The last time I’d seen Robbie, it was first light as he rolled into Crows on his bike, bucket in hand and a friendly smile. It was a warm, clear, calm May day with the expectation of a season unfolding ahead. I was sitting behind my rods hoping for a show or two, and he’d already seen half a dozen. He’d set off from Manchester at 1.30am and arrived in the half-light of dawn to watch them show out beyond the guys still fast asleep down the other end. He’d already had a mega spring on the big pit known as Stoneacres, but little did either of us know how the rest of the summer and autumn would pan out between times for him; the two biggest, and a bunch of the best – Oxfordshire’s finest.
At just 23 years old, Robbie’s album, and attitude belies his young years – an ‘old head on young shoulders’ is how I’ve heard him described – or the ‘baby-faced assassin’ as Sammy likes to call him – which I’ve no doubt he’ll hate. A typically understated and no frills northern lad, he has worked hard to carve out the time, and money, to be able to travel and fish for some of the finest in the land over the last few years; a 360-mile round trip away from his home in north Manchester – if you want it badly enough, you’ll make it happen – and Robbie is proof of that. This time when we met, the scene was a bit different; a bitterly cold north-westerly whipped across the exposed, bleak-looking main body and it had been nearly a month since the last bite, but Robbie was still at it, hoping for one last chance with which to sign the year of all years off. We stuck the kettle on and rolled the tape.
Who were your influences in the early days, then? Who were you looking up to?
Some of the lads on Clifton really; lads like Sam (Toro) and his cousin Mark Bowden, the Hargreaves brothers, and Tudge as well. He used to run it, so he was always down there, and he was someone else I looked up to at an early age. Most of those lads had already been and done it on Clifton, but they were always still there, flitting on and off. I used to get my bait in those days from Little Rob (Gillespie) as well, so he was another influence.
What sort of year are we talking here?
2011 – 12, just over ten years ago.
How old are you now?
I’m 23.
Oh blimey! So you must’ve been really young then when you started on there!
Yeah, I was only 14 when I went on Clifton. Proper jumped in at the deep end really! I went from fishing Pilsworth – which had no weed in and plenty of carp. You knew full well where you needed to be from shows, and you’d always be presented – to going on Clifton mid-summer with wall-to-wall weed! I could find them, but actually getting rigs on them and fishing was a different story. I cut my teeth on Pilsworth. It wasn’t rammed with ‘em, you still had to be right on them to get a bite, but because it had no weed, you were always fishing. Clifton was a different ball game and the next step up.
Did you have a good group of mates you fished with in those early days? Was that important? Did that push you on?
I did, yeah, but none of them really wanted to take the plunge with Clifton. It was one of those places, you heard loads of stories about; it was nails hard, and cliquey and rough. I never saw any of that, to be honest, probably because I was just young, naïve and keen. I just used to see the shots of Angry, Walnut and Peter Perfect, and just wanted to get on there and have a go. I definitely jumped in at the deep end, though.
'It was one of those places, you heard loads of stories about; it was nails hard, and cliquey and rough'
Did it take you long to get into it?
It did, definitely. I’d never fished around masses of weed like that. I think I did 25/30 nights before I had my first one – steep learning curve!
Being surrounded by good anglers must’ve been a great thing.
Oh yeah, you couldn’t help but learn. Tudge was mint, he used to walk and walk and walk, and wouldn’t set up until he’d found carp. He’d turn up even just for an evening, but once he’d found carp, he’d usually catch one. Seeing angling like that at an early age, you couldn’t help but be influenced by that sort of thing. I always remember being told by a few of the older anglers, ‘If you can catch them from here, you can catch them from anywhere’, and that still rings true to this day. Carp are carp – if you do the fundamentals well, you will catch them.
You caught Walnut at a really young age didn’t you? Why didn’t you carry on for some of the other big’uns in there?
Yeah man – 14! Crazy, when I look back at it. I did a bit the following year and managed one of the commons – the Golden, but I didn’t fish half as much as I did the previous year. I was set to finish school that summer and I’d discovered partying, so fishing came second, I guess. Instead of going consistently most weeks, I’d go off the cuff for a social with a few mates when I could, rather than get stuck into anything proper. I felt like I’d peaked after that capture somehow. I’d caught a Clifton carp, but in reality, it was far from it, and I regret not carrying on for some of the others because the year after was when they had the fish kill and a lot of the original stock died.
Peaked at 14! Haha, I love that.
Getting dropped off at Clifton by my mum or dad was always hard work, you know? I’m kicking myself now, though, I really am, but at that age you’re easily distracted. The stock was mega then – Bluey, Peter, Angry, Sidders Fish, Big Tail – they’ve all gone now, bar Angry. I’m proper gutted in some ways that I didn’t carry on. When I first started, it had them all in there, loads of good anglers on it …. It’ll rise again, that place, and be mega in a few years when the stockies grow on. I had a go earlier this year, whilst we couldn’t travel, and it was days only. It brought back loads of good memories and bumped into a few old faces who I hadn’t seen for years – love that lake!
It’s a rite of passage, though, isn’t it, partying? You just have to do those things as a teenage lad, right? You caught some mega ones from Capesthorne. Was that where you headed when you got your wheels?
Yeah mate, for sure! I had a PA ticket, but I didn’t start driving until I was 17. Clifton and Pilsworth were convenient because they were close to home, but I couldn’t get to Capes as often or as easily. As soon as I started driving, I went on Redes for a few weekends, but turning up late on a Friday always made it hard work, just slotting in rather than into pole position. Turning up after work on a Friday often felt like pissing in the wind, watching them show in areas you couldn’t get close to, so that’s when I started fishing Capes. It was mint over there because it was days only, and if you turn up first on the gate, you’ve got as much chance as anyone. It was a level playing field, whereas on Redes, I just felt like I was camping a lot of the time. I fished Capes on and off for a couple of years, mainly in the winter. I’d start late and fish it until March – that was always a good month on there. It keeps you sharp, fishing somewhere like that in the winter, I found.
'It was mint over there because it was days only, and if you turn up first on the gate, you’ve got as much chance as anyone'
Heading down to Christchurch in 2016, was that when you first started travelling south? What was it that drew you down here? There’s a bit of a legacy and tradition of north-west lads fishing down here – Bri, Mark the Bull, Rob, Myles …
Definitely, yeah. There were a few of the Capes lads as well that used to fish down here, Mark Cookson and Paul (Oaky). They came down the year before me and did really well; Cooky had the Box, Oaky the Big Lin. I spoke to them and they sung the praises and said I should get down here. I came down with Tetlow the last week of April the following year.
Was it just a couple of trips a year, then?
Nah, just one trip a year back then, with Tetlow, share the diesel and that. We’d come down and do a week, fish hard and usually catch a few. Church was perfect for it, almost like holiday fishing really. There was always a chance on there. Fishing accurate, to clips, tiny spots, baiting well … that was where I learned all that. Back home was mainly boilie fishing, but Church wasn’t about that; it was spot fishing with bits. I spent the first four days slinging choddies at shows, and must’ve moved five or six times, I blanked for six nights that first trip, and had the Baby Perch on the last morning, feeling like I’d figured it out. I remember driving home absolutely buzzing!
I’ve always thought of northern lads as being sharp in terms of being mobile, and fishing for shows. Did that help you on there?
To be honest, not really. Church is one of those lakes, if you turned up and cast at every show you saw, you’d just be forever chasing your tail. It isn’t really a watercraft kind of lake, in my eyes, getting in the middle and setting your stall out really well is often a better way to angle on there, a completely different style of fishing compared to what I was used to. It’s a weird lake at times; they’re incredibly pressured and don’t act like normal carp any more. You can see 100 shows in a morning, but it doesn’t always mean a great deal – especially when you’re fishing on the deck. They loved a show for the wrong reasons, almost like they were showing when they were on the move, which is why the zigs worked so well on there, but they were banned when I fished it on day ticket. The number of nice-looking big fish in there was silly, though, so you’d just put your blinkers on and get involved.
How far exactly is it for you from home?
182 miles, door to door. An average run is four hours really, it’s a killer. I just used to have a little Volkswagen Fox, and we’d cram all our kit in there for a big trip. It was like a big game of Jenga, had to be loaded perfectly to get it in! Good memories they were, mate!
'182 miles, door to door. An average run is four hours really, it’s a killer'
I’m guessing you’re still doing campaigns back home.
Oh yeah, without a doubt, always. I always had some local fishing on the go. Back then, I wasn’t earning such a solid wage on the apprenticeship work, so we’d always be saving up to do that one big trip south.
Work-wise you’ve finished the apprenticeship now and are working. How has all that fitted alongside your fishing over the last few years?
I started as an apprentice where I’m working now, in 2016, and then came out of my time last year, and that’s when I started getting my proper wage, halfway through last year. Until then, I just simply couldn’t afford to get down here weekly. I bought a Church ticket last year when it went syndicate, but in hindsight, I wish I’d just come straight on here with my little dinghy and not bothered saving for the big boat and outboard and all that because I’ve rarely used it. I did a day extra at work from November right through until the ticket started this March, just to help pay for the ticket, the boat, outboard, a couple of batteries, bait … stockpile some money for the petrol – that alone was 70 quid a week just for the fishing, never mind travelling to and from work. It must’ve been two or three grand in total, before I’d even wet a line.
Yeah, it’s not a cheap business, especially this sort of fishing. How do you manage to balance your work with the travel and serious big-carp fishing?
The apprenticeship was Mon-Thurs, so I’ve had my Fridays for a few years now, which has been ideal. I’d take my annual leave for the week trips down here, and then it was just weekend fishing back home.
This year worked a bit differently for you didn’t it? I’ve always been fascinated with how lads manage to piece together work, life and their fishing.
Oh, it’s all a fine line, for sure. Back in April last year, when lockdown started, we got put on shifts at work, so that gave me the opportunity to fish mid-week, which I’ve just never had before unless I booked annual leave. I was working three on, four off, either Sun, Mon, Tues, or a Weds, Thurs, Fri shift. On a busy pit like this, I feel like you need that to be able to make the most of it. Turning up late on a Friday night and only getting in where you can – that’s really tough to do. I’ve been blessed this year having the opportunity to do what I’ve done.
Did you feel aware of what a great opportunity it was?
I did, yeah, very much so. Really, I pushed everything to the limit this year, but I can look back on it and smile, knowing that I’ve had maybe one of the best years I’m ever likely to have. I feel like I’ve peaked this year, maybe I’ll never come close to it again.
You seem pretty focused on getting everything else in life lined up … your career, a house … things that can easily fall by the wayside if fishing takes over.
I’m so wary of that, so wary. It’s so easy to spend all your money going carp fishing, to live that dream, especially when you’re saving for a house like I am now, but the last thing I want to do is put all my eggs in that basket and leave myself with nothing. It’s a funny one, I’ve got a really good job, and I like work as well – I don’t feel like work is a chore and I work with loads of good lads, so I’m wary of compromising that with fishing. I’ve always had that in my head, I’d just rather not mix the two and make fishing into work. I think having that break from fishing each week is important, as well – fishing full time, it’d be easy to burn yourself out pretty quickly. Being at work and thinking about the pond, keeping yourself keen to get back is a good thing. Giving yourself time to regroup and think about it all each week when you’re away – it doesn’t matter how hard it is down the lake, you’ve always got that break, and then you go again, come Friday, keen as mustard.
'I think having that break from fishing each week is important, as well – fishing full time, it’d be easy to burn yourself out pretty quickly. Being at work and thinking about the pond, keeping yourself keen to get back is a good thing. Giving yourself time to regroup and think about it all each week when you’re away'
You keep a pretty low key with sponsors. I’m sure there’ve been offers to do more than you do currently. Are you happy with things how they are? No plans to take any of that any further?
If someone sponsors you, they’ll want something decent back in return, and to be honest, it almost makes me anxious seeing my face everywhere. I’m more than happy paying for good gear that I want to use, and having a good job to pay for it. I like it that way. If I were fishing five nights a week and getting paid to do it, it’d blur the lines of everything too much for me. For love not money, it’s as simple as that for me. Everyone does their own thing and does things for different reasons, but I like it how it is. I’m more than happy to work hard, pay my way, and keep my fishing for myself.
'Everyone does their own thing and does things for different reasons, but I like it how it is. I’m more than happy to work hard, pay my way, and keep my fishing for myself'
You seem really aware of how the mid-week trips have helped massively this year. How does it compare to weekends only on a lake like this?
Without a doubt it has helped, massively. Lads like Tim (Rowland) are so inspiring to me, though. Tim is one of the best anglers I’ve ever met. He’s got limited time, he gets down for maybe only one weekend a month, and honestly, to do what Tim does, on a lake like this gets so much respect from me. It’s fucking nails, really, this place, I don’t care what anyone says, so loads of respect is due for anyone like Tim. I bet he doesn’t even use a full bucket of bait all year, just a handful of tigers, and fishes where the carp are, but I think he’s only blanked once this season, which is crazy on somewhere like here. Proper angler, and I’ve got massive respect for lads like Tim.
Anyone can aspire to that as well can’t they? To come on somewhere so hard, and so pressured, with such limited time and still catch a few. Going back to weekends next year, do you find that heartening then?
Oh, without a doubt, mate. If Tim can do it, I might have half a chance as well. It’s been a big inspiration watching someone like Tim operate. It gives me faith for doing fewer regular weekends in the future, you know. If I’d have only done the time and trips Tim had this year, I wouldn’t have caught even half what I have – simple as that. I actually think captures like Tim’s mean so much more than some, credit where it is due.
How did you feel about the response to the Stoneacres film Cyp did? It looked overwhelmingly positive and the comments everywhere were really heartening.
I was completely humbled mate. I didn’t think anyone would care, to be honest, or be too bothered about watching it. It seemed the polar opposite, though. It was almost like people really respected it somehow, because maybe I was just like they were, and it was relatable, I don’t know. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I won’t be doing it again in a hurry, either. It was Dan Wildbore who asked me back in May, and I said no initially; it’s not for me sitting there and talking in front of a camera. I told him that I’m just a normal lad who was happy doing his own thing. In my head, I wasn’t even going to do the film at that point. It was only when I had Kev’s in the net and needed somebody with a proper camera to come and lend a hand that I rang Dan, and it was after we’d done the shots of Kev’s when he said you’re going to have to do a film with this now!
Credit where it’s due, though; Dan and Rich Stewart did a proper job of it all, and they truly did the carp justice – they looked incredible on film. They knew I was well out of my comfort zone so I can only thank them for their patience throughout. I’ll be able to look back on that film in years to come, smile and relive the journey. Looking back, though, I regret not ringing them for a few of the others that I had – some of the ones in spring, but that No Name linear, especially. My stills weren’t great of that one and the grainy footage I got really doesn’t do it justice. I was more concerned about getting it back safely without being clocked by another angler because that was the first of a string of good’uns in summer over a big baited area, when a lot of other lads had thrown the towel in because of how bad the weed got.
It was amazing mate, a unique piece of film and to have footage of those carp is something really special, I think. How does your fishing differ when you’re travelling, with baiting and recces not an option like back home? Is prep important to you, or are you happy fishing for what you see and reacting to circumstance?
If I feel it’s really worth sitting it out and baiting. I’m more than willing to do that, but I think probably 75% of my fishing is finding carp and getting on them. That said, I don’t like turning up blind. If I’ve seen fish in an area one morning, I like to find spots, and bait before I leave on that trip, so that I’ve got something to come back to or look at the following week, even if I don’t drop on it. I like having a plan B, C, D, E … you know. Turning up blind on busy places like this, you’ll always be struggling – it’s really hard work, that. I put a lot of importance on having my clips in, and multiple options. I’m wary of the big prep sometimes; it’s too easy to get drawn into, gunning for an area just because you’ve baited it, or caught from there last trip. If you use your eyes and fish for what you see, you’ll never go too far wrong.
'I like having a plan B, C, D, E … you know. Turning up blind on busy places like this, you’ll always be struggling'
You’ve described yourself as an impatient angler – where do you think that stems from? Did the fishing in the north-west have an influence on that
Capesthorne was a classic example. You’d try to make the most of the full day, but the fishing was so clear and close-quarters that you’d be looking for them all the time, and if you weren’t watching them, you felt like you weren’t on them because of how small it was. Those fish in there are without a doubt the trickiest and in-tune carp I’ve ever fished for, but you can definitely be too mobile if you’re not careful, and end up chasing your tail. I’ve done that a lot in the past, but I guess I’m looking for somewhere between the two.
You haven’t chosen quiet southern lakes either to target – obviously I’m thinking of Church and Stoneys. How do you deal with the angler pressure? What is your state of mind when approaching those kind of situations?
You’ve always got to have that back-up plan. You can’t be turning up and just expect to get in where you’d been the week before. Having loads of clips in round the pond, that’s key for me. I’ve done it before, caught a couple, filled it in with some seed and boilie to come back the following week and there’s someone unknowingly in here. Everyone pays their money and they are busy lakes, so it happens. That’s where the plans B, C, D etc come in.
'You can’t be turning up and just expect to get in where you’d been the week before. Having loads of clips in round the pond, that’s key for me'
… and not feeling burned by that must be important as well.
Exactly that, mate. Having all your eggs in one basket can definitely deal you a bad hand on a place like this. Sitting in one swim and baiting, you’re almost making your own grave.
There seems to be a nice bit of etiquette down here as well.
There is, yeah, for sure, but it is a fine line, that. If someone is doing a bit in a quiet corner, getting something going, you’ll leave them to it of course, but if someone is in a main plot for a few weeks, then does a trip somewhere else, it’s all fair game out in the pond. I think its almost bad etiquette sometimes to try to claim a busy, main swim and start filling it in, you know, everyone pays their £1300 and has the same crack at it. I’ve had lads leave me to do my thing at times, so I’ll always give that same etiquette back, but I won’t tell lads where I’ve been baiting either, or make a point of it.
Just stamping your claim on it?
Yeah, exactly. I feel like that’s bad etiquette as well. Everyone has the same right to be on the lake and be in a swim as anyone else. If it’s a quiet, rarely fished corner, that’s a different story. That’s why I make sure I’ve got clips in all round the pond, and try not to get too focused on any one area.
You seem eternally keen. Do you ever struggle for motivation or does the energy for it all come naturally? Do you ever feel like you’re toughing it out, or going through the motions for the result? I remember Rob talking about always being burned out by late autumn on here, and the winter offering some respite. Do you get any sense of that?
Oh mate, yeah – I’ve always been mega keen. I’ve lived and breathed it for as along as I can remember, but I’ve never done as much as I have this year. I’ve only missed two weeks since spring – I’ve been proper flat out. In honesty, I can’t wait for a break now. I wouldn’t like to think how much I’ve spent on fuel and everything else this year. I wouldn’t want to know, better not to think about it. I just love doing it, so money is just a number to me in that respect. Even though I am really looking forward to the break, it only takes one more bite, I could quite easily get a take now and it could be the – the last one that I’m after – there’s always a chance, you’ve just got to keep the faith. I’ll still do a bit closer to home – I’ve got a new ticket that I’ll maybe do a night a week on, but really I just want to stack in as much overtime as I can through the winter and save up for next year.
As well as being dead serious about it all, you also seem to have a really good time and enjoy it along the way – fair to say? How do you think you balance that?
You’ve got to, haven’t you? If you’re so serious about it that you can’t enjoy being here, why bother being here in the first place? You’ve got to enjoy the craic, and smell the roses along the way, or you’re just forcing yourself to be here. I’ve made friends for life fishing down here, loads of good memories. You could catch all the carp in this lake, but if you haven’t enjoyed it along the way, what’s the point, really? Sometimes, you see lads putting so much pressure on themselves to catch, it blurs the lines of why you’re going in the first place. That’s the bottom line though isn’t it, enjoyment?
'If you’re so serious about it that you can’t enjoy being here, why bother being here in the first place? You’ve got to enjoy the craic, and smell the roses along the way, or you’re just forcing yourself to be here. I’ve made friends for life fishing down here, loads of good memories. You could catch all the carp in this lake, but if you haven’t enjoyed it along the way, what’s the point, really?'
Is the atmosphere on a lake important to you, then?
Massively – and to be honest this is by far the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced on any lake I’ve fished. The quality of the lads, and quality of the carp, it attracts a certain type of angler, I think. You’re not getting knobheads on here, you know? Everyone I’ve met has been good as gold down here.
Next season you’ll be back down here, but longer term. Do you plan on travelling so much still?
Possibly, but in honesty I don’t think I’ll do half as much travelling these next few years.
Purely so you can balance work and life better?
Absolutely that mate, yeah. Get some nice waters lined up closer to home and keep these trips down here for those ‘holiday’ trips if you like, a week in spring or autumn or whatever.
Sammy had one last question for you actually. How special do you think northern carp are compared to the southern ones? Do you feel like they’re worth more to you?
Yeah, I’ve always held the big northern carp in higher regard than some of the big’uns from down south. I just think they mean so much more because there’s so few of them and overall, they’re so much harder to catch because of the nature of a lot of lakes. To put it in perspective; I spent some time last year fishing a pit with only nine carp in it and one 30-pounder. That one big’un meant just as much as any of these from here. I had three or four 40s from Church last autumn, but that one 30-pounder meant so much more to me. It’s a personal thing. Looks are a huge thing for me as well. I struggle to find the drive to fish somewhere if I don’t truly want to catch the carp in it, if that makes sense, but luckily, there’s plenty of really nice-looking fish in the north back home.
'They’re rare as fuck those big’uns back home, though, probably me being biased because I’m from up there, but they’re worth their weight in gold'
Do you think that’s because that one was from home turf? Would you’d feel differently if you’d been brought up in Oxford?
They’re rare as fuck those big’uns back home, though, probably me being biased because I’m from up there, but they’re worth their weight in gold and don’t get half the credit they deserve. All the time, and sacrifices that go in for those ones up there make them mean a lot. There’s no easy big’uns in the north, at all.
Cheers Robbie, perfect place to wrap things up, that.
I could have chatted all day, and in fact we did, for another few hours, about Stoneacres, how he’d caught them, which ones still hadn’t been out, about work, life and balance and keeping the buzz alive whatever way you can. Robbie’s pragmatic and level-headed take on what is at times a crazy world out there these days is so refreshing. Head down, work hard, keep it simple and enjoy it all along the way. I left feeling his attitude and approach to carp fishing would’ve been perfectly placed in 1991, not 2021, but then again, he seems completely focused on his own goals in life, and so whatever circus and chaos is unfolding around him on Instagram or anywhere else matters not. When your goals are your own, it really doesn’t matter what is going on around you. Long may that continue.