Browse general carp fishing interest posts with French venue round-ups, trip planning advice, holiday tips and big fish inspiration.
Slate Grey was the biggest fish of a fantastic weeks fishing on Villefond last week at 53lb 2oz. Well done to the guys; you can see their feedback below… Holiday date: Sat 5th Apr to Sat 12th Apr 2014 Name of customer: Matt Drury Number of anglers: 5 Details of your catches: 1 x 50, 6 x 40, 5 x 30, 3 […]
An angler interview with Steve Whitby, Carpology contributor and the man behind ‘The Carp Catcher’ Youtube channel. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… So then Steve, when did your passion for angling begin? When I was about 5. Mum would buy my elder brother Andy and myself ‘nets’. This was a 6 inch mesh […]
We came across this front cover from Issue 111 of the much loved Carpworld, featuring Tim Paisley with a mirror from our very own Boux, a 14 acre exclusive big carp venue. An incredible French lake with stacks of history within the French carping scene and it’s still at the top of it’s game. For […]
An angler interview with Julian Cundiff, talking about company sponsorship, Tim Paisley and carp fishing in the 90’s. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… Hi Jules, may I begin by saying a big thank you for finding the time to do this interview. It really is appreciated! So then, when did your passion for angling […]
August 1998, Rainbow Lake – Angling Lines boss David and (a much younger!) yours truly with a 45lb 12oz beauty. We were lead to Rainbow after seeing Lac du Causse the year before, on our return in 1998 we discovered the Lac du Causse carp had been relocated to Lac du Curton (better known as Rainbow […]
An angler interview with Carl & Alex, the popular duo that made their name through their YouTube channel following their fishing escapades. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… Firstly may I say a big thank you to you both for taking the time out to do this interview. Can you give me, and everybody […]
An angler interview with Solar Tackle’s Carl Sharp, talking about his love of gravel pits, long range fishing and what keeps him going back to France. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… Before we begin may I start with saying a big thank you to Carl for taking the time out to do this […]
An angler interview with Eik Weis, talking about his quest for big carp all over Europe. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… I’m delighted to have spoken to Eik and so pleased that he agreed to do this interview, a big carp angler who fishes some challenging waters in Germany and Hungary. Like myself […]
An angler interview with Nick Burrage, talking about everything from his time on the Mangrove to fishing in France. Matthew Fleet from the Carp Marathon asks the questions… So then Nick when did your passion for angling begin? Well my passion for angling started a long time ago, sometime in the 1970’s when I was 7 […]
It has been a real pleasure to watch Villefonds fish grow into some real monsters and it has been discussed for a long time about which fish are going to be the next biggest caught so I decided to compile a new list detailing the top 5 to date, as of February 2014. Our lake’s […]
Does resting a swim increase your catch rate? On certain waters and situations I believe that it does. Now, what do I mean by resting a swim? Basically, it means removing all lines out of a swim for some considerable time to allow the carp to gain confidence in feeding on a baited area. I have used […]
Should I contain a carp in a carp sack or retaining sling for photographs? Paul Cooper discusses yet another controversial subject in carp welfare. Carp sacks have been around for years now and nearly every carp angler had a couple of sacks with him so that a carp could be retained until a decent trophy shot […]
The ongoing Otter debate needs no introduction for 99% of you reading this. However, for the 1% that aren’t up to speed, it amounts to this… The recovery of otter populations in the UK has brought about an increasing concern about predation, particularly on still water fisheries and on specimen fish, including our beloved […]
The Bacheliers have stocked an additional 30 carp in to Brocard Large this January. Six of these are forties and fifties, you’ll be able to spot them in the video! For more information on Brocard Large follow the link – Carp Fishing France
Jonchery carp lake gets an additional stocking of 2 x 50lb+, 15 x 30lb+ and 50 x 20lb+ carp this January. We think the common at 00:34 seconds in is an absolute corker! For more information on Jonchery follow the link – Fishing Holidays
The Bacheliers have been busy draining stock lakes all winter for a range of specimen. In the process they have held a number of carp from 30-60lbs in a stock lake to be re-homed within their carp fishing lakes this January. It’s Brie‘s turn today to receive some stunning target fish including 3 x forties, 1 […]
My thoughts on the hair rig, running leads, semi-fixed rigs and slack lines… The hair rig This rig was a revelation for specimen fishing. Kevin Maddox and Len Middleton first came up with the idea of presenting a bait leaving the hook free to prick into the lip of a fish. Here we had a new […]
In part 1, I outlined the basics and summarised the effects the moon plays on carp behaviour and their feeding. Now I get to the heart of the matter and reveal the practical details and specifics on how I apply this knowledge to my carp fishing and improve my catch rates. Preparation I, like the […]
In this blog I would like to talk about yet another controversial issue. Baitboats! You either love them or hate them. I am sure that this short piece could offend some anglers, but I will put my thoughts out there and leave it up to the reader to decide. There will be three kinds of […]
Normally when travelling to France on a field test trip I write my article as soon as I return. It’s straight into my notes and then onto the PC to write and to download and pore over hundreds of photographs of the carp, swims and facilities. This trip shouldn’t have been any different but I […]
