n Marker sticks Carpspot n 2 life jackets

Bivvy Session:

If two anglers are bivvy fishing together for the week then the inflatable boat would be shared equally. There is another boat avaliable, if needed, but the main inflatable is one of the best on the market so sharing is recommended. Sleeping bags are also available, however, most lads prefer to use their own! n For further information on Sonsofnoone Experiences, please visit www.fouranglingcompany.com

PLAIN WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Mark of quality... Jochym Marine’s Fishmaster series guarantees stability, safety, comfort and protection

t all started back in 1995, when we as avid fishermen needed a small and high quality fishing boat

Stable, safe, made of high quality materials, with enough free internal space and good sailing features. Since the beginning of our mission, we had designed and tested various prototypes of boats in order to find the best one to fit the fishermen’s needs. We have experience working with a variety of materials such as laminate, wood, dinghy and their variations, providing service and maintenance to our customers. After a long journey, we finally developed a product in 2016, which fully realised the potential of a small vessel. It is an inflatable catamaran made of high quality materials with excellent transportability. However, this is still not the end of our mission. We are constantly innovating, testing and developing our products in order to bring our customers the best sailing experience possible.

Fishmaster 300 A unique kind of boat developed to meet specific requiremets of fishermen. The process of development took us four years in co-operation with some of the world’s best fishermen. Thanks to its special construction, Fishmaster 300 is highly stable on the water even in unfavourable weather conditions. The inside space of the boat is bigger than in the most of the inflatable boats of the same length. Lower fuel and electric consumption thanks to reduced friction of the boat on the water due to an air tunnel under the floor which also provides increased safety. The air tunnel prevents air flow to getting under the boat which would lead to overturning. All wooden parts are protected with hot sprayed layer of antiskid rubber which also protects them from humidity. Bigger tubes of the boat ensure higher bouyancy which makes the boats planing even easier. Back side of tubes are curved down which creates more bouyancy on the back of the boat which allows it to go smoother also with more load. PVC strapes along whole tubes protect them from damage and also allow the boat to get to a shore in hardly accesable places.

FISHMASTER 300 SPECS n Length: 300cm n Width: 160cm n Inside space: 190 x 75cm n Weight: Only 39kg (including floor) n Packing size in bag: 110 x 50 x 30cm

After year’s of working closely with some of the world’s best anglers, Jochym Marine were on a mission to launch a unique type of inflatable boat that was stable, safe and spacious ... introducing the Fishmaster Series

(including floor) n Max.outboard: 9.9hp n Max load: 330kg n Max person: 4

Fishmaster 350 XL This extra wide, six-man model has an incredible overall width of 210cm which creates and amazing amount of inside space and load capacity for it’s 350cm length – bigger than most inflatable boats of the same length. Like the 300 version, the Fishmaster 350 XL is highly stable on water even in unfavourable weather conditions. Lowered fuel, electric consumption and the friction of the boat on the water are all reduced thanks to the underfloor air tunnel providing increased safety. All wooden parts are protected from the elements and humidity by a hot sprayed layer of antiskid rubber and bigger tubes ensure higher bouyancy making planing even easier. PVC straps along whole length of the tubes protect them from damage and also allow the boat to get to shore in hard-to- access places.

The process of development took us four years in co-operation with some of the world’s best fishermen.

SAILING

FISHMASTER 350XL SPECS n Length:350cm n Width: 210cm n Inside space: 230 x 110cm n Weight: Only 49kg (including floor) n Packing size in bag: 130 x 70 x 30

(including floor) n Max.outboard: 9.9hp n Max load: 500 kg n Max person: 5

Why choose a Fishmaster by Jochym Marine? n Developed and built in Slovakia, with high quality

materials from Italy, Germany, Austria, USA

n Highly stable on water even in unfavorable weather

conditions

n Inner space bigger than most inflatable boats of

the same length, making your time on water more comfortable and you can carry much more. n Lower fuel and electric consumption - nearly 50% less thanks to reduced friction of the boat n Increased safety. Air tunnel prevents air flow getting

under the boat which would lead to overturning.

n All wooden parts are protected with a hot sprayed

layer of antiskid rubber which also protects them from humidity n Higher bouyancy makes planing even easier. Back side of tubes are curved down which creates more bouyancy on the back of the boat which allows it to run smoother also with more load. n Protective PVC straps along all tubes allowing you to get to hard-to-access places. n High speed possible even with small outboards. n Approx. 30% lighter than other inflatable boats.

Lowered fuel, electric consumption and the friction of the boat on the water are all reduced thanks to the underfloor air tunnel providing increased safety

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE For many years now, there has been so much controversy regarding intentionally dropping lead weights when fishing for carp in rivers and lakes and this concept provides anglers with a new, far more environmentally friendly option and an alternative to traditional lead weights. Importantly, it should be noted that these sinkers can be custom made and also produced with logos on. As an example of this, everyone competing in the acc 2-17 event will receive WCC exclusive sinkers UFOSINKER team follows the ideology of lead free fishing and with every step we display the passion we have for fishing to our customers. UFOSINKER embody the spirit of true sport fishing and our goal is to become known as the fish friendly brand leader. This vision can only be achieved with strong UFOSINKER partners who are ready to catch the attention of environmentally aware anglers just as UFOSINKER does itself. UFOSINKER is not just about manufacturing lead free sinkers and jigs. It is our ethos. Fresh water fishing in a clean, environmentally healthy ecosystem – that is the true definition of sport fishing. UFO provides not only a wide range of fishing weights but also other environmentally friendly fishing equipment. For more information on our range of

products, please visit our site via this link to the website http://ufosinker.com/page/about-us-8/ Let us introduce you to UFO SINKER – As described previously, it is a concrete fishing sinker and a perfect alternative to lead sinkers with unique features. UFO SINKER is made of special high density concrete (4 g/cm³) which is double the weight of stone. The concrete contains carefully selected components that meet strict European standards. Concrete consists of only completely natural materials, so UFO SINKER is 100% environmentally friendly. The natural surface of the UFO SINKER does not require any additional finish such as plastering or colouring. In addition, UFO SINKER naturally absorbs liquid substances. So UFO SINKER can be easily dipped and aromatized with your favourite fish

attractant - which will put you one step ahead. Amongst the various benefits of using the UFO SINKER, your conscience will be clear, as you will never again deposit highly toxic lead into the water again when using a self-releasing system. Almost a year after its introduction (EFTTEX 2016) the number of anglers who are using UFO SINKER and displayed clearly that they care about the environment increased significantly. Join NonToxic team. UFO SINKER has been awarded “the best new product of 2017“For Fishing 2017 expo in Prague. UFO SINKER is a registered trademark within the European Union, USA, Australia, Norway and Russia. UFO SINKER regularly takes part in trade fairs, especially EFTTEX in Europe. In 2016 exhibited at ICAST in Orlando, USA. Our marketing plan for 2018 and 2019 includes EFTTEX, ICAST and Carp Italy. We always provide our distributors with space and possibility to represent themselves on our stands. We have registered web domains in most of European countries and we will provide access to the domains to our local partners. Beside the above mentioned, we have a highly detailed brand manual and wide range of promotional items. Being involved in the World Carp Classic is important to us as there is a vast International reach with the anglers participating and this mirrors our company objectives

UFO is a proud sponsor of the WORLD CARP CLASSIC

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

REMKO VAN DEN BERG OFFICIAL WCC PAINTING

Dutch Painter Remko van den Bergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork is well-known all over the world. He is famous for his paintings of nature â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of his trademarks being the kingfisher. However, as an avid fisherman who attends Carpe Zwolle every year, one of his passions is painting carp. One particular carp painting has been commissioned as the Official artwork for the World Carp Classic, which shows two carp swimming towards the WCC Trophy.

If you wish to make an appointment with the artist for a specific painting or buy a payable reproduction of a original painting, Remko would love to talk with you. For more information, check the site or send an email: www.kunstschilderremko. remko.berg@planet.nl

Stroke of genius ... Remko adds the finishing touches to one of his typically stylised carp paintings (above); A selection of the artists are works including his signature Kingfisher

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM 94

IT’S IN THE Become a well organised angler with Plano Tournament anglers have a limited amount of time during a competition. Those who keep their tackle and gear organized and accessible are the ones who keep their lines fishing and position themselves to collect pay cheques. The recreational angler is bound by the constraints of time too. Time spent searching for lures and other tackle can result in stolen memories and experiences. Whoever you are and wherever you fish, your time on the water is precious. Plano revolutionized the tackle storage business over 60 years ago with the creation of the first moulded plastic tackle box. Since then, the pioneers of practicality at Plano have created one new tackle storage solution after another – most incorporating their industrystandard, interchangeable 3500, 3600 and 3700 size StowAway tackle trays – giving anglers an unprecedented array of clever tackle storage and transportation options based on their specific fishing objectives and needs. “Our goal is simple to describe, but challenging to execute,” says Plano Synergy Vice President of Marketing, Pete Angle: “Provide a diverse and innovative collection of tackle storage products to help anglers stay organized, protect their gear, catch more fish and, ultimately, maximize their enjoyment on the water.” In 2016, Plano’s angling engineers have developed an unprecedented release of 30 distinct all-new soft tackle bags from a totally blank canvas, anchored by the adventurous A-Series and magnum-sized M-Series lines of soft tackle bags. For the past six decades, Plano has focused on innovating and elevating tackle storage and management so anglers can find more success on the water and make the most out of every precious outing. Today, Plano manufactures and sells over 200 distinct tackle storage products, each painstakingly designed to help anglers protect their passion with innovative, user-friendly function and pride-inspiring style. There are many reasons why anglers choose Plano, but our favourite is: “It’s what my dad always used.” Learn more at www.planomolding.com.

Plano’s new A-Series A premium and distinctive line of innovative designs, combining high-quality materials with clean and rugged aesthetics. A-Series models consist of a 3600 size Tackle Bag, 3600 and 3700 size QuickTop Tackle Bags, a Tackle Backpack, and a Tackle Duffel, providing the discriminating angler with a comprehensive system for tackle storage and transportation. Each bag is constructed from a proprietary fabric in a classically subtle shade of deep green, adorned with MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) webbing borrowed from the tactical industry for additional utility and visual appeal.

A-Series QuickTop Tackle Bags n Innovative hybrid soft/hard design n Viewable, fast-access storage in hard top lid n Proprietary polyester soft bag construction with water-resistant lining n Moulded, impact-resistant, waterproof base n Choice of two sizes: 3600 or 3700

n Includes four StowAways in either 3600 or 3700 sizes n Exterior zippered pockets plus two tool holders n MOLLE tactical webbing n Reinforced carry handle and padded shoulder strap

A-Series Tackle Backpack n Carry your tackle and additional gear while keeping hands free to fish n Includes five x 3600 StowAway Utility Boxes n Large interior storage compartment for StowAways plus additional gear n Interior includes front organization flap with three mesh pockets plus one large zippered pocket

BAG storage solutions n Four exterior pockets: two zippered, two snapbutton n Cushioned back pad, adjustable shoulder straps, and reinforced top carry handle n MOLLE tactical webbing for added utility

A-Series Tackle Duffel

n Store tackle, rainwear or other gear all in one bag n Holds a total of 14 x 3600 size StowAway Utility Boxes n Includes six 3600 StowAway Utility Boxes n Durable, proprietary polyester fabric construction with water-resistant lining n Second inner compartment to separate gear n Four large exterior pockets to hold phone, sunglasses, keys, gear and more

n Four carrying methods help ease transport n MOLLE tactical webbing on front for added utility

A-Series Tackle Bag

n Holds five 3600 size StowAway Utility Boxes (four are included) n Zipper-free main compartment for fast access and durability n Maximize storage efficiency with compact footprint and 12 exterior pockets n Durable proprietary polyester fabric in attractive, deep green with water-resistant lining n Interior includes lid organization featuring four small pockets plus one large zippered pocket n MOLLE tactical webbing on front for added utility

Plano’s new M-Series Whoever coined the phrase, “less is more” was probably ashamed of his undersized and underperforming tackle bag. Less is least. More is the new Plano M-Series. With more features, more quality components and aesthetics, and maximum capacity, the all-new M-Series consists of 3600 and 3700 size Tackle Bags, a Hydro-Flo Tackle Bag, and a Messenger Bag – innovative tackle storage designs merging voluminous interiors with a sexy signature look in olive green with cerulean blue accents.

M-Series Tackle Bags

n Available in 3600 and 3700 sizes n Cavernous interior holds eight StowAway Utility Boxes n Exterior pockets secure all your tools, accessories and gear in easily accessible locations n Moulded, impact-resistant, waterproof base n Includes four StowAway Utility Boxes in corresponding size

M-Series Messenger Bag n Unique fold-down sides provide quick access to gear n EVA-moulded insert stores a 3600 StowAway in one side for fast access to hot baits n Exterior includes eight pockets plus two tool holders n Holds nine 3600 StowAway boxes n Includes five 3600 StowAway utilities

M-Series Hydro-Flo™ Tackle Bag

n Hydro-Flo base allows water to drain out bag’s bottom for drying or rinsing of lures n Cavernous interior with 25 hanging bait compartments to house your large lures n Exterior pockets to secure all your tools, accessories and gear in easily accessible locations n Holds 25 hanging compartments, plus one 3700 Series StowAway n One StowAway included

SUPPORT SPONSORS WORLD CARP CLASSIC 2017

THANKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOR OFFICIAL PARTNERS

SUPPORT PARTNERS

SECTION SPONSORS

HOST VENUE

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

SIDE COMPETITION

MEDIA PARTNERS

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

YOUR SUPPORT

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

‘‘

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF LAC DE MADINE

available for carp fishing to be used. In fact 80% of the lake used during the World Carp Classic is normally not allowed to fished and exclusive permission has been granted. Our lake has a vast number of big beautiful fish set in a wonderful nature reserve and there is a beautiful panaramic

‘‘

verybody at Lac Madine is delighted to welcome back this hugely important international competition. It is a great honour for us to share the fantastic lake and facilities with guest from over 20 countries. To have competitors travel from as far away as New Zealand shows the phenomenal reach this event has. We have been proud for Lac De Madine to be recognised as the home of the World Carp Classic. Fishing is a major activity at Lac De Madine and we welcome fishermen all year round but it is only for the World Carp Classic that we allow such a vast area to be

view from the American Memorial at Montsec that will give you a real appreciation of the size an splendour of the fishing area that you will have to compete in. Ross Honey chose the natural setting of Lake Madine since 1998, the first edition and start of the of the World Carp Classic adventure and we are looking forward to seeing him and his team here this year and back again in 2018 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary. To all the participants, we wish you good luck and Tight Lines ! Christian Legatelois, Président du Syndicat Mixte de Madine

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

It’s catch and release ... catch and RELEASE!

‘it was over there marshal, I was just sitting minding my own business when the b*****d came out of the bushes and nicked my waterproofs!’

, ivvy camp so low at b a chance! g in tt e g re e d Supplies w at moved didn’t stan anything th

Should have gone to Specsavers ..‘Strange.. the lads were here only two minutes ago!’

Well Frank, we told you so ... bound to happen with all that Brylcreem..

CAUGHT IN

100

Proof that what goes on at the World Carp Classic

it’s official.. The WCC registration is just too damn complicated

Having just had a full makeover, Olaf and Klaus were feeling pretty good about themselves and ready for anything!

After the lads had spent all night on the boat, Alana didn’t have any choice but to jump!

Once the new WCC uniforms were issued, it became apparent that Ross had drawn the ‘shorts’ straw

‘.. and look .. this is another of Steve Howards dodgy ‘selfies’!’

The mysterious case of the missing Wiley X glasses ... someone was helping themselves, but who?

‘Hans! Do you re from Anne Su member ordering anything mmers?

THE ACT should stay at the World Carp Classic!

‘I’m not suggesting you’re getting forgetful, Tim, it’s just that the last time you competed at Madine ...’

‘But ... where did it go?’

Nobody k n the big pa ew how to break th rty was in e news ... 2018! Try as they might, the boys weren’t fooling anyone

WORLDCARPCLASSIC.COM

Madine to host the World Carp Classic’s 20th Anniversary

ALL ROADS LEAD TO

MADINE O

102

ver the years we have witnessed the many thousands of fantastic memories and friendships that have been made during the event, and that is a hugely satisfying aspect for myself, and all concerned. Perhaps quite noticeably during these past 20 years, carp angling itself has evolved tremendously as a sport, and so too have carp anglers with the tactics that they now employ. Indeed, the founders of the event have not allowed the biggest and best event of its kind to stagnate or fall behind its own lofty standards. Traditionally, new and emerging technology has been embraced all throughout the years to help streamline things, improve and enhance the competition. There have been so many ‘firsts’ for the event itself that it would seem a little crass to mention them all, but here are a few of what we feel were significant milestones. Carp Angling ambassador, Tim Paisley openly admits that his great love and appreciation of fishing on very large waters outside of the UK, was stirred into being right here in the event on Madine back in 1998. Notable too was the occasion for Rod Hutchinson, as he competed in a carp-fishing event for the very first time. Regarding how angling technology used in the event has been embraced, all we need to do is reflect back to 20 years ago when there were no underwater cameras, no drones, no smart phones, and also look at more mundane items such as the rods, reels and equipment used today to understand the impact that these many various aspects have not only on the event but, indeed, upon modern day carp angling itself. A few interesting facts for the event stalwarts and historians; the old steel barge that we have historically used since day one will once again be used to transport competitors and their huge amount of gear out to the main island… and back again, of course! Also, and perhaps more surprisingly, the old

There are really exciting times ahead for ‘The Classic’, as 2018 looms large on the horizon for The World Carp Classic. For such an occasion, the grand old lady - the spiritual home of the event Lac de Madine, is once more set to play host for what will be the 20th anniversary of this unparalleled event

red security boat and some of the original staff members are still at Madine. We are justifiably very proud of the way that we have continued to positively promote carp angling over the past 20 years, and of course, we are greatly flattered by how many organizations have copied what we have done for their own events. After all, as they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and the World Carp Classic is, when all is said and done, the benchmark for all others to try to emulate. We are also so very proud to acknowledge that the World Carp Classic has, and still has such a huge and loyal following. We realize also that this continued support is testimony to the sense of mutual friendship that everyone feels. There are,

and have been many great and highly valued alliances through the years, which again we wont list, but there is one completely ‘stand-out’ friend and sponsor of the Event in the form of our Scales and Signage Sponsor, Reuben Heaton, who have an unbroken and remarkable association with the Classic in every event since 1998. Madine… what can be possibly said about the great lady that hasn’t already been said countless times previously? What we can say is that the trust and friendship that we have with everyone associated with the venue, and the unrivalled access that we are granted to all of its marvelous facilities, make the working relationship with the venue an absolute pleasure. Indeed, the genuinely warm welcome from the president and his team on site confirm that the relationship is one based more on friendship and it is not purely business-based! We are very much looking forward to the 2018 World Carp Classic here on the majestic Lac de Madine for our special 20th anniversary year, which will take place from 14th to 22nd September 2018 and we trust that you will be equally excited too. There will of course be plenty of very special and exclusive things taking place here for the event in 2018 but possibly, most of all on the big list of “things not to be missed”, will be the award of a very special trophy to the winners. Obviously, with places ultimately limited by the capacity of the lake, it would be highly advisable to book your places as early as the system will allow to avoid disappointment. For those fortunate enough to guarantee their places for 2018, we very much look forward to welcoming you to Lac de Madine in 2018 in what is set to be a truly memorable event.