How-To… The Combi-Rig

Following on from the D-Rig last week, my next rig is one that I have used for a while and is my second choice of rigs when out on the bank, the rig in question is the Combi-Rig. To tie this rig you will need Curve Shank hooks, Fluorocarbon hook length, rig rings, uncoated soft […]

Alternative Hookbaits

With having a bit of time off over Christmas I’ve been able to get stuck into planning for my next French holidays, one in April for fishing and one hopefully in February for a short city break. The April trip was booked early last year for Sapphire, however due to unforeseen circumstances we’ve had a […]

Life As A Bailiff – Part 2, Winter Carping

Six months have passed since I became a full time bailiff here in France at Lillypool lake and without doubt I have learnt more in these six months that I could ever have imagined.  I think that most anglers know we never stop learning.  I have met so many people, each with their own individual […]

How-To… The D-Rig

While I have a bit of down time I thought I’d refill my rig box and what better way to start than with my 2 favourite rigs and a new rig which was shown to me by Neil Spooner from Korda at the Northern Angling show. I used to buy readymade rigs from time to […]

Atmospheric Pressure and Locating Carp

To me location is the most important factor that you need to get right whilst carp fishing. You can have the best baits and rigs in the world, but if you don’t place them in the correct place they will count for very little. I am sure we all take weather conditions into account when […]

Ramblings Of A Carp Angler – Line

What line should I use? Fluorocarbon, Fluorescent, Monofilament or Camouflage. Paul Cooper runs through yet again more controversial issues, this time surrounding different types of fishing line. Are we kidding ourselves over this fad of slack line fishing, disguising our line or hoping to make it invisible to the carp? I have fallen into this trap! They […]

Do you really need the kitchen sink to catch a carp?

I haven’t really done that much carp fishing in the last two or three years, having concentrated on barbel, but when I have been or have had a walk around a lake one of the things that has really struck me is the vast amount of gear that a lot of carp anglers seem to […]

Things That Go Beep In The Night

How much is the average carp angler willing to spend on tackle? It’s an interesting question considering the massive consumerism that goes with carping.  The reasons for me writing this blog comes from having what was almost a very heated conversation/debate with a guy the other week over the prices of bait and tackle items.  […]

Is it worth carp fishing in the UK in winter?

We thought it was about time we resurrected a select few of our winter carping posts, beginning with this piece by Shaun Harrison… Do UK carp feed sufficiently often in the winter  to make it worth while fishing for them?   In this excellent piece Shaun gives us the benefit of his 30 years of carp […]

Boilie Paste – An Essential Item

One of the essential items in my bait bag is boilie paste. This method is extremely effective at any time of the year but becomes even more important as temperatures fall and the fish become less inclined to feed. Anything I can do to attract carp and stimulate a feeding response has got to be […]

Ramblings of a Carp Angler – Dropping Lead

Should I set up my rigs to drop a £1 plus lead on every take, or not? This is a subject that again is becoming a controversial issue amongst the carp angling community. It appears to be the fashion to set a rig up so that if you get a take the lead is released immediately. […]

Getting Ready for Your Next Long Session

…and learning from past mistakes. With the frosts forming with more regularity and the longer dark nights dragging on, there really isn’t a better time to start thinking about organising yourself for your next trip to distant waters. Next years fishing holiday may seem such a long time away but whilst the natural instinct of […]

The Ramblings of a Carp Angler – Barbless

Barbless or Barbed, that is the Question. Over the next few weeks I will be putting a few blogs together about a number of controversial issues around carp welfare and carp rigs. My first ramblings will be around the controversial use of Barbless hooks. Throughout my carp fishing career I have come across a number […]

Winter Carp Campaign at Villefond – Part 1

In this video series Mark details his 2013 winter fishing campaign at Lac Du Villefond. Find out the tactics employed on this mature big fish water right from the person that knows it best. For more information on Villefond follow the link – Carp Fishing in France

Accurate Casting in the Fog

During this time of the year it is normal to get heavy mist and fog falling… This happened last week whilst fishing Brocard Large Lake in France and after catching a gorgeous looking common I could no longer see the silhouette of the tree line on the far bank to be able to re-cast accurately. […]

River Carp Fishing Tips, Pt 2 – Challenges

Rob Inns follows on from his river carping introduction with part two of his ‘River Carp Fishing Tips’, covering the challenges facing this type of angling… Challenges To start part 2 of my river carp fishing tips, I want to highlight some of the challenges you will inevitably face when river carping and offer advice […]

Winter Carp Fishing Expert Tactics

For any of you that missed this post the first time around here it is again, as we’re fast approaching the season and with many of you braving the colder temperatures to take advantage of our winter offers, it really is worth a watch… Mehdi Daho, owner of Laroussi & Old Oaks, guides you through his methods […]

River Carp Fishing Tips, Part 1 – Where To Begin

Rob Inns delivers part one of his ‘River Carp Fishing Tips’ series… One element of carp fishing I have found myself increasingly involved in in recent years is river carp fishing. I think what attracts me to river carp is their wild and nomadic life style. But their ability to travel where ever they wish, […]

Safe Carp Rigs – Lead Ejection

Leads must eject safely from a carp fishing rig in the event of a break-off or a carp becoming snagged – if they don’t it can result in death for a tethered carp…   In this video Ron Key, Chairman of the British Carp Study Group, explains how to construct a rig from which the […]