A


s Editor of Carpworld I’m accustomed to commissioning articles. Think of a subject, think of a suitable author, commission it, sit back and


await the fi nished product. So when the inimitable (and irrepressible) Ross Honey came on the phone and told me he would like an article for his annual World Carp Classic magazine I didn’t perceive a problem. I know the game: I can write ‘thank you’ letters of 1500 words before breakfast; but then I sat down in front of a blank screen and looked at the title I’d been handed, ‘From Vision to Reality’. Unhelpfully, because of the


suggested title the vision that sprang to mind was of ‘From Here to Eternity’, with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr going as far as one dared on screen in those distant days of innocence while rolling in the surf on some far-away exotic, erotic beach. Ah, there was a starting point. John Lilley and I were once drawn on an exotic beach in the World Carp Classic (when the match was fi shed at the Orient), but as no carp rolled in on the surf, and the only eroticism was topless bathers, I didn’t quite think that was what Ross was after. I had to think it out again.


What was Ross’s vision exactly Magazine sponsored by Pescalis


when he decided to expand his global golf-competition empire to the world of carp fi shing? I’ve never really had an answer to that question, or to the one I asked when I tried to fi nd out where the idea came from in the fi rst place. Ross must have asked someone what the next huge leisure pursuit was likely to be, and some very well-informed market analyst came up with carp fi shing. He was right of course, but in the late 90s I was under the impression that only bait and tackle manufacturers and the publishers of books, magazines and DVDs were aware of the rapidly expanding carp marketplace. So to understand the vision you have to understand the background. Ross Honey is entrepreneur (with philanthropic traits) who runs a huge worldwide golfi ng competition embracing virtually every country in the world, the fi nals for which are held in Scotland each year, with heavy TV coverage thrown in. Could he repeat the success in the world of carp fi shing? In the early years I would guess that to him it felt unlikely. For a few years at least I would guess that his carp match efforts were more philanthropic than entrepreneurial! He chose his fi rst venue well. The


‘Frustration is part of


by the participation in big-water sessions’


24


Fromvisio As Tim Paisley is one of the most


respected fi gures in carp angling, the WCC decided to commission


(beg!) him to write a piece about his thoughts on the Event


www.pescalis.tcomo mention the vast intake of alcohol. No, we’ll not mention the vast intake of


alcohol. It happens... What do I remember about the fi rst


the game, and that frustration is heightened tenfold


event? It was only a two-nighter, which meant going to an awful lot of trouble to travel all that way for. I caught a carp, which to date is a unique WCC


experience for me. The early front runner came from the end of the main dam wall when everyone expected the island


Magazine sponsored by Pescalis www.pescalis.com


fact that the known big-fi sh venue Lac de Madine was to be fi shed from areas of bank that weren’t normally open for fi shing was a big attraction. I remember Rod Hutchinson being very excited about the prospect of the match because of the venue and coming in full weight behind the venture with his high profi le Dream Team. The inaugural event was an individual one and the strongest support was from the Brits. I’m tempted to suggest that it was from the English but as the Welsh did rather well in the fi rst couple of events I’ll stay general! The infrastruc- ture at Madine was, and is, marvellous, as is the pre-event atmosphere and general air of camaraderie and bonhomie, not


swims to run away with it, and then the winner came through on the last night to take the title, the winner being Paul Rayment from Kent, who was also pegged on the mainland, on the point in front of Madine Two and Three. Paul has the unique claim to fame of being the only winner of the World Carp Classic individual title! Cathy Bell, now Cathy Hughes, caught a 30lb+ carp and would have walked away with the Ladies’ title, if there had been one on offer. The biggest carp of the competition was caught by the Welsh guys from the beach with the end of season bathing in full fl ow. The captor, Martin Cronin, was actually cursing his luck when the bobbin fl ew because he thought he was attached to a bather. The reality was even better than a bather, or Deborah Kerr; he had a big mirror on the end!


For me there was a totally


unexpected by-product of the fi rst Madine match: I found I was excited and captured by the prospect of fi shing big carp waters. Bearing in mind that at that time the biggest known carp water in England was Wraysbury at around 125 acres and you will understand that the 2,500-acre Madine was in a different league in terms of size, space, and


Tim Paisley


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