Preparation and Tactics for a Carp Fishing Trip to France
So, you’ve decided to make the trip across the English Channel to France to catch a load of big French carp. But is it really that simple?
We’ve put together an expert guide on how to choose the right venue, as well as preparation and tactics to ensure you have a memorable trip for all of the right reasons.
Public or Commercial Lakes
There are hundreds of lakes in France that can be readily accessed by UK anglers. These range from large public waters which can be accessed on a carte de peche ticket, to commercial lakes which can be booked exclusively. One aspect that both public and commercial lakes share is that there are some very big and very special carp present.
Selecting the right venue that suits your style of fishing is absolutely crucial. If it’s your first time to France we’d recommend a holiday style venue as opposed to a public lake.
Whilst the public lakes are hugely exciting, they also have their challenges. Firstly, the rules on night fishing vary from lake to lake. On some lakes night fishing is completely prohibited, whereas on other lakes it is permitted but only within designated areas of the lake. The rules are enforced quite rigidly by the ‘garde de peche’ who are the French bailiffs, with on-the-spot fines for breaches of the rules.
In addition to the fishing rules, which can be further confusing for non-French speaking anglers, the stocking densities of public lakes are typically far lower than commercial fisheries, as well as potentially increased competition from other anglers to content with. If you are going to fish the public lakes we’d recommend you have identified at least 2 if not 3 or 4 lakes within relatively close proximity. This will give you the opportunity to move if required. For anglers who have not previously fished in France or are not ‘in the know’, obtaining good and reliable information can be hard to find about the French public lakes due to anglers being more secretive.
On the contrary, information on commercial holiday style fisheries is in absolute abundance. These fisheries are run as businesses and as such it is in the interest of the lake owners to publish catch reports and share as much relevant information to anglers as possible. Anglers are also usually far more willing to share information on social media on catches and sometimes tactics too.
Another plus factor for commercial fisheries, is that night fishing is usually always permitted and no separate fishing permits are required to be purchased. And if you are worried about potential competition from other anglers, there are lots of lakes which can be booked exclusively for the duration of your trip.
Research
So, if you've opted to fish a commercial holiday style lake, a quick search on the internet or social media will return hundreds of results. As stated at the top of this guide, choose a lake that suits your style of fishing. If you like close range fishing then don’t book a lake where you need to fish at 30 wraps. The choice of lakes is huge and there will be plenty that offer superb fishing which aligns to your style and angling ability.
It can feel a bit overwhelming to sift through so many lakes to narrow down your search. If you haven’t got any recommendations to go on it’s well worth using a fishing holiday company such as DreamCarp Holidays where you can filter lakes based on your criteria such as lake size, carp size, accommodation, food package etc to quickly narrow down your search and create a short list of lakes.
Once you’ve narrowed down your search, spend some time reading the feedback and catch reports from other anglers who have fished the lake. This can be really insightful and will give you an idea how the lake fishes, average sizes as well tips and tactics that have been successful.
What time of year should you book for
You’ve decided which lake to book. Before making your booking you need to decide the date of the trip. As we know, weather and conditions play a massive part in the carp’s behaviour including when they spawn, so the time of year to book is an important factor.
The weather in France is not vastly different from the UK and it is definitely not predictable. Popular months are usually April and the first half of May as well as the end of August and September and October. This does not however mean these are necessarily the best months for your trip.
Here’s what you need to consider. If it’s a relatively warm Spring, then April and early May can be fantastic months to fish. The carp will be active after their winter slumber and can be very catchable. They generally will not have spawned yet so will be at top weights and in pristine conditions.
However, as stated earlier the weather in France, even in the south can be very unpredictable so there is no guarantee that the conditions will be optimal for fishing. This year in April and May the weather has been incredibly changeable with massive rainfalls, random hot days as well as some sub zero nights, making for very challenging conditions and fishing.
You also need to think about when the carp may spawn. This is entirely weather dependent so it is impossible to pinpoint when the spawning may take place with any real accuracy. A sustained period of warm weather is all that is required to raise the water temperature to betwen 15-20°C to trigger the carp to spawn. April is usually a safe month, although no guarantee of course, but from May through to mid June there is an increased likelihood of the carp spawning which you at least need to be aware of.
July and August are 2 months that are often very overlooked. Spawning will almost definitely have taken place and whilst the carp will be down in weight these can be great months to fish. Many anglers may avoid these months due the weather being at its warmest usually with high pressure conditions more likely which typically are sub optimal for catching carp. However, not all carp follow the rule book and there are loads of lakes if you read the catch reports that fish very well during these months.
September and October are two fantastic months and two of the most popular. The carp are fully recovered from spawning, plus they will have regained most of the post spawning lost weight. Conditions are usually slightly more favourable as we move from summer to autumn and the temperature starts to drop.
Preparing tackle and clothing
You’ve booked the holiday and the countdown begins! Typically commercial lakes run booking per week so you have 7 nights ahead of you. It’s a long time so it's crucial you have right tackle and clothing with you.
Tackle
In terms of tackle, obviously you’ll need your rods, reels, alarms, bivvy, bedchair, terminal tackle etc that you would expect to take on a UK session. However, there’s certain extra items you may want to consider taking and some items that you may not need to take.
What are the extras? Preparation is key and where possible it is also worth preparing for the unexpected. If you have a spare fourth rod then take it. If an accident occurs and a rod gets broken, which can easily happen, having a back-up one is a lifesaver. Take a rod pod as well as bank sticks as some swims may have platforms or stoney ground. Take at least 2 landing nets or even 3. If the action hots up you could get a double take, so it is always worth having 2 set up and a third in case one gets broken. A spare head torch is a must along with spare charging cables and batteries.
There’s some bulky items you may be able to leave behind. One of those is your barrows, many lakes have access for vehicles to drop your kit off in your swim, or if the swims cannot be accessed by vehicles often the lake owner has a trailer and quad bike to take your tackle to the swim or barrows you can borrow. Clearly though, check this before deciding to leave the barrow behind.
Another is carp cradles, mats, slings and weigh tripods. Many lakes provide their own for the safety of the carp and actually insist that you use theirs. Whilst not massively weighty items, they all take up room in the car or van, so it’s another great space saver.
Many anglers like to use a bait boat on holiday lakes. Lake exclusives usually permit bait boats provided they are used sensibly. If you don’t use a bait boat for your UK fishing, the chances are that you do not not own one, so renting one is a good option. Rather than rent one in the UK and take it with you, many lake owners have bait boats available to rent for a fair price. They are bulky items, so renting one at the lake will save plenty of room.
Clothing
As started early in the article, the weather in France is not hugely different from the UK. That means rain is likely and temperature fluctuations can be drastic.
Ensure you take enough clothes with you and in particular make sure you have some good quality waterproofs and as well as waterproof footwear. If you get wet through and become cold, a clean and dry set of clothes after a hot shower can really lift your mood. If you get wet and cold and don’t have sufficient clean clothes left, it will affect your mood and this will certainly affect your fishing and a week can feel like a very long time.
Baiting and Tactics
You’ve finally arrived at the lake and you’re itching to get the rods out. But, how much thought have you given to bait and tactics? There are so many factors to consider when it comes to bait and using the right baits and applying the right tactics. This can be especially important when fishing pressured venues.
Don’t over bait
The old adage, that you can’t take out what you’ve put in could never be more relevant than for a French fishing trip. Holiday venues, such as those listed by companies like DreamCarp Holidays are often busy and popular lakes can have anglers fishing every week from April to October.
With this in mind there’s a good chance you will be following the departing anglers into the swim. But what you probably will not know is how much bait is currently sitting on the lake bed. Even if the previous anglers have had a good week, did they chuck their left over bait in the lake before they left?
It's likely you’ve booked the lake for a week so the good news is you have a lot of time. Putting too much bait in at the start of the trip can be the kiss of death. Start by fishing for a bite at a time. If you’re using a bait boat start with a couple of handfuls of pellets and some chopped boilies. PVA bags are also really good and enable you to try different areas and see where is producing bites. Depending how quickly the bites are coming, will help you to gauge how much bait may already be present in the swim. Once bites start to come more frequently, start to increase the amount of bait you're applying.
Experiment with different hook baits
Holiday lakes can receive a lot of pressure. Whilst you should definitely listen to any advice offered by the bailiff as well as other anglers when it comes to hookbaits, it is also well worth experimenting with a few different offerings to see what works best.
If you’re fishing 3 rods, then try a different hookbait on each. It’s well worth trying different colours as well shapes and flavours to see which gets the most bites.
A bright coloured hooked bit such as the Northern Special can be superb in nicking a quick bite as it stands out amongst the free offerings.
Or maybe go against the grain and use a hookbait that is completely different to the so called ‘tried and tested’ baits. Remember, carp are not inherently intelligent animals, however carp that are regularly fished for are very aware of angling pressure. As a result, they can associate certain situations, including bait, with danger. Using a hookbait which has rarely been used can be used with devastating effect, as there is less chance that a carp will associate it with danger. For example, many anglers bait up with pellets but how many use a pellet hookbait? Using something different such as a pellet hookbait could be a game changer and give you a massive edge over other anglers.
Rest the swim
Now, resting the swim may be the last thing you want to do and it will probably be going against all of your instincts and urges. You’ve been looking forward to the trip for weeks and you’re probably itching to cast a rig out. However, particularly on pressured lakes, resting the swim and allowing the carp to eat your bait without any lines in the water, can well be a gamble worth taking.
As stated earlier in the article, pressured carp are very aware of anglers' presence. At the start of a session inevitably there is going to be a lot of commotion as anglers look for spots, bait up and cast rigs. Carp will naturally move into areas of the lake where they feel safe, which is typically areas where there aren’t lines cast in.
Even if you rest your swim for 24 hours at the start of the trip, you can create an environment where the carp start to feel safe and start to feed on your bait with real confidence. When you do finally start fishing you can quickly reap the rewards.
For many, the temptation not to cast out will be too much, particularly if anglers around you are catching. If that is the case, then even resting the swim for a few hours during the day is well worth it. This is also then a great time to get away from the lake, get some supplies and come back with renewed energy and vigour.
Enjoy yourself
Above all, enjoy yourself. Whether it’s a social trip with friends or a solo trip, once all the preparation is complete and put into action, you can sit back and know you are fishing well
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