Ian Russell is one of the leading carp anglers in England and you can pit your wits against him when competing in single player events in The Catch: Carp & Coarse. Who is Ian and how did he get into fishing and end up working with Dynamite Baits and Carp Spirit? Ian tells us all:

How did you get into carp fishing?

I started carp fishing at the age of 11 years. I had fished for all other species and was fascinated by the power carp had when hooked which in turn hooked me.

What’s your earliest fishing memory?

Again earliest memory was aged 11 years and the very first carp I hooked fought so hard compared to other species I just had to have more.

I've always fished for other species but usually in the winter when my work in carp fishing slows down.

I have a million incredible memories from carp fishing, too many great ones to single out just one. My English PB is a 57.8lb Mirror. My european PB is a 62lb Mirror.

I started my angling career by writing for Carpworld magazine and at the Time Total Carp was called Catchmore Carp. This in turn lead me to start my own Bait making Business called Heathrow Bait Services which I owned for 16 years and was definitely one of the most innovative and forward thinking bait companies around in its day.

NO. 1 tip. Always use your eyes and act on what you see.

I have no gaming experience whatsoever.