10 of the most common mistakes anglers make when fishing abroad

1. Filling it in from the start

You do: Relax, you’re on holiday! Don’t rush to heave in a mountain of bait to your swim on day one. Take stock of what’s going on before making any decision that you can’t reverse. Have a look around and see what others are doing as this can give you a big clue as to what the fish are looking for during your stay.

2. Equating big fish with big hookbaits

You do: A collective brain freeze seems to seize hold of carp anglers when they go abroad for the first time. Just because the fish are bigger doesn’t necessarily mean you need to give them massive baits. A 60 or 70-pounder will still happily eat a 12mm pop-up.

3. Fishing the same spots as everyone else

You do: Venue bailiffs have a vested interest in your catching plenty of fish, so they won’t be deliberately seeking to mislead you when they tell you the ‘going areas’ in your swim at the start of the week. But just think - they probably told the angler before you the same thing. And the angler before them. And so on. Fish wise up, so don’t be afraid to do your own thing.

4. Using a boat just because you can

You do: Using a rowing boat or a bait boat can be great fun abroad, especially if you don’t get the chance to do so back home. But don’t fall into the trap of using these tools just because they’re there. If a likely looking spot is 30yds out, then you really don’t need to launch your ship to reach it.

5. Socialising at bite time

You do: Euro trips shouldn’t just be about flat-out angling; they’re also a chance to relax and mingle with friends or like-minded people. But if you’re always back at the lodge scoffing burgers when the lake is switching on, then you’ll miss out on the fish. Bite time should be apparent by your second or third day, so plan your movements around it.

6. Picking a swim before you arrive

You do: The temptation to go into research overdrive ahead of a fishing holiday is undoubtedly very high, but try to resist making concrete plans based on secondhand info before you’ve even seen the venue. There’s no substitute for your own watercraft on arrival.

7. Not resting the swim

You do: You’ve earnt this expensive holiday and you’re damn well going to fish every minute of it… Well, that’s one way to look at one of these trips, but it’s probably counterproductive. Removing your lines from the water at least for an hour or two can really help the fish feel comfortable in your swim.

8. Ignoring the margins

You do: It’s a tired old phrase in the angling media, ‘don’t ignore the margins’, but plenty of anglers do when they go abroad. It’s seen as a badge of honour to fish with your tips up and hundreds of yards of line stretching out into the swim, but, just like back home, Euro carp are very happy to sneak in close.

9. Running out of bait

You do: It’s surprisingly easy to forget to ration your supplies when your daily routine becomes about tearing open another new bag of boilies. Sort your week’s bait into daily amounts so you always know how much you’ve got left.

10. Being inconsiderate

You do: We’re all for using long Euro trips as a time to kick back and unwind, but don’t be a d*ck. Don’t litter your swim with bottle tops, don’t blast out the tunes from your bivvy and don’t decide to stretch the boundaries of your swim with your hired baitboat. The fish will probably give you a wide berth too.