The Ramblings of a Carp Angler – Barbless

Barbless or Barbed, that is the Question. Over the next few weeks I will be putting a few blogs together about a number of controversial issues around carp welfare and carp rigs. My first ramblings will be around the controversial use of Barbless hooks. Throughout my carp fishing career I have come across a number […]

My thoughts on ten years carp fishing in France

I’m sure it’s a familiar story, two friends start fishing together as teenagers. The quick evening sessions floating bread for ten pounders and then scarpering before having to pay the bailiff three quid. The joys of fitting two peoples worth of gear into a mark two Fiesta with room to spare.  The sleepless nights when i […]

How To Get The Best Out of a Swim at Brocard

It was mid October when Jim Kelly and I visited Brocard Small lake. Small does not describe this lake correctly. It is around 29 acres, this being the  lesser acreage of two  lakes set in a huge forested area, with the larger being around 39 cares. There are approximately 350 carp in Brocard Small as […]

Old Oaks Produces

Philip Wale and his party of four had a successful week at Old Oaks on an array of baiting tactics, take a look at the review below. Mehdi was excellent, upon our arrival he showed us around the facilities and the lake then informed us how the previous few weeks had been for the fishing. […]

Brocard Small, It isn’t

Four of our field testers took over the Brocard complex for a week last month. Jim Kelly spent the week camped on Brocard Small, you can read his report below. Brocard Small isn’t, at 29 acres, that small. It is a fairly large lake and with just 4 swims there is plenty of water to […]

The Key To Fishing Laroussi

An update from Mehdi on the trials and tribulations of  the last few weeks at Laroussi. Anthony, fishing Laroussi this week, had a big problem after arriving on Saturday. His daughter accidently locked the van with the keys inside. With all his gear now locked inside that made it impossible to set up and fish! I […]

Nice And Easy Does It

Below is field tester Shaun Harrison’s review of last week’s trip to Brocard Large… The flames of a soothing fire are flickering away taking the slight chill away from what was an empty house last week. It is the first time I have had to light it this autumn but I guess I have finally […]

River Carp Fishing Tips, Pt 2 – Challenges

Rob Inns follows on from his river carping introduction with part two of his ‘River Carp Fishing Tips’, covering the challenges facing this type of angling… Challenges To start part 2 of my river carp fishing tips, I want to highlight some of the challenges you will inevitably face when river carping and offer advice […]

Underwater at Laroussi

We managed to get hold of some underwater footage from Laroussi this year. Including footage of a known mid-fifty! Most of the lake’s carp are now between 30lb and 40lb, with more than 35 different forties, 18 different fifties, 4 different sixties and a huge 76lb mirror, the current lake record. For more information on […]

Pat Gillett’s September Fishing Diary

Pat Gillett is a real all-rounder when it comes to angling, and having spent 40 years doing it, he certainly knows a thing or two. Pat’s in pursuit of barbel in this September diary entry… Sunday 1st September 2013 – River Dove This was only my second trip of the season to the River Dove […]

Black Country Carpers visit Laroussi

Back in August, Carl Sharp spent a week at Laroussi, the highlight being his capture of ‘The Creature’ at 57lbs. You can watch the week unfold below… For more information, videos and catch reports from Laroussi follow the link – Carp Fishing in France 

67lb Mirror Banked at Laroussi

Angler Steve Gaunt smashed his previous PB of 56lb 5oz this week with this Laroussi monster… Here’s what Steve had to say; ‘Fish fought really hard , bite happened at 3:30AM at 65 Yards along the margin from L’Anse peg on a spot that Mehdi suggested to me the previous day!  I’m over the moon! […]

Hail and cold water – Was this really August?

I was very fortunate to fish Jonchery‘s smaller counterpart, Jonchery 7, earlier this year. During my visit I took the opportunity to do a few laps of the main Jonchery lake.  On my way around I chatted with the anglers and was amazed to find that some had been coming since they were children, others […]

Pat Gillett’s August Fishing Diary

Pat Gillett is a real all-rounder when it comes to angling, and having spent 40 years doing it, he certainly knows a thing or two. Pat’s in pursuit of barbel in this August diary entry… Thursday 1st August 2013 – River Derwent This was to be the second trip of the season to the Derwent. […]

Awesome Week at Old Oaks

Mehdi, the owner of renowned big fish waters Old Oaks and Laroussi, fills us in on the latest from the lake… Despite the very hot summer Old Oaks has produced constant good fishing, but last week has been awesome! Neil Martin’s party had a crazy time catching 48 fish in total with 17 forties and […]

Repelling Nasty Little Blood Suckers

I have spent a lot of time this season fishing very short sessions on the river for barbel and some of these evenings in real over grown swims have seen swarms of mozzies and midges all wanting a bit of the Harrison blood. Now I am quite attached to my blood and don’t really want […]

A Lake in the Woods

It’s 5am on Saturday morning following a week’s fishing on Brie. The air is heavy and sticky and Jim gets a single bleep on his right hand rod. He’s out of his sleeping bag and standing by his rods, a second bleep and he is into the fish, a magnificent 43lb specimen. By the time […]

Boux Catch Report

Tom and Jake Carling, along with friends Simon Dew and Jack Bonner fished Boux for a week this month, coming away with some stunners… Details of your catches: 12 fish to 45lb 10 oz. 10 mirrors, 2 commons. Your best tactics/bait/rigs: 9 of the 12 fish were caught fishing from the right hand side of the wooded […]

Beaurepaire Produces 67lb Catfish

Gary Rivett fished Beaurepaire last week with his mate Steve  & had 35 carp, including a PB mirror for Steve at 31-10,  a PB grassy for Gary at 34-04 & other mirrors to 40-09… Gary also landed this lake record cat with the Reuben Heatons thumping down to the stop at 67-12; among other cats to 48-10. […]

The Weather is Always Perfect for Something

Anglers being anglers we often find ourselves complaining about the weather. Be it too bright, too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet and so on. But, to be fair hot weather conditions might not be conducive to heavy feeding at the moment but they are absolutely perfect for taking full advantage of in two ways. […]