I END UP GETTING FRUSTRATED IF I CAN’ T MOVE ONTO FISH. I DON’ T MAKE A VERY GOOD SPECTATOR!
This month we pick the brains of Dave Lane, one of the most successful carp anglers in the history of the sport with eight UK‘ fifties’ to his name ...
Q You’ve caught some of the most famous big carp in the country, including the Black Mirror, Sonning Eye and the Burghfield Common. Which is the most memorable to you, and why?
A They all mean so much, for different reasons. The Black Mirror involved massive challenges due to the restrictions and the wild nature of the pit. The Sonning Eye lived in 240 acres, of which about 60 per cent was out of bounds. The Burghfield Common was probably the easiest of those three but I still had to carve out a new swim from solid brambles to be able to fish where I needed to. I have so many good memories from all my major captures that it would seem unfair to single out just one.
Q What has been your favourite venue down the years, and why?
A That’s almost as hard to answer as the last question, and I couldn’t honestly put the Mere forward as a contender as that was more of a ‘love-hate’ relationship!
Brogborough was amazing, because of the size of the place and the freedom I enjoyed down there, and Marys in Northants was a bit special as well. I was alone most of the time on there, the surroundings were terrific, and it held wild carp that moved around as they should do without pressure.
Burghfield would also be up there in the top three because of the size and notoriety of the lake and, of course, its most famous inhabitant.
Q Is there anywhere you’d like to fish, but haven’t yet had the chance?
A There are quite a few but most of them have either a ‘No Dogs’ policy, a publicity ban or a ‘No Laney’ rule.
Your love of large, wild waters is well known. Do you ever feel the need to go and get a bend in the rod somewhere less challenging, just to recharge?
Regularly, but I tend to save all that for the winter months. It’s hard for