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Fishing Abroad for the First Time

March 4, 2009

IAN GEMSON

Ian Gemson started fishing as a child for whatever came along, mainly in the area of the Hampshire/Surrey border. He fished for pike and later fished with much success in matches on rivers, canals and lakes. Watching huge fish during the close season and seeing a few being caught infected him with the carp fishing bug.

Ian’s friendly and patient personality led him naturally into teaching. He has completed the Professional Anglers Association (PAA) level 2 coaching course organised by 1st4Sport which officially qualifies him as an angling coach. As a result of this accreditation Ian’s company, Smart Carping, is able to offer £ 5 million public liability insurance and has passed the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.

A holiday fishing in France has never been easier arrange, you only have to take a quick look on the internet to see there is a large number of different venues offering a wide range of accommodation and food packages to chose from. These holidays range from the most basic “Drive and Survive” to the all inclusive food, accommodation some even offer bait and tackle, for the UK angler there has never been so much choice.

I have been a very keen carp angler for many years but have never fished anywhere but good old Blighty. Having spent countless hours talking to fishing buddies about their French carping exploits I started to feel I was somehow missing out, for me the time was right to stretch my legs and try fishing outside my comfort zone “Look out France here I come”.

I started my search for an appropriate French venue on my favourite UK carp fishing websites, one name kept coming out time and time again: Angling Lines. The feedback I was getting talked about the clear and easy to navigate website, with lots of useful information you will need to get the best from your trip as well as a very comprehensive pricing menu.

I was able to find lots of useful information about a huge range of waters offered across France and Spain. From the Angling Lines website “Our Holidays” page I was able to easily see the geographical position of each lake, this is important to help you get a feel for how far you are going to have to travel once you land in France. I was able to read helpful and comprehensive write-ups of all of the lake including pictures and videos enabling you to get a good understanding of the venue you are considering.

A call to Bridget and the Team at Angling lines to discuss my angling need and to get a few recommendation on some venues I could tackle soon put my mind to rest that I would be well looked after and the company understood the needs of UK anglers going abroad offering excellent advice and support to prospective customers. I chose to fish a small intimate 30 year old 3 acre lake called Le Lac de Beaute situated in western France just outside Musanne in a lovely little village called Ecommoy.

With the tickets booked including the ferry crossing all I had to do was to sort out the logistics of getting the tackle, bait and transport ready for a week’s longs fishing trip.

Planning for the trip is vital to ensure you don’t suffer any mishaps. Firstly we made sure to minimise the risk of the car breaking down on route we had the car serviced prior to leaving asking the service centre to ensure all of the tyres were well within legal limits. Next I spoke to the insurance and recovery companies and added international insurance to the normal UK cover.