Big Carp Magazine Big Carp 213 Back Issue

Off The Beaten Track… The story unfolds.
I have been so excited about this issue since I first sent out FB and Twitter messages asking people to come forward with their secret catches over six months ago. The first OTBT issue was met with a huge amount of positive comments from anglers of all abilities, so much so that I did not waste any time sourcing similar tales. The problem is that most of these guys shun publicity; their catches are not to promote a bait or tackle company, so most pictures of their hard-earned results are never seen by another soul.
Many of these anglers have been pushed into this type of angling by the ‘modern carp scene’, which can be ruthlessly competitive, as we know. Jealousy, backstabbing and let’s call it ‘ungentlemanly practices’ are commonplace in today’s carp scene, but there is still peaceful angling out there if you take yourself away from the rat race and seek the seclusion of a winding river, a forgotten lake or canal stretch or even target waters off the radar, not generally fished, such as pheasant farms, farm ponds or even country estate lakes. Under cover of darkness the ‘cloak and dagger’ carper can find untold treasures, unpublished monsters from undisclosed waters and secret venues.
So why give them to me to publish in BC? The answer is simple – respect! And that’s why it will only ever be in BC that these articles are published. Our readers are absolutely aware of the time and effort involved in this type of fishing. Normal carp fishing is all on a plate for the carp angler with enough money for a ticket. Roads take you to your swim, all neatly cut out and boarded up. ‘Portaloos’ line the bank, and if you are unsure how to catch one, simply catch one off the back of someone else by watching what they are doing and copying it.