Belgium – On the Tow Path

Exploring Belgium

For many years, I’d been captivated by the epic carp that are caught in Belgium, from unique venues like shipping canals and local park lakes to hidden-away waterways, it had always been a dream of mine to fish there. There is an element of the unknown, not just with what carp reside there, but in the experience and the atmosphere of what canal carp fishing in Belgium would be like.

The idea was daunting, a step into the unknown. Questions like, where should we start ? How do I obtain a permit? These questions kept me at bay until this year, when a couple of friends and I decided to step into the unknown and set a date, make a plan, and figure it out for ourselves.

The Plan

The research began. I reached out to a few mates who had previously fished in Belgium for pointers. I wasn’t looking for exact locations, just a starting point to begin our own exploration. One key hurdle was understanding the permit system. Belgium is divided into two fishing zones: north and south. After some deliberation, we decided to focus on the southern zone. the biggest difference between the Northern zone to the Southern zone is the size and intimacy of the canals. the Northern Zone has much bigger waterways used for shipping. The Southern Zone is more secluded, isolated, and intimate.

Getting the right permit proved to be a challenge. Some anglers advised that permits could be purchased at local Belgian post offices, while others claimed this was no longer the case. Eventually, I managed to navigate the process online, translating parts of the website to ensure we bought the permit for the Walloine zone. At £120 for a year-long permit, it wasn’t cheap, but it granted us access to some incredible fishing opportunities. With the permits sorted and our travel arrangements finalized, it was time to focus on tackle and bait preparation.

Gearing UP.

From watching videos and reading up on Belgian fishing, it became clear that mobility would be key. The waterways are miles long with quite a low stock, we needed toe be able to pack down and move on fish as soon as possible. This was not camping trip, it was a hunting expedition.

The gear was stripped down to the essentials, prioritizing reliability and versatility. Strong end tackle was a must for the small, weedy, and snaggy canals we planned to target. For this, I turned to Atomic Tackle, a brand I trust implicitly.

Bait selection was another critical aspect. As a co-owner of Alliance Baits, sourcing boilies wasn’t an issue. I needed a mix of boilie and particle. There are a number of pest species similar to the Poisson Chat. They can hoover up your baited spot and whittle away your hook bait in no time. I opted for our Squid & Octopus and Black Pepper boilies in 18mm, complemented by plenty of tiger nuts and fermented particles that I prepared myself. The idea was the more varied the buffet’ the more chance of drawing the carp in. Tigers are well known for being a problem to smaller nuisance species and were an essential part of the mix. When we arrived in Belgium we baited multiple spots along several different waterways. the idea being, that if no carp were seen, we would to a prepared area. This foresight proved invaluable when, on the second night, local anglers moved in on one of our spots.