This site is dedicated to a very specialised sport indeed....yes, carp fishing. Not all carp fishermen started life as carp specialists, but a great number seem to end up totally addicted to the sport and fishing for nothing else.

I have thought long and hard about just what it is that attracts so many fishing fans, after all catching carp often demands long stays on lake or river banks at hard fished venues, sometimes running into weeks at a time.

Most serious carp fishermen are men over the age of 20, mostly married with families. Yet they snub the comforts of home for a smelly sleeping bag, a damp bivvy and a wait for a "run" that can take so long it never arrives.

Constant aggravation from partners and wives does not deter us, even the resulting divorces fail to stop us! I have met many a carp specialist that has been issued the ultimatum: "That's it! It's ME or CARP!"

Guess who won.

I think the answer is to be found, not at the river or lake bank, but when we are away from there, whilst we are doing the things that keep us from our sport, at work or at home.

Carp fill our minds and govern our emotions. The thoughts of fishing- for them that are always whizzing round our heads. New ideas, new tactics and concoctions of bait, most of them failing our expectations miserably after the first try.

Now is the time our love for carp is permanently forged, the preparation, making of baits, tying rigs in front of the telly...."this one is sure to catch that monster we know is in the lake."

Each time we plan a trip it's like a buying lottery ticket. We have to wait for the draw, the excitement, the anticipation, the disappointments and the rewards.

Mix these, the most powerful of emotions, with the memories of tranquil summer sunsets, frosty winter mornings, the odd spiral of kettle steam rising above a line of dew-covered bivvys at dawn. Throw in a handful of men and women and mix with the most powerful and elusive of all freshwater fish, and you have a recipe for a sport that will be around forever, constantly growing in popularity.

I have tried to cover all aspects of the sport and thrown in some tips that will save you money and maybe help you catch more carp. If you have anything to contribute drop me a line Carp Universe

New to Carp Fishing? Download our e-book now!