• Becoming a member is completely free!

    • Join the community and start contributing to a large source of sea angling information.
    • Members who are regular contributors and have posted more than 25 times, have the option to turn off adverts.
    • Become an active member and you can enter member exclusive competitions.

    REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

Recent content by Steve Arnold

  1. Steve Arnold

    Ultimate fixed spool reel

    I bought a Shimano Baitrunner OC 8000, probably 15 years ago, for inshore boat fishing around the Scottish coast. That reel has proven indestructible and still looks almost new. Minimal maintenance during that time, basically a wash occasionally and oil on the bail arm roller.....maybe I put a...
  2. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    The river Lot is quite famous for its predator fishing, unfortunately I see little sign of pike! There are perch, zander and catfish (silure) in reasonable numbers, the zander and silure grow to very good sizes. But although I see the pike anglers chucking lures I have only seen quite small pike...
  3. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    This has been another tough winter for fishing the river Lot, the weather very variable, either frosts of strong winds for days on end. Weirdly we recently had a hard frost in between high winds and rain....in the same 24 hour period! I think the fish are as confused as us, they also have to...
  4. Steve Arnold

    Cormorants

    Perhaps they have all moved to France? These photos are of a local stretch of the river Lot, I counted over 100. They repeatedly herded fish up to the bank opposite where I was sitting! :eek:
  5. Steve Arnold

    What do you recommend for a big river with a huge current?

    No idea about just how powerful your river or mahseer actually are, but I have had several years experience of fishing the river Lot in France. This magnificent river varies so much over its course that flow and width can change from almost a stillwater to a raging torrent, lately those...
  6. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    The stretch between Cahors and Cajarc is my usual hunting ground. The valley is very scenic, dramatic even, and the river holds huge carp in almost every section along that stretch. Barbel are common but weights top around 9lbs, I have had several around that size now. Use a 20mm boilie and...
  7. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    The Lot is quite famous for pike, perch and zander. I caught plenty of pike when I lived in Scotland and prefer the barbel and carp fishing now. Bonus is with those they do not bite! A zander would be nice though, not caught one yet.......I do know where they live!!!! :D
  8. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    Thanks for that advice, the bigger chub here are very much predators. I wonder if the single dead gudgeon I have in the freezer might be put to good use this month?
  9. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    October continued to be a good month for weather and fishing here in the Lot. On the last day of the month I noted the river was at the same height and flow as when I last caught a couple of carp from the river, so I was down the river before dawn to see if I could repeat the performance...
  10. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    Another fishing post, it's been long enough since my last! I love autumn here on the river Lot, probably the best season of the year for fishing. This autumn has been very good despite heavy rain at times and my losing two weeks to a heavy cold and then sinus infection. But I had barbel before...
  11. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    As usual the summer fishing has been difficult. I had several nice barbel whilst camping at Cajarc, that was about the last time there was a reasonable flow to the river....... A good carp of 24lb from a difficult swim, again whilst there was still some flow........ I had a very good chub...
  12. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    Absolutely! But it would probably put up a better fight then, this time it just lumped about and kited this way and and that. I think the barbel and chub were stacked up downstream of where the zander were spawning. That's why the addition of the smoked salmon to my boilie had them taking the...
  13. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    It's always difficult with Alistair to get a decent trophy shot. He will not touch the fish if he can possibly help it. Far to precious of his good, English gentleman's pheasant shooting clothes. Madden's me often as he comes from a "Colonial" background and thinks his "Sherpa/punka-walla...
  14. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    Yesterday I talked Alistair into following up on a recent days exploration I had taken further down the river. I had spotted one swim where his 4x4 could back down a short track and we could fish out of the back of the car into deep water with a nice flow. When we arrived there was already a...
  15. Steve Arnold

    River fishing in France

    Just a few videos on YouTube, mostly of the Lot in spate! Maybe one day I will try making a proper fishing video.....maybe not as I concentrate too much on the fishing!
See more
Back
Top