5 Reasons To Go Carp Fishing in France

1. Adventure and the unknown
For many anglers the draw of a trip across the English channel is the excitement and adventure of the unknown. There are thousands of lakes spread across the whole of France, you only have to zoom in on google maps to see hundreds of blue dots clustered together in certain areas. It’s mind blowing and despite there being a massive selection of commercial holiday style fisheries in France today, a huge number of lakes have seen little or even no angling pressure.

Compared to the UK, where it can feel like there is a finite number of waters to fish with a known stock of carp, you can see why France is like a magnet for anglers who thrive on exploring new waters and searching for those uncaught leviathans.

The excitement and anticipation as you disembark the ferry or exit the Euro tunnel and commence your French adventure is addictive, with many anglers doing multiple trips per year. 

2. Vast access to public lakes and rivers
The choice of accessible lakes, rivers and canals systems that hold carp is massive.

If your preference is to fish public waters then you will need to obtain a carte de pêche permit. Tickets can be purchased in advance online and are usually specific to a region.

Not all public waters allow night fishing and the garde de peche, whose job it is to bailiff the public lakes are very vigilant, so it is highly recommended to do some thorough research prior to the trip.

Time can feel pressured when fishing on public venues if you only have a few days fishing or a week. The fish stocks are generally lower than on commercial venues and given the size of many of the lakes, fish location can take time. It’s worthwhile having a contingency plan so that if you are struggling on the first lake, you have a second, third and even fourth to move on to. That’s the nature of fishing public lakes, but also the very reason so many carp anglers love it. It is not predictable and it certainly is an adventure. 

3. Huge choice of holiday venues 

Many anglers prefer to book a carp fishing holiday style venue. Particularly, for anglers who have more limited time, such as week a year, a commercial venue compared to a public lake can be more appealing.

There are hundreds available to choose from, ranging from 50 acre plus lakes to intimate pools for 2 or 3 anglers and even venues with accommodation and swimming pools for families.

Whilst these are commercially run fisheries, this doesn’t mean it has to be like a Linnear type fishery where you are competing against other anglers and have limited water to fish to. Most lakes can be booked exclusively giving anglers lots of water to fish to. Many of the lakes have stock which even the most exclusive syndicate lakes in the UK could only dream. Whilst 40lbs carp are now common for UK lakes, in France it is not uncommon for lakes to have multiple 60s as well as even 70 or 80lb carp present!

With such lakes simply not accessible to the majority of anglers in the UK, you can see why carp fishing in France, particularly on holiday venues, is now so popular.

4. It’s a fantastic opportunity for social 

As well as offering a selection of waters to make the mouth of almost any carp angler salivate, trips to France are absolutely brilliant social activities. From the planning sessions with mates before the trip, to the beers on the ferry and the school boy excitement as you see the lake for the first time, makes these trips very special.

Many of the holiday-style venues have very sociable set-ups with in terms of swim locations as well as communal areas for BBQs and drinks. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time with friends, escape the rat race of life and have a lot of laughs and create long-lasting memories.

5. Spectacular scenery and nature

Finally, some of the scenery surrounding the lakes in France is absolutely breathtaking. Whether you want a private lake set in acres of French countryside, or that iconic shot in your album with the French Alps as a backdrop, there are multitude of lakes to choose from which are readily accessible.

The choice of lakes that are so readily accessible is quite incredible. Whilst many of these lakes do hold carp to monstrous proportions which is a big draw for many anglers, to have the opportunity to spend time amongst nature and just enjoy the surroundings can be equally as enjoyable.