Nic Brown Profile – My major interest in carp fishing came from a few guest sessions to Toll Pits and fen Drayton when I was younger with Big Jim Shelley, seeing how the likes of Jim, Terry Hearn and Gary Bayes went about their fishing really opened my eyes, and the dedication and tenacity needed was evident for me to see!
This put me in great stead to start achieving my own targets eventually culminating in my 1st 30 from Hatfield Forest and my first 40 from the Essex Estate, a 41lb 4oz Mirror known as Cuthbert.

I have also been lucky enough to do some pretty varied Carp fishing which has taken me to some of Europe’s biggest and most stunning waters. Because of my work in the French Alps for 4 years I was also able to explore some of the daunting but very exciting lower Alpine Lakes which was mega fun and I was lucky enough to take fish to over 45lbs. When push comes to shove though on choosing a favourite water, well certainly abroad it would have to be Lac De St Cassien. My 1st trip to the 1000acres Lake lasted 3 weeks and myself and the two dogs had the time of our lives. I made my home on the famous American Beach and had 3 50 pounders including my French PB of 54lbs, a fish known as Annie to the locals, 2 40 pounders loads of 30’s and a fair few 20’s, possibly the trip of a life time! I am very much a wild sort of fisherman, only normally fishing the big public Lakes, where every aspect of your fishing is put to the test (although I have visited some commercial waters and have had a brilliant time)

Since coming back to the UK in 2005 I have been a bit scatty moving houses, changing jobs, working in the industry, have all taken their toll and as a result I have been hunting many targets from quite a few waters, including The Snake Pit, Braxted, Glen Faba and Priory, being lucky enough to have some crackers on the way. I am constantly trying to develop my skills, consciously making a note of something I need to improve and putting myself in situations where that style or tactic is needed. Recently I am preferring to stay away from packed waters and Carp puddles with no character and am certainly keeping clear of anything stocked from outside our shores, history and quality of the fish is my priority at the moment. But this will soon change as a certain over weight lady is giving me wet dreams! For now PB’s will not be broken but they are crackers, proper King Carp, and they are trickier than anything I ever fished for, so I am loving it!
Although I like to think of myself as a deep thinker I also try very hard to keep it simple, if I have confidence in my tackle and bait then the rest is down to me, so water craft and gut instinct are the things I use to my advantage. At 24 I am learning lessons every day, when there are none left to learn, trust me, I’ll give up!