WINTER CARPING – SLACK LINES & SEMI-FIXED RIGS

Paul Cooper goes through a few tips on his rod and rig set up as the onset of Winter approaches. For over 60 other technical carping videos follow the link - Carp Fishing

A CRACKING KOI FROM MARGOT

We couldn’t resist putting this one up here; one of the big Margot koi made an appearance on the bank last week. The honour fell to Seb Hodge and weighed in at 37lb 8oz.

The group of four had a catch of 19 in total, including 1 at 52lb 6oz, 7 x 40′s to 47lb, 7 x 30′s to 38lb and 4 x 20′s to 29lb.

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For more information on Margot  follow the link - Carp Fishing in France

CASTLE LAKE NETTING

Gary Hagues, co-owner of Castle Lake, has been busy preparing the new Angling Lines venue for next season. The first job was a lake netting. Martin and Shirley from the A.L team were present to film the occasion and are busy putting together a video documenting the day, but for the mean time here’s a note from Gary…

‘I’ve just returned from a very hard 3 days netting at Castle Lake. Between removing nuisance fish, we returned approximately 220 carp over 35lb. Included in this were an incredible 80 carp over 40lb and up to 54lb.’

Lake level going down ready for netting.

Nets ready!

‘Below is a list of fish that were removed from the lake;

• 2 tonnes of Bream
• 1 tonne of Catfish
• 1 tonne of Silver Fish
• 200 carp below 24lb

Due to the nature of the netting, we missed at least 300-350 so the overall stock will be around 500-600 carp. With removing a lot of nuisance fish the carp will rocket next year with much less competition for the rich food sources within the lake. I would like to thank all my friends who gave up there own time and a lot of effort to help with such a massive task.

Gary, Castle Lake Owner’

Tom with one of the bigger fish about to be returned

And another

This dark common weighed in at 44lb

43lb

A tub full of 30′s & 40′s

For more information on Castle Lake, follow the link - Fishing France

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 being indoors early each day sets in why not turn it into some productive ‘you time’?

If you are anything like me there are 101 things I mean to do through the warmer months but often never get around to doing them. I am very much an outdoor person and try and make the most of every available hour of daylight pottering around outside. There seems to be a natural reaction with many to stay indoors more than usual once the daylight hours disappear.

I do force myself out at least one evening a week after dinner for a few hours angling. I really enjoy this during the winter months getting mostly my first choice of swim everywhere as most others are tucked up inside watching the TV etc.  I must admit that when the frost is forming or perhaps the rain or snow is falling it can be a bit of an effort to leave the warmth and security of my home. Once out there though, I love it and just a few hours bonus angling leaves me feeling that I have accomplished something for me.

But there are other evenings when I am not out and about. I have never really been a big TV fan like so many others appear to be and prefer to keep my mind a little more active. This last week I have spent a little time trawling through the internet looking at various venues I have been meaning to find the time to look into. In many instances there are videos available now which I find a great help when finally making my mind up as to whether the venue would suit me or not.  It seems that almost everyone carries a video camera around these days and the quality has never been so good or so cheap to achieve as it is now and thankfully with sites such as You Tube you can generally find something about almost everywhere you can imagine.

Once you have found a venue you fancy visiting why not begin the organising now to make sure your hard earned holiday comes up to total expectation?

It rained a lot on our last session at Brocard Large

I don’t know if it is the years creeping up but after so many years of fishing with minimalistic kit and small shelters I have finally got to the stage that I don’t mind admitting I enjoy a little extra comfort whilst on the bank, particularly when away for several days. My last French trip I vowed never to go away for a week again without a double skin bivvy. I left the outer skin/canopy behind to save space in the car this last October but in hindsight I would have been much more sensible packing that and leaving some of the spare clothes out of the kit.

We had a lot of rain and in next to no time my sleeping quarters were wet through with condensation, caused mostly by water rising out of my damp clothes. Had I taken the canopy it would have been much easier to keep the bed area drier by fishing from the extended canopy section and leaving wet clothes there. I have been carp angling over 35 years but still make mistakes.

Ron who I was fishing with had taken his extended canopy and was living in much more comfortable quarters than I was. So, why do I mention this? Well with another summer drawing to a close it is a great time for picking up a few bargains. The tackle trade is coming towards its main trade show period and the shops get to know what new items will be released for the next trading year. This usually means they get tempted to drop prices on existing stock in order to make room for newer versions of the same. The newer versions don’t all end up as being improvements on the older ones either so now could be the time to snap up that larger bivvy or indeed an extra skin for your existing one.

Similarly a lot of anglers start selling a bit of their kit at this time of the year to make room for new kit when the weather warms again or if they have been given the nod and the wink about new product being released. Your next long session may be some time away but a little bit of hunting around during these long dark evenings could save you a fair bit of money later. Plus of course Christmas is just around the corner. Start making a list of what you have seen and would like for your next trip.

Not everything costs an arm and a leg and many items are cheap enough to make you feel comfortable asking people for when they ask what you would like for Christmas.

Barely a handful – my Basha

One item that I always carry but rarely see anyone else with is my Basha. This is basically a large lightweight waterproof sheet that has lots of attachment holes and loops for anchoring with pegs, elastics or just simple plain cord. My Basha screws up to almost nothing but has been used for so many different things. It is perfect for throwing over a barrow to protect your gear or for covering tackle up in the rain whilst you get set up. It works great for a bit of shade or to keep the weather in general at bay if used in the manner they are meant for and on our last trip we even made a quick canopy over the front of Ron’s extended canopy to give even more room during a long prolonged period of rain. Personally I dislike being bivvy bound and the Basha at least gives the impression of being outside rather than having walls all around you.

Basha was quickly brought into use to extend our sitting area.

You will get change from a £20 note with a lot of the Basha’s you will find for sale. Some you will even get change from a £10 note!

Whilst mentioning the Basha I must also mention the Grunt Lines that I also find invaluable and work well in conjunction with the basha. I must say I hate conventional bungee straps with the hooks on the end.. I have witnessed too many accidents when the strap has suddenly failed and the hook has ended up in someone. A friend was incredibly lucky when one went into his eye socket without doing too much damage.

Since first seeing the multi-purpose ‘Gruntlines’ I have retired my  bungee straps. Gruntlines are basically a woven rubber strap with snap hooks on the end that won’t do anywhere near the same damage as a hooked end should something go wrong. The woven elastic that looks like woven catapult elastic can be parted and things hung from the gaps due to the incredible grip the elastics have. There is usually something close by to stetch the elastic between and straight away you have a washing line as well as somewhere to hang rubbish and bait away from troublesome ground scurrying vermin. Like the basha my Gruntlines are also used on the barrow and for many other purposes. Their only limit is your imagination.

The Gruntline

I also have a black fold up water bag that can be hung from an elevated position and once the sun gets on it you would be amazed at how hot the water inside becomes. It even came with a warning when I purchased it to be careful! Even when the sun doesn’t warm it as much as it can it is nice having warm running water on tap. I have an adaptor with mine that turns the outlet pipe into a small shower head.

A table is another thing I like with me when on long sessions. Not a tiny bivvy table but a conventional  height, fold up table. They look bulky but packed in the car first everything else sits on top. You will find a big range in the camping shops and since I first used one I must say I miss not having one around.

I like to sit at a table first thing in the morning with a coffee whilst scanning the water and making notes in my diary. I find it nice sitting and eating at a table rather than off your knee and just as importantly it is nice to be able to work at table height whilst putting fresh baits on and altering rigs as well as cooking at a sensible height rather than struggling along on the floor.

I do like to have a table with me

Yes, I like a table but see so few others used by other fellow Brit’s although our European cousins tend to use them a lot.

One final thing I will mention is some sort of mat between your bivvy and your rods. This bit of bank is going to be walked along constantly during your stay and on some banks the ground ends up in a mess all around your bivvy door so the mess ends up being trampled inside. A mat cuts a lot of this down and also helps prevent you from constantly kneeling on small sharp  stones that have found their way into your bivvy. I have used all sorts of things for this and I used to buy those cheap grass/reed beach mats whilst at the coast for this purpose and simply throw them away after the weeks angling. Old bits of groundsheet can also be used. Whatever you choose it has to be better than a mud hole in front of your bivvy door.

Mat down to the rods

Finally and this is a must have. Don’t take chances of catching Weils disease. It can be a killer. I never fish anywhere now either at home or abroad without a bottle of Dr Weils hand and surface sanitiser with me. Go fishing without it at your own risk. You have been warned!

Dr Weils

I have simply mentioned a few items here that I find incredibly useful but rarely see others with and you don’t need to break the bank to add any of these items to your kit. Remember when you go away you are on holiday, you are meant to enjoy it. There is little satisfaction to be gained from roughing it in bad weather. Why not indulge in a few creature comforts and make that whole experience as comfortable and as enjoyable as possible?

Get on that computer and start trawling through the internet to see what money you can save by starting to get ready for next years trip, now.

Finally, what items do you carry that you are surprised more people don’t carry?

Best fishes
Shaun Harrison.

A DREAM COME TRUE? – LIFE AS A BAILIFF, PT 1

Like many British carp anglers, the thought of one day living and working in France as an Owner or Bailiff on a carp fishery has never been far from the forefront of my future thoughts and aspirations.

Four years ago, whilst on a fishing trip to France, I met Martin, one of the owners of Lillypool. He was on holiday and had Lillypool booked for himself, but he was kind enough to let my group fish the lake at very short notice after we had been badly let down by another lake we had booked.

After a really good weeks fishing and more beer than I can remember, we exchanged email addresses and telephone numbers. We would definitely keep in touch once back in the UK after having had such a good laugh all week.

Lillypool

Fast forward three years and after numerous more holidays and trips to help on work parties and a few boozy nights out in the UK, Martin and I had become really good friends. Martin then tells me about a second lake he is thinking about opening as his second carp fishery and he’s looking for a partner to share the project. After a quick trip out to see the lake and plenty of discussions on costs, my house is up for sale. There is enough equity for a share in Martin’s new project. This could be it – the dream was getting closer!

Another year passes, two sales have fallen through and the economy in the UK is dreadful. Selling my house is going to be far from easy. The dream is fading somewhat, but I know that nobody else has bought into the share of the second lake. Maybe there are other ways and I’m still in with a chance?

Martin and Richard’s new project

…and again

Only a few weeks pass since the last house sale chain breaks, it’s early April 2013. I receive a call asking how my meeting with the bank had gone… In principle, I could re-mortgage to release funds. ‘Great news’, was the reaction. ‘There have been some further developments. The current Lillypool bailiff is going back to the UK in six weeks time and I was wondering if you are interested in a job’. After nearly soiling myself, I said that of course I was interested.

The next 4 weeks are somewhat hectic. If I can sort all my things in the UK, I’m moving to France!! Needless to say, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip. The house, money, job and all, sorted! This is it – I’m moving to France on the 4th of June. The time comes and I can’t wait for the challenges that lie ahead.

Six months on, many a friend made and many a trial navigated, I have settled in nicely and am very happy here in France. The dream has most definitely become a reality. The reality though, is very far from what I had dreamt! The last six months have been a massive learning curve and far more demanding (both physically and mentally) than I could ever have imagined.

Richard Owen

STRUCTURE IS SHAPING UP – BUILDING THE CABIN AT GLEHIAS

Despite the volume of rain we have seen lately, the project is still running on schedule; there’s no better way to slow a job down with time spent covering power tools up constantly instead of cutting the timber!

This weekend we have managed to get the doorway opening set out and the bulk of the roof framework in place. It was really pleasing to feel the whole structure become rock solid and square itself up after the 6 hip rafters were fixed in place; this is exactly how I had designed the structure to work, with lots of triangulation.

The hip rafters go in and this ties the whole structure together

Looking in the front door!

Next weekend, the plan is to finish up the roof structuring and complete the studwork on the last of the external walls which will partly house the toilet area and gas cupboard. The Toilet will be set in a room which projects slightly into the decked area (the perimeter walkway).

After this comes making all the external joinery such as windows and front door. Three of the windows are round and one is a panoramic rectangle. The front door will be arch topped, again with a round window in it. These should keep me busy for two or three days working on a bench indoors out of the rain!

The lakeside workshop

For more information on Glehias follow the link - French Carp Fishing

INFLIGHT AT OLD OAKS

Want to know what Old Oaks is really like? This episode is a short aerial flight over the lake, designed to give you a real taster of the lake's layout and features. Over the past year this lake has really proved itself and stepped in to the same big fish league as it's sister lake Laroussi.

For more information on Old Oaks follow the link - Carp France