Field Testing Tales

Discovering La Fonte – Part 2

  Mike and Matt Linstead continue their week at La Fonte (read part 1 here). With fast approaching 30 fish between them in the first few days, they decide a change of tactics is in order. Not wanting to lull the fish into a predictable pattern we decided that Wednesday would see us flip our […]

Hauling at La Fonte

 We asked Jim Kelly and Paul Cooper to travel out to 7 acre La Fonte, in the Normandy region of France. Here’s what they found… La Fonte is situated in a wooded stream valley. It is very picturesque, with tree lined banks and a multiplicity of birdlife. The dawn chorus is particularly spectacular and sets […]

Discovering La Fonte – Part 1

At the end of April we sent Matt and Mike Linstead to field test and film another new lake to our portfolio, La Fonte. After travelling through the night on the Friday, we hopped off the Euro tunnel in the early hours and headed south to the quiet corner of Normandy where the lake is situated. A three […]

The Role of a Field Tester

One of the main challenges that I come across on a field testing trip is getting that first run. Swim selection on a new lake can mean the difference to a successful week or failure. I have been lucky in the past with some excellent catches on some difficult venues, but not all of the […]

Which Lake? The Field Tester’s Role

Jim Kelly explains common issues when field-testing completely unknown lakes, and why the majority don’t make it on to the Angling Lines books… Why Are Some Chosen And Some Not? The Selection Process Angling Lines has a fine portfolio of lakes catering for the needs of most carp anglers, but how did the list evolve?  Is […]

Brocard Large – I’ll be back!

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 […]

How To Get The Best Out of a Swim at Brocard

It was mid October when Jim Kelly and I visited Brocard Small lake. Small does not describe this lake correctly. It is around 29 acres, this being the  lesser acreage of two  lakes set in a huge forested area, with the larger being around 39 cares. There are approximately 350 carp in Brocard Small as […]

Brocard Small, It isn’t

Four of our field testers took over the Brocard complex for a week last month. Jim Kelly spent the week camped on Brocard Small, you can read his report below. Brocard Small isn’t, at 29 acres, that small. It is a fairly large lake and with just 4 swims there is plenty of water to […]

Nice And Easy Does It

Below is field tester Shaun Harrison’s review of last week’s trip to Brocard Large… The flames of a soothing fire are flickering away taking the slight chill away from what was an empty house last week. It is the first time I have had to light it this autumn but I guess I have finally […]

Hail and cold water – Was this really August?

I was very fortunate to fish Jonchery‘s smaller counterpart, Jonchery 7, earlier this year. During my visit I took the opportunity to do a few laps of the main Jonchery lake.  On my way around I chatted with the anglers and was amazed to find that some had been coming since they were children, others […]

A Lake in the Woods

It’s 5am on Saturday morning following a week’s fishing on Brie. The air is heavy and sticky and Jim gets a single bleep on his right hand rod. He’s out of his sleeping bag and standing by his rods, a second bleep and he is into the fish, a magnificent 43lb specimen. By the time […]

Angling in the Freezer zone – Field Testing Tales

It was the end of March and Jim Kelly and I were about to take on our first field testing trip of 2013.  We were off to Northern France to fish a lake on a trial for Angling Lines. With these first exploratory trips on a new lake, our purpose is to provide feedback to both […]

The Ups & Downs of Being an Angling Lines Field Tester

Being an Angling Lines field tester has its ups and its downs. New lakes are coming on to the French angling scene all the time, with new owners purchasing lakes or lake owners needing the helping hand of companies such as Angling Lines. The huge inaccessible part of a magnificent lake After the initial enquiries […]

Return to Blue Lake – Field Testing Tales

Last year Jim Kelly and I visited Blue Lake in almost monsoon conditions, with freshly dug swims with marl and mud everywhere, it was a trip to forget and we finished our trip early due to the adverse conditions. A view of Blue lake from swim 7 On our return to the UK we reported […]