One of the main challenges that I come across on a field testing trip is getting that first run. Swim selection on a new lake can mean the difference to a successful week or failure. I have been lucky in the past with some excellent catches on some difficult venues, but not all of the […]
What a cracking end to the season for Lillypool bailiff Rick. Having had a few friends at the lake for a bonfire BBQ and end of season fishing party (not to mention copious amounts of alcohol) he also had something else to celebrate with a new lake record common for himself of 47lb 1oz. Get in there! More […]
It’s that time of year again when we start to scratch for the odd take. The carp are at their best weights after feeding up through September and October ready for the winter. Their stomachs should be full on naturals and hopefully some of our boilies as well. As the days shorten and Winter approaches, […]
Here’s our top 5 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 doesn’t cost 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 […]
An updated venue video for Mas Bas Main Lake has been well overdue! We visited early October for four days of fishing and filming. Bridget managed two forties in an hours early morning fishing on the second day, you’ll see all this and more in the video. Like what you see? For more information on […]
We have worked with Vincons for over 10 years now and it has been the venue that many of us in the office have chosen to frequent as our ‘chilled out’ holiday destination. A 12 acre runs water, lakeside cabin, stone gite and swimming pool all sit within the grounds of the Bouchot’s family farm in central […]
An updated venue video for Lotus Lake has been well overdue! Excellent accommodation, swimming pool, specimen carp fishing – you can’t help but fall in love with this venue. We visited early October for four days of fishing and filming… The pretty Lotus Lake is the smaller of the 2 lakes on the complex and […]
Why do baits work? This quick science lesson is part three of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… What should be included in our bait to trigger a feeding response like the one I’ve just described in part 2? The bulk of the research conducted to date suggests that that the most […]
Four carp fishing experts give you the benefit of their experience when it comes to cold weather carp fishing in the four videos below. Here’s a reminder too that we have plenty of 50% off deals on winter fishing, just take a look here – French Winter Fishing Deals 1. Hugely successful angler and owner […]
When Pat Gillett isn’t in France fishing for carp you’ll find him bankside at a number of English rivers. Here’s his September diary so far… Tuesday 2nd September – Upper Trent Back to a stretch I had not fished since the start of the season. Once again I wanted a swim which was flat and […]
Why do baits work? Here’s part 2 of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… When a fish comes across food odour it becomes alerted to the possibility of a meal and if hungry begins to seek out the source of the odour. In land animals smell is judged to be a proximity […]
Five simple things to avoid; 1. Paris at rush hours – Rush hour is normally 8:00-10:00am & 5:00-8:00pm 2. Tolls – Can be expensive. Check out which route is best using Viamichelin 3. Drinking – France’s drink driving laws are fiercer than our own; 0.5 mg per ml as opposed to 0.8 mg per ml in […]
Our new additions to Lillybelle arrived this week – 20, 30 and 40lb Cats. I look forward to seeing them on the bank again soon! Lillybelle is a 5.5 acre carp lake, created by carp anglers for carp anglers, and will be opening in Spring 2015. Sister lake toLillypool, Lillybelle is located in the Mayenne region and is […]
Over the nine years we have now been here, I get asked a lot of times what sort of French carp fishing lake we are in the respect of whether we class ourselves as a runs water, intermediate water or a hard big fish water. The simple answer I give is that I do not […]
After a slow start to the year, Villefond has come bouncing back with some really great carp out on the bank. Earlier this month we had a new lake record at 59lb and now a great feedback report from Danny Parkins group; Holiday date: Sat 27th Sep to Sat 4th Oct 2014 Name of customer: […]
Why do baits work? This quick science lesson is part one of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… When thinking about creating a bait, the natural place to start is to look at the physiology of our quarry and exactly how it is they locate and evaluate their food. In the […]
Huge congratulations to Stuart Lemon, who landed the Long Common from Old Oaks, at a whopping 62lb… Old Oaks is a 34 year old virgin gravel pit of around 5 acres, around 3 hours from Caen. It had never been fished before 2006, being left wild and undisturbed since it was dug. A delightfully pretty […]
Here’s the first carp going into the brand new Lillybelle lake… & what cracking carp they are! The carp were stocked on 17th December ’13. In total 104 carp were stocked, average size of mid 20’s & the largest was 31lb. Around 80% of the fish stocked were mirrors because most of the original stock […]
Jim Kelly explains common issues when field-testing completely unknown lakes, and why the majority don’t make it on to the Angling Lines books… Why Are Some Chosen And Some Not? The Selection Process Angling Lines has a fine portfolio of lakes catering for the needs of most carp anglers, but how did the list evolve? Is […]
Recently an angler heading out to Beaurepaire asked for some baiting advice from our blogger Pat Gillett, who recently spent a week at the venue (you can read about his trip here). We thought it would be worth sharing Pat’s indepth reply… Hi, First of all let me say, that I am sure you will enjoy […]
