50 Shades Of Carp

Just for a bit of fun I asked the carp twitter community to display their favourite caught carp, and these are the results. I must warn you though, if you are easily excited, you may need tissue as there are some stunning fish in this collection. I actually had no intention of putting all of these pictures together into a blog, but once the photos started to roll in, it dawned on me, on how privileged and grateful I was that the anglers below wanted to share their proudest moments with me, so here they are in all of their wonderful glory.

Some of these anglers I know, some of them I don't, regardless of whether we know each other or not, irrespective of what method, bait, tackle, age, gender or aspiration, we are all brought together through one desire, and that is, to catch carp.
These fishermen and fisherwomen are specialists in their own right, as they have chosen to fish for one particular species and accomplished what they set out to do, a feat considered an impossibility just 70 years ago.
Some of us wait days, weeks, months even years nearly driven insane in pursuit of these elusive creatures, and yet, all of that anguish, all of that waiting, all of the moments of self doubt just simply fade away the second a carp slips over and into the landing net.
We are the fortunate few who see and experience every season of the year, from the depths of Winter to the scorching heat of the Summer, we see, feel and breath it all.

Every one of the photo's above are special moments that have been frozen in time and will be remembered by each and every angler responsible for the capture, and it is only fishing that provides these moments. In fact I would even go as far to say, we do not choose fishing, fishing chooses us, and takes us all on a life long journey.

This is what fishing is all about and this is what we are all a part of, I thank you all for being gracious enough to share your priceless moments with us all.