Hooked for Life: How Laura Found Passion, Patience, and Peggy... the Queen of Kingfisher
Every angler has a journey, from the very first capture to the lakes that still sit on the bucket list. In this interview, we sat down with Laura to talk about her early memories, most memorable sessions, and what keeps her passionate about the activity after years of angling.
How did you get into angling, and who’s influenced your style most?
Fishing has always been in the family. For me, it started with a telescopic rod, an Abu Garcia 503 (you know the reels you had to “ding” the bail arm open), and being an annoying child, chucking floats into trees.
Back then, I fished for anything in park lakes and day tickets around Essex. If the float went under, I was happy. Over time, I shifted toward carp, usually with a float out and a ledger rod. A 10lb carp on a 1½lb match rod felt like a beast at six years old, and that was enough to get me hooked on carp.
My style was shaped mainly by my dad, who taught me all the “old school” tactics. I still flick through the carpy books I pinched off him, anglers such as Kevin Maddocks, Rod Hutchinson, and Chris Yates. I was brought up on simplicity, but when it comes to bait and rig innovation, the biggest influences on my angling have been Kevin Nash and Terry Dempsey. 
When did you realise you were truly hooked?
As a kid, when my dad took me to the tackle shop. The place stank, but I loved it. The walls were plastered with photos of old boys holding huge carp that hardly seemed real.
From then on, at Christmas and birthdays, I ditched Barbies for fishing gear. I’d always remember a night before a trip, I’d get such butterflies I’d sleep in my clothes, ready to jump out of bed in the morning. Angling was always the priority, even if it meant bunking off school. I was obsessed.
Do you remember your first capture?
My first carp was from Raphael’s Park in Romford on a lump of luncheon meat. The “rig” was simple: a hook pushed through the meat and held on with a blade of grass, so it didn’t fly off.
That first pull was worlds apart from catching Roach, Rudd, or Perch. 
How many years have you been angling?
30 years, which makes me feel old!
Growing up, it was all about being outdoors & fishing. It dipped a bit when I went to college and Uni, but I always came back to it whenever I could. That’s the beauty of angling: it’s always there waiting. 
Where have you been fishing recently?
I’m in the process of moving from Essex to Kent, so I’ve been hopping between day tickets, trying to find a new “home.” Recently, I have been enjoying the Darenth Complex, a couple of those lakes there are a right bit of me!
What rods and reels do you use?
Nash Scopes 9ft 3lb, which are dreamy and suit my angling style down to a T. So much lighter and mobile than longer rods. I’ve used them for five years and never looked back. My 12fters will be collecting dust until I get the urge to fish over 100 yards, but until then, intimate, tricky lakes are more my style, and the Scopes handle like they were made for me. I pair the Scopes with Daiwa Tournament SS35 Procasters; these reels feel & look like the absolute don, and they can still punch the distance if I ever need to dust off the 12fts. 
What’s been your favourite capture so far?
Peggy, the Queen of Kingfisher at Nash Lakes Royston. I’d first heard about her from a bailiff, a big, long scaley mirror, half-lin on one side, thick dark back. She hadn’t been out for ages and was rumoured to be pushing 40lb. All I can remember is that I wanted her badly.
Can you tell us a bit more about it?
It was only my third trip to Royston, my second on Kingfisher, and I had just two nights to make something happen.
First night saw no action down my end of the lake, the lake is ladle-shaped with access from only one side of the bank, but at the other end of the lake, it opens into a big, deep bowl, and more swims become available. The next day I decided to move, having heard a couple top. I got set up in a swim near to where I’d seen what looked like activity, the reeds were twitching and getting bashed about, it looked good!
Fishing tight to the margin, I kept things simple: one rod, a bottom bait, and a scattering of boilies. With anglers opposite and on either side, any more than one rod felt like I’d kill it with too much pressure. 
Within half an hour, pinprick bubbles traced a line along my baited patch. Then came two sharp bleeps. The line tightened in slow motion. I lifted the rod, solid at first, and then the lake erupted.
The carp fought like it was on steroids, tearing off toward the snags, but I turned it just in time. Out in 30 feet of water, the power was immense, more like catfish than carp.
After a long battle, she was tired and rolled closer. When I saw the scale pattern, my legs went to jelly. It can’t be…
I slipped her into the net and rolled her over. She just kept getting bigger. There was no mistaking it, Peggy. And a new PB.
Call it luck or timing, but everything fell into place that day, and that’s why it’s a capture I’ll never forget. 
What’s the most memorable angling session that you’ve ever had?
I think as carp anglers, we are often so spoilt for choice when it comes to memorable sessions and moments, but one that stands out for me was my first season fishing on a non-publicity syndicate in Chelmsford, Essex.
Admittedly, I knew it would be mega hard, and I was struggling a bit on this lake, I couldn’t crack it. I was on a big blanking streak, being outgunned by every angler using a bait boat. I was adamant I could do it my way, I just needed to figure it out. 
The lake was very moody, and the carp barely ever showed themselves. I’d be up trees, lapping the lake, sitting up all hours just to see something, and I said to myself, ‘I just need to see one fish’. In this session, I decided to stay up all night watching, and that was it, one bosh on the other side of the lake, followed by another, and another. It was hammering down with rain, and I had the dog with me. By the time I packed up and moved, we were both drenched through. I was knackered, soaked, and miserable.
It didn’t help that the area of the lake to which I moved to was solid weed, but the carp were clearly there. Three chods were tied with cold, wet hands, the beads pulled all the way up, then all three rods back out with halved boilies catapulted over the top. I sat there sulking until first light, debating whether I was worthy of this place, because I’m not buying a bloody bait boat! But then… it was carnage. All three rods were gone within the same hour, three beautiful, scaly THIRTIES landed! 
I never set out for a target on this lake, I just wanted to catch old, dark, scaley mirrors and enjoy my fishing. And that’s exactly what I’d just done in 60 minutes on the right spot. I did it my way and made something happen. I was chuffed to bits. Every session at that venue from then on was a continuous success. I have never felt intimidated by a lake since that session. It was just about cracking the code.
Having my best mate, Nellie, my dog who passed away last year, with me to share the moments and keep me sane during the tough times is a memory I’ll cherish forever.
How do you balance patience with persistence when things aren’t going your way?
Just keep plugging away!
If things are not happening, then that means it’s time to make something happen.
I don’t get lots of time to spend sitting behind idol rods, so I want to make the most out of what time I do have. If it means switching something up or moving, either way, even if I leave a session on a blank, I still feel like I have learned something about the lake, ready for the next time.
What’s your next dream target for the album?
I’m generally not much of a campaigner due to time constraints and running a business, so my sessions are very opportunistic, sometimes just a day or two, or an overnight here and there, as and when I can get out and plan the time off. BUT… if there is one fish, I would love to have in my album, that would be Houdini from the Church, which I also think is achievable!
If you could give one piece of advice to a newcomer starting in carp angling, what would it be?
Focus on learning skills that suit your angling style the most, get to know what works for you, and stick to it!
It’s very easy to overthink it, but having confidence in something can be the one thing that makes all the difference. Whether that’s the rigs you’re using or baiting style, it really doesn’t have to be complicated.