QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH CARL SHARP
Introduction.....
Key
#MF - Matthew Fleet
#CS - Carl Sharp
Before we begin may I Matt start with saying a big thank you to Carl for taking the time out to do this interview for www.carpmarathon.co.uk, Carl is a great angler and I'm sure all of you reading this will enjoy the content as much as myself, Carl is also from the Midlands which makes this interview extra special
right then ready? let's begin ..............
right then ready? let's begin ..............
Question 1.
#MF Can you give me and everybody reading this interview a few words about yourself?
#CS My name is Carl Sharp although my friends call me Sharpy, born and raised in wolverhampton in the West Midlands
Question 2.
#MF What age did you begin angling?
#CS I started angling when I was 5 years old, believe it or not I first wetted a line fly fishing for rainbow trout with my Dad and Uncle down a local complex of ponds, it was hard work being such a young lad trying to thrash the waters surface to a foam with my casting, but I loved it and caught my fair share of rainbows too!
from there I ventured onto the local canal systems targeting anything that would take my maggot on my 5 meter pole, it was great fun. In fact the first Fish I hooked Into was a gudgeon. Thinking I'd mastered the hooking and shipping my pole backwards down to a fine art after 2 Gudgeon, I was to learn a valuable lesson on my 3rd bite as the float shot under and I was suddenly connected to a tench of around 4lb which subsequently snapped my hook length in a matter of seconds with my limited experience.
A Young Carl Sharp.....
Question 3.
#MF When did you make the decision to target big carp?
#CS I pleasure fished on mixed coarse fisheries for nearly 10 years, although I must admit I was always trying to catch the carp wherever I went with whatever method I could use. These weren't exactly huge fish, and my pb of 11lb 4oz stood firm for years before I decided to target carp seriously
I was around 15 years old when I thought I had what It took to sit and wait for considerably longer sessions than the day only approach that I was used to. It was around 1999 when I finally used a pod and static approach, armed with 2 x 1 3 / 4lb TC rods of different makes and models although I did own 2 tiny baitrunner reels already
it was great feeling of the unknown, as there were no DVD's telling you how to tie up the latest rig, or what areas of the lake bed you should be targeting. It was all very hush hush and secret squirrel stuff, and it was a case of trial and error and countless hours of stress and worry of was my supple braided rigs tangled up in a mess on the bottom?
#CS I pleasure fished on mixed coarse fisheries for nearly 10 years, although I must admit I was always trying to catch the carp wherever I went with whatever method I could use. These weren't exactly huge fish, and my pb of 11lb 4oz stood firm for years before I decided to target carp seriously
I was around 15 years old when I thought I had what It took to sit and wait for considerably longer sessions than the day only approach that I was used to. It was around 1999 when I finally used a pod and static approach, armed with 2 x 1 3 / 4lb TC rods of different makes and models although I did own 2 tiny baitrunner reels already
it was great feeling of the unknown, as there were no DVD's telling you how to tie up the latest rig, or what areas of the lake bed you should be targeting. It was all very hush hush and secret squirrel stuff, and it was a case of trial and error and countless hours of stress and worry of was my supple braided rigs tangled up in a mess on the bottom?
Carl Holding A Carp Known As The Sheriff.....
Question 4.
#MF Like myself you are from the Midlands is the majority of your angling done local or do you travel?
#CS I must admit that since I've really been serious into my Carp fishing which would have been 1999 as previously stated, I have always travelled at least 80 miles from my home town, as it would either have been Oxford in the early days, Milton Keynes for a good amount of time, as well as Cambridgeshire for the last 3 years or so
the only exception to this was 2009 when I battled my wits with the Acton Burnell syndicate RH Fisheries for a season. I must admit though, I do love the gravel pits that we end up having to travel for, the silty meres do have their gorgeous surroundings but you can't beat a windswept crystal clear gravel pit
#CS I must admit that since I've really been serious into my Carp fishing which would have been 1999 as previously stated, I have always travelled at least 80 miles from my home town, as it would either have been Oxford in the early days, Milton Keynes for a good amount of time, as well as Cambridgeshire for the last 3 years or so
the only exception to this was 2009 when I battled my wits with the Acton Burnell syndicate RH Fisheries for a season. I must admit though, I do love the gravel pits that we end up having to travel for, the silty meres do have their gorgeous surroundings but you can't beat a windswept crystal clear gravel pit
Carl Pictured Holding A Carp Known As The Creature.....
Question 5.
#MF Who has been your biggest inspiration in your angling?
#CS If I was to talk angling literature I don't think anyone would argue with me when I first read Terry Hearns book '' in pursuit of the largest '' it just made me want to drop everything and fish as much as I could, such details of the areas Terry fished along with the fish patrol routes and feeding patterns, he gets so involved with everything he is trying to achieve with a certain lake you can't fail to be inspired
I can't leave this question Matt without mentioning my Dad, my angling journey would never of started without his introduction to the sport all those years ago, it's great to say even to this day we still go fishing together a lot of the time, and our progress to serious carp fishing went together hand In hand, learning together as much as we can
Carl Sends The Marker Float Out.....
Question 6.
#MF What is your all time favourite tactic and bait?
#CS I do love long range fishing, and when I was fishing Dovecote it was a venue I was adamant about conquering, the closest range that the huge Island was from any given swim was around 120 yards, and to consistently fish areas like this when I first joined was devastating, I must admit the rods and carbon technology have come a long way in such a short space of time making distance fishing so much easier
but when I first joined it was such a buzz being able to hit these sorts of areas and to also follow that up with a few spods of bait, as far as bait is concerned anything from the P C F range, I have a lot of confidence in all of their products
Carl Watching For Signs.....
Question 7.
#MF Like myself you fish overseas in France what keeps you going back?
#CS The pull of large fish from abroad is always appealing, although I must admit that what really keeps me going back is the actual holiday element, I have never taken the over seas fishing that I have previously done to serious, because at the end of the day I want to enjoy my break from the rat race and work, chill and just relax near the waters edge with a chance of a carp or two?
Victory Salute And Capture Returned.....
Question 8.
#MF If angling was to stop tomorrow what would your thoughts be? and would their be another sport that you would have as much passion for to take It's place?
#CS If angling was to stop tomorrow? then there is no denying that such a big piece of my life would be missing. Angling is so much more than just a hobby, it's An obsession that runs through the blood in my veins and keeps me going with hopes and dreams
I don't think anything could replace the sport in my life, football just isn't for me, I must admit that I do enjoy going to the gym as often as I can, but the pb's that you achieve in lifting weights could never replace the sound of that Delkim rattling off!
Like most modern carp anglers these days Carl has his own YouTube channel which includes some excellent content from both home and abroad so if you fancy viewing the man in action? hop over to YouTube and search Carl Sharp to find his channel
Carl Sharps YouTube Channel.....
Well all good things must come to an end, I hope all reading this interview have enjoyed it as much as I have interviewing Carl and putting the interview together a big thank you to Carl again
tight lines and happy angling
Matt
tight lines and happy angling
Matt
