About us.
Where it all began.
Carp Pirates Adventures was born in 2014 when I drove to France towing my first carp boat with a dream of fishing wild, untapped public lakes and rivers.
The original plan was to fish just for myself, however, after getting many messages from other anglers, I decided to turn my passion into a business and started operating boat and bivvy trips across France.
After a successful five years doing both bivvy and boat trips, I reluctantly had to return to the UK to start a new path in life, but I never stopped dreaming of the public lake and river fishing scene in France.
I later took my HGV licence and rented my house out in the UK, the idea was to live in trucks and work for long periods of time, this allowed me to save money to chase and follow my wildest desires. I often found myself traveling across the border for long sessions each year, with the longest being a nine-month bivvy session. I experienced many more sessions, some over six months or more, living in bivvys full-time and exploring wild untapped inland seas, lakes and rivers. I mostly lived off the land and caught my own food, meaning I could live my passion for longer periods of time.
During Covid, work was demanding and with border restrictions I couldn’t travel, I found myself missing the freedom and challenges that came with my previous French lifestyle and decided France was definitely where I wanted to be.
Previously when in France, I took any work I could to earn money to buy food and bait, working on vineyards picking fruit (cheap wine) and taking labouring and building work. I did whatever I could find to help support my passion. Working on one particular job I was helping to re-build a collapsed stone wall, this is where I first met Jacqui, later to become the love of my life. A few years passed, travel restrictions were being lifted and Jacqui was advertising labouring work for renovations on a new project, I obviously jumped at the chance to get back to France and see Jacqui again and start a new journey together.
It took a few years to get to where we are now! Jacqui sold her farm in Normandy and I sold my home in the UK, this enabled us to fund our new life here in the South of France in the glorious Lot Valley. It certainly hasn’t been plain sailing but after many highs and lows, we have finally started to settle. Our home is an old stone farm house, which although is a full renovation project with masses of land and maintenance, its beautiful and the future here looks very bright for us.
We decided shortly after buying the property to give Carp Pirates Adventures a re-birth, we purchased the boat (The Black Pearl) along with all the tackle and kit and went through the required, necessary steps, to set up business legally here in the South of France.
This scenic, beautiful part of France is waiting for you to discover. If you’re thinking of booking an unforgettable trip a little bit different from the norm, then we would love to welcome you to where we made our dreams a reality.
Hosting you would be our absolute pleasure.
David and Jacqui.
