Ron Key

Angling experience;

I am often best described as a compulsive angler. Fishing since the age of four, I fished for ‘Tommy’ Ruffe on his local brick ponds and I’ll still fish for anything anywhere. I started carp fishing in the late seventies after moving to the Midlands and developed and ran my own carp fishery for many years.  My life as a travelling carp angler started in the eighties at the legendary Longfield and the southern Leisure Sport waters. Nowadays in the UK I fish closer to home and love fishing large windswept gravel pits.

A chance meeting with one of the early pioneers started my passion for French fishing, concentrating mainly on the huge French lakes and rivers. I still fish regularly in France mainly as a consultant for Angling Lines and I am a long term field tester for Quest Baits. I have been involved in the running of the British Carp Study Group for over ten years, having carried out most jobs in the group and I am the current Chairman. I also edits the group’s magazine ‘The Carp’.

Korda Lake's Cluster Caro

‘Cluster’ one of Korda Lake’s famous residents

Favourite UK water;

My favourite UK water is Korda Lake in the historic Colne Valley close to Savay and Harefield lakes.

Most memorable capture;

My first fifty from Lac du St Cassien, a mirror of 52lbs 10oz.

cassien 52.10 large carp

52lb 10oz

Favourite method/tactic;

Loves stalking or float fishing for carp when conditions allow.

If there was one piece of advice you could offer to a first time French carp angler what would it be?

Don’t the fill the lake with bait on the first night. Fish a handful of bait or a pva bag on the first night and observe. Are they feeding? Are they showing? Where are they showing? Collect some information to base your baiting strategy on. Its been said thousands of times ‘You can put it in but you can’t take it out!’

french carp fishing

.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

+ 28 = thirty four