I just can't believe how slow the fishing can be in England for carp. People are sitting around lakes for weeks at a time often catching nothing or just 1 to 2 fish. 24 and 48 hour sessions on weekends are common. People resort to tents and camp out.

I was spoiled in Phuket by the little lake that resulted in a bite within 60 seconds many times. They were only 30lb fish most of the time but that size fish in the UK is at the upper end. I've found fish in the UK to also be very slow and lethargic. Most likely a conservation of energy approach to life in this cold wet country.

I generally get 1 to 2 trips a year for some good fishing somewhere but I can't not fish completely any more.

I can remember fishing the wild rivers and reservoirs in Thailand where the fishing is also extremely slow but I believe this is down to over fishing. Thailand has the warm weather. Lots of plant and animal life to feed on and no cold dark winters to get through. England has very few people catching to fish to eat them and on many lakes it's private and banned like BSR, I suppose places like BSR are ideal. Lots of food, good weather and catch and release.

I've tried all sorts of tactics to speed up the biites in England but it just seems to make no difference. i.e. worms, maggots, bread, liquids, ground baits and lam like baits. etc.

I try to catch carp on really light gear. A tiny 6ft bass rod you'd use for chadow and pla shun. A reel a quarter the size of an abu 6500. Anything to add some excitement.

I'm planning a trip to the canary islands where i'll see if I can catch stingray and possibly sharks from the beach like in Florida. Work is really busy right now though so I'm stuck with the carp.

i think after fishing in thailand a lot, the UK will always seem hard going

i remember going to fish southern ireland in my late teens and bagging up on big bream every day. coming back to the fishing of northern england was very difficult after being spoilt so much

keep at it though jack, as long as you can catch more than the bloke on the next peg, you have had a good day

i think after fishing in thailand a lot, the UK will always seem hard going

i remember going to fish southern ireland in my late teens and bagging up on big bream every day. coming back to the fishing of northern england was very difficult after being spoilt so much

keep at it though jack, as long as you can catch more than the bloke on the next peg, you have had a good day

Well I had my first ever success on a true zig rig on friday.

What you tend to find here is that if it gets warm the fish swim about at the surface. A lot of people still fish bottom baits and the fish are a couple of metres above, never going down to feed.

Once it starts to cool down the fish go lower in the water, so you'll get a take late evening or even at night.

I still think that most days the fish are mid water.

Very few people here fish a float because it'll drift all over the place in the time it takes for a carp sized fish to hit it and it'll mean recasting every couple of minutes.

The zig is a lead weight with line to a floating bait. I set it at about mid water. 1m in 2 metres. The benefit is it doesnt drift but the down side is a really long hook length.

Had 2 fish in an hour. Which for this place is good. Still only small fish though. It's a start.

Fished a bait of powdered trout pellets, bran and corn that had been in the heat for about a week and a half. It smelled a bit like actone so it must have been fermenting.

I fished it to see how it would go and it was like being in Thailand again. 9 fish in 2.5 hrs. Some fish taking the bait before it even hit the bottom of the lake. I don't know how that's even possible in 2 metres of water?

Anyway good fun. I'm going to try and repeat it. Fishing on light tackle you'd use for pla shun.