You may have seen some of my articles, past or present, in various magazines and on international websites, about my exploits abroad in pursuit of big fish over the years. It all started with Carp Talk in 1997… though I’ve also written for Big Carp, Carp World and had my Marco Polo series of articles in Carp Fisher. The articles described my adventures abroad, covering the many different destinations I had travelled to in my quest for big uncaught foreign Carp. I outlined the different types of waters I had fished and the methods, tools and techniques I employed when tackling these foreign waters.
It was my aim, as it is with everything I write, to pass on my knowledge so that my fellow anglers would also be successful on their trips across the water. Although I’m dyslexic it has never stopped me putting my thoughts down to try to help and pass on valuable information about the pastime I love so much. Then about 7 years ago I went off in pursuit of Big Cats and started writing for Whiskers, the CCG’s publication. This year, though, persuaded by a woman (!) I’ve returned to my beloved carp and have started writing once again for International Carper and Carp Addict.
I’ve been an angler from a very young age, from dabbling in streams and lakes to what I do now, travelling all over the world in pursuit of my prey. I did fish in this country many years ago and I’m still a member of several organizations, such as the BCSG, CS, CCG, EMCSG, but for the last 17 years my ambition has been to travel to foreign destinations in search of big fish with no names.
I don’t know about you, but I have a deep desire to search out that uncaught monster… the one that my instinct tells me lurks deep in the many rivers and lakes I travel to. So I have relentlessly pursued my prey wherever it may swim and set my traps in all sorts of waters and conditions.
My travels have taken me to many different countries… like Spain, France, USA and the Canaries. I have fished many types of waters from massive reservoirs like Lac Du Der Chantecoq to gravel pits, from small winding rivers to massive systems like the Ebro. This has not only given me lots of experience but also many happy hours on the bank meeting new friends from all different walks of life speaking many different languages. It has also given me the chance to fish in some unbelievable, breathtaking scenery. It’s not just about putting big fish on the bank… there is much more to travelling and fishing than just catching your prey.
So here are a few examples of what my fishing abroad has meant to me and why I keep going back time and time again.
Mirrors to over 60 pounds, caught in some stunning locations, Linears to 46lb from the mighty River Seine, Commons to over 40 from France and Spain… leathers to 48.00 lbs. As for cats, I have had 40 over 100.00 lbs, 5 over 150 and my current PB stands at 173.00 lbs… I have also had a very rare albino catfish of 108.00 lbs.
As you can see, my search across Europe and the USA have resulted in some very memorable captures for me… and also some stunning shots of the many different venues I have fished over the years. So as you can see, I have a very strong passion - or is it an obsession? - for travelling and fishing abroad. But, like all anglers, I never stop dreaming of that next take and what it may bring. will it be that fish of my dreams? Who knows, but it’s what keeps us all going back. Well as I said before, I’ve been an angler for most of my 50 years, man and boy and I’m now in a position to take my dreams even further than before. After some 26 odd years working for Jaguar Cars, I took redundancy a couple of years ago and am now able to share my experiences with my fellow anglers, guiding them and helping them to fish waters they might only have dreamed about. In conjunction with Angling Lines, I will be off on my travels in search of big fish in some stunning destinations, taking parties of anglers with me.
So if like me, you have dreamed of landing that monster from the deep, but have never thought you had the experience to do it, just come with me and I will do my best to help you catch the fish of your dreams, using the tactics and experience I’ve gained over the years.
Tight lines to you all... Big Ron Woodward