Jack Bradshaw

Jack Bradshaw

Angler

I’m a typical ‘Jack the lad’ type of character, although I’d say I’m different than most people my age, I prefer solitude, my own space, rather than the hustle and bustle of a night out, which is a huge reason why I love angling so much, I’m not materialistic or worry about the stuff money can buy, because for me the true value in life is the experiences that we have.

Age: 30
Location: Lancashire, North West – England
About me:

No one really remembers the reels you owned or the rods you caught on (usually), but what you always remember is fishing with your old man catching that first big en or the first time you hooked and lost a big en on some light waggler set up. Experiences which drive you to come back again and again. That for me is what fishing is about, and as someone who purely lives for experience, that for me far outweighs anything else.

Being born and raised in the North West of England has meant that I’m only a stones throw away from the lake district national park, everything about the mountains, woodlands, tarns and lakes has influenced my love affair with the outdoor world. Without question being in and around water grew to wondering what lived in the beneath, after channelling my inner angler, like all of us catching roach, perch and the odd crucian, this developed overtime to eventually finding a true passion in carp angling.

Everything about carp angling just ticks the boxes from what I need in my life, the chase, the scenery, the challenge, the variety and beauty of carp, the elusive ones, scales ones, even when bites are hard to come by being in and around the world of nature or the golden hour of a sunset, the first rolling mist across the lake in a morning. That is what carp angling is all about for me. You have to appreciate not only catching the carp but the fantastic opportunities that this sport provides too.

Fishing Style:

To be honest, I haven’t tried much other fishing other than your typically coarse fishing and progressing into the carp world, because as I’ve mentioned above once I found carp fishing, I truly found my happy place and never felt the need or drive to explore into fly fishing, sea fishing or even river fishing. I do find the current busy day ticket lakes harder to connect with, but if you seek solitude like myself you’ll certainly still find those quiet hidden lakes where you feel its just you against the carp.

Favourite Fishing Spots:

I’m very lucky that I’ve been able to travel the world with my angling, and each venue, or region offers something different but for me I have to say my favourite spot is a place in Brittany where I seem to fall back on year on year and it holds a very special place to me. Not to mention I’m yet to catch the big un from there but I just find that of all the venues I frequent, this is the one I continually go back to.

Fishing Achievements:

I certainly wouldn’t class myself as one of the better anglers out there, there are always room to improve your own abilities in anything you do and that’s no different in angling, but I think for me forging a career in the industry from over 12 years is something I’m immensely proud of but in terms of captures it has to be one from the famous Lac De St Cassien over in the south of France.

Fishing Philosophy:

As mentioned in the bio, for me personally you have enjoy everything that angling is, not just the fish themselves, whether it be river fishing, sea fishing, fly fishing or carp angling, you have to appreciate the nature in the very moment you are stood there, because no session will ever be the same, the light, the birds, the flow of water, weather, nothing will ever be exactly the same as the moment you are right now, so be present in your angling, appreciate your surroundings and never be afraid to blank, because fishing is far more than just catching fish.