World Carp Classic - Official Global Website
Lake Bolsena 2nd - 8th September 2012
| Au Revoir Oz! |
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 This will most definitely be my last blog penned from Australia for some time, as I won’t be returning home from our World Carp Classic quest until the 30th of September. A three-month carp trip is a ‘biggie’ alright; I have had some protracted trips away of similar lengths before, yet none have made me feel quite like this. With my meagre possessions and minimalistic kit packed, I’m now only hours away from setting off on my flight from Perth to Hong Kong – the first leg of my mammoth journey north.  It’s difficult for me to articulate my precise feelings at this moment? I’ve had a few butterflies in my stomach before leading up to long trips away, but my guts are now churning more like a tumble-dryer… and no, not from a dodgy curry either, but from a myriad of emotions that I’m trying to digest and rationalize! This potent mix of angst, uncertainty, and excitement for what lies ahead, serves as a catalyst to propel me toward my goal. No doubt the thousand unanswered questions and unfounded worries I have now, will evaporate as I step on the plane. Once I’ve put some miles behind me, I think I’ll be able to relax a little and focus clearer on the next incremental step toward Madine. On previous carpy pilgrimages to the east of Australia, or even further to Canada and Morocco, I’ve taken quite a bit of kit away with me. This time however all I’ve got in my suitcase is a small quantity of fishing clobber, a pair of big-pit reels, my ever-faithful Kovea Moonwalker stove & kettle, a lightweight sleeping bag, and don’t laugh… a camo hiking tent! It only weighs 2.5kg and will be backup accommodation if I don’t end up getting the loan of a bivvy. I’ve got one here in Oz that weighs about 10kg (half my luggage allowance), which for this reason is not practical to bring, and I really don’t want to have to buy a second. The rest of my kit, such as: rods, pod and bedchair etc, I will have to source once I’m back on British soil, which will be as of the 12th of July. This is an awkward situation I know, but somehow I will muddle through it as ad-hoc as it all seems now?My path to Madine has been a rocky one to say the least; a rollercoaster ride would be a more apt description I think? As I have had to find ways in which to deal with some huge personal challenges along the way, which have brought some highs and lows with my health. This has come in addition to the financial strain, and the ever-present frustration of being so isolated from the carp mainstream - factors that have severely hampered my preps from the beginning.  I’m not going to whinge about this repressive situation, I remain positive, and as always try to make the best of it. I know I’ll be like a little kid in a sweetshop once I’ve thrown off my convict shackles here, and am let loose for some serious carpy retail therapy back in the UK…  I can’t wait! Aside from assuaging my pent up tackle-tart lust by buying lots of new toys, being surrounded by likeminded carpers will be pure and utter bliss! The complete opposite of the environment in which I reside, where sadly my passion for carp is not an ideal shared by the vast majority of Australia’s angling fraternity.My much anticipated visit to the UK and France, as well as having this amazing opportunity to compete at the WCC will be a massive shot in the arm for me. It comes as well-timed tonic to rejuvenate my spirits, when the Perth carp fishing scene is currently at the lowest ebb I’ve ever seen. See ya round like a rissole! Andy Wallis AKA Niblet |
