Angling Lines blog

I found a really informative set of posts on the Fox Blog today. The series of four pieces called “Safety Zone” by Stéphane Hanff offers some really useful information about Carp Fishing safety that is relevant to both UK and Continental fishing.

The piece that caught my eye was the article on SAFE AND EFFECTIVE RIGS.

Reading this I find myself agreeing with most of what is written. I find the pattern of long shank hook very effective indeed, and have used it with great success, both with a bottom bait and a pop up presentation. I find it gives a secure hookhold also and I agree absolutely that this is the key to minimum mouth damage.

continue reading…

When I first started out carp fishing in the late 70’s, most of today’s gear didn’t exist, I used to walk around the lake with every bit of carp gear I owned in a green army surplus rucksack, with my rods & brolly in a roll-up holdall and a sun-lounger to sit & sleep on. If I planned to stay a night I’d add a blanket. How things have changed these days! I see guys bringing so much gear if defies belief. 

I spend a lot of my time travelling around France. Every summer I’m out on the road shooting the lake videos for three months or so solid. The amount of gear I have to cart around both photographic and fishing is ridiculous. Over the last couple of years I have made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of fishing tackle I take with me. It all started when I had to go to the Canaries to fish on Lake Chira. I hadn’t planed to night fish, and my rods & landing net were supplied

As many people will know your luggage weight is severely restricted, so with my clothes and personal effects, I basically had room for my tackle box, two reels, two buzzers, a light pod and a couple of kilos of bait. When you actually do a stock check and look at what we take fishing, you soon realise that you don’t use half of it. The Chira trip saw me catch fish to over 30lb on next to no gear at all.

So what have I done to take less with me but still be operational? continue reading…

February & March can be unpredictable months for the fishing in France. Some anglers feel the weathers too dodgy to warrant spending hard earned cash and risk blanking.

But February bookings this year have had some great results – 1 angler caught around 30 carp at Vaux the first week of February and we’ve a couple of anglers on Grosley at the moment having a great session, including 2 x 30’s.

With the weather forecasters already predicting a mild latter half of February & early March, it’s very much worth taking a look to see what’s on offer

Regards, Bridget