small placeholder

Lady carp anglers – are we safe?

by Linda Latham, Hi to all anglers, how safe am I out there? I love relaxing by a lake side to carp fish but it is always a worry how safe am I!. Obviously during the day you pick a spot where you can see who is approaching and also be seen by other people passing. […]

French fish don’t count!

  There was recently a long ongoing thread on the Carpforum about the subject of non “English” fish ‘Not’ counting! My first question would have to be “don’t count for what or for whom?” It is a subject which as a resident in France, a holiday provider and a fishery owner strikes a chord. The […]

How many carp anglers use YouTube?

Ok this is not an article on carp fishing per se, but more on the use of the fabulous tool that is ‘YouTube’ ,a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips of your carp fishing adventures, with your mates and indeed with the whole world. YouTube was created in February […]

Carp care – treat them with respect!

By Paul Cooper Carp fishing has come on leaps and bounds over the past 20 years with carp care being at the forefront of the conscientious carp angler. Even the sacking of carp is slowly decreasing with a more carp fisheries, banning the sack altogether. This has come about as a result of the occasional […]

Driving in France – new legislation

There has been a lot of information circulating on the net and web forums about the new legislation in France regarding safety equipment. This has caused some confusion. So here is a translation of the latest press release from the French authorities. Fluorescent Vest and Warning Triangles will become mandatory as of the 1st October […]

French carping – what should I expect to catch?

I often hear anglers who have booked onto a commercial venue in France complain about the difficulties they face catching carp. “It’s outrageous, I’ve paid X amount and I still haven’t have a touch!!” Some anglers even doubt the presence of the fish in the lake!! It is almost as if having paid to be […]

True carp weights

  Have you ever caught a carp, weighed it accurately and then a few days later the same fish is caught weighing 2 to 3 lb heavier by another angler. Watch some of the angling video’s on the internet web sites and you can witness for yourself, examples of fish being weighed in-correctly. I have […]

Do carp have soft mouths?

There is a statement I often here while I’m fishing, “Oh ! I’ve lost several fish because the Carp in here have soft mouths!!” Most of the time I have a hard job accepting that carp in any particular lake have soft mouths. My own waters are gravel/sand pits where the bottom is hard and, […]

Bivvies – what does twin skin mean?

Tom wrote: With regard to bivvies what does twin skin mean ? Gareth Watkins replies: I wrote a blog piece a week or so back on this subject hope this replies to your query: Ever since carp anglers started night fishing we have been searching for the perfect overnight shelter. These bivvies, as they have […]

Carp fishing tackle : What bivvy options do I have?

Ever since carp anglers started night fishing we have been searching for the perfect overnight shelter. These bivvies, as they have been christened need several essential qualities. Firstly they need to be spacious enough to cover a bedchair and all your tackle in order to protect it from the rain. Secondly they need to be […]

Grosley and spawning carp

Jamie Simpson wrote this excellent write up about his recent trip to the Angling Lines venue at Grosley sur Risle on the Quest baits blog. By Jamie simpson I recently went on a week long trip to Lac De Grosley in France. A well run 25acre venue in Normandy, and only a 2 1/2 hour […]

Combatting Poisson Chat Problems

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 […]

small placeholder

Keeping the bugs away!

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 […]

Carp anglers – men behaving badly?

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 […]

Don’t get lost driving to your carp venue!

  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 […]

Top 5 carp fishing vehicles

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 […]

Shoot better carp fishing videos

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 […]

70lb carp marks opening week at Laroussi!

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 […]

Carp fishing cuisine – my top 5 bank side recipes

  Bankside food while carp fishing needs to be tasty, but quick and easy to prepare. So aside the fry up what can you eat? The main problem you get cooking on the bank is lack of space and only one or at the most two cooker rings. I’ve used a Coleman double burner in […]