The Inside Information – Picking Your Swim

When we decided to buy a lake in France and I began the process – stocking, clearing brambles, building swims and facilities etc – the benefits of being fishery manager seemed obvious. Spending a lot of time on the bank of beautiful Villefond with idyllic surroundings and all the fishing potential. As the lake grew […]

What To Take Carp Fishing in France: Easy Checklist

Pat Gillett always produces a list to check against when preparing for a trip. He kindly agreed to share it with us and we hope that this detailed list of what to take carp fishing in France can prove as a great point of reference and jog a few memories when packing for your trip… Equipment […]

How To Get The Best Out Of French Carp Fishing

I think that it fair to say that most anglers that visit French carp waters expect to catch big carp and lots of them, beating their British PB’s by a fair margin. Ultimately carp behave the same in France as in England, they can be temperamental. Then when they do go on the feed anglers […]

A Successful Guide For Carp Fishing in France

That very first French carp fishing trip can be daunting, especially if you are in a party of anglers that are all virgins to the French carp scene. The possibility is that you will be fishing for very wise big old carp that have seen plenty of tactics. Here is a short success guide for carp fishing […]

Booking A French Carp Fishing Trip? How To Get It Right

As you begin to think about your next French carp fishing trip, we thought it’d be a good idea to recap on making sure you choose the right venue to get the most out of your holiday!  I have made quite a few trips to France over the last 15 years (1-3 times per year) […]

The Session of a Lifetime at Villefond

A simply incredible 24hrs of carp fishing on Villefond lake. A run of huge carp for lake owner Mark which saw 50’s, 60’s and an 80lber on the bank. Watch the full session video below. The most unbelievably lucky 24 hours of fishing. That’s the best way I can start to describe what just happened […]

What Lead Should I Use when Carp Fishing?

Paul Cooper passes on his knowledge of different leads to use when carp fishing and what he believes are the best situations to use them for. What is the importance of using the right lead and size of lead in certain angling situations? In my opinion, selecting the right lead can mean success or failure […]

Tackling Smaller Lakes

Looking for a new carp fishing challenge? Think small… Intimate pools. Big carp. Minimal angler pressure. Chuck in a fat bloke and a tree, you’ve got Christmas – right? Well, maybe not. In fact, as  I write this, four very capable carp anglers are ‘blanking up a storm’ on my own one-acre pond which – […]

In pursuit of ‘le plus grand’

Gearing up for your next French PB carp… We all have our reasons for ‘crossing the pond’. For some it’s all about the ‘R&R’: first and foremost, a holiday; a break from the mundane; a precious chance to chill in the enchanting French countryside; either in blissful solitude or in a luxurious gite with family […]

Under Pressure

With over 40 premier French carp fishing destinations under management, Angling Lines is your ‘fast track’ to your next PB. But, with visiting angler numbers on the rise, the resident carp are wising up. How can you, as a holiday angler, stack the odds in your favour? Once upon a time, France was regarded as […]

Carp Angling Watercraft (and other black arts)

We’ve come a long way since ‘Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing’ (or John Wilson’s ‘Go Fishing’, come to that). But have we traded cutting edge ‘angling innovation’ for common sense skills? Fact is, today’s Pot Noodle (“just add water”) carp anglers can walk into the most modestly equipped tackle shop and walk out with pretty much […]

Going Equipped for Big Catfish

Targeting monster catfish? Make sure you have the right tools for the job… Last year, I was fortunate to attend Catmaster Tackle’s annual social at Oakwood Park Lakes, in Norfolk. As an out-and-out carp angler, I figured – like many before and since – that, with a few tweaks here and there, my existing kit […]

Planning your next French carp fishing trip? Go large this summer…

The appeal of vast, windswept gravel pits is undeniable: acres of untapped, uncharted water, unsullied by angler pressure; the allure of the unknown; the chance of a previously uncaught leviathan. Question is: where the … heck do you start? Pay too much attention to social media, the mags and myriad YouTube vids, and you’d be […]

The Spring Carp Conundrum

Spring is just around the corner; the carp are on the move, and back on the munch. Contrary to accepted wisdom, however, this may not be the time to pile in the bait; rather, a softly-softly approach is often key to early season success… The nights are finally drawing in; the water temps are rising, and […]

Coping with the Cold when Carp Fishing

Ten top tips to make your next winter French carp fishing holiday your most comfortable – maybe even productive – yet… I can well remember my first carp fishing overnighter. Ill-equipped does not begin to cover it. And here’s the thing: it was in spring. The days were sunny – almost balmy. The nights, as […]

The Great Bait Debate – shelf-life or freezer bait?

The wealth of highly nutritious and readily available ‘ready mades’ lead me to wonder: why on earth would anyone waste valuable time freezing, transporting, airdrying and rehydrating baits for their French carp fishing trip? Shelf-life or freezer bait? The debate has raged for a while now. To my mind, however, it’s a no-brainer: the extensive […]

Messing About In Boats

Targeting big French carp on larger venues? Taking to the water could take your catch rate to a new level… Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a ‘big lake’. But if you’re limited to one or two French carp fishing trips each year, I’d counsel that the inland seas – the likes of […]

Targeting cold-water carp? Play dirty.

Why smarter carpers are trading solid PVA bags for messy method balls this winter… Whilst Fox’s excellent Rapide system has propelled solid PVA bags back into fashion – along the way, earning a place in many a carp angler’s armoury – method feeder fishing remains largely overlooked by a majority of big carp hunters. Which […]