LEWIS CLAYTON

NUMBER OF YEARS FISHING:
31 Years Fishing (20 Years Carp Fishing)
UK P.B: 41lb
FOREIGN P.B: 59lb 14oz
OTHER SPONSORS: Mainline Baits, Gardner Tackle
FAVOURITE VENUE: Capesthorne Top Pool
Most memorable capture:
First ever thirty caught off the top two feet from the bank.

Funniest moment on the bank:
This happened years ago whilst fishing Poynton Pool in Cheshire, it is extremely immature and childish and rather disgusting but it still brings a smile to my face even now! I was 16 at the time, I was fishing with my good mate Adam Entwistle, it was mid-January and not a lot was going on, the days were long and cold. Now Enty had to go to work during the days leaving me to fish on alone and mind his gear. I think it was the second day of a 3 day session when the previous night’s hotdogs started to make their presence known. Now anybody who knows the boathouse on Poynton will know it isn’t the most secluded of spots and has numerous dog walkers walking past. Fortunately it was bloody freezing so it was quiet but I still didn’t fancy taking the risk of getting caught out in the open. So through the old rusty railings of the boathouse I went with my toilet paper in hand, I think at this point I should point out that the boathouse was unused, run down and out of bounds to people not to mention crawling with rats. I found myself a sheltered spot and went about my business, now without being too graphic I couldn’t believe that that foot long had exited out of me, it was huge with some girth! Right then a mischievous thought flashed across my mind, I hurried back to Enty’s bivvy and there it was sitting on his bed chair, his camera! This was back in the day before digital cameras and it was a film that you had to get developed, see where this is going?! Back I went and filled Enty’s viewfinder with the foot long, click click and back went the camera. How I managed to contain myself when he returned from work I don’t know but I did and nothing was said.

About 8 days later the phone rang and it was a rather angry Enty turning the air blue with obscenities. He proceeded to tell me how 3 days previous he took his film to get develop and was chatting to a nice girl behind the counter but on his return today to collect the pictures she was rather rude and abrupt, he didn’t know why until he got outside and started to flick through his pictures, there in the middle of a bunch of his catch shots was the foot long!! I found it hilarious and still do looking back all these years later; you’d have to know Enty to really appreciate how funny it was. One day I might grow up but I doubt it us men never do! Hope you enjoyed that little stroll down memory lane, I know I did!!

About me and my favourite style of angling:
Fishing to me is first and foremost a hobby and always will be, fishing is what I do to escape from the pressures and strains of life and is to be enjoyed. Enjoyment is the most important thing because if you don’t enjoy it then there’s no point in going. I prefer to fish quiet secluded waters if I can but as time moves on waters like this are few and far between. Given the choice if circumstances allow I will fish as close in as possible, I love stalking and being able to see the fish you are fishing for, it makes it all the more real and exciting. I think moving forward the only real target I have at this moment in time is to get out and do more fishing as I haven’t done much in the last 2 years, hopefully it shouldn’t be a very hard target to achieve.