iar: magazine C

C = Crafty Carper [No. 153 May 2010 £3.50 pp 164]

• Describe it: lots of detailed stories of angling. Lots of pictures of men, tackle, and fish. 

I do feel like I have entered a truly different world that has its own rules and own language. It appears to be an exclusively male world, and has lots of typological pictures of men holding large carp :)

• No of typological pictures of men holding large carp: 126 (told ya!)

• No of pictures of women: 3

I learnt: there are lots of different types of bait. You don't just stick a wiggly maggot on the end of a hook - you want a spread of bait on the bottom, middle and surface of the water - a good 'spod soup' will achieve this as the different ingredients will sit at different levels. Angling carp is very strategic.

• Free gift DVD: "The Power of Carp featuring Steve Renyard"

• My lover said: "Bilge" and continued "it's complete bilge"

• Would I buy again: no, but I can see the potential appeal of angling - scoping, planning, social/solitary, unpredictable, physical.

• Time taken to read: 2 x 40 minute train journey, 1.5 x 40 minute bath

• Alternatives: Classic FM magazine or Club International

• Heard of it before? No (but I was aware that a number of carp-interest magazines exist ;-)

Bought from a newsagent and seaside goods shop. It had a modest selection of magazines. I was served by a friendly and polite man with long wavy hair and a beard. I paid for the magazine and a bottle of water with a five pound note.

[in case you were wondering... the woman in the undies is advertising men's angling clothing - mainly green and waterproof men's angling clothing ;-)].