CARP CAN'T RESIST PHIL'S LINE.

Top of the list of requirements for any budding carp specialists has got to be dedication followed by an acute eye for detail.

One carper with more than his fair share of these attributes is New Malden angler Phil (Daisy) Roots. Phil has just had a year that most carp anglers would not even dare to dream of.

Twelve months ago Phil decided to target Orchard Lake at Dorchester-on-Thames.

First on his agenda was a few reckies, not to fish, but to carry out an extensive campaign of plumbing and leading to form a detailed map of the underwater contours and features in front of his chosen swim - "The Middles".

The information gathered proved invaluable over the last year, giving him the insight needed to carefully assess the patrols of the carp he was targeting.

Chosen bait was Icelandic Red boilies from the deadly Carp Company range along with mini carp pellets and aniseed particles.

After all that preparation he battled with the lake's head of carp and he did it with a vengeance, becoming the first angler to take over 100 Carp over the 20lb mark from a single day water ticket in a twelve month period.

His exact figures were 104 over the 20lb mark and 10 over the magical 30lb barrier. In the whole of the year including the winter, he never blanked once. You may, like me, be wondering how Phil is going to top that but with his amazing dedication coupled with his vast knowledge and skill I really wouldn't put any fishing quest beyond him.

If there any carp out there reading this report my advice would be to get a one-way ticket to Redmire, Phil hasn't got a day ticket there!

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.