One of the worst thing about cold weather fishing on short or long sessions is having cold hands and feet. This Winter I purchased 2 Whitby Hand warmers from Go Outdoors and they’re a discovery worth mentioning on this blog. They cost £13.50 each, there are other makes such as Zippo available but they are a little […]
Carp fishing in the winter can include long periods of inactivity and obviously it is important that you stay warm. Below are some hints and tips to help you stay warm during the long winter sessions. Most of this is common sense, but it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself of the obvious now and again. Lots […]
These days I spend less and less time on the bank and appear to be catching the same amount of carp as I was doing a few years ago when I was concentrating my campaigns on night fishing. Not too many but enough to satisfy my interest. In 2014 I spent 2 nights in total […]
With the start of the new year and your 2015 French carping trip rolling closer, it’s time to get thinking which baits to take. Below I have listed 5 types of bait to consider when carrying out your preparation for any carp fishing trip. 1. Pellets Obviously pellets are very popular with the majority of carp anglers – […]
Many anglers turn up at the lake, spend hours meticulously studying the water for signs of fish, settle on a peg and chuck out the marker float. They find a bar or area of gravel and pop the marker up. Now to get the rods and spod out! I still see numerous anglers just casting […]
Question: I am fishing a 3 acre lake which I have caught plenty of fish from with a good stock of doubles and 20’s. It is shallow with most areas being 3-4ft or less. The bottom is mainly silty with some harder areas in places. There is a large island in the middle of the […]
The older I get the more I feel the cold, especially in my fingers and toes and unlike in the love song, it isn’t pleasant at all. In fact it’s miserable. Fishing in these conditions can be demanding and I know that if I don’t keep warm I won’t enjoy being ‘out there’ and […]
So, you have finally got yourself onto a water containing fish that will easily beat your personal best, be it in France England or wherever. The last thing you want once you hook a potential P.B.is to risk losing that fish. The most common cause of lost carp is down to hook pulls and if […]
It’s that time of year again when we start to scratch for the odd take. The carp are at their best weights after feeding up through September and October ready for the winter. Their stomachs should be full on naturals and hopefully some of our boilies as well. As the days shorten and Winter approaches, […]
Why do baits work? This quick science lesson is part three of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… What should be included in our bait to trigger a feeding response like the one I’ve just described in part 2? The bulk of the research conducted to date suggests that that the most […]
Four carp fishing experts give you the benefit of their experience when it comes to cold weather carp fishing in the four videos below. Here’s a reminder too that we have plenty of 50% off deals on winter fishing, just take a look here – French Winter Fishing Deals 1. Hugely successful angler and owner […]
When Pat Gillett isn’t in France fishing for carp you’ll find him bankside at a number of English rivers. Here’s his September diary so far… Tuesday 2nd September – Upper Trent Back to a stretch I had not fished since the start of the season. Once again I wanted a swim which was flat and […]
Why do baits work? Here’s part 2 of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… When a fish comes across food odour it becomes alerted to the possibility of a meal and if hungry begins to seek out the source of the odour. In land animals smell is judged to be a proximity […]
Why do baits work? This quick science lesson is part one of a great informative series from Mark McKenna, the brains behind Baitcraft baits… When thinking about creating a bait, the natural place to start is to look at the physiology of our quarry and exactly how it is they locate and evaluate their food. In the […]
Recently an angler heading out to Beaurepaire asked for some baiting advice from our blogger Pat Gillett, who recently spent a week at the venue (you can read about his trip here). We thought it would be worth sharing Pat’s indepth reply… Hi, First of all let me say, that I am sure you will enjoy […]
Paul asks; What month would be best to book for fishing in France? I think you could ask this question of 100 people and get a different answer each time. Usually April through to October is the main season. March and November can be less reliable due to the weather which will affect the water temperatures and consequently the […]
Shaun Harrison explains his gripe with the TIMS (Thoughtless Inconsiderate Mallet Society) and offers some advice… This year I decided to spend a little more time on a local venue before the otters move in and wipe the fish out. Unfortunately the so called do-gooders are still releasing otters into an environment struggling to cater for their […]
I have been looking for the ideal bivvy/tent to take on my trips to France for years now and I think I may have found it at last! I have owned and tried many different bivvy’s but whilst they have had their good points, they have all been missing something that would make my trips […]
Here is a little tip for those of you wishing to customise your hook baits and a real quick and easy way of preparing ‘wafters’ (slow sinking hook baits) or pop-ups. It is a method I first used on the bank when I felt I needed a hook bait acting differently to what I had […]
A great account by Jason Rider of four years fishing 14 acre Boux, set in the Morvan Regional Park. Famously the lake where Tim Paisley had his first fifty, it’s still a haven for carp anglers to this day… 2008 My first impressions of Domaine De Boux in April 2008 were nice enough but I had no […]
