Jake Langley Hobbs, his continuing five year mission to seek out new carp and new carp waters, to boldly go where no carp fisherman has gone before.
It has been a while since I posted about another blog but I just wanted to post about The Big Carp Hunter buy Jake Langley Hobbs. What makes this blog different you say ? well it is a blog written almost entirely from the bank side about a man who is spending five years on the bank. I think that if he has not done so already he should put himself down on the Guinness book of records for the longest session ever. He posts one blog item per day unless he is travelling and covers the trials and tribulations of life on the road in Europe.
In the blog he covers he doesn’t just cover the fish he has caught but also the ramifications of fishing a 36 day blank. Lets just go over that again, he has a 36 day blank… some anglers don’t do 36 sessions per year and yet he still remains up beat after 36 days with no fish. I think it is also worth pointing out that unlike the rest of us ( well me) his European sessions are not to over stocked puddles but mainly to what could be considered to be an inland sea to most. Due to the stock densities it might take 30+ days before the carp can even be found and to keep you enthusiasm up after all that time with out a fish is admirable. Only last April I was a little depressed after spending 1 week with out a fish ( well loads of poisson chat). He also has several posts going over the finer points of how to survive long term on the bank, to anyone who is considering fishing even one over night session it is essential reading.
Anyway head on over to http://thebigcarphunter.com and give it a read, the humor he injects and his upbeat attitude even in the face of massive adversity is heartening and a lesson to us all. The next time you are doing a session at your home water , 30 mins from home and it gets a little cold, have a thought for Jake on the bank through out the winter with only his laptop and his 2 dobermans for company.
The Masterblanker 
Re JLH 5 year fishing trip – There aren’t many of us who could do it, many of the youngsters in carp fishing will think of waht he is doing as heaven but the reality is very different. When I was in my 20’s I was able to do multi-week long sessions but now I struggle to do 7 days ! I would find it impossible to maintain a positive attitude for 6 days let alone 36 days without a take ! It’s all about keeping your head in the right place and I know that a week is about as long as I can stand these days ! Give me a few days rest at home and I’m ready for some more time on the bank, but to keep on going like that is something else. Will be keeping an eye on his blog.
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Re “overstocked puddles” and “inland seas” – large public lakes are great when you have the time to get to knowand fish them, but for the average guy who works in the UK, is maybe married and possibly has kids, and who wants to come and fish in Europe, 7 days is not enough, these anglers are looking for a holiday and they want to have a chance of catching some fish and I say fair play to them – as a commercial lake owner in France what I am offering is a venue where such people can come and have an enjoyable carp fishing holiday and bring the family. Horses for courses and all that.
What JLH is doing is an impossibility for 99% of us in terms of time and finances, and I guess in terms of desire as well.
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@Jon Perkins
Hey Jon good comments, re the over stocked puddles. I fully agree with you. I work full time and I will be honest that apart from when I was a teenager every recent trip to France has been to a commercial lake. When you take all things into account it costs roughly 1k (eur) per week for a holiday ( we have hired a van each time which boosts the outlay) and I really don’t want to take the risk that the fishing might be a disappointment. Hence I have not fished a public French lake in years. Give me over stocked puddles any day, I like my creature comforts too much and when you fish a lake where the lake owner has put a lot of care an attention into it, it really shows. Personally I like it when there is a prepared swim that my bivvy fits in and when I have to go for a number 2 it is in a porcelain potty rather than a hole in the ground 🙂
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