When Did Carp Fishing Start in France?

Readers question;   When did carp fishing start in France?

Shaun Harrison

Answered by Shaun Harrison of Quest Baits;

Paul Regent was the first English angler I’m aware of to fish Cassien and certainly the first one to report a fish from there – a 35lb’er which appeared on the front cover of the C.A.A. magazine in ’84.  The first holidays offered I ever saw were the Regent Coach trips (the same Paul Regent who owned a coach company) to Cassien in ’85.  Kevin Maddocks had a trip there with Paul in the early days.

Rod Hutchinson didn’t get to Cassien until 1985 – the same year I went.

Chantecoq didn’t happen until the early 90’s when Joe Taylor (J & K Tackle) blew the lid on the place by making it public.  A few had been on there before then  (Simon Horton and co) in ’89.

It was definitely Cassien and then Salagou which first started the invasion to France by the English Carpers.  Chanty was probably the next of the well know ones followed by the Orient in around ’92.  After this there was a bit of a dabble in Spain.

Shaun