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 I’m
Kevin Heal, (also known as Cabbage) founder of Proper Job
Pop-ups. I started angling over 40 years ago back in 1965
when I spent time fishing my local river, the Bristol Avon.
Following this, I widened my horizons and successfully
fished many West Country waters including those in the
Cotswold Water Park, such as Bradleys and Hills lakes.
It was my experience on these large gravel pits and other
100+ acre waters that stood me in good stead for when I
began to fish for Carp at Wraysbury.
 I
started carp fishing on exciting lakes such as Rough Grounds
(opposite side of the road to Horseshoe) and Horseshoe Lake
at Lechlade. It was during these trips that I really began
to learn about how the carp fed and grazed, tricked and
flummoxed the angler. Spending time at Coate Water Country
Park proved to be a very special place for me as it was here
I caught some much larger fish, including a 41lbs10oz mirror
in October 1998 and a 47lbs12oz mirror in November 2003.
 After
an incredibly successful season on Coate Water, I felt ready
to try the famous Savay Lake and applied for a day season
permit. Fishing on a day only permit at Savay presents the
angler with challenges of time-management! With such a
short window of opportunity I discovered that the best method was to fish single-hook baits. Although, my first
season there proved slow, I was invited to accompany a
senior syndicate member to a fish a three night session as
his guest…and what a session it turned out to be! On the
very last night I had my first take resulting in
 a 40lbs14oz
common. During my time fishing this water on days-only I
went on to catch a further seven fish to 38lbs 14oz. After Savay, I spent a short spell at Wraysbury 1 and managed to
bank five carp (the heaviest of which was 39lbs 05oz )
during a few days one May.
On obtaining a permit for Rockford I discovered it to be a
true “big fish” water. There I managed to catch in excess
of 20 carp of 37lbs or bigger, with fifteen of these
captures being different fish and the heaviest weighing in
at 49lbs9oz. I also crossed the road and fished the Roach
Pit during the Summer and Autumn of 2008 (before the Tufty
ducks drove me mad!) There I landed five of the seven known
forties (with the biggest at 49lbs10oz) alongside some
 cracking twenties and thirties too. From these two pits I
have been fortunate enough to bank 11 UK forties in a single
year. I have successfully fished for carp on other waters
too, some of which I cannot mention because of a ban on
publicity.
Presently, I remain a keen carp angler and put my success
down to luck but also down to the skills I have learnt and
honed over the years of trying to catch them on a variety of
different waters.
Footnote
 Now I
don’t want to hide the fact, that since 2003 I have been
using some of the Nutrabaits gear as part of my armoury, and
I will continue to do so.
However having said that, I am very aware that the lots of
boilies approach is not always practical, or the quickest
way to get a bite, and I have no hesitation in using another
method at any given time if I feel that’s what needs to be
done.
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