Fishing in France

None of the better fish showed but I had some belters...

Top UK specialist angler Adrian Eves has just returned from his annual French trip and this year the French weather echoed that in the UK

In Adrian’s own words:

“I have just returned from a very tough Trip to the south-west of France; the reason it was so hard was down to my main venue choices - the rivers - all being flooded in the un-seasonally wet spring - it wasn’t just the UK that suffered! 

I couldn't find anywhere where the flow, and the debris that was being washed through, wasn't a massive problem and it wasn't until the last week of my trip that conditions finally changed for the better and I actually managed to get onto the river.

In the meantime I fished the huge Pareloup Lake [approx 3100 acres!] and after getting my bearings and steadily introducing Dynamite GLM and White Chocolate and Coconut boilies in mostly 15 and 20mm [I added a few 26mm baits also to TRY to avoid the coarse species!] the carp arrived and I managed a few, but sadly none of the better fish showed. I found that it was vital to use the lead clip system as the bottom of Pareloup is covered with small granite rocks and cut-offs were a real worry.

As soon as I finally got to the rivers I didn’t have long but the results improved quickly and I had a good run of 30lb fish, with the cracking 33lb 3oz common pictured above a real highlight. Both flavours of bait worked well and it was difficult to decide if one was more productive than the other and I fished them on a blow back snowman rig with a size 4 Fox XSC hook to 25lb Coretex with two tone tutti frutti and pineapple pop-ups.

The snags in my swim were very serious and and although I could find clear spots to present the hookbaits the carp knew exactly where the snags were so I used strong gear to hold the carp as best I could. Although I had no real giants this year that is the way it goes when attempting to fish for wild carp in the big French river systems.

French venues, as anyone who has fished over there will know, are stuffed full of all species of fish and I did manage some great catches of other coarse species including some nice chub, tench and river rudd to over 2lb - all of which fell to feeder tactics with GLM groundbait and XL sweetcorn as a hookbait."