The history of Carp Fishing in France

Carp Talk journalist Nigel Banks unveils the recent history of Carp Fishing in France. In this interesting article he gives a great overview of the best places, lakes and carp. To the casual observer France must seem like a haven for the carp angler. A quick look at any map or on Google Earth will reveal literally thousands and thousands of lakes and pools – all of which may contain carp. This situation hasn’t come about by accident. Just as in certain areas of any European country where gravel or sand extraction has taken place, many of the lakes that we now visit on our adventures carp fishing in France were dug in the search for materials for building roads, homes, railways or infrastructure. For instance, the Marne valley in the Champagne region is home to dozens of lakes, all around the valley floor where gravel and sand, deposited in the ice age, could be extracted. Likewise on the outskirts of major cities such as Paris there are vast areas of water, all shaped like the fields that were originally on the land. These individual fields were sold for sand and gravel extraction – and they were all stocked with fish as part of the natural regeneration. It is true to say that France is literally awash with lakes, all full of carp. Take a look at the area around Vitry-le-François if you need proof of this. This area, in the Champagne-Ardenne region, is very popular with anglers from all areas of Europe looking for carp-angling holidays in the many lakes that surround the rivers of the area. Read the full article on CarpHolidays.com: Carp Fishing in France

FishermanHolidays.com - Relaunch

On February 2012 Fisherman Holidays launched a new look. Not only has the website received a facelift and several new features, but also the corporate design got a different touch. Furthermore, two new lakes have been added to our list of waters: Lac Cavagnac and Les Salles. Cavagnac is a 62-acre dream lake situated in Southern France. The surroundings and the stocks are just fantastic. Etang Les Salles is a new, unknown 42-acre lake in North-Eastern France where nobody has ever fished before. On FishermanHolidays.com we offer 20 extraordinary carp fishing lakes for both the discerning bivvy carp angler and for those who wish for more comfort whilst fishing. You’ll find detailed information about every lake, lots of pictures of catches and the swims, the exact location via Google Maps, the moon phases, the availability and much more. This way you have the maximum amount of information to book your next carp fishing holiday in France. Go to the new Fisherman Holidays website: http://www.fishermanholidays.com/en

Domaine de la Vallée restocked with Big Carp…

Friday, February 5th, would be D-Day at Domaine de la Vallée. A professional French fish farmer would deliver 70 big carp with an average weight of 15kg (34 Pounds). As we don’t believe these kind of promises just like that, we stepped into the car and went to see the restocking with our own eyes.

When we arrived in France, we saw that the water level was very high; the fields around the lake were flooded and the water was even flowing into the lake over the path… After 3 hours of delay, the truck arrived with its heavy load and stopped at swim 2. This was the best spot to release the fish. The doors went open en the first fish was a 20kg (45 pounds) carp! Very carefully, we put all the carp into separate buckets to check their exact weight, after which they were released into the lake. We realized very quickly that the fish farmer didn’t exaggerate: 10 fish were over 20kg and the biggest carp was a stunning 24kg (53 Pounds) common!

This additional stock will increase significantly the average weight of your catches… Couple this with the absolute beauty of the lake, the good facilities and service and you can understand why Domaine de la Vallée has become one of your top lakes.

Fisherman Reveals NEW TOP LAKES IN FRANCE!

Etang de Vaumigny

Do you want to beat your Personal Best? Discover our NEW Record Lake: Etang de Vaumigny! Alex van Voorst has been fishing there for years - this year, he broke his PB once again: an astonishing 53lbs mirror. And we don’t want to mention his 89lbs sturgeon (Official Record of France)…

In this 37-acre lake, 50% of the carp are over 35 pounds! So, why wouldn’t you give it a try?

Coelacanthe - The Village

Enjoy the most relaxing Carp Fishing Holiday of your life at Coelacanthe! Amazing Carp up to 65lbs, large swims and … the facilities, too clean for carp anglers? No, you deserve it!

42 acres affordable luxury Carp Fishing in France. Book your swims NOW!

Etang de la Poitevinière - Chateau Lake

La Poitevinière is "NOT just another English-run lake, of which there are now hundreds. This is an experience in itself, a totally unique venue that is 100% unspoilt natural beauty. The scenery is simply breathtaking and I know of nobody who has failed to be moved by the lake’s striking beauty. The carp match the surroundings for beauty and spectacular condition and the whole Chateau Lake experience is one of total peace and tranquillity broken only by the screaming of the sounder box in your ear! Get on there and enjoy! I know for certain that you will not be disappointed and will, like me, be hooked by the place and return time and time again!" Ken Townley. January 2009.

Big Game Fishing in Spain

If you want to go big game fishing in Spain, you can find more information here:

www.tomscatch.com

The site is in Spanish, but they've told me that their working on the translation into English.

The picture was taken last friday. We took 5 tuna with an average weight of more or less 30kg! We saw fish all day long, dolphins etc...

just another dream that has come true!

Good fishing in France

Domaine de Brocard 

Very good week at Brocard: 69 fish, 5 anglers. Biggest carp were 19,3kg, 20kg, 20,3kg, 21,7kg and 27kg. "Hi I'm Dennis and we caught last week 50 carp from swim 3 (8/8 - 15/8). The pictures are 40 pounds mirror, a 33,2 pounds common and a 25,4 pounds mirror. I hope you can use them for the website! Thanks for the nice week which we enjoyed a lot!. Regards, Dennis" 

La Renarde 

Also very productive week: 5 anglers, 48 Fish. Biggest: 15kg, 15,1kg,15,5kg and 16,8kg 

Chateau Moulin 

Fishing gets better and better: Joe Lee Form Surrey in England landed a carp of 46.12lbs from the shaggy tail swim. This fish on picture n°1 is known as the Orange fish and he was landed from the pomme de pin swim and weighed in at 54.08lbs and it was her first appearance to the bank this year 

Etang de Brigueuil 

"It can fish very well like all the other swims as there is a large band of lillies that run between it and the chalet swim which always produces nice fish.The guy this week, Mr Klamber, has not had a huge quantity (in 34 degrees neither has anyone else) but he has had 5 fish all over 30 UK lbs." Tracey, Brigueuil 

La Horre

22 Carp caught including 5x50s, mirrors of 55lb, 55lb 2oz & commons of 57lb & 58lb 

Domaine de la Vallée

Much better week with 27 carp. Biggest was 17kg

Carpfishing in France with Fisherman Holidays - the best fisheries in France - carp fishing holidays

Latest Catch report from France

Etang de Brigueuil

Hi All!

The season is now well under way, a mixed bag of weather hampering the proceedings a bit for everybody. No 2 weeks are the same at the moment. Last week was particularly wet with rain every day, most of it torrential. But it is the catch reports from last week that has prompted this newsletter, we just have to share this news with you all!

We were full from Saturday April 25th to Saturday 2nd May, Ireland v Holland this time. Holland occupied the chalet swim and 9, 10 and 11 and Ireland was on the opposite side on swims 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8 and of course Dan floating in between. Holland got off to a fantastic start and pulled a 46lb out of swim 9 (a PB for him on his first trip to France!) and on the same night a 45lb from swim 10. What followed was astounding. We are happy with every fish over 40lb, of course, but we were not expecting to see 8, yes eight, in a single week! Swim 11 produced 3 (2 at 40lb 11oz and 41lb13oz) , swim 4 another 45lb, swim 5 a 40lb and a 46lb on swim 7.

Unbelievable and our best week ever. Swim 8 had 46 runs and landed 34 fish, his first carp fishing holiday in France and he now has a new PB of 35lb 3oz. Swim 9 also produced a 38lb 8 oz mirror and a 30lb grass carp so his first trip to France will be one he will never forget.

We are stocking top quality frozen boilies this year from Heathrow Baits, their Cranberry and Oyster, Superstench and Red Indians and Carp Company Icelandic Red Caviar and Cranberry and many of these fish have been caught with this bait including all of the Irish guys' fish as they flew in and hired tackle and bought bait on site. We have been selling them since the start of the season and, whether it is down to that or not, we have more than doubled the amount of 30's and 40's that we have had out this year compared to the same time last year. So we are very excited for the rest of the season. Hopefully spawning will soon be out of the way and we can relax and enjoy some sunshine. So to all of you that are coming back this year, safe trip and see you soon.



Andy, Tracey and Dan

Chateau Moulin

Fishing was good and several carp over 40lb came out: 46.04lb and 50.04 lb. The own house bait “Chateau Moulin Fish Mix" is doing very well.

Domaine de Brocard

124 fish caught by 12 anglers. Biggest carp: 18kg, 3 x 19kg, 19,5kg, 2 x 21kg and 22 kg.

La Renarde

8 anglers pulled 50 fish out: 44 carp and 16 sturgeons. Biggest carp were: 3 x 15kg, 16kg and 17kg

La Horre

80 Carp caught including 23x40s, 7x50s up to 59lb 15oz (common) & a 64lb 8oz mirror. The biggest grass carp of the week was 57lb

Lac de Grosley

Good week at Grosley with 78 carp on the big lake and 57 carp on the small lake. Biggest carp on the big lake were 20,8kg and 8 fish between 16 and 19kg. The small lake was very productive with 9 carp over 15 kg and a new PB for Mr. de Ruyter with a 22,5kg fish for his birthday! Nice present… by the way this fish was caught in January 2008 and was 17,8kg…!

The restocking has a positive effect. Fishing is now more difficult, but the fish are much bigger now. Over all the anglers are happy.

Domaine de la Vallée

52 carp (19,5kgs, 19 kgs, 14kgs, 13kgs...) and 11 sturgeons

Lac de Moisson

Several big fish came out on swims 3 and 10: oa 18.5kg, 16kg, 12kg ... A Frenchman caught last week a 26kg Moisson Carp. The fish are feeding during daytime, but we believe that this will change as the water temperature will rise… But at the moment the nights are calm.

“just come back from carp fishing holidays at moisson, wonderful place great scenario
we have been unlucky with the weather because we arrived after a cold period and during the holiday another storm came in and the temperatures (air and water too) fell down. only 3 days and a half have been good for fishing (all carps taken from friday24 to monday27) the rest of the time the entire lake was completely blocked. i have talked with other anglers from france and poland and they didn't catch carps too. we all together landed many tenchs, 3 silurus glanis and 5 good fishes between 12 and 19,6kg, definetly not so good for 11days of fishing.... but not so bad for the first time in moisson anyway.” Marco, Italy

Carp fishing France