After receiving a tidal wave of votes from readers, Lauren Stanford has been crowned 'Carp Angler of the Year' 2023 – the first female ever to win the coveted title.
At just 22 years of age, the Hertfordshire-based big fish fanatic caught this year alone what most carpers could only dream of catching in a lifetime – no fewer than three different 70lb-plus carp from two different countries.
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Her latest 76lb 4oz giant in September completed her 2023 hat-trick of seventies, and was caught from the IG Carp Lake in Austria.
Lauren’s two other seventies fell in the same trip to Les Fortinieres in southern France earlier in the year, during what she described as “the best session of my life.”
In the first 24 hours of angling she landed the queen of the lake known as ‘The Heffer’ at 79lb, before then following it up with a 73lb 12oz fish.
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This trio of giants was backed up by more than 50 carp over the 40lb barrier in what has been an incredible 12 months.
What makes Lauren’s catches all the more impressive is that she only took up fishing relatively recently.
“I started fishing six-and-a-half years ago with a few mates at the local park lakes, but I’d say
I only ‘properly’ started fishing four years ago when I began venturing on to bigger and harder venues,” she told us.
“My first European trip was in September 2022 when I fished at Gigantica in France as part of a Korda social. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, but I can honestly say this was the best trip I’d been on, and it opened my eyes to European fishing,” continued Lauren, who admitted to being ‘blown away’ on hearing that she’d won.
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“I was speechless! The support I’ve received has been amazing and I’ve had so many messages from people, including other nominees Rob Burgess and Tom Maker, to say I deserved to win. Thank you so much to everyone who voted – it really means so much to me!”
So what does the next year have in store for 2023’s Carp Angler of the Year?
“Well, 2024 is already looking like it’s going to be really busy for me. As well as a lot of European fishing, there are also many of the socials that I run taking place,” said Lauren.
“I’ve never been the type of angler to have a ‘target’ as such, but for the coming years I have set myself one for the first time. While I’m going to keep it to myself for the time being, you can rest assured I will be focusing hard on achieving it!”
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HIGHLY COMMENDED - MARK PITCHERS
Fox International’s Mark Pitchers finished second in the vote after what he described as ‘the best year’s angling that I can remember.’
In a remarkable 12-month period, ‘Mr Carpy’ himself enjoyed some incredible catches, including a new PB common of 71lb 5oz as part of a big-fish haul from Romania’s aptly-named Monster Lake, amply backed up with fish to 60lb-plus from both Bosnia and France.
CHECK OUT MARK'S LATEST CARP FISHING TIPS & TACTICS ARTICLES HERE.
HOW YOU VOTED...
Lauren Stanford
28.4% of you voted
Caught a hat-trick of seventies – 79lb, 76lb 4oz 73lb 12oz – from two different countries.
Mark Pitchers
25.8% of you voted
A new personal best common of 71lb 5oz topped an impressive spell of angling which has seen numerous 60lb and 50lb-plus fish caught from four different countries.
Mark Holmes
12.3% of you voted
Despite having two major operations on both hands, Mark has landed a staggering 21 x forties and three fifties from three different venues during 2023.
Scott Lloyd
9.4% of you voted
Added yet another of the UK’s most sought after carp to his album with a huge 58lb 2oz common from a tricky park lake.
Martin Clarke
8.1% of you voted
Caught Waterside Fishery’s Big Common at 64lb and The Big Fully from Manor Carp Fishery at 60lb 4oz.
Dan Hawkes
8.1% of you voted
As well as thirties and forties on home soil, Dan's biggest catch this year was a colossal 89lb carp from Lake Serene in France. It came as part of a session of a lifetime that included 12 fish over 50lb.
Tom Maker
4.1% of you voted
In what he has described as ‘his best-ever year,’ he banked forties from multiple day-ticket waters including Bluebell Lakes and Linear Fisheries, as well two seventies, eight sixties and 12 fifties during a session in Croatia.
Rob Burgess
1.9% of you voted
Enjoyed an impressive run of big fish including two fifties from Holme Fen, 40lb-plus fish from Linear Fisheries and a near forty from Norton Disney.
Paul Bacon
1.4% of you voted
Landed no less than five different fifties, including four from Cambridgeshire’s Grenville syndicate and the sought after Kingsmead 1 resident ‘Scarr’, at 54lb 12oz.
Dale Skidmore
0.2% of you voted
Banked the biggest brace of carp from the UK with commons of 64lb and 61lb from Old Mill Lakes in Lincolnshire
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