carpepecheur

Just added the camo version to my Christmas list.

That hits the nail on the head IMHO. It is just another bolt lead technique. Traditionally the weight of the lead is relied upon to set the hook when the carp bolts. Before I started using the method I described earlier in this thread, I did a lot of experimenting using a rubber band and piece of bamboo skewer. The stick holding the rubber band was dislodged when the bait was moved and floated harmlessly to the surface. The rubber band contracted causing a sudden pulling on the bait. It proved to be far too unreliable in normal use but a learned a lot. What I believe happens is, the movement is not enough to actually set the hook. I believe (but cannot prove) that the sudden movement frightens the fish which then bolts setting the hook against the weight of the lead. Rather than cast it out backwards or hang heavy weights on to prove how strong and dangerous a twig device is. could I make a constructive suggestion? Why not replace the two plastic arms with sacrificial bamboo sticks which float harmfully away on a take? Personally, I will stick to my tried and tested system.

This twig thing sounds like a very complicated solution to a simple problem. I have been using a technique I which I call The Active Bolt Lead" for over 10 years now. Basically, it is just a large steel washer bashed onto a bomb shaped lead. You wind down against the lead put a good curve in the rod and the washer bites into the bottom. The slightest vertical lift from a fish dislodges the washer and the spring in the rod tip strikes the bite. I made a rather pathetic video of how it worked which was filmed in my swimming pool but it does show the general idea.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'' ..... Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland" The problem comes when you try to communicate your meaning to someone else. If you say “wraps” you get into the discussion that we see in this thread. If you say “metres” there can be no discussion as the definition has existed since 1791 However, many people seem to be more comfortable using Carpspeak. I am embarrassed to say that I made exactly that mistake when the tide went out during a dry spell on a huge reservoir I was fishing and my catches decreased considerably. You make a relevant point.

Here is a quote from an article in the 1911 issue of The American Angler that provides an early example of the use of the term "wraps" in the context of casting distance: "The distance of a cast is determined by the number of wraps the line makes on the reel. A good caster can make 100 wraps, or more, with a light fly rod." So the term “wraps” is not at all confusing??? Here in France we only have the metre - as do most of the rest of the World. Colin Willock (the first editor of The Angling Times) wrote a book called “Rod, Pole or Perch”. Although the subject was angling, the title referred specifically to units of distance measurement. If Sir Jacob William Rees-Mogg gets his way you will be back to using these units as well. bon chance

I don’t think the average Frenchman could be woke if he tried. Don’t be put off by Brexit. It is just a huge and expensive PIA promoted by cretins for the benefit of the gullible (but there again I could be a tad biased). The advantages of retiring here far outweigh the hurdles of doing so.

Start planning your retirement in France now Elmo. No worries about Golliwog souvenirs here. Everything is very laid back including the fishing

You don’t say where you are planning to fish. Can we assume that, like 95% of UK anglers coming to France, you will be fishing “up North” in one of the many dedicated fisheries run by ex-pats. In this case your best source of information will be the fishery owner/manager. It is in his interests to see you have a good experience and return next year and tell your friends. I can’t help with that type of information because it is not my scene but I can offer some general advice that may come in useful. Generally, the fishing is exactly the same as UK but with a charming foreign accent. As Elmoputney said, French roads can be a joy to drive on but they are pretty hot on speed limits. The limit is 80 or 90 kph on normal country roads depending on which Department you are in so make sure you know. The app “Waze” is a great help in this respect. Other speed limits are normally posted on the roadside. NOTE that the rectangular village name signs (with a red border) are official 50 kph speed limit signs. The octagonal “STOP” sign means exactly that. You must stop (I count to four) even if nothing is coming. Gendarmes take great delight in pointing to tourists with UK reg plates that the sign is in English. Beware of the sign that looks like a cross X. This means give way at the next junction even if you are on what seems to be the main road. If you do not speak French, Hey Google is your friend. Just say “Hey Google What is French for …” and you will be able to read the answer and hear how it is pronounced. It works French to English as well if you cannot understand what someone is telling you. If you want to consult UK content on your digital devices you will need a VPN because officially stuff like BBC and ITV cannot be watched when you are in France. You may need to be aware of the latest roaming charges now as well. I understand there have been big changes since Brexit. If you are short of bait, here is a well-kept secret. Buy some Frolic dog biscuits available in many supermarkets. I have no idea why they work but I have had some stunning results with them. Above all, have a great holiday and take any “you should have been here last week” conversations with a pinch of salt. Bon chance.

This post is still valid but may not be up to date.

We are always the last to hear about anything new in the outside world so I assumed they must be a common sight in UK. Still, if I understand it correctly, in UK you can have just about anything delivered to your swim by companies like “Deliverance”,

I live in the far southwest of France, near the Pyrenees. Carp fishing is not as popular here as it is in the UK. Many people still catch carp to eat, and they see releasing fish back into the water as an English custom. Food is more important than fishing. In fact, some places have to advertise that their lakes have a "no kill" policy. Interestingly, they use the English phrase "no kill." I once saw some anglers with carp gear and asked if they had any luck. They said, "No, we just got here and haven't even lit our barbecue yet." Living here is like stepping back in time. Our location is so rural and remote that it makes Brigadoon look like a busy capital city. Which brings me to the point of my story. I was scouting potential lakes to fish this year, and on the edge of a tiny hamlet near my favourite lake, I came across a pizza vending machine. I guess they must be very common and popular in the UK, but here, in the middle of nowhere, it seems rather incongruous. However, I intend to give it a go next time I fish there. It will save me from having to cook.

I think the UK government does care about its people- at least if they are rich Tory donors or powerful political influencers - just not you and me.

It is just the French government knocking 30 cents/ litre off petrol (roughly £1 per gallon). We used to nip over to Spain for cheap petrol, now they come here. It is the EU however who are going to force the energy companies to pay for the energy price cap rather than dump the cost on us poor consumers.

The EU are going to force the energy companies to use their profits to reduce prices. Thanks to Brexit, Truss can do what she wants now we have got back control (and given it to her).

At the other end of the scale but along the same lines --- I had just landed a fish when this very old chap who had been fishing not far from me came up to take a look and the conversation went something like this. “That’s a nice fish” he said “Thank you. Do you fish here often”? I asked “once or twice per month” “any luck? “Oh I’ve never caught a fish – I just like fishing”

Oh dear, I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. Use traditional methods as a starting point of course but I find the fun part is developing and trying your own methods.

"Proper" carp fishing means different things to different people. There is nothing improper about float fishing for carp.

I have found using a solid cross bar helps battle weed safely (rather than the cord drawstring modern net makers seem to favour). I also have problems holding and manipulating a straight handle because of arthritis. I hate having to deal with a fish while the handle of the landing net is still attached. I seem to destroy everything around me with it. Having detached the net from the handle, I still have to lift it out of the water. I find a folding net a more useful useful way of doing this. Having got the carp in the net to my unhooking mat, I still have to manipulate it out of the net onto the mat. I found a heavy duty nylon zip sewn into the back of the net solves this problem. Finally, modern nets seem to cost an arm and a leg which is a struggle on my pension so I have attached some photos of my "cheap as chips" "tried and tested" home made landing net, based on an inexpensive sea fishing landing net frame and a pair of crutches obtained when I hurt my leg falling down the bank.

From an angling point of view, I would not take a very expensive camera into the hostile environment a lakeside represents and use it in close proximity to a wild animal intent on returning to that environment. Bigger cameras are heavier and need heavier tripods where as a ‘phone goes in the shirt pocket. However, if your intention is to enter the world of photography then that is a whole different ballgame and loads of fun. Enjoy. (But DO take a look at the time lapse option)

I am not familiar with Panasonic cameras but I am fairly sure it has a time lapse facility. This is very similar to an intervalometer. It will be a lot easier to use and far more versatile than any add on self-take kits with clamps and wires and bulbs etc. Regarding quality for basic trophy shots, you want the biggest sensor you can afford with a good kit lens. (I was under the impression you were talking about selfies on a 'phone)

IMHO the only way to take trophy shots is using an intervalometer. Yes you get loads of unusable shots which you simply delete. You then get to choose the best from the rest. If you are are only using a phone try this app camera FV-5 Don't forget to keep the bloopers as well.

The rate of improvement in drones is increasing almost as fast as the regulations to use them. I don't think it will be long before they reduce the weight restriction requiring a license. The current exciting development is the use of 360 degree cameras in drones.

The way I use a Deeper is to search for a mark, towing it behind a bait boat. When I am over the mark, I drop a self levelling marker float from the bait hopper plus some bait at the same time. I think we should call these devices echo sounders. "Fish finder" is a misleading marketing description.

In my day, the equipment needed to do everything the Deeper does now, cost several tens of thousands of pounds and weighed around 200 kilos. For me, the Deeper is a miracle in a tennis ball. The biggest omission is not to be able to put in a tide height. This means that if your water level changes between sessions, as it does on the big reservoirs near here, you can't match up surveys done at different times of the year.