We've got a great podcast this month and for a change our special guest slot is occupied by a fantastic angling duo, Otto and Emma. If you haven't watched their fishing adventure film on the Fox YouTube channel than I urge you to check it out. Otto decided to bring his girlfriend on a tour of the French public lakes and film it!

Emma had never been fishing before and was thrown in at the deep end but what the pair captured on film was hilariously funny, real, witty and it was also full of carp. I loved it and if you read the video comments you'll soon see I'm not alone.

So we decided to get the dynamic duo on as our guests and delve into the trip in a bit more detail. This one is full laughs as you can imagine and Emma stole the show (sorry Otto)

As always me and Mark ramble on a bit to fill the gaps, while waiting for a bite in tropical conditions  that feel far to warm to be fishing in!

We kick off this month's podcast live on the bank as Mark attempts to catch a carp off the top, live for the podcast, while I do my best to help you all understand events with some running commentary. As we multi-task we touch on Mark's stalking tactics, bait and tackle as he has some crafty little edges up his sleeve. We've also got a great interview with Lewis Porter from Fox. Now Lewis has worked in the trade all his working life, his drive and passion for the industry has helped him tackle and progress into many roles over the years from magazine editing through to Senior Marketing positions at one of the biggest angling brands in the market. Lewis gives an honest account of life in the trade, touches on what carp motivate him before offering his first hand account of catching one of the best carp this country has ever produced, the caravan park linear. We thoroughly enjoyed recording this one, we hope you enjoy over 4 hours of carpy chat! 

Tom Loraine is our special guest this month and is a name that seems to be everywhere in recent years. His catches have not only been consistent on almost every water he's wet a line in but the carp he's added to his album over the years have also been from some rock hard venues too. Some anglers just stand out from the crowd, to be consistent on such a variety of waters is no coincidence. It often comes through dedication, sacrifice and hard graft and Tom ticks all those boxes and has an album to prove it. Not only that, Tom is far from full time, owning his own business means life needs to be balanced and that is never easy but Tom seems to have it down to a fine art. Mike and Mark also discuss the political challenges to stocking carp in our rivers and canals and how this sadly impacts carp fishing in the UK, especially at grass roots level. Will it ever change, we doubt it but we'll keep trying to establish a way of stocking our waterways with free fish! Enjoy!  

In this month's podcast we had to cover the topic that seems to have broken the internet and that's the Magic Twig. We also discuss baiting patterns that helped Mark catch a recent forty pounder and Jon Pack is back for the second part of his brilliant interview as he takes us on a journey that covers life after catching a British Record. Jon delves into his obsession with Heather the Leather and one that nearly ended in hyperthermia! Enjoy! 

This month we welcome Jon Pack to the microphone to delve into his historic British record capture of two tone, a carp of gigantic proportions. Jon's trip down memory lane is a two part chat with Yateley and St Ives among others to follow. Mark also recalls a meeting with the iconic Terry Hearn and we've added a few new features into the months ramblings, titled The Great Debate and As Seen on Screen. Enjoy and once again, thanks for your support. 

This months podcast has a little twist. We got asked to be a guest on the wonderful VBK podcast in Belgium. For those that have no idea who or what the VBK do then I'll try to explain. They're a non profit Carp Fishing organisation that offers it's members waters to fish. They also home grow carp and help stock waters for the future. They produce great books and magazines, they're even lobbied over the years to get night fishing approved in Belgium and thats just for starters. They're created something, that since the early 90's has really united carp anglers together with a platform aimed at benefitting all carp anglers. Me and Mark has always admired the success of the VBK and have often felt something like this is solely missing in the UK. It was great to be able to sit down and discuss what the VBK really means with none other that Alijn Danau, a man who gives some much back to carp angling through his VBK work and one that has the respect of so many anglers all over the world. We hope you enjoy a rare insight into what's possible when anglers unite. Enjoy. 

This month Mike and Mark continue to explore Europe and record the podcast while on the road in search of the unknown. Our special guest this month is none other than Jason Hayward. The first man to bank what later became one of the best known carp we've ever produced, the Colne Meres Black Mirror. Mike delves into his pursuit for a carp beyond his wildest dreams and also discusses life after such a monumental capture, one that rocked the carp world and still stands as one of the most iconic carp captures of all time. Sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy Jason's enthusiasm and trip down memory lane!  

Mike and Mark record this months intro while driving back from Belgium. They delve into the highs and lows of the trip and discuss Mark's phobia for dog poo! Mike also catches up with Gaz Fareham during a cold, spring morning on Stoneacres to discuss a variety of topics while urging his rods to rip off live on tape! Enjoy. 

We've been looking forward to getting this one out. Mike sits down with Elmo (Elliott Staff) in the Valley to discuss his lifelong obsession with angling. One that led him down a rather unusual path of discovery. Less trodden tracks, zero social media interaction, strong friendship bonds and carp that rarely see the light of day are just some of the things that make Elmo tick. This is part one, we only scratch the surface of Elmo's personal angling adventures but now we've warmed him up we'll be back at some stage for more stories of adventures that sometimes end in a pot of gold. Mike and Mark chew the fat as usual and cover carp communication, pre baiting routines, feeding windows and predicting the future. Enjoy. 

This month we have a carp fishing veteran on as our special guest. A man that's been around carp fishing forever. His album of special carp takes some beating and he's one of a tiny group of anglers that can say they've caught a 40lb Mirror, Leather, Common and Fully Scaled. You've probably guessed it, Nigel Sharp joins us for some old skool tales and a trip down memory lane. Mike and Mark chew the fat as normal and take some listeners' questions regarding drones and sustainable ingredients in the bait industry. Enjoy.

We're back with another podcast, this month we have Trev Johnson aka TCP as our special guest, an old skool angler that's been around the block and has banked some incredible carp along the way from some seriously challenging waters. We delve into his time of Wraysbury 1 and 2 as well as his short campaign for the Baby Black in the depths of winter. Trev is moon follower like no other I've spoken with in the past but his results speak for themselves. Plus we discuss the challenges that the cost of living may impose on the angling trade before chewing the fat over a salty subject, one we're both not convinced with..... enjoy.

This month is a smaller than usual episode as Mike sadly managed to break his memory card that held our guest interview we had pre recorded and ready to go. So instead of missing a month we still chew the fat, put the world to rights and rattled through a few listeners questions. Enjoy and we'll be back at the end of January as normal with a full episode. 

It's the 1st of the month, so once again we're back with another episode of the Carp Fishing Podcast. This time around we delve into some of my recent fishing exploits and how a little rig tweak transformed my sessions when using 6mm pellets on the hook. We also touch on the world of moving bait consultants, loyalty, money and influencers. We've also got a great guest this month with Rupert Torp joining the mic. Rupert is a guy who's been fishing for old, history carp most of his adult life and someone I always had on my radar as a future guest. It was great to catch up and delve into his time on local rivers, Horton and some historic Kent waters with carp in them far older than us. Rupert rarely shows his cards so it was lovely to delve into some of his campaigns over a cuppa and some home made brownies. Cheers Ru! Enjoy and once again thanks for the continued support and lovely reviews, onwards and upwards. 

Jake Hughes aka Jake the Heron is this month's special guest. Mike caught up with Jake at the historic Toadless Leather Pit, a complex of lakes steeped in both carp fishing history and Jake's own angling life. Tales of unknown biggies, winter bait ups and creative inspirations were just a few topics covered but what stood out was how Jake goes about his business, his way. Mike and Mark also discuss winter baiting approaches and take a few listeners' questions to get the grey matter working. Enjoy. 

Jamie Smith is this months special guest, a modest man but one that deserves alot of credit for the impact he's had on Carp Angling since the birth of his now cult, CP products brand. Many brands to this day still copy his early designs, testament to his thought process with product ideas decades before they became mass market produced. Few can claim to be true innovators but for me, Jamie sits proudly in that small group of talent. In recent years Jamie has purposely shy'd away from the limelight, preferring to focus on his work and customer satisfaction. His rods gather dust but his contribution to angling is still available for all to enjoy through his engravings, carvings, kettles and lareg scale artwork. Jamie delves into his colourful life and we listened in awe. 

In addition we delve into a French trip disaster and get to answer some listeners questions. Enjoy. 

This month we have the pleasure of Alfie Russell as our special guest. Alfie is extremely humble considering his album of incredible carp. He's down to earth, honest, hard working and despite a young family he still finds time to target some very special carp. As you'll hear Alfie's passion for angling runs deep. We chat about social media, mental health, the concept of paid angling and sponsorships as well as some tales of past urban campaigns with rods stashed in guitar cases! Enjoy. 

This month is a smaller episode I'm afraid due to one reason or another but we've still got a carpy fix in podcast form to digest. Me and Mark chat through carp strains and discuss how hard it is for individual carp to stand out these days from the masses of carp that are now available to the angler. We also chat through some issues with Mark's baby fish and Mike recalls a horror story that happened to him a few weeks ago! enjoy 

Sorry for the slight delay this month, the truth is me and mark went fishing but August's podcast is now live. This month we have Finn Lewis on as our guest, aka the Wild Man. Finn is an man whos so connected to nature, a real outdoors chap who's also an extremely passionate angler. Me and Mark also have our usual ramblings over a cuppa or two. Thanks for the support as always and lovely reviews, they never fail to put smiles on our faces, we read them all. 

This month we've got a great guest, none other than Dave Little or Mr Ouse as I like to call him due to his love affair with this majestic river and it's elusive carp. We delve into the history of river stockings and the challenges anglers are faced with when trying to hold a river carp, many have failed but Dave's album is busting with some incredible river monsters. Me and Mark also chew the fat as normal and cover carp retirement, particles, photo bombing and all the usual ramblings along the way. Enjoy

This month Mark delves into a rig that breaks the norm. He explains why he's planning on using his Sub Slider Egg Rig and his thoughts behind it! We also have the pleasure of Jensen Mannings, a local angler who's caught plenty of big carp but like many of us these days has to juggle low stocked pits and the demands of the chase with kids, a full time job and all the other life demands. The struggle is real but the drive to succeed never goes away! 

This month we catch up with Russ Widgington, a old skool angler who's been around the scene for longer than I've been alive! Russ isn't a household name but those in the know are fully aware of his results over the years. His album is serioulsy impressive and what's more he still prints his pictures, rather than keeping them as digital images. Me and Mark also chew the fat and discuss having everything handed to you on a plate when it comes to catchng a carp. It's a BIG one, enjoy. 

This month we see the return of Robin Dix and we take a lovely trip down memory lane. We delve into Robin's time on Frensham and also Wraysbury before discussing his return to the car park lake, decades later. The car park is a venue that Robin holds dear to his heart, having caught some of it's most prized residents before they became such iconic targets for so many anglers. Robin also chats about his love affair for making his own bait and even discusses some of his old recipes that haven't changed for decades. We also delve into the impact of digital content overload and how this can sometimes impact happiness, plus we also debating the looks of the carp we love to catch and what characteristics we like to see. Enjoy.

We're thrilled to announce that Simon Bater has your ear this month, a man with an incredible CV of big carp. These include Two Tone at a British record weight, along with carp like the famous Black Mirror, The Chertsey fish and the Slippery Seal to name just a few. Simon isn't a household name, in fact he's a very modest chap who prefers to shy away from social media but believe me when I say he's been around the block. Simon lives and breathes the great outdoors and catches loads of incredible carp, just doing it on his own terms and usually on the quiet! 

As promised we've managed to record a Christmas special Podcast and release it a little earlier than normal to help with any long drives over the festive period. This month we have the extremely passionate Sam Toro on as our special guest. The man along with Gaz Fareham behind the excellent, new book The Northern Chapters. We also discuss hangovers post 40 and throw in a few new features to keep things fresh. Merry Christmas, Enjoy! 

This month Mark manages a rare night and even catches a new personal best. Mike rediscovers the beauty of bobbing a float down a river and our special guest is none other than the man known for his hat and carp catching abilities, Mr Ian Poole. Ian might be out of the mainstream media these days but boy this chap has a serious album of big carp and so many stories to tell. Enjoy.

This month we delve in the areas of Nutrition, Attraction and Digestibility and discuss how attractive these things are to carp and why. We also discuss a month of plenty in terms of carp captures for both of us, it's been a wonderful month, the carp gods have certainly looked after us. Lastly we couldn't end this months podcast without touching on the topic of the month, so say suspicious substances that force carp to feed.....

This month Mike manages to burn Mark's leg. They chat about fishing exploits over the last few weeks, bring back munchie of the month but most importantly we get to interview Tim "Panther" Harris about his early Leney hunting exploits around Reading in a pair of pink board shorts. A time when a few more of these incredible, old carp still swam in our waters. 

This month we caught up with Cypography's Rich Stewart. A mountain of a man who's inspired so many anglers with his videography and wonderful film making skills. Rich has been a friend of ours for years, so it was great to sit down and catch up on his work and angling journey, one that's seen him travel the world and work with just about everyone in the carp angling industry. Rich is an extremely modest man with strong values and you'll soon appreciate that Rich is a mine of carp fishing history, with an almost photographic memory! Enjoy 

This month we caught up with Dave Mag and delve into a life filled with angling. Dave spent years in the limelight of carp angling, catching some of the most prestigious carp of our generation. However life is different these days, Dave's angling is very much on his own terms, with a young family and very busy job carp fishing often consists of short sessions, fitting in around life but that's not stopped him catching more incredible carp. A naturally gifted angler with a seriously impressive album. Dave does it his own way and catches loads. We've also got Jamie Cook back on to chat about some new projects being run by the Angling Trust that are well worth getting involved in. 

We feel extremely privileged to welcome Kieran Hopkinson onto this months podcast. Kieran is a Scottish carp angler who's adventures have culminated in some of the biggest carp in Scotland. But forget size, Kieran's spirit of adventure and freedom come through by the bucketload and its infectious. Extremely low stocks, huge expanses of water, an element of the unknown, far less carp anglers, years of blanking are just a few things that we discuss. The struggle is real but the rewards are very special. Mike and Mark also discuss spawning concerns and Mark delves into some floater fishing tips. 

We're joined this month by John Beecher or "The Cabbie" as some may know him. John isn't usually one for sharing his stories so it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast. We chat about the big Chertsy carp, the Royal plus many of the old Horton Church lake jewels. John has caught loads of big carp, at times using different tactics to most. Many a time using just one rod. Plus we have the pleasure of Jamie Cook from the Angling Trust back on as we discuss the risks of Natural England's seemingly Anti Carp agenda! 

How did Linchhill get stocked? where did those special fish come from? fish like Bitemark and the late Petals? History's important in all walks of life, having an appreciation of our carp fishing heritage always proves just how many big carp are around today in comparison. Our guests this month are two men on a mission to document the history of Oxford carp are Paul Harris and Geoff Adams. These guys have lived and breathed the Oxford scene since kids and have now started to collate it's rich carp fishing history into a book that will document a part of the county that is now a magnet for so many carp anglers. We also have Jamie Cook from the Angling Trust, we talk about a really important campaign linked to water companies discharging raw sewage into rivers and costal waters over 400,000 last year, a 37% increase on the prior year! 

Welcome back to the Carp Fishing Podcast. This month we have the return of one of the nicest chaps in Carp Fishing and serioulsy good angler, Mr Carp Angle himself, Joe Morgan. I've always admired Joe's honesty when we've spoken about life in the past so it was great to chew the fat once aagin on the banks of the manor, the home of the biggest fully scaled carp in the country. We delve into Joe's love affair in recent years with the St Ives complex, discuss the challenges of running Carp Angle on his own before we talk about a trip that helped him recharge after a challenging start to the year. Joe even gets a live take on tape to top off an honest insight into life and his carp finshing adventures. Me and Mark also delve into the crazy use of AI generated carp pictures and how they've even appeared on a recent bait company advert, before endng this months ramblings with a very important topic, online abuse, trolls and the impact this can have on people. 

Bazil was one of the most iconic Carp to have swam in our opinion and it's no surprise that anglers would dedicate years and years of time to pursue this special carp. One such angler was Steve Fudge aka Fudgey. Steve dedicated 96 nights in pursuit of Bazil and this is his tale to tell. We also discuss pre baiting edges, sponsorships and have the pleasure to welcome Jamie Cook back on from the Angling Trust to tell us whats been happening in his world since night fishing was back on the agenda. 

Mark Bryant is back with story like no other, a four year quest in search of a few special carp, a story that Mark has never told or ever published. Hiding in bushes, baiting at midnight, buried treasure and wrestling with badgers are just a few of the hurdles that make this one an extra special episode, one not to be missed. Marks personal fishing is rarely spoken about but rest assured, when he's on it, his focus and commitment is incredible. Sit tight as this one will have you on edge of your seats. One mans quest into the unknown...... Plus we have Jamie Cook back on to give us an update on all things Angling Trust related. 

This month Mike takes the opportunity to delve into Mark's life as he talks through his struggles with school and his football career. But from the struggles came a gritted determination to make Baitworks a success. The struggle was real. Plus we have Jamie Cook back on from the Angling Trust with a monthly round up of whats happening in his world. We chat through the next steps for angling and discuss a really important campaign that the Trust have got involved in over in Kent, where the Kent Wildlife Trust are trying to evict a long standing fishing club from waters they control! 

This months guest is Joe Morgan, the man behind a new, carp fishing channel on you-tube called Carp Angle. What a pleasure it was to sit down with Joe and delve into his life, a life thats already had some incredible experiences. The once front man of Carp TV is back in front of the lens with a new project that we get to discuss. We also cover a variety of other topics from mental health, spirituality, travelling and of course big carp fishing. We also have a slight twist on this months topic of the month, in the form of a rotary style chat. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

What a whopper, this month's podcast is over 4 hours long. We have a great guest in the form of Chris Pearson or CP as he's well known. An angler who is part of the history of carp fishing and a guy who was fortunate to catch a carp only a few people can claim to have held, the incredible "EYE" from Sonning Eye. Chris was full of passion as we took a trip down memory lane and what a trip it was. Mark and Mark also discuss rigs, wine, and mince pies along the way. 

Our longest podcast to date. This month we have Jamie Cook as our special guest. A passionate angler who takes us on a trip down memory lane to a time when he was chasing some well known carp of today, fish like the Baby Black. Jamie also talks about his new role as CEO of the Angling Trust. An organisation all anglers should support as they really do make a difference in many areas that are often invisible to most of us. Mark and Mark discuss the biggest carp in the UK and also touch on the challenges of fishing lakes that have Otters hunting on them. Plus we find out how Mark once got stuck in a cat flap! 

It's a whopper, three and a half hours of carpy chat. This month we have Simon Croft as our special guest as he takes us on a trip down memory lane to a time when big carp occupied a big part of his life. It was hard to pick one from his impressive album but I just had to get him to recall his obsession with one of the most famous carp we've ever had, the King of the North lake, Bazil. Mike and Mark also chat about carp fashion, photography and Mike recalls an encounter with a massive carp. 

This month Mark and Mike discuss urban carp fishing, the joys of being a father and our topic of the month is related to overstocking lakes. Our special guest is Bill Phillips, an angler of some 65 years who has a treasure chest of incredible angling stories, none more so that two UK canal carp records, decades apart! Guys like Bill are the fabric of the history of angling here in the UK and we loved having him on as our guest. We see the return of whats in your bag, carpy facts and munchy of the month.

Our guest this month will be unknown to most but his journey which culminated in a very special carp recently will certainly resonate with many. Ben Smith started his journey on the lake in question when his daughter was just born, some 15 years ago, this year he reached his Everest. Ben delves into the trials and tribulations of targeting low stock pits as a family man with important responsibilities and priorities that had to come before his angling dreams. In addition Mike and Mark chew the fat over oxygen crashes and even get a screamer on tape!  

Alex West aka @the_carp_lifter as he's known on Instagram joins us this month with some wonderful tales of a two Yateley fifties, including the iconic Heather the Leather. Mike and Mark also battle off a flurry of mozzi's while discussing carp care, barbless hooks and we also have a new feature that we are calling carp factoids, a quick fire section full of carpy stats. 

This month, we have a great guest joining us to talk about his adventures on some of the most iconic carp waters we've ever seen. Kev Winter aka Hippy covers his Yateley days, living next door to the complex ensured his early years were filled with special memories of big carp. We also delve into Horton, his time as the Cemex forums modorator, his involvement in raising awareness of illegally imported carp with ECHO and last but not least a tale of a special Wraysbury carp. Mike and Mark also discuss a carps sleeping habbits as well as a selection of topics seen on screen. Enjoy. 

Our special guest interview is one not to be missed. Would you be prepared to blank for a year, would you fish a lake that may not contain a carp in hope that something special might just turn up? Not many anglers would even consider it but Liam Mason did and what happened in the end of his journey is every carp anglers dream, a real unknown carp of epic proportions. We also have all the usual features plus Mike and Mark also discuss baiting strategies and grey hair! 

Welcome to episode 21, it's another whopper to help you get through lockdown. It's 3 hours long and this months special guest is Simon Bartlam, the main man over at Dinton Pastures Country Park, one of the best carp fisheries in the country. Having spent 30 years managing the fishery it was great to discuss the history of the place and get an understanding of Si's excellent fishery management vision. On top of that me and Mark discus a carps natural diet of shrimps, snails and all things larvae related. Our topic of the month this time around is pre baiting, the benefits of it, how much we use, importantly the frequency and application. 

I've so been excited about this one since I recorded it earlier this year, Phil Jacksons story telling and carp fishing exploits from years gone by pulled me in and took me on an historic trip down memory lane. Story telling is a skill and Phil was a natural, I really felt like I was sat in his swim all those years ago. In fact the coffee flowed and I could've kept the tape rolling all day. It's full of fun, frolics and of course some incredible carp captures from what many believed to be the Everest of carp angling back in the day, the Mighty Wraysbury, the home of Mary, a well documented slice of British Carp record history.

This one is our longest podcast ever, it's a whopping 3.5 hours long, it's free and we hope this episode will keep that fire burning until we can get out on the bank. Plus we have Mark and Mikes usual ramblings about predatory carp and our usual features. 

This month we catch up with the man behind the fantastic Cyp|ography carp fishing films, Mr Elliott Gray. Elliott has been around the carp scene for what seems like decades and has caught some incredible carp along the way. His opinions are strong but the cheeky Essex lad doesn't take things to seriously either. He's always great value for money and this podcast's no different. We also discuss carp diet, heavy leads and challenges of winter carping on low stoked lakes with ageing carp.