For the ‘average’ carp angler, the angler who has work, family and ‘life in general’ commitments much of the carp related material – in book, magazine and online format – is a bit of a joke. There really is no comparison between the ‘ordinary’ angler and the ‘named’ sponsored anglers who are able to fish full time and pile out huge amounts of bait as and when they need to – those anglers for whom ‘time equals fish.’
This frustration with the lack of carp fishing reality and the impossibility of drawing parallels between the ‘elite’ and the ‘ordinary’ carp angler reached such a point in Chris Currie that he decided to do something about it and ‘Finding the Time to Cast’ was born, with the dedication of the book summing up the whole situation perfectly:
‘This book is dedicated to the huge majority of anglers; those who spend their time tenuously juggling an obsession for this magical sport with the rest of their busy lives. The anglers who keep their fishing in context while managing to intertwine a love of this sport with the important daily commitments of family and work.’
Chris took two years finding the ‘right’ carp anglers to contribute chapters to the book and most of them will be unfamiliar to the majority of readers, those ordinary anglers who mostly sit ‘below the radar’ of the carp fishing world and yet who by their hard work, skill and determination have achieved great things in a limited amount of time.
Through my time at RMC / CEMEX I got to know many of the anglers who contribute to this book and the venues they fished, and I was very aware of just how good their results were and it has been a joy to now read the full story behind those successes (and indeed failures). The likes of Dan Cleary on Wraysbury Two, John Elmer on Sutton, Rick Golder on the Road Lake are all inspirational tales of what the average carper can achieve.
It has also been a real pleasure to discover a number of ‘new’ names from the carp scene and to read their stories, often on venues where their limited time and budgets have been pitted against the long stay bivvy boys. Anglers such as Paul Palmer, James Parry and Darryl Dunn with great tales to tell which, were it not for Chris’s determination to compile this book, would probably never have been known outside their immediate circle of angling friends.
Chris contributes the introduction and a chapter too, in which he relates his long angling ‘journey’ from that first Argos fishing kit to the ultimate capture of a 44lb plus leather from the ‘Rock-hard Syndicate’.
Published by MPress Media, running to 391 well-illustrated pages, and with their usual eye for detail and quality ‘Finding the Time to Cast is, in many respects, a unique carp fishing book; famous fish, iconic venues but ordinary anglers plotting (and usually achieving) their downfall.
Priced at £27.99 plus p&p ‘Finding the Time to Cast’ is available from Calm Productions
