Basically I have been fishing since God was a lad and still love every minute of it, particularly my time spent on large windswept gravel pits and when engaged in new challenges.

Having started my fishing on smaller, silty, lakes in Sussex I then moved on to gravel pits around the Chichester area, catching my first 20lb carp in the early eighties. From there I made the huge step up to the Colne valley and landed my first 30lb fish from Harefield Lake, learning a lot from the Colne valley anglers, not least where the Horse and Barge pub was, a watering hole for many a famous face of the times.

The next stop was the newly formed Horton Syndicate where I became the first angler in the UK to catch four different fish over forty pounds in weight, including one of them off the surface. From Horton I made the short journey to the mighty Wraysbury lake, making the acquaintance of famous old carp like Mary, my first over 50 pounds.

After Wraysbury it has been a precession of large pits and, occasionally, large carp, bringing my current tally of fifty pounders to nine different fish. It has never just been about weights for me, however, as I love everything about carp fishing, and I am just as happy stalking a twenty-pound common from the edge as I am battling a monster from the deeps.

I have been extremely fortunate over the years to end up in a position whereby I can now make a living within the carp fishing industry, it sure as hell beats my old job of sticking Artex on ceilings. I am also very lucky to now be working with a company who have been around as long as I have and together, I am sure we can put all of those years of experience to good use… the future is bright.

Fact File

Name: Dave Lane
Nickname: Laney
Location: Hidden in the bushes
UK PBs: Common 55lb, Mirror 55lb, Leather 46lb, Pike 32lb
Favourite venue: Sonning, Wraysbury, Burghfield