World Carp Classic - Offical Global Website
Lake Bolsena 3rd - 9th September 2012
| G'Day from WA |
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 No, not Washington State U.S.A. as the postie often mistakes it for. But Perth, in sunny Western Australia; though as I write this I'm looking out of the window at a rather wintry scene, slate grey skies and sheeting rain. Not exactly the image that that comes to mind when mentioning Australia; but hey, we get winter too you know!  It's not always searing heat, flies and cloudless skies, as it's portrayed in Crocodile Dundee movies or Neighbours. Like the weather, there are many other misconceptions about life and carp fishing Downunder, which I will attempt to demystify.Ironically, my first WCC blog falls on the first day of the old fishing season, June 16th, though there are no recognised seasons for carp or coarse fishing here. Nor are there really any other similarities with European carping per se. Which may sound like a rather rash and sweeping generalisation, but it's an entirely different scene down in Oz. If I were asked to define Australian carping I'd say it's: "the pursuit of wild carp, in the absence of resources". By that I mean, if you catch a carp anywhere here (perhaps with small suburban waters being the only exception), it is extremely unlikely that your fish has felt a hook before! With reference to resources, there is no doubt that Oz carpers do it hard, and are severely handicapped in their quest for cyprinids, compared to our overseas counterparts. Factors like: having no managed carp waters to fish, not being able to purchase carp kit or bait in Aussie tackle shops, no dedicated carp clubs or societies, no carp literature, and in most cases no reference point from which to start on new or unknown waters.  As far as kit is concerned, if you haven't brought it all from overseas with you originally, you are faced with a long and very expensive process of obtaining it via mail-order. Bait is an even bigger problem here if you want to use boilies, as you face running the gauntlet with AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) when trying to import them. They are deemed as being fish bait, and are duly seized and destroyed - as I've discovered! Flavours and sweeteners are okay to import, so at least you can make some half decent boilies, if you're capable of concocting your own basemix from supermarket and stockfeed ingredients.Having restricted access to tackle and bait, I think sets Aussie carpers apart from the mainstream - I'm not saying we are better or we catch bigger carp; far from it. But Oz carpers that are consistent in their captures I find are tenacious, resourceful, and possess a high level of ingenuity. Which are all traits our environment has forced us to develop in order to pursue our passion... carp. Basically, you have to work it all out from scratch by yourself; as many migrants here have found, it's not easy. Sure, there are a handful of Aussie coarse angling clubs and forums now, run by ex-pats, which can help you get on track. But most serious carpers keep their activities discrete, and locations of their waters to themselves, and rightly so.  As a lot of exploration, swim preparation and bait experimentation has usually preceded the wetting of a line anywhere off the beaten track.I wouldn't argue with anyone thinking that this sounds all too hard; often it can be, but the rewards are there for those that persevere. Ninety-nine percent of the time the rivers and lakes I fish I have entirely to myself. Aside from obtaining the applicable states rod licence, the fishing here is free, there are no bailiffs, no silly rules, no competition for pitches, and for the majority of the time a superb climate in which to fish. Sounds like paradise... but it'd be remiss of me not to mention a few of the negatives that you need to be prepared for before venturing into the bush. Number one on my list would have to be snakes! Over the years I've encountered many, mostly tiger snakes (ranked in the top four of the worlds most deadly snakes), some up to a couple of metres in length.  Thankfully they are very timid creatures and will avoid you if you let them, though you do get the odd one that's a little too inquisitive, or too friendly - which necessitates evasive action on your part! I've had a few come a little too close for comfort, but one extremely persistent serpent that seemed hell bent on sunbathing right next to me, I had to move! Yelling "CRIKEY!" and doing my best Steve Irwin impression, I leapt to the ground and grabbed it by the neck! Nah... I don't think so... I'm kidding! I just gently scooped him up in my landing net and relocated him a little bit further down the bank out of harms way.Not something I wish to repeat, or recommend you trying either. Getting bitten when you are fishing alone in a remote location will very quickly put you in a world of trouble. A snakebite kit is something I always carry if I'm thrashing about in the bush. It consists of several long compression bandages and a very sharp knife, to bind and splint the affected limb should the worst happen! I'm not paranoid about them, but spacially aware, and highly respectful when fishing in their habitat. That said, I've recently started giving the missus the GPS coordinates of where my session is, should I fail to return home for any reason. A camo gnome secreted away in a riverbank hidey-hole, as I often am, makes me hard to find, and would hamper any rescue attempt without the knowledge of my exact whereabouts.  The majority of my rod hours are spent alone, so I have to be fully prepared for whatever my surrounds throw at me while waiting to get a bend in the rod. With the sun and mosquitoes being the lesser evils compared to my reptilian playmates, you still have to be sensible with protective clothing, and wear a hat, sunscreen and mozzie repellent, etc, when needed. Though at the moment I don't really have to worry about any of these things, because it's far too cold!I consider the first day of June (the official start of Australian winter), as the kick off to my carping season. The winter rain (when we get it) replenishes our thirsty lakes, and oxygenates our rivers with its much needed influx. I find here in WA that the fish feeding intensifies as the lake water levels rise, and the rivers flow strengthens. With the months of July and August being my favorite hot times to fish. Though, this year I will miss them both, as in a few weeks time I'll be heading north to an English summer to make my final preparations for the World Carp Classic. Put another shrimp on the barbie for me? Andy Wallis AKA Niblet |
