| Name: Stephen Eric Westbury. Born: 1959, London, England Hobbies & Interests: Electronics, Amatuer Photograpy, Boating, CARP fishing. Natural History & Freshwater Ecology. Occupation : Toolmaker Largest Mirror : 35lb 8 oz Largest Common : 39 lbs even When I was a wee lad ! I had a passion for fishing. Started at around age 7. I used to fish weekends at my friends place (his Dad was building a house in Sussex England). We fished on the River Arun near lockwood, it was hard fishing for us youngsters & for many weeks we caught precisely nothing; until one day, having gotten bored (who would'nt), we decided to call it a day & venturing our own way home, we stumbled across a farm pond. It was encompassed by trees, & this pond; we could SEE the fish within. This gave us extra incentive to try real hard at these fish. However we did not posess the required casting skills to get a hook & line into this pond, which was heavily lined the entire circumference with thickly branched tree's. How I remember struggling to cast from under the branches & becoming tangled at every attempt. Finally I had worked my way around to a small bare piece of unvegetated bankside, just about the perfect size to cast from & with only one branch overhanging the water. Of course on the first cast, I dont even have to tell you where my float ended up! My mouth dropped & to cap it all my friends Dad had somehow found us & was here to take us home. We caught none that week but the next week we were back & we caught fish ! Rudd, Roach , Gudgeon, & guess what else?- - - Carp, not commons but the most beautiful Crucians you ever did see ! It was the capture of a few of these Golden, shining, hard fighting creatures, which fused my special passion for carp fishing. For me there is nothing more special than this whole extravaganza we call Carp Fishing. It is indeed a most special privalige for one of these fish to allow you the capture of it. That was over 30 yrs ago, & you know, if I go to a new lake- - - - that same passion begins again - -& again - - -& again. Call it the call of the wild ,the beast within us or whatever. That gut feeling of understanding & respecting your quarry. For carp I think , to get the best from this fish, you need this burning inside. If you have it you will know what I mean ! A lake cannot be a lake without this fish! which mixes strenght, stamina, sheer power, fickleness, defiance, domination, beauty, gracefulness, speed & subtlety from the fish. Hate, anger, fear! cruelty, despisement, obsession, gratuity, reverence & elation from Mankind. This fish arouses such diverse feelings amongst fellow men which almost matches the fishes adept capability of adaptation to almost any water condition ! As Isaak walton said about 400 yrs ago. CARP ; The Queen of the river's, a good, stately & subtle fish. Wishing you the very best in fishing for the most wily of fish, the Queen of the river; AKA Cyprinus Carpio. Carpsava April 2001 |
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| 39 lbs of fighting muscle. |
| It's nice to catch fish amongst beautiful surroundings like this at the Niagara falls. The fish are mostly always willing to oblige ! |