Carp Books

The Forgotten Chapters' has been meticulously compiled by angler and writer Gareth Fareham over the last eighteen months. With significant efforts from friends and developed in conjunction with Ali Hamidi, the book contains 28 entirely unique stories covering the journeys of dedicated carp anglers in search of that ultimate common goal, the capture of that elusive monster.
The Forgotten Chapters is privileged to include chapters from some of the finest anglers in the land; from well known characters of the scene such as Ritchie MacDonald, Martin Locke and Jason Hayward through to the 'underground' contributors such as Ev, Simon Hartop and Alan Welch. There is always one shared and deeply rooted obsession; the quest for huge, thoroughbred English carp and detailed within are campaigns on the great venues of Wraysbury, Yateley, Longfield, Savay, St Ives, Summerleaze, Richmond Park…the list continues on.
Richly illustrated by Gareth and containing an astonishing wealth of photography of some of the most incredible carp the country has ever produced, it is a book of inspiration that charts the hardships and endeavours, the highs and lows, the emotion and the dedication, the effort and the sacrifice and the friendships and adventures that make up the crooked, winding path towards the pursuit of a dream.
The Forgotten Chapters is a truly unique book, bringing together a monumental selection of inspirational chapters that no carp angler can fail to enjoy, regardless of their experience.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of big carp magazine we are proud to announce our new series of 10 books entitled big carp legends.

The 1st, by Peter Springate is now available with the others following shortly. The authors include Terry Hearn, Rob Maylin, Rod Hutchinson, Jim Gibbinson, Lee Jackson, Steve Briggs, Nigel Sharp, Jim Shelley, Dave Lane and Richie Mcdonald and will build into the ultimate collection of modern carp angling literature.

If you've read Dave's first, highly acclaimed book, 'An Obsession with Carp', then you'll have a bit of an idea what to expect from this new release. If you haven't read it, then this will really open your eyes to the world of 'specimen' carp angling.

The obsession still burns, although Dave has a modicum of control over it now, but the rewards are now amongst the most sought after in the carp world.

This is a book that will amuse, amaze and sastound you - and hopefully inspire you, with chapters on Conningbrook, St.Ives, the Secret Mere and many more...

Take care as you go, and beware the brambles!

For many people carp fishing becomes an obsession, a way of life almost, and that was how it was for Steve from an early age. But it was when he travelled down to Lake Cassien for the first time that he knew his life would never be the same again! This book concentrates on one of the world’s most famous lakes and Steve’s attempts to catch some of the prized inhabitants from its great depths since the days just after its discovery through to the time of finishing this book. But success at Cassien opened up a whole new world of possibilities and Steve was quick to grasp the opportunity to travel around the world and to other great waters in search of big carp.
With carp fishing you never know what is just around the corner. Periods of despair can be followed by moments of intense excitement and that is all reflected in these pages that follow. It is a true-to-life account of the fishing, the friendships, the discoveries and of course some of the carp that Steve has encountered since that first trip to Cassien in 1986.

The new 148 page Fox Guide to Modern Carp Fishing is the second book in the ‘Fox Guide To’ series and is packed with guidance and information designed to help you keep catching. Fox Consultants, including Max Cottis, Andy Little, Ken Townley, Adam Penning and Ian ‘Chilly’ Chillcott explain some of the rigs and tactics that have proved successful for them. Information on spodding and use of PVA is also featured. All the rigs and ideas are presented in a concise step-by-step format and all the sequences are illustrated with full colour photography.

Ian ‘Chilly’ Chillcott is a legend in the world of carp fishing and in this book he passes onto the reader his knowledge and passion for the sport.

Whilst this is a technical book on carp fishing and some of the material is quite advanced, it is the author’s intention to make sure that the basics are fully covered. He explains why certain types of tackle and equipment should be used and outlines the development of tackle and tactics.

The author begins with a brief history of carp angling and includes many of the dramatic changes and events that have shaped the sport into what it has become today. The section on tackle covers everything from rods to sleeping bags.

On the practical side, the author writes about playing, landing, and safe handling of carp from the moment the fish is hooked to its safe return to the water.

Well known for his angling exploits, Chilly has now written the book that many of us have been waiting for – a book about his life; and what a life. The carp fishing part of his life has been well documented but, here, we also find out how much it is just that – a part of his life.

From over two decades in the Army, to his love and devotion for his beleaguered wife, Lynn, we see carp fishing for what it is to most of us – an obsession that has to be tamed in order for normal life to resume as much as possible.

But Chilly’s life is far from normal, and here we get down to the bare bones of it. The traumatic hospital visits with Lynn which had him questioning his motivations about carp fishing. The years in the Airborne Forces that had him at constant readiness to be flown to any one of the many flashpoints around the globe in the nineties. His season in the wilderness, where the bottom of a bottle seemed more preferable than a carp in the bottom of the net.

But, through it all, carp fishing and the friendships made whilst on the bank, were his salvation, and as dramatic as that sounds, most of you who read this will totally empathise with that.

This is a book of rock-bottom lows and nose-bleeding highs, but the highs far outweigh the lows and will leave you gagging to get the rods out.



Read and enjoy!

Want to catch more and bigger carp? From understanding carp behaviour and location through to tying the latest rigs, the new 248-page Fox Complete Guide to Carp Fishing is packed with step-by-step sequences and computer illustrations to help you catch more carp than ever before.

Drawing on decades of experience from Fox’s team of carp consultants, this book is an invaluable guide to every aspect of modern big carp fishing – offering clear, detailed advice on everything from knot tying and rig principles to terminal tackle, PVA bags, spodding, surface fishing, bait choice and carp care.

The Fox Complete Guide to Carp Fishing is a wealth of information for beginners and experienced carpers alike!

First published in 1989 Fox Pool was described as `The most impressive collection of massive carp ever brought together`,with guest chapters from the Who`s Who of carp angling including Steve Allcott,Martin Locke,
Phil Harper , Kevin Nash , Roger and Kerry , Zenon and Rael Bojko , Jon Allen , Rod Hutchinson , Chris Ball and Benie Loftus to name only a few.

Tiger Bay is Robs first book,originally published in 1988 . It focuses on his fishing at Savey Lake andthe North Harrow Waltonians , both situated in the Colne Valley .

Martin Clarke is one of the most successful carp anglers England has ever known. His outstanding list of specimen fish includes over fifty thirty-pound plus English carp and seven true English forties. He has fished most of the well-known circuit waters and also has been successful in Romania, France and Holland.

Terry has earned along the way the respect of many of the countries leading carp anglers, and now he has written his first book that promises to be a revelation to anglers of any experience and one that we are sure will propel in to the annals of modern carp fishing history.