Big Carp Magazine BC177 Back Issue

Happy birthday Big Carp – 20 years old today!
Yes’ it’s true – 20 already! Where did the years go? Not that it’s looking bad for its ripe old age; in fact most people would agree it looks much younger. I wonder how many of you reading this remember issue one? Quite a few, I wouldn’t mind betting. For I know we have many loyal followers who have subscribed to Big Carp since year one. To be honest it doesn’t seem that long ago. I won’t say yesterday because it’s not been an easy task putting together almost 200 issues. A ‘rocky path’ I suppose you could call it, but issue one is still a great memory, filled with anxiety and anticipation, as I really had no idea what I was getting into or how long it would continue. All I knew is what I felt in my heart, that carp fishing needed a proper magazine; not a catalogue of adverts, not filled with product articles merely selling off the page, but a magazine devoted to keeping it real, to our English heritage of dark, scaly brutes and to anglers writing who are as passionate about the fish, the history, the lakes and the heart of carp fishing as I am. That is why Big Carp is different and goes some way to showing why the magazine is still fresh, because it is still the only magazine that gives anyone known or unknown the chance to tell the world of their own little piece of heaven without the need to promote the latest bead, bait or boat, but simply because it means so much.
So here is the 20th anniversary issue, and it comes with lots of good things, as you would expect. I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution, especially to Stuart Gillham for donating a holiday for two at his Krabi angling paradise, the ‘world’s greatest fishery’, to Chris Logdson for a top of the range Mid-Kent ticket to fish all their waters including Conningbrook, and to the tackle and bait companies who have also dug deep at this difficult time to join in with our celebrations.