KOTC 2015 - Carp Winner, Charlie Coppolo - Prize Report

This entry was posted on 25th October, 2016

Bleary eyed and sleep deprived, the morning I’d waited for had finally come around! Almost exactly a year on from the closing date of the 2015 ‘King of the Catch’ competition, and with myself being lucky enough to take top spot in the carp category, my fishing partner Rob Theobald and I were on our way to the airport to make use of the awesome prize of a week’s carp fishing on the St Lawrence River, in the very able hands of ‘Canadian Carpin Holidays’ and, more specifically, Mr Paul Hunt.

The seven and a half hour flight certainly seemed to drag but I suppose that’s to be expected when you’re so eager to reach your destination. Having being collected from Montreal Airport and spending what was left of that day discussing tactics for the week and regaling stories of fishing past, we enjoyed a lavish meal supplied by Paul’s wife Lisa, which was to become a highlight of everyone’s days during the week, and we each retired to our bedrooms in preparation for an early start.



Jumping out of bed, regardless of our inevitable fatigue, the anticipation was enough to fuel and energise us. Following a short car journey and an even shorter boat trip, we were plotted up in our swim for the day. The day started slow and it took us a couple of hours to get our heads around how these wild, hard fighting commons wanted bait presented. But, once we did, it was pretty much a steady stream of fish from then until the end of our week, with no other real tactic or rig changes needed. The beauty of fishing for these fish is they are far from what I would refer to as ‘riggy’; 99.9% of these fish would never have seen a hook in their lives, let alone have been unlucky enough to have actually picked one up. Simplicity was key! Method feeder tactics, with a short 4 to 5 inch rig comprising of a strong coated braid, of which I opted for Atomic Tackle 35lb ‘Jel-E-Wyre’, a strong, heavy gauge hook, my personal choices being Atomic Tackle size two and four ‘Claws’ and ‘Haulas', all attached to a heavy inline lead to which you mould your method mix around.

None of the swims we fished called for any real distance casting, with us comfortably fishing in between 20 and 50 yards for most of the week. In most cases we were fishing in to deep water, around 30 foot or more, pretty much at our feet. This was another bonus as, although it would be possible to fish at distance with the gear we was using, having to repeatedly cast a 4oz lead plus method mix would soon become very tiresome. A lazy over head lob was almost always all that was needed and it meant you could save your energy for the epic battles that were to come.



I’ve caught fish, large fish, in many destinations around the world, as well as catching my fair share of carp in the UK. But all the stories people tell you of how these fish fight have to be personally experienced to be believed! I could never have believed the ferocity and sheer brute strength these fish utilise during their initial run if I had not had witnessed it first hand. If the initial run isn’t enough to impress, it then transforms in to a dogged battle of wills, with the fish utilising their own evolutionary prowess; huge fins they seem to have developed that proportionally dwarf any fish I’ve come across in the UK. Couple that with the tow of the current in the river and you have a fight where you never quite feel like you have the upper hand. Until you see the fish cross the net cord and hit the spreader block, it truly could go either way! You are bound to lose fish when fishing in extreme conditions like these, but you very quickly learn that you simply can not bully these Canadian carp as you may be able to back home in the UK. They dictate how the fight progresses and you are just along to enjoy the ride.

Every day of our trip was as similar as it was different. Although the tactics stayed the same and the fish fought just as ferociously, the weather conditions changed day to day, which I’m fairly certain effected how much and when the fish fed. Just because you have a good day in one swim on one day, it certainly does not mean that you would have similar results the following day. We had multiple fish every day of our trip, and on one particular day Rob and I managed to nab three different 30lb+ fish, as well as a good number of back up 20lb fish.



Another question I was asked upon my return by numerous people was “doesn’t it get boring catching just commons?”, and I have to be honest it was something I had anticipated myself before our arrival. But, having been there and immersed myself in the fishing, it truly doesn’t matter a jot… In fact if anything it makes you appreciate all the different characteristics and little nuances these fish have. Even being majority commons you can pick out really interesting differences which really does make each fish completely individual, such as fin size or shape, body shape, unusual scale patterns or ‘swirling’, old scars or deformities, even pigmentation of the scales, the list goes on…. And of course, there is a chance, albeit a small one, of picking up a rare and highly sought after mirror. With these fish all being completely wild and no one having any real idea of the stock that inhabits the St Lawrence, you truly have no idea of what will pick up your hookbait next. It’s the unknown quantity of fishing huge rivers like this that make the whole thing such an enjoyable and exciting experience.

Our last day arrived far too quickly and I was fully dreading the prospect of leaving this amazing river and embarking on the arduous journey home… We fished hard for the last day, really trying to draw every last drop of enjoyment from it before having to pack the rods away for the last time. We caught plenty of fish on the last day, including another 30lb for Rob, but what happened eventually could not have been scripted! We had discussed all week the prospect of getting a double take between us just as Paul was pulling the boat up to pick us up, but alas up to yet it hadn’t happened. But on this day, with literally five minutes left of our trip, one of Rob’s rods was away and literally as that fish sank in to the folds of the net I heard the familiar scream of my right hand rod as it was virtually torn from the rest. With Rob’s fish safely secured in the net I was just praying I would not lose this fish and, to make it even more stressful, it felt like a good fish! Right on cue, just as Paul came in to sight, I lifted my rod back and guided the fish in to the net! It couldn’t have been more perfect. My fish in the net looked a good fish and I would have put a fair bit of money on it being the biggest I had that week. The scales don’t lie and they turned to 29lb on the dot. It was not my biggest but I was far from disappointed and we finally got the brace shot of us both we had dearly hoped for all week.



With photos taken and fish released, it was finally time to return to the UK. I left the St Lawrence tired and ever so slightly physically broken, but it has not put me off already considering a return trip in the not so distant future. This river has so much to offer and in the same breath it withholds so much. Making you work for your rewards and leaving you with a feeling of deserved pride, unlike anything I have previously encountered fishing for carp anywhere else. I am positive that in my weeks fishing I didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what’s to expect from it but I’m sure, in my mind, that in time I will remedy that and in years to come I may even consider myself and the St Lawrence good friends. It’s an experience I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, and if you’re at all on the fence with your decision I hope that this short piece may sway you closer to making a choice that you will never regret!