About Me.
FROM THE BEGINNING & the next 12 Years to date of
The Carp Syndicate History.
My name is Ashley or just call me Ash.
My Dream from a very early age was to keep fish. First it was in my mate’s large fish tanks when we were at school, and then onto small garden ponds. I remember digging my first koi pond on the farm, I spent my first pay packet on a pond liner, a pump and some fish… Much to my parent’s dismay !.
Back then the carp world and all I read and dreamt about was the famous 3 acre Redmire pool and the fish within this weedy magical lake that only a select few seem to be able to fish, and somehow I wanted this, or even more so, to create my own historic fishery that will be remembered long after I have gone. Not to copy it, like some people seem to want to do these days, I wanted my own fishery, making my own stamp and mark on the carping world.
I joined the day ticket scene in my early to mid 20’s (now 20 years ago !) and started fishing the new “Super” day tickets venues that all of a sudden popped up. 30lb carp were suddenly available to the masses, with big French looking fish and the fast growing strains that were being stocked. But very quickly I found out that the quiet days of fishing on a secluded lake that I remembered were a million miles away from the 100’s of anglers crammed around the lakes, and a competition to see who can play their new bite alarms the loudest. I remember catching a carp and suddenly having 20 onlookers behind me, it was like being on stage. It wasn’t for me, I wanted to go fishing not be in a West End theatre. It was at this time I dug my first lake, now known as Minepit. I took out a bank loan, much to most people’s horror, to fund the lake. Everyone thought I was mad, and then even madder when a few years later I wanted to dig another.
My passion was taking over.
I had learned a lot of expensive mistakes on Minepit. At the time I didn’t know who to turn to for help, so it was all self taught, researched on the limited internet at the time and books but mainly just trial and error, mostly a lot of errors. Thankfully I now know a lot of people in the fishery world and am quite often talking with other lake owners. Two heads are always better than one and I’m always keen to receive knowledge from others as well as give it.
Anyway, I wanted a bigger lake.
So I started planning the next lake. A 3.5 acre field on the farm that had a single oak tree at one end of the field. This was to become Oak Lake. Not my naming, but the members named the lake and it went from there. A huge bank loan was taken out, but I had a few believers at the time and they are still members today, which really means a lot to me. Again, most thought I was mad, but I have in my head a clear vision and plan with what I want to create. Those that speak with me or get to know me know how passionate I am about the lakes and my dream.
I regularly get asked what’s my plans for the lakes…
My plan/vision is to create an area of peace and tranquility, full of wildlife and natural sights and sounds. A place that once you are there, you forget the troubles of modern day life and you don’t want to leave. A place that will blow you away when you see the sunrise and sunsets, or when you turn up for your session you look at the lakes and say ‘wow’. And the fishing…that potentially every fish you catch could be a PB, that the syndicate’s exclusivity means your experience is what it should be. The fishing won’t be easy, but the rewards will be worth it, tenfold.
I know the size of fish isn’t, or shouldn’t be, important, and its not to me, so I hate it when someone rings me up and asks, “What’s your biggest fish, mate?” I’m not interested in that approach. But big, beautiful, pride of English carp is what I want. I used to dream of a lake that contained 30’s, not just one, but a very high percentage of stock to be over 30lbs.
2016 saw us with 13 different 30’s caught, and I estimate another 10, at least, to be around that mark, and 3 fish over 35lb. 2017 will give us potentially 4 different 40’s, 25 different 30’s and very few fish under 20lbs, not bad for such a relatively short amount of time. 2018 and we are now looking at having 8 40s, and most of the stock over 30lb !.
I never wanted to be like a lot of other syndicates that only had one or two fish that made the 30lb mark. I wanted lakes or a syndicate that has more 30s than 20’s, that has UK 50’s, and dare I say it 60’s and bigger. I believe with the right stocking, water management, and feeding that this is totally achievable. It takes hard work and dedication in all weathers. Consistency is the key, and this takes time! Not instantly stocking a 40, 50 or 60lb fish, anyone with money can do that! It takes skill, passion, and hard work to create an environment that the fish will want to grow to these proportions and thus in the end be so much more rewarding to the anglers that catch them.
And now there is Fallow lake, a newly dug 5 acre, specially designed lake for the confident and capable carper, and with the right planning from the start this will be set to be a truly superb lake containing some very big homegrown English Carp!
Am I close to making my mark in the carping world? Possibly, I will leave that for you to decide…
In 2018 we lost my Father, a truly devastating period of my life and still is, In memory to him I renamed Fallow to Steve’s lake, or dads lake as we all call it, Without his support all my working life I wouldn’t be where I am today..