Since the very first classic way back in 1999 the competition has been held in France, which was logical as this was the country of many big lakes and big carp and was the home of European carping outside of the UK. Over the years many wonderful and exciting WCCs where held at Madine, Amance and the Orient, the last four years have seen the event at Madine and what a lake without its big and beautiful mirror carp. It was time for a change though and not just a change to another lake but also a change of country to recognise that carp fishing is now huge throughout Europe and the world. It is the WCC’s aim that in future years the final is held in as many different countries as possible, to share the unique atmosphere, friendship and angling skill of the competitors which it brings.
For 2012 the event is going to Italy and the magnificent lake Bolsena north of Rome, it has taken many hours of researching but after numerous visits and homework done on the lake it was agreed this would be the perfect venue. It is big, perhaps 50km around its banks, it is therefore a worthy venue for the competition which is a test of the carp angler’s skill. As with any large water it will be hard to fish, even the smallest wind on the lake can make it difficult, the carp will move around a lot, there are no large bays or reserves to hold them. This will therefore make for a much more even event, no one knows where the winning peg will come from as many new and unfished areas will be tried for the first time.
What of the fish in the lake, well they are mainly common carp and of a very good average size with many fish in the 15kg – 25kg range, they are long, wild hard fighting carp that don’t give up easily. The lake record is in the region of 27-28kg but no one is in any doubt that much, much bigger fish swim in its depths and a 30kg fish very much a possibility. The WCC common carp record is a fish of just over 23kg caught from Madine some years ago and it is guaranteed to be broken this year many times over. The weather is likely to play a big part in the competition, this time of year it will be hot, very hot possibly and so competitors will need to come prepared, as mentioned earlier it can also get very windy. It may not be possible to use a boat all the time and the need to cast from the bank, many carp get caught this way, it is not called an Enduro for nothing, 5 days and 5 nights of hard fishing.
For those that fancy having some practice before the competition begins then the carp fishing on the lake is very accessible, night fishing is allowed but must be booked in advance. There are some 25/30 night fishing pegs spread over a large area of the lake that cost in the region of 60 Euros a week to book and can easily be fished by two anglers which means it is only 30 Euros per angler per week which is very reasonable. Details on how to go about booking the fishing can be found on the local fishing shops website the address of which is www.freetimebolsena.com.
It will not all be hard fishing though, before the competition starts it will be party time when everyone will be able to enjoy the Italian culture, the splendid foods, wines and beers. It is what makes the event with carp anglers coming from all corners of the globe to meet old and new friends which will last a lifetime. It is why so many come back year after year and even more so this year and the prospect of fishing and competing at Lake Bolsena. Hope to see you there.
