50 years of carp

Carp Fishing: February 2024 marked 50 years since I'd caught my first carp so what better way to mark the occasion than to go back and fish those same swims at Brooklands lake in Dartford that I'd fished all those years earlier! How would I get on this time around?

[@michalvaclavik6241]

Slovakian fan here,living 15 minutes from Dartford,fishing there nearly every weekend.Now I understand,they are legendary lakes,when legend like you catch very first carp there.thank you for perfect video.Zero commercial,100% carp fishing.but all your videos are like that,I especially loved that on Slovakia on Green lakes and also when Jaro Tesinsky invite you to Hejlov.you catch some stunning fishes there .thank you one more time Boss of the bosses

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Michal and thanks very much for your message! Yes The lakes have so much history attached to them and back when I started there were a lot less carp waters around but Dartford lakes were one of the most famous and respected in the country and I was lucky that they were my local lakes at the time and although I knew that it was a great place I don't think I understood just how lucky I was at the time but it was certainly a great place to catch my first carp and learn about carp fishing.

[@davidgrivvell9971]

That was fantastic to watch Steve. Just been back to my old hunt in Crawley. First time since 82. My how things have changed. Good head of fish and run by a great club.

[@self-preservationsociety7057]

Hi Steve , what an absolute pleasure sharing your memories with you . 50 years on and you got the photo 16 +a quarter lb , it was meant to be …….. bloody awesome mate .

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks it was great going back to where it all started and nice that the lakes are still there and doing well - getting that 16lber was the icing on the cake!!

[@FishyDave7]

Fantastic Steve what a superb video, you shared some great memories, it really is scary how fast time seems to go, but amazing to look back on. Caught my first carp using one of my dads old swing tip rods (dont seem them about anymore) fishing was alot simple back then, but also more tricky which added to the fun of finally getting a bite

[@stevebriggs4638]

Glad you enjoyed it 🙂👍 yes it’s amazing what we had to use when we were younger, kids now seem to start off with the full kit - but I guess that’s why I have a job in angling too 😆

[@markcresswell8088]

Thanks for that Steve, I'm sure it's made us all reminisce about our fishing journeys. My very 1st fish was a Gudgeon from the river Soar approx 1972, loved Coarse fishing for the next 15 years until I got into Carping at the age of 21. Still love all aspects of the sport but Carping is the biggest buzz. Thank You

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Mark it’s funny how we can all remember our first fish so well, mine was actually a minnow on the river Darent fishing with my dad but I remember it like it was last week although it would’ve been late 60’s 😁

[@milanmozolic5493]

It´s GREAT Mr.Steve,congrats...

[@stevebriggs4638]

thank you 😊

[@tutts999]

Such a relaxing watch. As an angler of Steve's age, I can relate to how carp fishing was back then.

[@jim_lightfoot]

Lovely video Steve…just great to see where it all started from & the memories made 👏🏻👌🏻🎣

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Jimbo it was really nice to go back and relive those old memories 🙂🙂🎣🎣

[@paulheneke695]

Really enjoyed that Steve, thanks for the trip donw memory lane. Haven't quite got to 50 years of carping myself but am old enough to remember the gear and baits we used to have back then. I remember well the 45" brolly, which was the biggest you could get I think, coupled with an Argos bedchair that didn't fit, so you had to choose to either get your head or feet wet if it rained!

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Paul you certainly remembered a few details that I'd forgotten!! 45" brollies and I remember when they went from canvas to the brilliant new wavelock!!!! Yes having to put a bin liner over the end of the bed chair when it rained so you didn't get wet feet 😆

[@richvids69]

I began my fishing in exactly the same swim back in ‘77 catching a perch with my dad 😊Thanks for putting this wonderful video together Steve, a really nice trip down memory lane back to where it all started for me too.

[@stevebriggs4638]

That’s great I’m really pleased that it’s brought back some good memories for you 👍👍🙂

[@martinlawrence8427]

Lovely video Steve. I caught my first carp (a tatty little 6 pounder, that seemed huge) a couple of years after you, June 16th 1976 at London Colney. Magic memories indeed!

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks Martin you never forget that first carp!! 🙂🙂👍

[@mattyj624]

Lovely story Steve loved that 👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

nice one thanks very much 🙂👍👍

[@Mirkwood50]

What a great video. One of the nicest guys in our sport

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks very much glad you liked it 🙂👍

[@stephen378]

Absolute legend of the game,that dedication deserves a lot of credit,congrats steve,keep them lines wet 👏

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks very much - I'll keep on doing it for sure.

[@bhasr3297]

It was awesome to meet you, hope to see you at the carp show, and it’s brilliant that you caught the same weight fish you originally caught, it shows how much it meant to you. Thank you for spending some time talking to Baz

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Baz it was great to meet you too!! really enjoyed those couple of days even if they did wear me out 😅I'll have to come down more often. See you soon mate.

[@martinmullen71]

Having fish for carp myself over 50 years, it was so nice to watch this video, I also fished Brooklands all them years ago. Well done Steve.

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Martin it's amazing how important Brooklands lakes were back then and how many of us fished there at some stage.

[@russmist7374]

Well done Steve made me well up a bit you made me think it’s not far off 50 years for me as well but good for you and us as watchers that the greats all ways remember where it all started and good for you as a legend to go back and remember your roots big up sir Steve Briggs some of the other so called greats need to relate

[@stevebriggs4638]

Many thanks Russ yes it was such a special time back then and I often think back to those days and how lucky I was to start my carp fishing there

[@JohnWhite-tg9wf]

nice one Steve you can fish three now lol, still a few old school down there no argo's beds 😂, nice one on the fish, looking nice down there again

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers John yes I did have three with me but two were enough - in fact too many once it started happening 😁😁

[@davidcoates3330]

Fantastic video Steve , I saw your Instagram post on this . Must have been a bit emotional and very nostalgic? And to catch a fish of the exact same weight 50 years on ...mind boggling. Hope you have many more years of catching them , all sizes and all over the World ❤️👏👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Yes I'd been thinking about going back there for some time and I'm really glad I did. It was a bit emotional to be honest and brought back so many old memories of times gone by

[@leejaynes5918]

Hello Steve, what a lovely bit of nostalgia! I cut my teeth on Brookland too about same time 1972 ish good mates with Steve Fisher, good angler too! Had some great times down there! Remember having to catch train to Dartford and walk sometimes from station to the lake right mission, but when your young it was a buzz too. Watching your film brings it all back the lake doesn't look like its changed much at all ? Really enjoyed your film mate, Kind regards Lee ❤👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Lee thanks very much. Yes I thought nothing of getting the bus then or riding a bike from Bexleyheath to go fishing - just had to get there somehow 🙂 The lakes haven't really changed that much, which was nice to see. There's less trees and more weed now (can't remember any weed in the old days) and Baldwins is a separate lake now but there's a lot more carp now and DDAPS are doing a great job.

[@dancolloby8163]

Thanks Steve, really enjoyed that. I guess I’m a relative newbie at only 42 years carp fishing. Always enjoy you vlogs and how easy you make it look, long may it continue 👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Dan glad you enjoy them it was really nice going back and making this one

[@danielwalker8989]

You carnt beat nostalgia Steve and you Nailed it mate😊 I remember the washing up liquid top on any any car boot bought Fishing Rods,I started in 1990 then got my optonics a season later😊 when a 10 pounder looked monsters lol not many big carp up North back then!!!!! Just to mention I live in the same village as your mate Tim paisley✊cheers Danboy

[@stevebriggs4638]

Nice one Danboy thanks very much

[@cliveportelli2985]

Wow 50 years of carp fishing congratulations Steve here’s to many more year amazing video ones against all the best Steve and Joan

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Clive I still wonder where all of those years went but fishing has given me great memories all the way through!

[@fatfish6839]

Well done steve ....great memories i bet ........here is to many more mate keep up the videos ,love watching them 👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

brilliant memories 🙂 thanks for watching

[@stuartpetre3090]

What a lovely reflection on your fishing from a can of luncheon meat to a true ambassador of the sport

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Stuart yes it’s come a long way since those days, everything was so difficult back then

[@FastTubeYou]

Steve Briggs…..A true legend…Old School carper. As a fisherman myself of over 45 years, I have watched your amazing adventures across magazines, videos and these days…social media. Having started carp fishing myself at a time when there was a secretive society and carp fishermen were seen as the elite. It was a scary time to break into this magical world, looking for information, knowledge and equipment was no easy task At my time word of mouth, books, Angling Times, Anglers mail among the main sources of my information along with various magazines and of course video tapes. Seeing large carp in pictures taken from venues around the world every week just blew my mind. Briggs, Warwick, Hearn, Cundiff, Harrison, Yates, Hutchinson, Nash, Maylin, Jackson, Richie, Maddocks, Lane, Eustice, Little, etc, etc The list goes on, Not forgetting the early pioneers like Buckley, Walker, Richards, etc, etc.. Having started my journey on the many Nottingham ponds, lakes, the mighty river Trent….others across the country and then later years many trips to France… Like yourself, I was addicted to this magical world…still enjoying all the other forms of fishing….Coarse, Fly, Pike, sea, but primarily Carp..! I truly looked up to you and others who contributed to my passion for Carp fishing. Think about this… Every carp I have ever caught will always have little piece of you and the other greats embedded in there with the water craft passed down that helped me to catch it..! So…Cheers to you and your 50 years.. Thank you

[@stevebriggs4638]

That's a really nice message thanks for that I enjoyed reading it!! Yes when I was on the banks all those years ago there was a wealth of knowledge and experience around me but no one told you what they were doing or using, which I guess in a way was a good thing as it made me learn and find out things for myself, which is very different to todays scene but everything changes over time, I'm just pleased to have been through carp fishing and seen all those changes over the years.

[@Georgeolddrones]

Back in the day when a 20 was a good fish 😂👍

[@warchildskateboards]

Always enjoy your vids Steve. Congrats on 50y and wish Jane and you many more. Congrats!

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks very much 🙂👍👍(Joan)

[@chrisdurkin6986]

Not many can say they caught their first carp 50 years ago! Mines about 25 years back. Long may you continue to catch Steve and as always thanks for the fantastic video. Hope Joan is well. Much love to you both.

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks very much Chris I guess not many people continue fishing after all those years but I still love it just as much 🙂

[@marcocoppo6236]

you never forget the first place where you catch your first carp, it always stays in your heart bye steve greetings from Italy;)

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thank you Marco yes although it's a long time ago I can remember that moment so well.

[@paulgolds3110]

Thanks Steve, great video it brought back so many memories, didn’t we have a laugh back then. Wasn’t done Don Llewellyn a character! All the very best mate Paul

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Paul great to hear from you. They were brilliant days and we did have loads of fun! I don't think it would have been the same on any other places around the country, there was something about the Dartford lakes and all of the people who fished there when we did and it's so good that there's lots of us still out there doing it today. Good times!!

[@henrylennon3637]

Legend still doing it! 😁👏🏻

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Henry see you soon 🙂🙂✌

[@stuartc6811]

When you started talking about your big day. I could not stop Smiling because it reminded me of my big day forty something years ago. Fishing Bread crust stalking in the reeds 15lb mirror with my brother Thanks Steve all the best tight lines

[@stevebriggs4638]

there's something very nice about reliving memories from all those years ago - I guess we never realised how important they would be to us back then.

[@Tingg101]

This was lovely to watch Steve. Not too many people have done the things you have done or seen the things you have seen, both at home and abroad. In fact I think only Joan has. Lovely times Steve. Take care mate and love to Joan 💙

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks very much yes we are lucky to have been able to do and see so much together

[@ianglamb]

I've been eagerly awaiting this video Steve and it didn't disappoint mate. Your and Joan's motivation and your contributions to our sport has been truly amazing, true legends and icons. Very best wishes to you both mate xx

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Ian I hope all is good mate 🙂🙂👍

[@ianglamb]

@@stevebriggs4638 yes perfect thanks, rods out in France in April after the ski season

[@ianglamb]

@@stevebriggs4638 all great ta Steve

[@stevebriggs4638]

@@ianglamb good luck when the time comes mate!!!

[@theoschut1051]

Hi Steve. You made your circle round. Gongrats 50 years fishing, i love your video's i hope there Come more fhisstories from you .thanks for sharing 😉👌🖐👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Theo thanks very much I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@martinuhr6760]

always one of the "stars" in my "carp-live"...will never forget the moment as i talked to you and Terry Hearn in "Braunsfels"...magic moment...you always will be in my mind and heart...

[@stevebriggs4638]

thank you that's very kind

[@Luuucas241]

Another great video Steve, 50yrs….what a legend 👌🏻

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks very much 🙂👍👍

[@lukeframpton3671]

Good to see you back. We are back at the house in Portugal the res is looking quite healthy had a lot of rain still plenty of carp in there

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Luke glad to hear the res has got some water in again it looked quite sad to see it so low.

[@daveshaw5293]

38 years me steve chasing carp 😂 I've caught afew belters too if I don't mind saying !Great video as always and I would rate you as the most consistent big carp angler of my era ,you've fished far and wide and you keep it simple - exactly as it should be - all the best to Joan and yourself ❤👌👌👍👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Dave much appreciated mate!!👍👍

[@philnathan9155]

Thanks for that Steve…..right back to my teens as well. Was “Ray” Ray McClaren? Taught me a lot about pike fishing at Sutton and shared a lot of days with him at Cotton Farm…….great to go back to Carp School just wondered why you never tried the spam🤣

[@stevebriggs4638]

Yes I think it was Ray McClaren!! well remembered, I do remember him pike fishing up at Sutton he was a really nice guy and a good angler.

[@AaronCarpAngler-UK]

Well done mate good video

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks Aaron 👍👍

[@trevorcornes1056]

That was all so good to watch and listen to Steve . Brings back memories for me too 👍 nice one

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Trevor It's one of the best things about fishing for a long time is that we have so many nice memories to look back on.

[@stuart.the.pear.1]

Great times and great people, where have them 50 odd years gone mate just seems like yesterday we fished together on the Darenth. I bet you had a lot less gear than was on the barrow lol How did we manage to spent a few days on the bank with just the contents of a small rucksack hahaha 😎

[@stevebriggs4638]

They were great mate and those years have gone by in a flash!! Yes Darenth was really only a few years later and only seems like yesterday. I suppose we didn't know any better back then but I only had a fraction of the gear I've got now and we never thought of using barrows?! We just expected to freeze on those winter nights - We were just made of tough stuff mate 🙂

[@stuart.the.pear.1]

@@stevebriggs4638 Loved every second of it mate..

[@eddiekempster1550]

Great video great venue one of my favourite winter venus, first fished there 1973 float fishing by the bridge caught a bream and was hooked, didnt get my 1st acarp until 1980 not from Dartford though. All the best to Joan and yourself.

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Eddie I caught my first tench by that bridge on a swim feeder with maggots and that's a memory that always stays with me.

[@SimonCrow]

Lovely film mate 👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers mate

[@barrysleafer8347]

Major part of childhood fishing Dartford lakes I use to live in Mayfair Rd We would cycle out to the tackle box get some maggots hooks and bits and cycle back to the lakes I still remember my mates dad catching a 24lb common

[@stevebriggs4638]

It really was the centre of carp fishing for so many people and we've got a lot to thanks those lakes for

[@bengolby-mw6ee]

This is a wicked carp fishing video made by Steve briggs said just like it is proper old school carp angler. yes he is true to carp fishing and the sport of carp fishing 🎣 I call my mother Joan and explain what these people are in carp fishing thank you very best wishes Steve briggs & Joan from Mr Ben Golby 👌 👍

[@stevebriggs4638]

Hi Ben all the best from both of us glad you enjoy the vids 👍👍

[@SuperCidermonkey]

Congratulations on fifty years of csrp, Steve! You might be able to have your photo enhanced and cleaned up, well worth having a look online. Cheers

[@stevebriggs4638]

I've actually tried everything over the years, believe it or not that was the best version of it that I could get.

[@SuperCidermonkey]

@@stevebriggs4638 the technology seems to get better everyday, especially with AI, fingers crossed you can find something down the track. Cheers mate!

[@LeonardSmith22]

Great watch 👍🏼

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks very much👍👍

[@bobkeeble521]

Lovely vid mate!!! Took me back to my first carp 40 years ago!!!! Slightly disappointed you didn’t use luncheon meat but still….. Did you ever use the German army sleeping bags back in the day??? Bouncing like a jumping bean down the bank whenever you got a run 🤣

[@stevebriggs4638]

Cheers Bob yes I didn’t really want to use anything that I used back then if I’m honest. Yes I did use the German sleeping bags but they came later in the 80’s and were pretty good for the time compared with what I used before.

[@simonloader2287]

Hi Steve,what a lovely video mate,anyway do you know if any of the fish you caught 50 years ago are still in there.luv you fella 😘

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks Simon I don't really know mate but I would imagine they are all gone now

[@IanThompsonmohaanozz]

top class.

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks very much 👍👍

[@timstubbs1964]

Nice to see someone who lived in those years of the meat and bottle tops (fairy liquid tops were our choice 😊) todays instant carpers missed that part of our education

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thank you - yes I wouldn't have missed those years for anything it was the time when everything was taking off (it was the Sunlight bottle tops for me though - had to be yellow 😅😅)

[@timstubbs1964]

@@stevebriggs4638 when you had a screamer and either the top went into orbit or did a somersault around the rod

[@machomanOOOOHYEEEAH]

brilliant video thanks mate. what rods are you using in this session Steve?

[@stevebriggs4638]

thanks much appreciated. I was using some old Nash Toro rods 12ft 3.5lb unfortunately no longer available but I just like using them.

[@robgood719]

Back in the day that would happen a lot when the pic never came out that in its self was a night mare wait for sometimes nothing🤣🤣🤦‍♂️but blur 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@stevebriggs4638]

It certainly happened a lot to me with my old rubbish camera😖 it's all so easy now with decent digital cameras

[@MrBoom246]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@stevebriggs4638]

Thanks 🙂👍👍

[@malcolmfunnell4501]

50yrs old and technology, it’s a mystery , but your an expert compared to me

[@stevebriggs4638]

Yes a lot has changed since those old days and it’s not easy to keep up for sure

[@gavinbaldwin5405]

When are you going back to rainbow Steve and doing a video?

[@stevebriggs4638]

Don't think I'll be going back to Rainbow, I went last year because of a friends birthday trip but that was the first time in eight years, I did my time there and it's not the same buzz now so time to move on.

[@davestone2939]

Drones are banned on Brooklands lake.