Every year we get calls from anglers whose GPS systems have directed the many miles from their intended destinations.  Because of this we always recommend you take a good French road map & use it, together with the directions we provide, to at least check your Sat Nav is not taking you miles out of your way.  There’s little doubt they are a fantastic aid… but we trust them completely at our peril.  In this article Chris Dagg, the owner of Notaires & Alder lakes, explains why;

When an elderly couple set off on Christmas day in Oregon to visit friends, they switched on their trusty GPS and followed its instructions to the letter. They may, if asked, have said that they would stake their lives on it – and they nearly did – getting stuck in a snowdrift on a remote logging road for three days before a weak signal from their GPS-enabled phone flagged their location to the emergency services. The problem in this case was not the GPS satellite system but the receiver setup, and especially the unquestioning trust that is placed upon it.

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I am going to Roseau to fish the large lake in March. I have never been fishing in France so I don’t know what to expect. Could someone give me some advice please? Also am driving there myself and have never driven in another country before. Thanks.

David replied;

Hi Michael, thanks for your question. I’ve asked Roy Fulton who controls the fishing at Roseau to give you some pointers but before he does can I suggest you take a look at our Forum. I’ve posted your question under the Roseau section here. There’s also a complete section dedicated to driving in France & you can find that here. Right over to Roy….

Hi Michael,

The best advice I can give for fishing Roseau is to keep things nice and simple, don’t over continue reading…

Following on from her earlier Ferry post Bridget gives you some tips on getting the best value out of your ferry crossing;.

*  It’s cheaper to take a car and trailer than 2 cars

*  A minibus is not much more than a car

*  Booking additional height (above 1.7m) costs very little more.  But it must be booked in advance so if your bedchairs etc. will fit on the roof rack – why not! (PS it’s very important they are secure though if you are stopping off at motorway services- so either don’t leave the vehicle unattended or use a secure top box)

*  Hiring a van is very expensive if you’re taking it abroad.  Consider using the Clearview van hire service – they supply you with a driver too so you don’t even have to drive
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Which Cross Channel Ferry would suit me best? – a question we get asked often.  Bridget Keep gives the Pros & Cons;

There are so many options now for crossing to France so here is a comprehensive guide to the Pros and Cons of the various options;

Dover to Calais ferries

By far the cheapest and also frequent crossings the time taken is between 1.10 mins and 1.30 mins. If you do miss the ferry at least you know there is another along in an hour or so! The ships themselves offer excellent facilities with restaurants, bars and duty free on board! The downside being on the northern most coasts can be the drive time and subsequent tolls on the auto routes to get to where you want to go. continue reading…

By Chris Porter

Every year hundreds of British anglers invade France in search of those monster carp. With literally hundreds of lakes to choose from, it seems that more and more Brits are traveling to France in the hope of smashing their PB’s. There are two main types of fishing holidays these days; the first is an organized trip where you are transported to the lake by minibus. You also have your meals cooked for you, so you can spend all of your time trying to catch your fish of a lifetime. The second option is the self-drive holiday. This is the type of trip were you need to make most of the arrangements (lake, car, ferry, food). Companies such as Angling Lines can arrange the lake and channel crossing for you, but virtually everything else is left down to you to sort out on your own. This option is the one that my friends and I take a few times a year. We like the independence of having our own car, allowing us to go anywhere we want if we need a break from the lake. A week seems to be the average length of time that an angler would spend at a lake in France, but this is usually a lot longer session that they are used to …. so I hope the following may help a few of you out if you are going to France for the first time. continue reading…