Angling Lines Blog

Paul Cooper, one of our expert Field Testers, recently answered a few queries about Margot, a must read if you’re going out to the venue this year!

Hello Paul,

I have just finished reading your article on fishing tactics at Margot 2012.  I’m due to fish Margot soon, I’m in a party that has the lake exclusively, we have pre-drawn for swims, I pull out of the hat Peg 1.

Using the information and tips in your article, I will contact Angling Lines to find out how many anglers will be on the lake the week previous. I was hoping that you could possibly give me any tips on fishing Peg 1?

Swim Map

On my previous visits to Margot I have not fished peg 1, however I can tell you as much as I can recall about the swim.

Peg 1 is situated on the bank to the left of the facilities which is a corner point swim giving access to an area to your left that is not accessible by anyone else on the lake. You also have the option of fishing directly in front of you to the middle of the lake.

Peg 2 is only yards to your right, however due to the point location, peg 2 has a vast amount of water to fish to the right and also has the option of fishing open water directly in front of the swim. The ground is made up of hard rubble so you will need a rubber mallet to hammer in your tent pegs. There is little shade on the swim so take be prepared for some sun.

From what I can recall the lake depths are around 4 to 5 feet with a thin layer of soft silt on the bottom of the lake, with some graveled areas. continue reading…

Monument Carp Fishing Lake in France

Paul Cooper, one of our expert Field Testers, recently answered a few queries about Monument Lake, a must read if you’re going out to the venue this year!

Hi Paul, We’re visiting monument lake this spring and I was just wondering if there was any advice/tips you could give? When you were fishing ‘the pads’ swim did you fish 3 rods to the island or is open water generally better there? With there being 3 of us we were thinking to all select a swim and fish it for the full week, do you think that’s the best option?  continue reading…

A lovely swim Beaurepaire

When picking a swim it’s essential to focus on some key factors:

Locating the fish

Try and avoid picking a swim due to predetermined thoughts; finding the fish is essential because if they aren’t near them then it is unlikely success will come your way.  Start by walking the lake, looking for signs of fish, this may be fish jumping or cruising, bubbles being created by feeding fish, or coloured water from fish moving close to the bottom.  A pair of polarised glasses will allow you to complete this task efficiently.  Climbing trees or finding yourself an elevated position will assist with spotting the essential signs needed to get yourself in a suitable area.

Weather

The weather has a huge effect on the location and behaviour of carp.  Warmer weather tends to push the fish into shallow areas or higher in the water column and the angler should focus their efforts on these areas using appropriate tactics such as zig rig angling or simple fishing on shallow bars and plateaus.  In the colder months fish will try and find the warmest part of the lake such as the surface layers of the water, sun kissed island margins or warm water inlets.  Having an idea about where the fish should be will help you to narrow your field of exploration when trying to locate your targets.

Angling Pressure

Fish respond almost instantly to angling pressure and just the crash of a rig hitting the water or bankside disturbance will push the fish into areas of the lake which present a sanctuary.  Try fishing away from the crowd or where fish tend to not get angled for.  When fishing busy day ticket waters or foreign venues the angling pressure tends to be much higher due to the turnover of anglers.  Try fishing in the often neglected margins or to features in the middle of the lake where fish tend to group up.  Keep all bankside disturbances to a minimum as this will either push fish away from your swim or put them on edge.

Angling is all about percentages, gaining the upper hand by tipping the balance in your favour is the key to success.  Location is essential to catching fish so next time you go away to France or simply pop down to your local day ticket remember to find them, apply the most appropriate method, get the right course fishing tackle and sit back and let the carp do their bit.

Paul Cooper shows you how to tie 2 extremely useful knots.

Carp Fishing Videos – 58 Technical “How To” Videos

30lb 2oz common. One of Six carp caught that same day during a 4 hour session.

Carp collecting at the mouth of my garden pond stream

If only there was an easy solution of working out when our favourite species of fish feeds.  There are triggers that we are all aware of such excessive low pressure fronts, new warm winds and thunderstorms.  For those who can bare it out in extreme weather conditions the results can be quite productive.  But do we all want to go to these extremes to catch a carp.  I am sure the answer is no!

So what else can we look for that will give us some indication as to when to get those long sticks out of the shed and down to the waters edge?

One of the best tools that I have got is my shoal of guinea pigs that swim around in my garden pond, my beloved koi carp.  At various times during the day as I am going about my daily routine I will drop a few morsels of boilies into the pond.  How immediate, if any, the response is from the carp, can give an indication of how our wilder species would react.

Generally if the carp are swimming mid-water there is a chance that they will feed immediately.  If they are all lying in a line on the bottom of the pond the food could be there for days.  Cruising carp will feed but not as quickly as the mid-water fish.  The food will disappear eventually but after a few hours rather than an immediate response.

Within minutes the carp are on he feed. It’s time to go fishing!

It is the immediate response that I am looking for. This is the time to get the tackle into the car and head off for a lake.  These days I only fish short sessions at my local lakes and I generally do fairly well, a quick hit and away.

My day fishing tackle is light and easily fits on my back so that I am mobile.  On arrival at one of my local lakes my first task is to try and locate fish cruising mid-water or feeding fish by looking for vortex movements from the fish and colouration in the water from the bottom being disturbed.

If I find all three this could be a winner.  I will introduce a few individual boilies by catapult, one at a time so as not to spook the carp.  Once I am confident that they are staying put I will cast out to the side of the fish with the lightest lead that I can possibly get away with.  I use slack lines and I will move down the bank from the baited area as far as possible so not to disturb the fish while they feed.  Generally if this method works, it is within minutes.  If the fish move on you might as well do the same.  Sometimes you get lucky and others you fail… but isn’t it fun!

Paul Cooper

Carp Fishing in France with Angling Lines