Browse general carp fishing interest posts with French venue round-ups, trip planning advice, holiday tips and big fish inspiration.
James Derbyshire wrote: I am booked on Mas Bas main lake at the end of July. I am the only person fishing (my wife will be sunbathing!). I’m starting to think about getting myself sorted out for the trip and am wondering how much bait (and what baits) I should be taking with me for […]
Some of you may remember this film that we gave away in 2007 as bonus footage on the Angling Lines DVD. Well I came across the clips on a hard drive this week and thought that it might be useful to post them on the blog here for all to see and enjoy… The film […]
I saw this excellent post on the Quest Baits Blog: By Jamie Simpson Ok so I thought this piece may be helpful to anyone who has little or no experience of fishing in France. Travelling to France for a fishing holiday can be a daunting prospect, yet the draw of large Carp and a slightly […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
The theme of fish weights has come up in a number of articles on this blog over the last few months, we even have a video with Quest Baits boss Shaun H. running through the technique. Below is an article by Jon Perkins a French lake owner and regular contributor to the comments part of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
