In the February of 2010, I was thrown into the deep end by taking on a local estate lake and running a carp syndicate on the lake. I had been a member of the syndicate for a number of years and had fished there since 1985. When I first fished the lake there were 12 […]
These days I spend less and less time on the bank and appear to be catching the same amount of carp as I was doing a few years ago when I was concentrating my campaigns on night fishing. Not too many but enough to satisfy my interest. In 2014 I spent 2 nights in total […]
January 2015 and the weather is almost not stop rain. With an average day time temperature of about 5 degrees & accompanied by strong winds I go to my barn to start making bait in preparation for my next fishing trip. The preparation going into just a couple of nights fishing is vast, I must […]
A few years ago I joined a new carp syndicate lake that I had been trying to get onto for a few years. The initial reaction I received was a stone-waller and I could not get past the first hurdle of Mr Arrogance (the syndicate leader). He did not know me and that was that. Eventually Mr […]
A couple of days ago we featured an article on Brocard Large, written by Mike Linstead after his September session. Here’s a fantastic wee video diary he’s put together from that trip… Read Mike’s original article here Brocard: A French Adventure. You can also see more of his articles and videos on his website www.underthesurface.co.uk, well worth checking […]
Mike Linstead, owner of Under The Surface blog, reminisces on his summer trip to the rather impressive 39 acre Brocard Large. Well worth a read… Like most UK carp anglers I love fishing on the continent and targeting the big carp that are on offer in countries such as France and Spain. Having not fished abroad […]
With the start of the new year and your 2015 French carping trip rolling closer, it’s time to get thinking which baits to take. Below I have listed 5 types of bait to consider when carrying out your preparation for any carp fishing trip. 1. Pellets Obviously pellets are very popular with the majority of carp anglers – […]
Question: I am fishing a 3 acre lake which I have caught plenty of fish from with a good stock of doubles and 20’s. It is shallow with most areas being 3-4ft or less. The bottom is mainly silty with some harder areas in places. There is a large island in the middle of the […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
When Pat Gillett isn’t in France fishing for carp you’ll find him bankside at a number of English rivers. This time he’s turned his rod to a nearby Estate lake. Here’s his diary so far… With the rivers still being very low and clear and the weather still being very warm, I decided to give […]
A short video from Angling Lines blogger Andy Gilbert gives you an insight in to combatting the weed at Brocard Large… Fishing from swim 10 this month, Andy shows how he effectively wades his baits out to chosen spots. Well worth a watch if you’re heading out soon. To see more from Andy click here. […]
I have been looking for the ideal bivvy/tent to take on my trips to France for years now and I think I may have found it at last! I have owned and tried many different bivvy’s but whilst they have had their good points, they have all been missing something that would make my trips […]
Below is Paul Cooper’s write up from his August week fishing at one of his all time favourite French waters, Domaine de Boux, a 14 acre lake infamous for it’s big carp since the 80’s…. Sometimes you can take your fishing ability for granted, making your expectations too unrealistic for your own good. This visit to Boux in […]
When Pat Gillett isn’t in France fishing for carp you’ll find him bankside at a number of English rivers. Here’s his diary so far… I had three trips in June, two to two different stretches of the Upper Trent and one to the Dove. These were pretty uneventful really, with just a chub of 4lb […]
Andy Gilbert is back with part 3 of his series following his trip to Beaurepaire this April, you’ll find him discussing all aspects of the lake and what worked for them… Thanks once again for joining me as I delve into the Angling Lines venue Beaurepaire for the third and final time. A couple of months […]
The humble trout type pellet has caught thousands of big barbel throughout Great Britain for as long as I can remember. Pellets comes in all shapes and sizes and have names like, high oil, carp pellets, Marine pellets, halibut pellets,etc. All are brilliant for catching barbel but usually the main problem that we have is […]
