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Tony Makepeace

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Town / City:Rugby

Contact:Tony Makepeace

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A Carp angler for over twelve years, Tony is a big-pit specialist and to date has caught numerous fish to a UK PB of 48lb 8oz.

As well as his obvious ability chasing big, gravel-pit carp, Tony is no mug when approaching smaller, day ticket lakes. This has been proven in his regular appearances in Total Carp magazine, where he rarely fails to put Carp on the bank. He lists PVA bag fishing, watercraft and location among his key skills.

As a long standing member of the Greys Coarse Consultants and Manager of the Academy, Tony has gone from strength to strength and has been involved in several new product ideas and designs.

Tony lists the Greys Platinum Quiver as one of his favourite products of all time.

News from Tony – 21st October 2009

“2009 was starting to look like a complete disaster on the fishing front. Due to some much needed work on our house and family commitments the only fishing I had done was a French trip earlier in May to Lake Bossard. This turned out to be a good trip as I managed to catch a few carp, including my new French PB grass carp of 43lb.

“Things really started to look better for me probably at the start of July when a friend rang to tell me a place had come up on his syndicate which I was on the waiting list for. This I thought was an opportunity not to be missed, as the first time I walked around the place I witnessed a 50 pounder caught.

“The venue has excellent facilities and is very secure, but what appealed to me most of all was how friendly all the members are - I could take my boy, Reece. So, naturally I joined and went on to do my first few sessions which along the way have resulted in a few nice fish. One session in particular was spent with fellow Greys Academy member, Kevin Grix who had managed on this one session to make me aware of how lazy I had become in my own fishing. Kevin is a very knowledgeable angler but his attention to detail on rigs and bait is amazing. He managed to get several takes from an unfancied swim and I had one from a swim that was producing regularly. This really made me think about what I was doing and how I had to be more pro-active in my own fishing. This leads me to one very special day in September. I had arranged to meet Kevin and his lad, Dom again at the lake and I would take my boy, Reece. The lads would be able to do a spot of Rudd fishing, whilst I and Kev would have a bit of a social and of course fish for the carp. I had a renewed enthusiasm after the lesson learnt and was armed with new rigs and my new homemade hook baits. It was the second morning at first light when one of my alarms gave a couple of bleeps followed by a one toner. After one of the best fights I have ever had from a carp, I was looking at my first 40 pounder and new UK PB Mirror carp of 41lb 10oz. This fish is a rare visitor to the bank and also happens to be one of the most sought after fish in the lake. Pictures were taken courtesy of Kev and Dom and I celebrated with my lad who looked more surprised than me! Obviously I was over the moon and not really bothered what else happened. When I had sat by myself and regrouped my thoughts I set about rebaiting the rod. Well what happened next just blew me away as four hours later the same rod was away again! I was again doing battle with a very powerful carp and after a spirited fight I slid the net under a very large Common Carp. On the scales she went 48lb 8oz. My second forty pounder - a new UK PB Common Carp. Unbelievable, two PB’s in one day. Common and a Mirror. So thanks again Kev for the kick up the backside!

“I work in a tackle shop in Rugby called Banks & Burr and I get a quite a few people ask me if I would consider taking them fishing on a tuition basis. This I would love to do but I just do not have the time to fit everything in. I did however make an exception recently. I agreed to take three lads that have become friends through the shop to a local syndicate called Foxholes Fisheries. It is a place where none of us have been before, but the lads were keen to try it as they are all looking for a new water to fish. The fishery offers a very reasonably priced 4 day holiday ticket for £60. This would I thought be the ideal place for them as they all had different needs and questions.

“I did a little bit of homework for the lads in the shop by trying to get some local information off the anglers that had already fished there. When we arrived we couldn’t get on the syndicate lake as there were a quite a few anglers on already. After a chat with them we learned that it wasn’t fishing very well and they would be staying on until the morning. We all then decided to fish the bottom lake for the night and see what happened. After all we could move in the morning if the night brought no action.

“Keith (Rodney) set up furthest left and Alan (careful Colin) in the middle, I was on the right. The other lad Jonathon (trigger) was to turn up in the morning as he had work commitments. I spent the evening with the lads helping them to find some spots amongst the areas of weed. We retreated to our bivvies for the night only to be woke by a screaming buzzer. Rodney was into a fish and after a very good fight he slid the net under his biggest carp to date. On the scales it went 28lb 12oz and was a new PB for Rodders. He was of course extremely happy and I believe it is the biggest fish in the lake so well done mate. Nothing more happened that night and the morning saw us looking around the syndicate lake for signs of life. Trigger turned up just in time for the syndicate members leaving. After a good look around I advised the lads where I thought they should be and we set about setting up our gear. Trigger was in a corner area of the lake which I was sure would do a couple of fish at least. I helped him sort out his rods and the other lads pretty much sorted there selves out. I had learned from everyone I had spoke to that nobody really was putting any bait in and most of the fish are down in weight. This I find strange as Sept/Oct is a good time of year for fishing piling on the weight for the winter. So I decided to fish solid pva bags over a heavily baited area. I baited up that afternoon and didn’t cast in until the evening hoping the fish would come in and have a feed confidently with no lines in the water. This could go either way but the fish were very active so I was quietly confident.

“I was awoken at first light by a screaming take and after a very good fight I netted a lovely dark mirror. On the scales she went 35lb 8oz and turned out to be the lakes largest resident called the necklace mirror which usually tops 40 pound. Brilliant, Rodney had caught the bottom lakes biggest fish and I had caught the big one out of the top pool. Trigger then opened his account with a run but unfortunately he lost it. He soon followed that up with a lovely mirror which was his second biggest carp he’d ever caught at 21lb. |Then he had a common of 16lb. Rodney then managed to winkle one out at 12 pounds. Unfortunately Careful Colin never caught but that’s carp fishing you can’t win them all. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot, I did.

“This finally brings me up to my most recent session. A weeks fishing holiday, with two mates Kevin Grix and Garry Roberts (Pat butcher). Sorry about all the aliases but ill explain Garry recently netted a carp for a friend and the hook came out the lead hit him in the forehead then the size 6 longshank nailer went straight through his ear with a double snowman bait on it. Hence the new nick name Pat butcher. This I found hilarious as he is the worst micky taker in the world. So sorry mate I told you id get you back. We had booked a week session on Etang La Saussaie which is home to some truly stunning fish. I was really excited as you are genuinely fishing for monsters, as the lake holds fish to 78lb. Well I have now returned from that trip and as I sit here writing this I have a new French PB of 54lb 8oz. I had three fish, Pat had a 41lb common and Kev had 2 50 pounders, 2 40’s and several 30’s. Kev’s two 50 pounders were both PB’s, one was a Common the other a Mirror. So well done mate and thanks for a great trip lads. Just shows how your season can change around.”

Tony