Angling Tuition

This is a subject I have noticed stirs some varied reactions and thoughts with in the Carp Angling community. What's your opinion on tuition? 

I personally am all for tuition and the reason for posting this blog is because I am researching tuition before I decide on taking some. I think that if you feel you need that extra boost of information to help you put more fish on the bank and are willing to spend a bit of cash then why not? If you are a beginner who has spent the last few months on the bank trying to emulate everything that is posted in magazines, television and the internet but are struggling to put fish on the bank then go for it. I don't think that tuition is just for a beginner either, those of us still unsure on which rig to use in the right situation, unsure where exactly to fish due to peg limitations or unsure of your water craft skills then tuition can point you in the right direction.

I can hear people saying that water craft can not be taught, that picking the right rig comes with experience and that you can learn so much from friends or folk on internet groups etc so why take tuition? Well I agree with you to some extent. Yes, it all comes with experience but for those with limited time on the bank and people that might not be too good at making friends it can be difficult.  

The experienced anglers out there that have tread the banks and hunted their quarrels over the years and worked hard to catch those beautiful creatures can never have that taken away from them but they may feel that people taking tuition is a form of cheating maybe? Or laziness? I don't really know but they are entitled to their opinions like everything in this sport. 

We must also remember that this is a sport. Around the world hundreds of sports are played and for those that want to better themselves at which ever they choose to take part in then there may come a point were they look at taking lessons. Would we discourage a young man taking golf lessons like we do someone having fishing tuition? 

Tuition is a very personal thing though and there are a lot of anglers who feel they wouldn't benefit from it and just as many that feel they would. There are a lot of ways to learn how to carp fish out there from magazines, books and DVDs to the Internet and friends so why would you want to pay someone for tuition? Well I feel that having someone beside you who has successfully passed coaching courses and has many years of experience from angling all around the country then it has to be able to add something to your fishing. 

There are a few anglers and companies that offer tuition and prices can vary from around £200-£400 for a 24hr session. A great place to look is Fishing Experience. They have several anglers on their books, from the O'Conners who won the 2012 BCAC to Mr Rob Hughes who we all know from the Sky Sports coverage of the BCAC and UKCC. Mr Hughes even offers a 'Below The Surface' option for £295 which would allow you to see exactly how you are fishing!! Now that has got to be worth it! 

One of the other anglers that FX has on their website is Kev Hewitt who gave me this statement about his tuition experiences;

"For me, tuition is all about giving something back to the sport and helping others catch and that smile on their face when they slip the net under a new PB. It gives me as much satisfaction helping someone catch and it can be more rewarding than actually catching myself."

I think that statement will ring true for a lot of anglers who offer tuition, they all want what is best for their clients. The choice for tuition is quite large with some of the top anglers offering it. 

Adam Penning offers an extensive service and covers every aspect of carp fishing. His is one of the more expensive tuitions at £350 for a 24hr session but he offers everything including an spod mix and a kilo of boilies as well as fishing tickets. Anglers have the chance to fish on an exclusive Essex syndicate, Linear fisheries in Oxford or any lake you want. He also offers photographs as well as a video which he will email you after the session and I'm sure he will follow up with you and find out if the tuition has improved your carp fishing. He can be contacted through his angling facebook page. Here

For the northern anglers among us Mark Watson from the Nash stable will be offering tuition soon. He has a few things to finish ironing out but when he is up and running he will have available a full Nash Hooligan outfit for his pupil to make full use of, as well as a great selection of lakes north of Watford Gap! You can keep up to date with all his developments on his Facebook page Here. 

Marc Twaite is also doing tuition and I managed to get a few words off of him regarding his service. 

"I feel the reason for doing private angling tuition is to give something back to the sport I've taken so much from. To see anglers I have over 24-48 hours watch, listen and learn then go onto their syndicate or tricky day ticket water and catch regularly along with a new PB give's me job satisfaction.

I'm a fun guy and don't take life too seriously as some have seen with my videos. This is what has been missing in the sport in recent years I feel angling is a hobby, a passion and a sport that we all enjoy so much so I don't listen or take any notice of the negative comments we read so often! I ignore, then delete them move on and focus on keeping a smile on my face.

I'm fortunate I have great support from Pukka Carpin Rags and on all tuitions anglers get a free T-Shirt. Along with support from DNA baits I can explain all about bait 'why and when' for example, along with my terminal tackle from PB Products I go into finer details on all the range. Explain every situation on rigs and why.

You can read my website and go onto my angler page where I update daily weekly from tips and tactics to questions and blogs. Marc Twaite  , FB or even read my monthly feature in Big Carp Magazine where they call me the Traveller ."

Kordas Darrell Peck also offers tuition through their website, Kordatorial At £300 for a 24hr session he isn't the cheapest out there but Darrell certainly is a carp catching machine with access to some cracking waters. Manor Farm, Thorpe Lea and Linear fisheries being just a few. Darrell has caught some of the biggest fish in the country and is regarded as a pure big fish hunter but that doesn't mean that is all he knows. Darrell has fished with some great anglers and has a wealth of knowledge for catching carp of all sizes. 

There are more and more tutorials popping up all the time and I am still undecided on what to do. I know it would aid my fishing with out a doubt but at the moment saving for a house as well as my own fishing to pay for etc means funds are on the light side. But that's what overtime is for!

So to summarize. For those that think it is a waste of time and too expensive, that is your opinion to voice but I think that anyone wanting tuition should be allowed the chance to decide for themselves and to really look in to it and research whom they want to fish with. If you want to fish with any of the big named anglers then be prepared to travel and part with some cash because they are not cheap but in my honest opinion worth every penny. But don't be put off by others saying you really don't need it, if you feel it would benefit then I'm sure it will do. 

Thanks for reading and I hope this might help you as it has me. 

Matt.