1. A map – Sat Navs like Tom Tom are great but they are not infallible. Sometimes you need to check they are going to the right place! 2. Passport – obvious really! But remember to check in good time if it’s still going to be current when you go. New anti-terrorist rules make the […]
October 2009 Danny Fairbrass lands Gigantica’s largest resident – the Giant at 72lb. He’d already had several 40’s and a 50 before catching the Giant on his final night. Just look at the size of this magnificent creature!
Every year we get calls from anglers whose GPS systems have directed the many miles from their intended destinations. Because of this we always recommend you take a good French road map & use it, together with the directions we provide, to at least check your Sat Nav is not taking you miles out of […]
I was sat thinking the other night after bemoaning about the seemingly never ending winter and the lack of any good programmes on the TV. when my mind turned to my forthcoming fishing trips this year to France, and within a few moments I found myself smiling at the thought that spring isn’t too far […]
Another thought provoking rig piece from Chas, the owner of Vaux; A European gentleman turned up at Vaux one day last year when I was fishing. His first question was could he fish the lake, to which my reply was no. His second question was how big are the fish, because he was an […]
A very interesting series of posts on the Forum at the moment covering the Barbed Vs Barbless debate. As with most things in life there’s 2 sides to every argument and whilst I’d always thought that the pro-barbed argument was more about it being to the anglers advantage (as opposed to the carps) I must […]
We’ve been showcasing the Top Cats resort in Thailand for several months now. You can learn more about them here. Here’s a new series of videos the Korda boys have just released following their trip there earlier this year. Lucky buggers!
We all know that one of the true joys of France is being able to sample the wines.. and bring a few back! However, if you’re like me you stand looking at the umpteen varities on the supermarket shelf & haven’t got a clue where to start! Here’s a beginners guide; Alsace-1 Beaujolais-2 […]
From the Reels on Wheels blog; As everyone involved with angling for the less able will know finding a fishery with platforms that are usable for everyone can be a big headache, so with this in mind I (on behalf of Reels On Wheels) have been working on a solution. This is what I have […]
Which Cross Channel Ferry would suit me best? – a question we get asked often. Bridget Keep gives the Pros & Cons; There are so many options now for crossing to France so here is a comprehensive guide to the Pros and Cons of the various options; Dover to Calais ferries By far the cheapest […]
Here it is Martin Locke’s World Record 94lb mirror caught at Rainbow Lake last week. I must say it is looking in great shape at the moment and possibly doesn’t look 94lb because we are so used to seeing carp pushed out towards the camera. However if you check the size of Martin’s hands then […]
The death of Benson, the immaculate common carp from Bluebell Lakes back in August this year ignited the uncooked particle debate once again. You can read the Daily Express article here. The article contains a couple of quotes. The first come from an anonimous Web Poster; “Tiger nuts and peanuts are not swallowed whole, they […]
Here’s a list of the Websites we find ourselves recommending to people throughout the year; For French weather forecasts we recommend Metcheck … here’s the French page. Incredibly accurate even 10 days or so before. For route planning we recommend ViaMichelin Enter your start destination as the French ferry port you’re using & end destination […]
I caught this monster at Laroussi on 15th November in swim La Plage. I was fishing 65 yards to my right into open water and at about 1 am Sunday morning had a slow take. 40 minutes later and this monster came into my net! I could not believe the size of this carp, I […]
Gary wrote; As I’m going to France next year and the average fish is 20 – 25lb, but there are bigger ones in the lake, so what line should I use? I normally use 12lb. Should i go up to 15 or even 20lb? Could you let me know many thanks. Hi Gary, When […]
Question from Steve Sayers; Looking forward to fishing Boux in April 2010. It will be my 1st French trip… so not sure what to expect. Any advice on rigs or presentations would be really helpful for a virgin French carper! Hi Steve, Simply fish in exactly the same way as you do here in the UK. […]
Rich asks; What time of year do the carp spawn? Hi Rich, Spawning time is purely a matter of water temperature and mostly late May or June is the spawning period in France. A warm spring or mild winter can bring it on early (I’ve even known them start in March) and some lakes will start sooner than […]
Stewart asks; Looking for a runs water with big carp for 6 anglers. Looking to book for next year. It really depends on what you class as big carp? Runs waters tend not to have a concentration of 40’s and 50’s. We have around 35 venues but I’d still genuinely only class around 4 of them […]
I think most carpers will agree cooking on the bank is a pain in the proverbial… It’s bad enough, if you can’t get your car to the peg, just walking your gear round, without dealing with bags of tins, pasta & water, stoves, pans, plates, etc.. For those who have been carping a while and […]
Philip Parker wrote: I will be tackling a venue that contains a good head of large grass carp. The lake itself is quite shallow 3′-4′ and around nine acres in size. Can anyone offer some advice on trying to catch them. Of all the fish I’ve caught this one has eluded me. Surface baits are […]
