A new year is upon us and all you keen carp fisherman out there will be thinking about arranging your annual fishing trip. We all like familiarity and many of us going fishing in France at the same venue each year, and why not? if you like the lake and the owners thats great. However, many people go to the same place in the hope of catching a monster that never materialises.
This year why not consider a change. We have a carp fishing lake in Northern France only 3.5 hours drive from Calais or 1 hour from Caen. The lake is 4.5 acres in size and we rent the lake for up to 4 people with exclusive use. We also have a 2 bedroom log cabin only 30ft from the lake edge with everything you need, including English tv.
We have a proud record of no guests ever leaving the lake without catching carp, and in fact we average between 30 & 60 carp over 20lb each week of the season. Carp fishing in France should be a combination of good fishing, nice surroundings, good quality accommodation and friendly helpful owners, so dont just except drive and survive a porter loo and shower block. Go to avenue that you can take the family to.
Carp fishing in France does not have to be solely for the fisherman of the household, your partner, Kids or Grandchildren should all be able to enjoy a relaxing trip in France.
The majority of our guests are repeat bookings and we believe this is for the reasons previously mentioned. so if you are a regular or first time fisherman to France then why not consider E'tang de Campas www.fishing4carpinfrance.com
we have everything you need here, all you need to bring is your fishing gear and a towell.
Happy New year everyone and we hope to welcome you for a weeks fishing in France very soon
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Saturday, 24 December 2011
French Carp Fishing v Uk Carp Fishing
We are always being asked why is carp fishing in France more productive than fishing in the UK and why are the carp bigger?
Fishery owners in France will all have an opinion on this, our take on it is quite simple, the carp are not as pressured as they are in the UK.
Let me explain, take our lake E'tang de Campas www.fishing4carpinfrance.com we have a 4.5 acre spring fed lake in Northern France. The weather in the area is very similar to Southern UK and therefore this would have little bearing on productivity, so what is it? We run fishing holidays in France for 4 to 6 fisherman per week and our season runs from late April to Early October, basically for 6 months of the year. The average fisherman who visits our lake uses 3 rods, so on average 15 lines are going into the lake per week over a 26 week period. If we compare a similar size lake in the UK which would have around 25 anglers fishing on a Saturday and Sunday and maybe 30 anglers visiting between Monday and Friday, the average carp fisherman in the UK uses 2 rods, now we are talking 100 lines going in over the weekend and a further 60 during the week. We can now see that in the UK the lake would have 160 lines going in the lake in 1 week compared to 15 in France.
The carp in France are not being caught as often and therefore are maybe not as wise as their UK counterparts, which allows us to catch more. The fish are also not as wiery and will take different baits.
Many French carp lakes are opening longer to maximise income, however this is very shortsited and it will ultimately reduce income when guest become disapointed in catch numbers as the lake will become the same as over-fished UK lakes.
So when you are looking at booking a weeks fishing in France it may be worth asking the owner how many weeks per year they are open for and how many fisherman are allowed on the lake each week. It will help you decide if the carp in this lake are pressured and therefore harder to catch.
Merry Christmas & Happy new year to you all, looking forward to Spring and opening the lake for the new season
Fishery owners in France will all have an opinion on this, our take on it is quite simple, the carp are not as pressured as they are in the UK.
Let me explain, take our lake E'tang de Campas www.fishing4carpinfrance.com we have a 4.5 acre spring fed lake in Northern France. The weather in the area is very similar to Southern UK and therefore this would have little bearing on productivity, so what is it? We run fishing holidays in France for 4 to 6 fisherman per week and our season runs from late April to Early October, basically for 6 months of the year. The average fisherman who visits our lake uses 3 rods, so on average 15 lines are going into the lake per week over a 26 week period. If we compare a similar size lake in the UK which would have around 25 anglers fishing on a Saturday and Sunday and maybe 30 anglers visiting between Monday and Friday, the average carp fisherman in the UK uses 2 rods, now we are talking 100 lines going in over the weekend and a further 60 during the week. We can now see that in the UK the lake would have 160 lines going in the lake in 1 week compared to 15 in France.
The carp in France are not being caught as often and therefore are maybe not as wise as their UK counterparts, which allows us to catch more. The fish are also not as wiery and will take different baits.
Many French carp lakes are opening longer to maximise income, however this is very shortsited and it will ultimately reduce income when guest become disapointed in catch numbers as the lake will become the same as over-fished UK lakes.
So when you are looking at booking a weeks fishing in France it may be worth asking the owner how many weeks per year they are open for and how many fisherman are allowed on the lake each week. It will help you decide if the carp in this lake are pressured and therefore harder to catch.
Merry Christmas & Happy new year to you all, looking forward to Spring and opening the lake for the new season
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Best Time To Go Fishing in France
We are always being asked "when is the best time to go fishing in france"
The answer to be honest depends on several factors. One of them is weather. Spawning is probably the one occasion of the fishing season that effects how good a weeks carp fishing you have. The summer time in France can sometimes come early, we have had occasions when we have had really warm weather in early march into early April and the carp have spawned. Then a dip in the temperature and then the starting of the official summer has resulted in a second wave of spawning, therefore if you had booked a week over those 2 to 3 weeks you fishing could be very hit & miss.
The next period that can be very productive is straight after spawning, the fish are now on the hunt for food and will eat everything you place in froont of them, so booking your weeks fishing in france this week if your lucky enough could result in some great fishing. However, the fish have just come out of the long winter and have spawned and therefore the average weights could be down.
You then have the period between May to September, the weather will continue to get warmer and peak in late August, the water temperature would have slowly increased and the carp would be feeding more and more. This is the time you would expect the fishing to be best although this is not always the case, extremely hot weather can cause the fish to look for deeper cooler water and the catches can suffer. This time of year can also cause varying levels of high and low pressure, both of which can effect the way fish behave.
The last time of the year with the exception of the winter is Autumm time, in my opinion this is the best time, the weather and water temperature are good and fairly consistent, and the fish have had all year to pile on the weight, they are also looking to stock pile fat to help them through the winter.
All of this information can be contradicted as i have had terrible weeks fishing in September coupled with un-believable fishing in March, so make of it what you will but ultimately the weather is going to play the biggest factor in how good your Carp fishing trip to France will be.
I hope this inormation has helped and please look out for my next blog.
The answer to be honest depends on several factors. One of them is weather. Spawning is probably the one occasion of the fishing season that effects how good a weeks carp fishing you have. The summer time in France can sometimes come early, we have had occasions when we have had really warm weather in early march into early April and the carp have spawned. Then a dip in the temperature and then the starting of the official summer has resulted in a second wave of spawning, therefore if you had booked a week over those 2 to 3 weeks you fishing could be very hit & miss.
The next period that can be very productive is straight after spawning, the fish are now on the hunt for food and will eat everything you place in froont of them, so booking your weeks fishing in france this week if your lucky enough could result in some great fishing. However, the fish have just come out of the long winter and have spawned and therefore the average weights could be down.
You then have the period between May to September, the weather will continue to get warmer and peak in late August, the water temperature would have slowly increased and the carp would be feeding more and more. This is the time you would expect the fishing to be best although this is not always the case, extremely hot weather can cause the fish to look for deeper cooler water and the catches can suffer. This time of year can also cause varying levels of high and low pressure, both of which can effect the way fish behave.
The last time of the year with the exception of the winter is Autumm time, in my opinion this is the best time, the weather and water temperature are good and fairly consistent, and the fish have had all year to pile on the weight, they are also looking to stock pile fat to help them through the winter.
All of this information can be contradicted as i have had terrible weeks fishing in September coupled with un-believable fishing in March, so make of it what you will but ultimately the weather is going to play the biggest factor in how good your Carp fishing trip to France will be.
I hope this inormation has helped and please look out for my next blog.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Carp Fishing In France
Carp Fishing In France. What should i take?
Carp fishing in France is no different to fishing in the UK, the only difference is you cannot pop home to get something you forgot. So the best advice is to list everything you will need and tick it off as you go. Another thing to consider is that you have paid to fish for a week so you wont want to be running round the French towns trying to find some boilie stops.
So you are all booked and ready for your carp fishing adventure to France, you have double checked passport, ferry ticket, driving license, car insurance and road side assistance, you have right? but what else?
Do you have a red warning triangle, hi viz vest, spare bulbs for the car and head light deflectors? The French authorities are becoming really strict now and they are targeting foreign road users, check with Drive alive here for the official rules.
Ok you are now legal to drive in France, what about the fishing gear? The average UK carp anglers fishing gear is normally more than adequate for fishing in France however as a guide i would check the following.
1. Line is minimum 12lb breaking strain
2. Carp roads with at least 2 1/4 pound test curve
3. Good quality bait runner reels
4. Decent buzzers
5. Good quality bank sticks or rod pods
6. 40inch landing nets
7. Decent un-hooking mat, bean bag type if possible
8. Weighing sling
9. Scales upto at least 50lb
10. Good quality bivvy & Bedchair
11. Antiseptic for hooking points
12. All the required end tackle.
13. Bait if taking your own
14. And a camera to get that trophy shot.
France does have some tackle shops, however Carp fishing in France is not as popular as in the UK and although tackle shops do stock some carp tackle it will be limited and not always of the best quality, so best check the tackle box before you go and make sure you have all you need.
Food is another subject as this may or may not be a concern depending on which venue you have booked, however if you live on Heinz baked beans then you better stock up as English type brands dont exist, unless the area has a high number of Ex pats living there.
Catch up on my next blog when i will be writing about the best times of the year to go fishing in France
Carp fishing in France is no different to fishing in the UK, the only difference is you cannot pop home to get something you forgot. So the best advice is to list everything you will need and tick it off as you go. Another thing to consider is that you have paid to fish for a week so you wont want to be running round the French towns trying to find some boilie stops.
So you are all booked and ready for your carp fishing adventure to France, you have double checked passport, ferry ticket, driving license, car insurance and road side assistance, you have right? but what else?
Do you have a red warning triangle, hi viz vest, spare bulbs for the car and head light deflectors? The French authorities are becoming really strict now and they are targeting foreign road users, check with Drive alive here for the official rules.
Ok you are now legal to drive in France, what about the fishing gear? The average UK carp anglers fishing gear is normally more than adequate for fishing in France however as a guide i would check the following.
1. Line is minimum 12lb breaking strain
2. Carp roads with at least 2 1/4 pound test curve
3. Good quality bait runner reels
4. Decent buzzers
5. Good quality bank sticks or rod pods
6. 40inch landing nets
7. Decent un-hooking mat, bean bag type if possible
8. Weighing sling
9. Scales upto at least 50lb
10. Good quality bivvy & Bedchair
11. Antiseptic for hooking points
12. All the required end tackle.
13. Bait if taking your own
14. And a camera to get that trophy shot.
France does have some tackle shops, however Carp fishing in France is not as popular as in the UK and although tackle shops do stock some carp tackle it will be limited and not always of the best quality, so best check the tackle box before you go and make sure you have all you need.
Food is another subject as this may or may not be a concern depending on which venue you have booked, however if you live on Heinz baked beans then you better stock up as English type brands dont exist, unless the area has a high number of Ex pats living there.
Catch up on my next blog when i will be writing about the best times of the year to go fishing in France
Thursday, 15 December 2011
What type of water?
Carp fisherman have varied opinions when it comes to lakes, some like vast open featureless waters while others like small private lakes covered in lily pads.
The good news is France has all of them as well as some terrific rivers with monster carp like the river Mayenne.
So you have decided on a trip to France, now you need to decide on your prefered water. A big deciding factor could be, are you looking for 1 or 2 monster carp or are you looking for more catches with a good average size?
The idea of catching 60lb + carp is massively tempting and every fishermans dream, however if after a weeks fishing without even a bleep, it could have you leaving France with huge disapointment.
A smaller lake with better catch chances is also tempting, many fisherman have never caught fish over 20lb so the idea of catching 10, 20, 30 or even 40 fish over 20lb in one week may seem un-realistic but its not. The down size is 25lb may be your biggest fish and although you may have caught plenty you could be leaving France wishing you had broke the 30lb barrier.
My personal opinion would be to go for a smaller lake with guaranteed catches for you first visit. If you have never caught any large numbers of big fish it will certainly help improve your skills in both catching, handling and returning big fish. It is also a good oppurtunity to get some quality pictures.
After you have some experience behind you then going specimen hunting will hopefully be a little easier,i say a little because its difficult even for the most skilled anglers.
I have fished many lakes and rivers across France with my favourite large lake being Cassein, The lake is goverment owned but there are plenty of companies that run fishing trips there most notibly www.cassien.co.uk/ The lake is beautiful and situated in the South of France so the climate is a lot better than ours.
There are also plenty of small lakes dotted all the way from Calais to the South. A good lake to fish with plenty of catches is Etang de Campas in Normandy. Beautiful picture postcard lake with accomodation.
Whichever water you choose, do some research, find out the stocking programme, average catches, biggest fish and any other details you may want to know, local attractions (the Family) Wifi, these may not be important to you but the kids may not be quite as keen as you.
I hope this blog has helped in making you decision on which type of water to fish.
I will be blogging again soon so please check back
The good news is France has all of them as well as some terrific rivers with monster carp like the river Mayenne.
So you have decided on a trip to France, now you need to decide on your prefered water. A big deciding factor could be, are you looking for 1 or 2 monster carp or are you looking for more catches with a good average size?
The idea of catching 60lb + carp is massively tempting and every fishermans dream, however if after a weeks fishing without even a bleep, it could have you leaving France with huge disapointment.
A smaller lake with better catch chances is also tempting, many fisherman have never caught fish over 20lb so the idea of catching 10, 20, 30 or even 40 fish over 20lb in one week may seem un-realistic but its not. The down size is 25lb may be your biggest fish and although you may have caught plenty you could be leaving France wishing you had broke the 30lb barrier.
My personal opinion would be to go for a smaller lake with guaranteed catches for you first visit. If you have never caught any large numbers of big fish it will certainly help improve your skills in both catching, handling and returning big fish. It is also a good oppurtunity to get some quality pictures.
After you have some experience behind you then going specimen hunting will hopefully be a little easier,i say a little because its difficult even for the most skilled anglers.
I have fished many lakes and rivers across France with my favourite large lake being Cassein, The lake is goverment owned but there are plenty of companies that run fishing trips there most notibly www.cassien.co.uk/ The lake is beautiful and situated in the South of France so the climate is a lot better than ours.
There are also plenty of small lakes dotted all the way from Calais to the South. A good lake to fish with plenty of catches is Etang de Campas in Normandy. Beautiful picture postcard lake with accomodation.
Whichever water you choose, do some research, find out the stocking programme, average catches, biggest fish and any other details you may want to know, local attractions (the Family) Wifi, these may not be important to you but the kids may not be quite as keen as you.
I hope this blog has helped in making you decision on which type of water to fish.
I will be blogging again soon so please check back
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Carp Fishing in France & What to expect
A trip across the channel to France has become ever present on the die hard carp fishermans annual calendar, and the amount of venues cropping up increases year after year and with the number of lakes and the photos of huge fish posted on the net, what can you expect?
I have been a keen carp angler for around 20 years now and have been visiting France and Canada for the last 15 of them. I thought i would start this blog to help both first timers and regular visitors to France to know what to expect.
Over the coming months i will be updating this blog with news from France and tips/advice that will help you out. Fishing for carp in France is a must for any fisherman but can also be very scary and expensive if you dont know what to look for.
My first blog will be on deciding on what type of water you want to fish, so please check back shortly. In the mean time thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
I have been a keen carp angler for around 20 years now and have been visiting France and Canada for the last 15 of them. I thought i would start this blog to help both first timers and regular visitors to France to know what to expect.
Over the coming months i will be updating this blog with news from France and tips/advice that will help you out. Fishing for carp in France is a must for any fisherman but can also be very scary and expensive if you dont know what to look for.
My first blog will be on deciding on what type of water you want to fish, so please check back shortly. In the mean time thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
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