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AUTUMNAL ADVENTURES: 6 ideas to go fishing before winter 15 October 2016

The autumn months can be amongst the very best times to fish for carp. The cool days and lengthening nights have often been thought to make the fish think that winter is on the way and it’s thought that they will go on the feed for winter. We can’t say for sure if this is the case but it’s true to say that early spring and the autumn months are usually the very best for carp angling. As the weed starts to die back you can often find areas to fish that were unproductive in the heights of summer and the colours of the trees and the lovely, deep orange sun of autumn can be just stunningly beautiful.

What sort of water should you pick for an autumnal adventure? The further south you are the longer the summer will stay so, if you don’t mind travelling to lakes such as Iktus or Cavagnac in the south of France, or those in the Limoges region, of which there are several to choose from, then these will be fishing well right up until the first frosts of winter. Further north you will find that autumn sets in around the middle of September and will continue until November before the weather really gets into winter mode.

In the northern areas of France lakes such as those around the Troyes area, like Jonchery, Renarde and Brocard have good stocks of fish that will feed well throughout autumn. The shallow lakes will lose heat quicker but will also warm up faster so those with high fish stocks and shallow margins will generally fish better. Lakes that are heavily fished will tend to keep the fish feeding longer as more bait is going in to keep the fish interested. Deeper waters will fish slower the further you go into autumn before, possibly, fishing better in the middle of winter than the very shallow waters.

Fish will continue to feed well into autumn in shallow waters, particularly if there is weed which will hold lots of food. The fish will very often be found gorging on the invertebrates to be found in weed as it dies back and you can, very often, find areas to fish in that were previously impossible to present a bait to in the height of summer.

So, which lakes should you choose? Here’s a selection of lakes, chosen from this website, that we think would make good waters to try out for some autumnal (and winter!) adventures.

1: Iktus and Cavagnac. These two lakes are in the south of France. Iktus has an incredible stock of fish and lots of different depths so that the fish will feed throughout the year. There is accommodation available too which is a bonus. Cavagnac has fish to over 80lb and, although there isn’t weed present and the bottom is fairly flat, the fish will move around until just before the lake closes in November. The warm weather in the area should guarantee the fish will feed.

2: Villedon and Brigueuil. Two very different waters in the Limoges area. Villedon is not for the faint-hearted as it’s a water that you have to work at. However the pickings can be great in autumn and good catches can be had from baiting up heavily as the fish do like to feed on beds of bait. Brigueil has large stocks of fish and is open all-year round. It has accommodation and, as well as being a good autumn water, should fish well into the winter. You can fish right outside your home so it’s comfortable as well as productive.

3: Jonchery. This lake is in the Aube (Champagne) region so it’s a relatively short trip from the ferry port of Calais. It’s a well-known water and has an excellent reputation. With some cracking big fish and a good stock overall it fishes well into autumn and has excellent access.

4: Etang 5. This legendary water is situated in the Oise (Picardy) region and is one of the nearest to Calais. It holds large stocks of fish and, whilst it’s a bit windswept and in the north of France, it has a good variation of depth so the fish tend to move around a lot finding water temperatures to suit them at all times of the year. It’s another water that’s open all-year round too and if you’re used to fishing gravel pits this one could be for you.

5: Domaine de la Vallee. Another water that’s close to the ferry port of Calais. This popular water has so much variety of areas to fish you just know that it’s going to be a good bet no matter when you fish it. Open all year it has large areas of lily pads to fish to and, as they die back in autumn, they will be holding spots for carp. It is a large lake with plenty of areas to fish too so it’s well worth taking the time to hunt around for the fish before you make a swim choice. Another lake that fishes well into the winter.

6: Lago di Salasco. Fancy a change from the usual holiday trip to France? For those who don't mind to travel all the way to Italy, we have a new lake called Lago di Salasco with massive carp up to 40kg (88lb)!