5 holiday fishing essentials

MAIL man Ben Hervey-Murray wrote this blog after getting back from a few days in France at the amazing Lac De Laneuville in Champange. The carp gods must’ve had it in for him but thankfully his friends fared better, with Gardner’s Alan Stagg and Calum Kletta and FLE’s Tom Oliver catching some stunning commons.

The lads with two big commons at Lac De Laneuville in France

Laneuville, just four hours from Calais, is a great place and perfect for a rural family holiday with some quality carping and luxury chalet accommodation thrown in. The fish, which go to nearly 60 lb, are all immaculate and you can’t fault a single aspect of the venue, which Ross and his family have lovingly developed over several years.

But with most of the action in other areas of the lake, and me being a bit of a rubbish carp angler, I had time to consider what are five of the most essential items – aside from the obvious kit – to take when carping or coarse fishing on the Continent…

1 – Hook sharpener

Snaggy, rocky European venues are hook killers. Unless you fancy changing your metalwork each cast, take a decent hook sharpener and jeweller’s eyeglass so you can check the point and re-touch before every chuck. It’ll save you money on replacement hooks and catch you more fish, as the hook will be properly sharp. These Taska ones are perfect for the job.

2 – Serious bank sticks and storm poles

Far superior to a rod pod, you’ll appreciate having your rods locked down when the fishery’s only giant catfish tears off with your bait and that bit of bedded-in line stops the free-spool working smoothly…you did pack the spare rod, right? Single stick rod set-ups also offer greater flexibility and peace of mind when snag fishing for big fish.

A rod pod, unless completely clamped down, doesn’t. Which one do you want holding your rod when a 50-pounder picks up the bait?

3 – Avon Skin So Soft 

Revealed to me by a hardened carper who spends more nights on the bank than most, Avon Skin So Soft – also favoured by old ladies – is pure kryptonite to mosquitos. Smother yourself and they won’t come close, and neither will your mates, dog, wife, kids or bailiff…

4 – Zap It

But if even the most potent of repellants fails, the Zap It device delivers a tiny shock to the afflicted area and kills off the itchy feeling and swelling. Sounds strange but it works.

5 – Bucket / watering can

So you can do this when your mate catches a PB… sorry Tom!

Is there anything we’ve forgotten to include? Email us on [email protected] with your suggestions and don’t forget to get your hands on the new issue, out now.

LIKE OF THE WEEK

The special focus on dog-friendly venues has gone down a storm with pet lovers. Fishing in the company of pets might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if they’re well behaved and trained, then there’s rarely a problem.

DISLIKE OF THE WEEK
The pain of the Close Season is getting worse… just over two months until the Glorious 16th.

This week’s Angler’s Mail HQ blog was by BEN HERVEY-MURRAY.

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THERE’S A BRILLIANT FREE CHAPMANS BROCHURE WITH THIS WEEK’S ANGLER’S MAIL MAGAZINE!