DUTCH COURAGE
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Angry swans, wild boars and mudbaths ... you had to be made of strong stuff to compete during the early years at the World Carp Classic!
Sitting in front of my PC and looking back at the WCC 2014. Going through a lot of pictures brings back brilliant memories. What an amazing event it was in Italy, first of course, because it was in Italy, the food, the people, the countryside, the smell, the sightseeing.
1999 on Lac de Madine In my mind I go back years and think about
my first WCC in 1999 on Lac de Madine. Oh my goodness, the preparation, all the plans ,organizing, research and reading so you know what to expect from the water and fish, talking about carp, dreaming about carp, leaving home, family, wife and kids. The World games! Will I catch fish? Am I prepared
enough, don’t forget this, don’t forget that, and that, and that and that too. I must buy some more things, did I pack that in my case already? Grrrr, unpack and go through all the stuff again. But then…Yeahhh, the day is here! I wake up
and the adrenaline starts running the moment I open my eyes, I jump in my car, pick up my fishing mate and head for la belle France. When we arrived I was in a euphoric state, so many people, not knowing where to go, or what to do. Such a feeling of excitement. Okay, first sign in at Bivvy Camp and get the entrance ticket. Then mingle and blend in with all the people
and within an hour I met so many that I know, sitting with them and talking about: CARP of course. I must be honest and say that some things were not that organized, such as the time that the events must take place, casting matches that happened an hour late, the BBQ didn’t open on time, but okay, more and more people are coming and it gets crowded, cosier. People were bringing their own booze and getting louder and getting in a singing mood. Although I think maybe less alcohol is better in a match. You’ve taken some time to drive or walk around
the lake, which peg will have the carp? The BBQ is announced, you take a seat and see all the guys with the same look in their eyes, GAME ON! Finally, peg drawing! Choose two pegs in your head and fingers crossed that you draw one of them as you’ve been given two changes for the peg draw. You can only hope the carp gods are with you now. Arriving at your peg you absorb the space in
40
front of you and know that there are a lot of massive carp swimming out there. Then the adrenaline starts raging again, what system to use, a lot of weed so change the system, sand, mud, stone, gravel?
Pffffff...make up your mind Co, trust in your knowledge and get those lines in the water ASAP!
Feeling a little bit sick in the stomach and tired from the stress we realized that we hadn’t eaten yet, we made our meal, took a chair, settled down and enjoyed the sight, it was like paradise. Next day and still no fish. You realize that you
miss home badly and think to yourself: “It is an adventure, it is great, a very nice opportunity, but is it worth to go next time?” Then: piepppppppppppppppppp - fish! Any
carp angler can guess the decision that was made for a 2nd WCC in that moment. With the third carp from my mate we managed second place. We’ll be back!
2001 on Lac Amance
You think because you participated once that the second WCC will be less stressful, but no! What will this event bring, will it be better,
worse or just different? Have they changed this or that? It’s a new water so there’ll also be new tactics. Then you arrive at Lac Amance and get that special feeling again. All those guys with the same ambition, the friendly vibes and humour, the laughter among old friends you see again and know they are doing well, other nice guys to speak
to again. Peg drawing! The adrenaline starts rushing
again: we did well. We arrived at the peg and we were very happy with it, but we heard a ‘hissing’ noise coming from the water, so we needed to check it out, when we got closer to the water there was a mean mother of a swan sitting on her eggs hissing her lungs out at us. You could see in her eyes that she’d made a commitment to herself to kill me the first chance she got. Even when she didn’t get a chance to attack me, you can’t cast and fish near a broody bird, that would be animal abuse. So we called Ross and explained the problem
and he arranged another spot for us where I caught a small carp during the tournament. Lac de Amance: nice with big carp, but it was swampy.
Another water.. Lac de Orient
Very nice to arrive at Lac de Orient, open and very well organized. It seems like a holiday resort with the small bars at the beach side and the promenade. This was a match that I remember very well, so
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