Craig Alldrick wrote: When were the poisson chat netted from Margot? Was it 2006 or 2007? Will there be a problem this year [any reports yet?]. I am going in June and know poisson-chats get more active as it gets warmer. Any info or tips would be gratefully received as I would rather be prepared. I […]
Michael wrote: This is going to be my 1st adventure of France. I have been carp fishing a few years and know the basics that get me by in the UK. I was looking for advice mainly on essential fishing in France obviously a lot of the fish are much bigger than what i catch. […]
I got talking to a guy on the bank this week about rig safety and how things have changed over the years. If you look back on books written in the 80’s by the likes of Rod H and Kevin Maddocks you’ll see several rigs that while very effective even today, are not up to […]
By Graham Marsden and Mark Wintle Mark Wintle and I are keen photographers as well as keen anglers, so when we decided to nip off for a week’s carp fishing in France it was very important to choose a picturesque location. We were fussy about quite a few other things too! It needed to be […]
Here is the second part of the casting video I shot with Shaun Harrison and Mark Hutchinson in February of this year. This part goes through the casting technique recommended by Mark to get extra distance. (It’s in two clips because Youtube limits the clips to 10 minutes). So here is part 2 & 3: […]
As I’ve written in previous posts I’m not a bait boat fan. I do though like to have a bed of bait accurately placed around my hookbait. If I’m fishing beyond catapult range then the Spod is the only real option left. I’m fairly comfortable with a spod up to about 100 yards. In fact […]
As you already know, insects are a huge problem with any outdoor activities. Mosquitoes, horse flies and other nasty insects can be very annoying as they swarm and bite causing much itching and discomfort. I remember on trip to the Lac d’Orient, in Eastern France when they were biting us through our T-shirts. There is […]
What is and isn’t acceptable behaviour on the bank when you are on a carp fishing holiday in France ? This issue of lack of respect to the venues, the owners and the other anglers on the bank is an issue that comes up on a regular basis. Ok don’t get me wrong I enjoy […]
Want to cast 160 yards? Join British Record casting champion Mark Hutchinson on the bank as he teaches a normal 100 yard caster how to hit the 160 mark he thought he’d never reach. No secrets – Everything revealed from tackle to technique. Long Distance Casting – Part 1: The Tackle
On many carp waters the fish are well aware of fishermen’s lines passing through the water. This can impact so much on fish that in some swims fish will not feed until the swim appears safe and clear of lines. They have associated lines with danger often from many years of angling pressure. But what […]
Every Saturday I get a call from some group or other of Carp anglers travelling out for a fishing holiday to one of our venues who has got lost or is struggling to find their way to the lake in question. It is totally understandable that navigating in a foreign country can cause a […]
I saw an interesting interview with Quest Baits boss Shaun Harrison on the Carpology e-news letter that I’m signed up for, and one question in particular grabbed my attention. “Where do you see carp fishing in 10 years time?” “Good question that one. I think we will see more and more commercial type fisheries springing up […]
While writing the recent post on carp fishing tackle Icons, I touched on the fact that a battery of parallel rods has become synonymous with carp angling over the years. I got to think about modern carp fishing rod support systems and their pros and cons. A practical, efficient and stable system is essential for […]
by Gareth Watkins Over the years I’ve had a whole range of different vehicles that I’ve used to get myself fishing. In the early days it was my parent’s cars, so whatever they had at the time, and varied from an Audio 80 to a Triumph Dolomite. Not always very practical… Since then I’ve had […]
Like so many things in life, carp angling follows fashion. In fact, it is fashionable to go carp fishing at the moment. Hundreds of young anglers are taking up the sport because of the trendy image that it has, the tackle and the fashions. Trends though always throw up objects that achieve iconic status, and […]
Like so many things these days the advances in technology have meant that top quality video even high definition is accessible to everyone, not just professional television crews, as was the case just a decade ago. The latest range of DV and HDV cameras are just mind-blowingly good. But have a good camera doesn’t turn […]
Long range casting is something we all want to achieve. Modern carp gear is better and more efficient in this area than ever before, and relatively modest rods and reels are capable of huge distances. So for most anglers you don’t necessarily need the hugely expensive tackle to improve your distance. A fine tuning of […]
I don’t know if you are like me but I can be very forgetful, and there is nothing worse than leaving some important piece of kit at home. As a photojournalist it was a stackable offence to forget an item of equipment. I well remember a colleague of mine, who shall remain nameless, who set […]
The Angling Lines venue Laroussi starts every year with a bang… and this year’s been no exception with a rake of big fish captures topped by the new lake record mirror “Big Cheeks” at 70lb 2oz. The monster mirror was caught by Jason Baker from Exeter on April 1st – and it certainly wasn’t an […]
Now I think everyone will agree that the most important part of any carp fishing set up is the last few inches in the water, ie your rig and end tackle. Yes a powerful long distance rod, hi-tec bait boat or top of the range food bait boilies all have their role to play in […]
