Ladies needed for new Scotland Carp World Championship team

Those interested will receive training

Drew Taggart of Livingston with a 60lb-plus carp he caught at Lake Bled in Slovenia. The world record is 112lb 14oz.

Kevin McConnell has the carp world championships earmarked in his fishing diary with the men’s scheduled for September 23-26 in Ukraine and the ladies likely to be between September 1-5 in England.

This is the first ladies’ world championships and he would love to have a Scottish team

involved.

The men’s team – who have two West Lothian anglers in the squad of 12, Drew Taggart, owner of West Lothian Angling at Livingston, and Ewan Roberts, who lives in Uphall – made their debut at world level last year in South Africa, and are hoping to improve on the 17th place they achieved.

The men are already training but Lanarkshire-based Kevin, who is the manager for both the men’s and ladies teams, is currently recruiting for the ladies’ squad and has placed a video on social media hoping to hook some names.

Joanne Barlow has been confirmed as the first member of the team and the Brighton-based angler, who qualifies because of Scottish parents, has a wealth of experience.

She and her husband run the British Carp Angling Championships (BCAC) and Joanne’s results include being the 2016 British Carp Cup Mixed Pairs Champion; 2017 British Carp Cup Mixed Pairs runner-up and the 2018 and 2019 British Carp Cup Ladies’ Pairs Champion.

Joanne will captain the team and she and Kevin are determined to put Scotland ladies on the map at world level sooner rather than later.

Kevin wants the strongest possible squad with an eye for future development. He acknowledged that carp fishing can be costly, but stressed: “I would love to have a women’s team representing Scotland.

“This would, however, be a development squad, but the guys are willing to assist with their knowledge.”

Ayr-born Kevin, a project manager by day, added: “We’re starting to recruit now so we have time to build a team and give them as much experience as we can.”

Anybody interested should contact Kevin via email at

[email protected] or on 07541 643329.

Meanwhile, there are now two boats available at Raith Lake for a heat of the Scierra Pairs, one of Britain’s top fly-fishing events, at the water near Kirkcaldy on Saturday, April 18.