Mark Simmonds

On this episode of the Thinking Tackle Podcast, is carp fish farmer Mark Simmonds.

Mark Simmonds is the proprietor of Heather Fisheries in Hampshire. Over 130 of his carp have reached over fifty pounds from a variety of different waters, some of these include the Brasenose 1 lake record and several other fish that are tantalizingly close to the UK record.

Mark’s fish known as "Simmos" have gained a reputation for their distinctive rounded shape, an inaccurate assumption. In 2018 unsubstantiated claims circulated that a fish called the 'Chertsey Fish" had broken the British record. Although never confirmed, this particular fish illustrated the appearance and grace of a typical Simmonds specimen.

Before establishing Heather Fisheries, Mark managed Broadlands Lake in Hampshire. During his tenure, he introduced Any Method Trout Fishing to the lake. This initiate enabled coarse anglers to fish through the then closed fishing season and saw an increase in popularity for Broadlands. Mark was also behind the stocking of a 37-pound carp affectionately known as Penny, one of the biggest carp in the country at the time.

Mark is known for his lovable and personal character who isn’t afraid to strongly voice opinions. During the podcast, he talked about some of the personal adversities that he’s had to overcome. As well as that, he shared some hilarious stories from his life as one of the UK’s best-known fish farmers.