Author Archives: richardhandel

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About richardhandel

I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself; My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl! I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes. My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband. This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish. I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work. Richard

Trip 25 Carp Fishing – 2026


Despite the Heat… I’m Giving It a Go Despite the heat, I’m out giving it another go. The conditions for catching carp are clearly not in my favour, but my chances of getting a decent night’s sleep are certainly better … Continue reading

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July Fishing Diary


July has undoubtedly been one of the toughest months of the year so far. The prolonged spell of high temperatures, coupled with bright sunshine and little consistency in the weather, made the fishing far from straightforward. More often than not, … Continue reading

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Oops


The moment every carp angler dreads… After 10 minutes of carefully guiding a carp over bars and around boulders, you’ve finally worn it out and are just about to net it… then ping… the hook pulls. Heartbreaking.

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Overcoming Blanking in Carp Fishing – and in Life


Fishing, much like life, can be a frustrating pursuit when things aren’t going your way. There are times when no matter how much effort you put in, how much thought you apply, or how many adjustments you make, the results … Continue reading

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Back on the Bank in the Heat


I’m back out on my usual Wednesday session, although it’s unfortunately the hottest day of the week. Looking ahead at the forecast over the next few nights, though, it felt like the effort would be worthwhile. The plan was simple: … Continue reading

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