Gaz talks through his favourite pop-up presentation, the Cobra! Gaz talks through his favourite pop-up presentation, the Cobra! I don’t need to tell anyone the effectiveness or history of the hinged stiff rig; it has undoubtedly been a game changer for the entire modern carp scene and revolutionised pop-up fishing. The mechanics are just as effective as ever, and despite all the alternative presentations, new components and versions that slide, twist and spin, I still believe it is unbeatable for 16mm pop-ups and boilie fishing. It has proved itself time and time again, with car ..read more

ADAM PENNING YEAR BORN: 1970 OCCUPATION: Angling guide, writer, consultant UK PB MIRROR: 51lb 14oz UK PB COMMON: 52lb 4oz FAVOURITE WATER: Somewhere secret AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 48hrs  Adam has been a carp angler since 1985 and has worked in the angling industry since 1996. Between ‘96 and 2012 he headed product departments for three of the leading tackle companies and since ‘12 has operated as a self employed angling guide and tutor. He has been writing regularly in all of the leading magazines since 1999, and in late 2018 brought out his first book ..read more

TIM ROWLAND YEAR BORN: 1979 OCCUPATION: Business Development Manager UK PB MIRROR: 45lb 6oz UK PB LEATHER: 34lb ish UK PB COMMON: 46lb 2oz FAVOURITE WATER: Stoneacres AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 2 nights a month  Catching big carp from heavily pressured circuit waters is tough at the best of times, but given just one weekend a month as a timeframe to do it in, with a family and busy job in the mix, undoubtedly the odds are stacked heavily against you. You’d never bet on them, but despite those odds looking unfavourable, Tim consistently manages to catch ..read more

Davy Claus – Persistence Pays Off 13th December 2022 Persistence pays off in the end. The waiting game. If you’re targeting big carp, a lot of the time things just don’t seem to want to fall into place. But luckily every now and then there are those moments or periods wherein the stars align, when your relentless efforts are rewarded and everything starts to work with, instead of against you. The captures I would like to write about here are a textbook example of how persistence and flexibility very suddenly can pay off, when lady luck, for whatever reason, decides to ..read more

LUKE WALLACE YEAR BORN: 1990 OCCUPATION: RF System Test Engineer UK PB MIRROR: 43lb 8oz UK PB COMMON: 42lb 8oz FAVOURITE WATER: Snaggy AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 24/48 hours  Luke Wallace is a Kent angler with a superb portfolio of classic, great looking UK carp. His early carp angling years were based mainly in the Stour valley, with Luke catching some of the finest carp from venues such as Swan, Tonford, Stour and the infamous Conningbrook. He has travelled more in recent years fishing a variety of venues around the Reading area and across into Cambr ..read more

SCOTT LLOYD YEAR BORN: 1989 OCCUPATION: Fink Food Owner UK PB MIRROR: 45lb 12oz UK PB COMMON: 62lb 8oz FAVOURITE WATER: Stoneacres AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 48 – 72hrs  Scott Lloyd is renowned for his huge personality, exceptional location skills and watercraft from the tree tops, and of course, the “Noodle Rig”. Undoubtedly, Scott is a bonafide ‘Thinking Angler’. With a number of impressive carp in his portfolio, including the holy grail that is the “Burghfield Common”, keep your eyes peeled for Scott’s famed Instagram stories and films for more of the same ..read more

GAZ FAREHAM YEAR BORN: 1980 OCCUPATION: Angler, writer & photographer UK PB MIRROR: 49lb 12oz UK PB LEATHER: 52lb 3oz UK PB COMMON: 44lb 10oz FAVOURITE WATER: Redesmere in the 90’s AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 24 – 48hrs  Gareth set out on his carp angling journey fishing around the famous meres of the North West scene. It would not only be a steep learning curve, but an intense experience and one that set Gaz on a strong path for his future. Angling on those tough old venues has been a proving ground for many of the country’s most talented anglers over ..read more

BYRON ETWELL YEAR BORN: 1983 OCCUPATION: Floor Layer UK PB MIRROR: 54lb 14oz UK PB COMMON: 46lb 4oz FAVOURITE WATER: Causeway Lake AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 72hrs  After a brief sabbatical from the limelight, the larger than life ‘BCB’ Byron Etwell has returned to the TA fold. With his larger than life persona, and an impressive photo album to match, big baiting, big casts and banter is Byron’s style, along with a big pile of tea bags as standard. Having dipped his toe into the realm of film-making with Cypography, we hope to bring Byron’s angling and per ..read more

LANCE BARTON YEAR BORN: 1987 OCCUPATION: Gamekeeper UK PB MIRROR: 44lb 12oz UK PB COMMON: 44lb 4oz FAVOURITE WATER: Breakaway Pits AVERAGE LENGTH OF SESSION: 72hrs  Being a Suffolk lad, Lance wasn’t blessed with an abundance of big fish – naturally this meant he started to venture further afield. It was during his time on the Linch Hill complex that he first caught our eye, catching an album’s worth of Oxfordshire carp in what seemed like very little time. Lance is a gamekeeper by profession and that hunting element certainly shines through in his anglin ..read more

Tom Meager – The Obsession 2nd August 2022 From the start of 2020, I plucked up the courage to step foot onto a pit that previous anglers would tell you is notoriously tricky; a handful of fish a year would be a dream. To close friends and people who know me I’m not afraid of a good old bit of blanking! From the off, that is what I was faced with. As spring turned into winter, I had two captures to my name, the first being a 26lb common and the second being a 24lb mirror. I was over the moon with that result, as I had set myself a little target of one fish that year. Come ..read more