Nash Podcast S2 E77

This week joining Hassan is one of the North West's most understated but deadly big carp catchers and a man who has put northern carp fishing history in print with the recent release of “The Northern Chapters”, the podcast welcomes Sam Toro.

Sam being born and bred in Salford has spent the majority of his angling life targeting the largest carp in the north west. The northern big carp scene is very different when compared to the sheer abundance of waters and big fish that are present in the south. Sam talks about the northern “circuit” waters and how the whole scene is different to the south.

The Manchester Park Lake has been a place that Sam started his big carp exploits and has continually drawn him back. He shares stories about how on a very tricky venue his experimentation and tactical changes allowed him to capture “Mr Angry” a real significant North West history carp on two occasions. He also talks about the park lake goings on and the fish that have evaded his capture on the venue.

Moving onto The Dear Park Sam talks about his spells “guesting” this infamous water on his hunt for an ultra-special pair of fish namely The Barrel and Jim’s Fish both of which where over 40lbs. The venue is filled with no fishing zones, rangers patrolling and with a huge expanse of water that the fish could reside in, it’s a place even the most hardened of carp anglers could spend the rest of their lives on trying to capture these fish. The events and incredible capture of Jim’s fish is a story to behold and Sam shares this in such a poetic eloquent way its sure to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Sam talks through other significant captures in his angling such as the capture of a big leather from “The deep Hole” lake and fishing Pennington Flash which is, at over 170 acres, a pretty daunting prospect. There’s more than a few twists, turns, funny goings-on and incredible manoeuvres that occur along the way that will leave you with a great appreciation as to how hard the northern scene can be and how devoted and determined an angler Sam is. So overcome by his quest for these special carp it has even cost Sam a marriage which he also discusses.

Sam talks about the other huge influences and loves in his life which are music which forms his full time job and also the compilation of the book “The Northern Chapters” with the help of Gaz Fareham and the anglers that submitted chapters.

Finally, Sam talks about his chapters travelling down south to fish, including his capture of The Big Plated from Linear Fisheries St Johns, as well as his current choice of water, the mighty Burghfield. Sam is an incredibly humble, driven angler with a real passion for his roots in the north west. He doesn’t crave fame or recognition but enjoys taking on what most would consider frankly crazy big carp targets on limited time.