Wild Vibes

Could you introduce yourself: how old are you and where are you based?
“Hi! Firstly, thank you. It’s a great pleasure for me, a French carp angler, to have the opportunity to be part of a series of interviews for a magazine as prestigious as CARPology. My name is Thibaut Cotelle, I am 26 years old and come from North Eastern France.”

How long have you been into fishing, and how did you start?
“Fishing became my passion and my first love, thanks to an old friend who took me for a few hours on a small river near my house. I loved it right away, as soon as I’d caught my first fish, a roach. Soon after I caught perch and pike. Later, I saw anglers catch big carp, and that really ignited the flame, so to speak. I said to myself, Yes, that’s what I want to do! With the help of my parents, I started to acquire all the necessary tackle. Here I am, 15 years later, still as passionate as ever, and I’m sure I’ll remain so for many years to come.”

What is it like to have grown up as a carp angler in France? What are most guys your age doing with their time?
“Nowadays, more and more are chasing carp, but when I first started fishing, my schoolmates preferred to play football, or perhaps head to the cinema with a girl!” [laughing]

Do you prefer to fish alone, or do you have close friends you fish with?
“To be honest, I like both. I love fishing with my close friends, because we are a real team. We share everything: the location of the fish, fishing strategies, etc. It’s also nice, of course, to enjoy a few beers on the bank with your mates. Sometimes, though, I’ll fish on my own, when I want to clear my mind and be at one with myself.”

The venues you fish often look wild and raw; what is it about those landscapes that draws you to them?
“Honestly, it’s a little hard to explain. I just love them, and I feel an attachment to them. It could be because some French lakes are almost mythical, with a real history to them. Some are famous for their unique strains of carp, too. All these factors contribute to their appeal. You really have your work cut out on these waters. You have to prepare well and invest your time in them, and nothing should be left to chance. When you finally catch fish, it’s an incredible feeling—some are so vast, you often can’t see the other bank! When I’m angling on these big waters, I regard each and every carp banked as a fish of great merit. For me, the feeling of freedom is everything!”

Do you, and will you travel far with your carp fishing?
“Oh yes, and whilst I’m fortunate enough to live in a part of the country that is blessed with large waters, like Lac du Der and d’Orient, I also really like taking off in my van, and will often head south to Cassien or Salagou. Every year I take two weeks off and I’ll fish elsewhere in Europe. I have fished for carp in England, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Where next…?”

How much time do you get to spend on the bank each year?
“My work gives me the opportunity to take plenty of days off, so I spend a lot of time by the water. I’m single and don’t have a girlfriend, so I spend all of my free time, including my holidays, on the bank—other than four days each summer in Ibiza, partying, that is. I always aim to spend at least 100 nights a year on the bank. Living the dream, eh?” 

How would you describe your relationship with rigs? Do you keep things simple, and do you change things around much?
“I’m old school, and I don’t tend to use the latest rig, or any set-up that happens to be in vogue. I focus much more on my hooks, which are always very sharp!”

On those huge inland seas you fish, what features appeal to you when you’re looking for an area to drop your rig?
“On large waters, location is everything. To save yourself time and to increase your chances, you have to first find the fish. You have to put a lot of work in, but you will always then find areas where you can place a rig, like gaps in the weed, plateaus, stumps or those immense reedbeds.”

Do you invest a lot of time in pre-baiting, and if so, what areas do you target and what baits do you introduce?
“I don’t spend much time pre-baiting, no. I know it can prove very effective, but it isn’t a tactic I use often. If I have to pre-bait, though, I’ll do so only with boilies.”

For readers with limited fishing time, what advice would you give to help them tip the odds in their favour?
“Fish places where you know how the fish behave, and where you have a knowledge of their habits, and target productive spots for quick bites. Whether you have a lot of fishing time or very little, the most important thing is to always enjoy it, to have fun when you’re by the water.”

When did you get into photography?
“I got into photography more or less from the start, shortly after I caught my first carp and as I was getting together all the kit I needed to fish for the species. I was already reading the magazines; I enjoyed the articles and had an appreciation of the photography, which was very good. I also said to myself, Thibaut, in a few years’ time, it will be your turn to make your mark in these publications! I have a huge collection of CARPology magazines on my desk at home, which is why I’m sincerely touched to be doing this interview.”

What are your favourite subjects to shoot? Looking through your Insta account, you seem to capture scenics and social shots spectacularly well, but are there any other types of photography you enjoy, such as wildlife, or carp in their natural environment, perhaps?
“Sunsets are my favourite. I absolutely love beautiful sunsets over big lakes; each one is always so unique, and they seem to change by the second.”

Do you have a favourite time of year to shoot? 
“It has to be autumn. I love the colours and the atmosphere; it’s a really special season.” 

Could you talk us through your equipment?
“I shoot on a Sony Alpha A7R III, with Canon EF 35mm f1.4L and EF 100mm f2.8L lenses.”

Who is your favourite angling photographer and why?
“We are lucky to be able to enjoy the work of so many exceptional photographers, but if I had to pick one and only one, I would choose Oli Davies, without hesitation. This man has an absolutely incredible talent; he could make anything look beautiful!” 

Do you have an all-time favourite shot, and if so, why do you love it so much?
“That’s not an easy one to answer, but one image springs to mind. It was a morning on Lac du Der. I took the photo when I woke up after a violent overnight storm. At that moment, the wind had dropped, but the grey clouds remained and so it was still quite dark. I remember it vividly; the whole atmosphere was just so different.”