This month I thought I’d look at my favourite pool on Baden Hall; the Middle Lake. Covering roughly ten acres and  holding more than 60 comfortable pegs it’s a well established, picturesque place to while away a few hours hoping to bank a few fish. Depths between 2 and 14 feet mean that it will produce all year round so it’s an outstanding venue when others fail to give up any fish. What’s in it? Bream, large and small, up to around 8lbs, with LOTS of skimmers too. Roach, I’ve seen them out to about 1 ½ lbs, but they ... [full story]

Oh dear.....having really enjoyed the last programme I reviewed, I’m sorry to have to report that apart from a five minute slot, this one left me cold. The ‘blurb’ states that the watcher will ‘learn how to fish maize’; so I expected lots of hints and tips on how best to prepare and present this particular particle. However; the first 22 minutes of this show consist of Pete Castle being interviewed about his fishing, with the odd interjection from an extremely irritating narrator who is obviously reading from a script. I don’t know Pete, I’m sure he is a very ... [full story]

Why am I looking at this catapult? Simple. Mine is broken and I need a new one. There are literally hundreds of different ‘pults on the market today, all promising to drop baits on a sixpence at 100 metres with ease, but is that really the case? Most anglers have at least a couple of cattys in their armoury, for groundbait, for particles, for maggots or for boilies. I already have a groundbait chucker, but the pouch has a solid plastic circle sitting in it that makes it completely unusable for anything else. Being tight with my money, I wanted ... [full story]

After completing the simple sign up process a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d better justify the fee and actually watch something....The choice is pretty good, 147 programmes to choose from, so I used  the ‘stick the pin in the map’ method to pick my first offering. ‘Ian Russell’s Carp Coach’ filmed at Thorpe Lea Fishery in Surrey was top of the list. Although shot during early winter, it looked pretty good from the free trailer, so I plugged the headphones in and started to watch. Personally, I don’t know Ian Russell. I’m not one to really ... [full story]

I’ve been after a rod pod for some time, but I wanted value for money, lightweight and good looks all in the same product which, with the amount of tackle on the market, could prove difficult to find. Personally, I’ve always been quite keen on the ‘X’ type pods, so why did I buy this? I own a few bits of PROLOGIC kit such as a rod holdall and the excellent MAX 4 POLAR ZONE BOOTS, so I am already aware that some of their items are very good quality. I wanted a ‘recognised’ brand because although you can purchase ... [full story]

I guess this story starts well before June 16th. I have only recently started carp fishing in the last 18 months, and it's been a steep learning curve. Last season I was only doing the odd day session on the Serp and whilst I was learning a lot each trip, I always felt there was a lot missing. Just before Christmas last year I was approached by head bailiff Dan about becoming a bailiff for the club on my beloved Serp. I had a long chat with the missus explaining what the job entailed and the time needed on it. ... [full story]

What if I told you it was possible to watch brand new carp angling shows at your leisure, save money and contribute to the running of NorthWestCarp.co.uk at the same time! Interested? Then read on! My first thoughts when I was told about this internet TV channel were of curiosity....after all, the fishing programmes on SKY or terrestrial television are nearly all repeats and there is only so many times I can watch ‘Rod Race’ or ‘Hooked on Fishing’! (I make an exception for ‘Passion for Angling’; in my humble opinion, one of the best angling programmes ... [full story]

For most carp anglers, choosing the right set of rods is fundamental to their success and enjoyment of the sport. Deciding what rods to go for is a personal choice that should take account of the size and types of water you plan to fish, together with casting ability and style. The good news with SONIK, is that you can buy a set of top of the range carp rods without breaking the bank. Rods that excel in accurately propelling your bait as far as required, whilst retaining great balance and sensitivity when it comes to playing the ... [full story]