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Earlier in the year a phone conversation had me on the edge of my seat, during a visit to Northern France some friends had found a venue that seem to fit the requirements we looked for in a new venue. What was needed was for some anglers to go over and test fish the venue and was I up for it, was I ever!
From the description it sounded like my type of water, very lightly fished as far as the Carp are concerned and very little known about its potential. My friends were very excited about the venue and couldn’t wait to get back to fish it, having found the water on Google Earth I had to agree, it seemed to be everything we looked for, having arms and bays as well as little creeks to provide the intrigue and challenge we required.A few phone calls and Paul Johnson a friends and Carp fishing stalwart agreed to join me, having caught many big fish from French waters Paul knows what is required, we had hoped that Rod Bird (Birdy) would also be joining us but things didn’t work out so it was just Paul and myself. After liaising with the local Mason de Peche everything was in place and we were ready to go. Our friends had gone out the week before us and had been fortunate enough to have caught fish to 52lbs so we were really buzzing.
At last the 18th April arrived and with Pauls X Trail loaded to the gunnels we made for the ferry arriving at the port a little before 7am, even the drizzle couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm. We travelled courtesy of Brittany Ferries and I have to say that we were very impressed with good food and hospitality we had an extremely comfortable crossing. As Paul had been at work until 11pm on Friday night and we had made a very early start we had the use of a cabin which was clean and comfortable with excellent facilities. This allowed a few hours sleep and a nice hot shower before the we arrived in France.
After a short, by French standards, uneventful drive we pulled into the small village in Northern France and found the little hotel where we were to meet up with Frederick from the local Mason de Peche. We found Frederick waiting for us in the hotel in the small local town, after a nice cold beer we got down to business. Several areas had been identified as having potential so with permits and maps in hand we followed Frederick on the short drive to the lake. After looking at several spots we elected to fish an arm that narrowed under a bridge before opening out into the main lake again. But what a lake this was, it was exactly as it had been described absolutely beautiful, virtually untouched virgin Carp water buried deep in the French county side, heaven.
Unfortunately it was still drizzling so getting the gear sorted was a bit of a damp job but who cares we have 10 days Carp fishing ahead of us on a totally unspoilt water with unknown potential, nothing could put us down. The Federation de Peche had very kindly provided us with the use of a boat for the duration and while we got the bivvies up the boat was rowed round to our chosen swim. With the gear sorted we set about getting some rods out, as time was now getting on and with the light going we opted for PVA bags for the night and to have a proper look around in the morning. As we could park the car right behind us life was a lot easier than it might have been and we didn’t need to have everything in the bivvies. After a good meal it was time to sit back, relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Total tranquillity surrounded us, frogs croaked in the rushes and birds sang in the trees as the light melted into darkness and in the margins the Bream and Roach cavorted in their annual sexual rituals. Away in the darkness the odd fish could be heard to roll and splash but we could not tell what they were on this moonless night. We would have no moon until the last couple of days when a new moon would rise, is that good or bad? Some think it’s good to have no moon others think it make little difference, I’m unconvinced either way.
After a hearty breakfast we sorted out the sounder and the electric outboard and spent the next few hours getting to know our swim, Frederick had told us yesterday that the lake was the highest they had ever known it so all depths were well above normal. The massive influx of new water also meant that the lake was very coloured, depths varied from 7ft in the margin to 27ft at the deepest with bars, gullies and plateaus everywhere these along with the marginal features such as overhanging bushes and fallen trees gave plenty of marks to try our luck. With spots chosen and markers in place we baited with beds of particles and boilies, a tactic that has always stood us in good stead on these types of waters in the past, now with baits in position we could relax a little. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy but that didn’t seem to matter our surroundings and the lake seemed to overcome all. As we settled back with a nice coffee Sebastian from the Federation de Peche arrived bringing us large laminated maps of the lake along with other bits of information. What a lovely guy his wife has just given birth to their first child and he has dragged out to brings us maps etc and check everything is OK, now that’s what I call service. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter Sebastian.
Over the next six days we worked hard at our fishing trying everything we could think of, we caught a number of the double figured Commons but the bigger fish eluded us. These Commons are absolutely pristine and scale perfect, most having never been caught before fight like absolute demons. When that buzzer sounded you had no idea what was on the other end, they were all one toners and when you picked up the rod it slammed round into a battle curve that would have done bigger fish credit.Over these six days the weather proves to be very erratic with temperatures ranging from 10c to 26.6c during the daytime with a strong northerly blowing straight into us for most of the time. On the Sunday morning I placed a marker at the waters edge, by the Friday the water level had dropped nearly 3ft, the waters edge was now some 15ft from my marker.
On the Thursday the wind swung round and was now blowing away from us and all signs of fish had disappeared so after much deliberation we made the decision to move to a new spot about 1.5k around the lake into a large bay. After breakfast on Friday morning the big upheaval began, we loaded the boat and the rest of the gear went back into the motor, as Paul set of down the lake in the boat I checked the site and made sure we left no rubbish (the one thing we had noticed was that there seemed to be no rats) before setting off around the road. Andy Judd and Pete Truckle arrived at the lake on the Friday and would be fishing for a week they were to start on another lake in the area.
Once again we could get the motor right to the swim which was a bonus as when we picked the spot we thought we would have to boat the gear in, although this nearly proved to be a major problem, more later.Quickly getting sorted, it was out in the boat to suss out the new area, 7ft in the margin quickly dropping to 17ft and then gradually to 24ft with some deeper areas dropping to 28ft. The main features found were the occasional bar rising maybe a couple of feet off the bottom, deep margins and the numerous tree stumps. Again we baited with beds of particles and boilies, concentrating 4 rods in the deeper water and bars with the other 4 rods being fished in the shallower water and margins. The weather continued to be very erratic with Monday being a day of torrential rain. This brings us to the problem Tuesday morning brought more rain with the sun re-appearing later in the afternoon. With the drive back to the ferry in the morning we decide to start getting sorted and pack up what we could Paul left to get rid of the rubbish bags at the local drop off but was quickly back. He could not get out even with the 4 wheel drive the torrential rain had made it impossible, Paul only had normal road tyres on and not all terrain and they just would not grip. Eventually I suggested trying it in reverse which got him a lot further up and with me shoving for all I’m worth we managed to get out, so the motor stayed out on the hard standing for the night. Later Andy Judd dropped round for a chat, they had pulled off the lake they started on and were now about .75k further round the lake.
Wednesday morning saw us boating the gear along the lake to the motor and hauling it up a very steep incline. We had promised Andy and Pete any water we had left so Andy came round to collect it and very kindly gave us a hand with the gear, thanks mate. We had again fished hard over our final 5 days but no more Carp were caught although as we packed up on the Wednesday morning we had a couple of very nice fish roll by our markers, what would another night have brought? Over the course of the 12 days we were out there we spoke to some local Carp anglers who confirmed that fish to 25k plus have been caught from the lake a fact further confirmed by the guys from the Federation de Peche.
One thing is for sure we will be going back, this is a cracking venue in a lovely location with its full potential still to be realised. This is certainly my type of water, this venue has everything needed, a reasonable head of fish with the potential of some very big fish and it is challenging, what more could you want. I occasionally fish commercial waters but much prefer this type of venue, maybe it’s the pioneering spirit, the unknown!
Our thanks to Sebastian, Frederick and everyone at the Federation de Peche for making us so welcome, we feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to fish such a cracking venue.
See you on the bank sometime, somewhere!
Tight Lines, Ralph
It’s just nice to be here a fish is a bonus.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to hear from you if you would like to comment on any of our fishing articles. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would like to submit a fishing article of your own, please visit the CONTACT page.
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 | Address: La Puye, Vienne region, France |
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Species: mirror carp, common carp |
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Tel: 0033 549 47 53 05 |
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Prices: visit website for packages and prices |
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Website: lacdulogerie.com |
The lakes contain a really good head of carp averaging around 20lb with specimens to over 50lb as well as some very large catfish to over 100lb, the largest in 2009 topping the 96lb mark. Onsite facilities include hot showers and English toilets. There is also a mobile home that is available for optional hire. |
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| | Address: Etangs de la Croix Blanche,
22 rue Principale
02820 Berrieux, France
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Species: carp, catfish |
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Tel: 0033 962 20 56 44 Mobile: 0033 670 90 04 33 |
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Prices: call fishery for latest prices |
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Website: www.croixblanchelakes.com |
UK Fisherman is delighted to be able to bring to the angling public a series of superb carp fishing articles written exclusively for UK Fisherman.
Written by Mark Gough, a self-proclaimed carp addict with over 30 years carp fishing experience, this series of articles is sure to appeal to carp anglers and coarse anglers alike.
Below you will find a few details about Marc and below that you will find his carp fishing articles ... believe me they are well worth a read !!
Profile Of A Carp Addict:
Name:
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Marc Gough |
Date of Birth:
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19th January 1968 |
Home town: |
East Grinstead |
Marital status:
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Seperated |
Occupation:
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Carpenter / Full time daddy |
Interests (outside fishing):
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Drinking, DVDs, darts, pool and computers |
Best moments:
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Birth of Annalise and catching his first 30 |
Worst moments:
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None |
Quotes: |
"Born to fish, forced to work" |
Feel free to click on the titles below to read the full article and if you would like to comment on any of these articles or you would like to contact Marc, you can do so via the contact page.
Marc's Carp ArticlesCARP FISHING WITH MARC - SEASONAL CHANGES (Pt.2)
CARP FISHING WITH MARC - SEASONAL CHANGES (Pt.1)
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UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of the fishing articles or if you would like to submit an article of your own.
To do so, please visit the CONTACT page.
30 Plus Genomic Carp Fishing Hooks:
UK Fisherman has negotiated an exclusive deal with Ecceleston Angling Centre to bring you these superb carp fishing hooks from the 30 plus range.
Normally retailing at £2.50 per pack, all UK Fisherman readers can purchase a pack for £2.00, SAVING 50p.
** Discount only available to our readers **
All you have to do is hit the "buy now" button below which will redirect you to Eccleston Angling Centre's website. Please ensure you enter the coupon code UK Fisherman during the check out process to receive your discount.
30 Plus Camo Genomic Carp Hooks
These are the first hooks designed to truly fool carp. These new strong 110 carbon, chemically sharpened are available in both barbed and barbless versions.
There are three camo patterns per packet for you to experiment with and each packet contains six hooks. 2 Reed Green patterns, 2 Mud/Gravel brown patterns and 2 Silt Black patterns.
RRP £2.50 - Special UK Fisherman offer £2.00
30 Plus Genomic Bottom Bait Micro Barbed
Offers a hook suitable for both bottom and pop-presentations. It has a slight out-turn at the point that will aid hooking when used in conjunction with a semi-fixed bolt rig bottom bait presentation.
RRP £2.50 - Special UK Fisherman offer £2.00
30 Plus Genomic Surface Barbless
Available in three sizes, 6 - 8 and 10. This barbless pattern has been especially crafted for the floater angler and compliments the use of Chum Mixers and other surface baits. The Genomic Barbless Surface Hook is a dull bronze colour and features a Twin Etched process hook point. This pattern also offers a med-straight shank and is an eyed pattern. This is the ideal pattern for the surface angler but can also be used in conjunction with smaller particle baits for bottom bait presentations, like maize or tiger nuts. These hooks are very sharp and again as with our other two patterns, has a very slight out-turn on the hook point. Each of the three sizes comes packed in sixes on a point-protector backing card and with the added bonus of six free 30 Plus Eazy Bands to use with floating hook baits.
RRP £2.50 - Special UK Fisherman offer £2.00
Submit a sale item:UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our sale items. To do so, use the comment box below.
Alternatively if you would to submit a sale item of your own, please visit the CONTACT page.
CARP FISHING WITH MARC - By Marc
Seasonal Changes 2006 - Part 2
Thinking About Baits
Welcome to part two in which I’m going to talk about baits & the successes I have had of late.
In the late eighties I never bought used shop made baits. I allways rolled my own & I’m sure many of you will appreciate just how long this takes. Many hours I spent in the garden shed after getting banned from the kitchen mixing, rolling & boiling boilies. Yes pre-made boilies have come along way since then but I just preferred making my own on the basis that I had control of what went into my final bait, colour, flavour levels etc.
Most of my boilies were made from BFM (big fish mix) with various flavours/colours, until I stumbled across the amazing flavour of cranberry. This flavour was & still is today a top fish attractor. I did mess around with maple too but it just didn’t match cranberry.
As you maybe aware BFM is a brownish red colour & with a small amount of red robin a lovely dark red colour was formed. Red, purple & brown are apparently some strongest colours found in the carps colour spectrum - worth remembering!
I wasn’t heavily into particles at this time, a few tiger nuts, sweet corn & hemp were used occasionally and I had massive confidence in my boilies so I stuck with them.
During my brief encounter with marriage I had to sacrifice a bit of my carp fishing, the long hours bait making was one of the first to go & my over night sessions were cut down too. The birth of my daughter Annalise really limited my time on the bank, but as many of you dads will agree is a well worth sacrifice.
This was when I really had to find a pre-made bait that lived up to my expectations!
Friends & magazines really made my decision easier; everyone seemed to be raving on about Mainline baits! So my next trip to the tackle shop saw me leave laden with 10 kilo’s of Assina8 (freezer boilies). They looked good, smelt good & tasted great, yes I eat my boilies. Not regularly honest, but I believe if I like them the carp will too.
I had some really good catches on this bait but something was missing. The carp loved the bait but often got bored & would start feeding in the silt around the boilies? I started asking questions, having thoughts about this to myself. I think it was a match angler friend who suggested loose feeding maggots & cutting down the amount of loose boilies offered. God did this work, the carp went crazy, the water was fizzing with activity & they readily picked up both baits. This is when I stumbled across chopping the boilies & feeding them with the maggots, yep I had cracked it. Bearing in mind this was during the nineties & I did get many a strange look from other anglers as I sat there chopping boilies into a bucket & mixing it all with maggots. Maggots are for Roach, Rudd etc aren’t they?
I skipped the introduction of the Activa8 although some of friends caught very well on them. I stuck with my current bait until Maple8 was released. This boilie was so close to my BFM bait I just had to move on to it.
There comes a time when every angler has to raise his targets & move on to new venues, I had six great seasons on Furnace Wood syndicate & Buckhurst Park Estate lakes, with me moving homes too made finding new waters easier.
This is where I found out about a 10 acre lake, little pressure from anglers & stocked with carp to mid thirties (Lake View). This was also around the time when I heard about a new bait from Mr Hearn, ‘The Source’ & I was lucky enough to get a few kilo’s before they hit the shop shelves. New water & new bait? After a few investigating walk rounds of my new water it was becoming clear that the few anglers who did fish here were getting smashed up the likes of sweet corn, hemp & maggot, this got me thinking about particles more.
So here I am sitting in front of a new piece of water, armed with ‘The Source’, a bucket of halibut pellet & a bucket of particles (sweet corn, maize, hemp, tares, chick peas & a pint of maggots). I was expecting too much on my first visit but after plopping the marker round around the swim I found three likely areas, one in the margins, so many still today forget how productive the margins can be. I love fishing the margins, you can guarantee your presentation is 100% & your baiting up is bang on.
I had very good night, very little sleep, an aching arm & two sacked up carp, I don’t usually sack for fish for more than a few hours but it was so close to day light & wanted to get some good pictures. I asked the first day angler on his arrival to assist me in accurately weighing & photographing the fish. He did look a bit bewildered with my request but agreed. On removing the first sack from the lake my new friend Gary asked how many fish were in the sack, I could only laugh & said “One Bro”, there was no reply until I transferred the carp from the sack to weigh sling then came his reply “Bloody hell, how big is that?” “The small one of the two” was my answer. The scales swung round to 24lb, pictures taken by a very excited photographer & the carp safely returned with the use of my floating mat ( I prefer to return big fish safely with the use of the mat, just in case they flip/wriggle).
The second sack was hoisted from the lake, I knew it was bigger, just how much I was unsure. On seeing the carp my friends comment is unprintable! The scales pulled round to 29lb 10oz, my heart sunk a little I was sure she would go thirty. Photographs taken, carp returned safely & friend asking all sorts of questions.
A year later Gary has become a total all out carp angler & has broken the twenty pound barrier, a very happy moment for both of us.
During the summer of 2005 a friend of mine bought two smallish waters (Hunters Lodge) & I was invited for a session in exchange for some work he wanted done. We only had rumours of twenty pound carp to fish for & we found some of them during the next few months.
I now had three new waters close to my home, not 100% sure of their total carp stock.
The start of 2006 I found myself using particles more & more, I changed boilies again due to ‘The Source’ becoming so popular (Top Bait). I was still catching lots of fish but the edge had gone, so I switched to Richworth’s ‘Multi-plex’. A truly worthy replacement to my last boilie.
My particle mix had now evolved big time with no less than 15 different pulses, seeds, nuts mixed within it. Four different sized, flavoured pellets were also introduced to the final bucket of goodies. It didn’t look very good but it smelt great & tasted even better. The safest way to get this bait into the swim was using a spod even though my bivvy has been covered with splatters & spills from casting out.
I was lucky enough to fish a swim with shallow clear water within the margins. I introduced a few handfuls under an overhanging bush & watched. After a short wait the water fizzed into a cloudy mess, the carp loved this stuff big time.
I added two more ingredients to the mix during the late summer - mashed up sardines & aniseed extract. The extra smell & oil content meant I could now use the mix as a sort of ‘Stik mix’ (oil based baits don’t melt pva bags/mesh).
To this day I’m still catching well on the baits.
Just to be a bit different I have fished some of the particles from my mix on the hair & the results have been amazing, the bigger fish seem to prefer small particle baits placed just off the baited area.
Up to this date I have safely landed fifteen different twenties, one thirty & numerous doubles from three venues.
I am sticking to my particle mix for the coming season but I’m looking into a new boilie for the coming season.
I hope you have enjoyed my latest article & found it useful. If you contact Paul @ Uk Fisherman I’m willing to share my mixes in more detail with you, but I recommend experimenting yourselves. There is nothing better than making your own bait mixes & catching big-time.
All the very best & tight lines as ever
Marc
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of the fishing articles or if you would like to submit an article of your own.To do so, please visit the CONTACT page.
CARP FISHING WITH MARC - By Marc
Seasonal Changes 2006 - Part 1
With runs drying up, Mr Carp getting harder to find & the winter weather becoming even less inviting, it was time to start thinking, debating, putting a few changes into my coming seasons quest.
I decided upon three areas of my fishing that needed a bit more concentration, modification etc. Terminal Tackle, Location and Bait. I chose these three points as like many other anglers we become lazy, “It worked last time, why change it”, “Everyone else is using this”. It’s so easy to fall into complacency but a few little changes can pay off big time!
I hope from reading this article you can pick up some ideas which may help you put a few extra carp on the bank.
Part One: The End Bits !
Terminal Tackle? Where do I start? We are bombarded by magazines, videos & crammed shelves full of all the latest gadgets & gizmos at the local tackle shop.
Don’t get me wrong I have tried, tied some of these space age rigs & had some great results, but I prefer to keep it simply with a few modifications.
Lets start with hooks, this past year I have switched to using Korda hooks, the wide gape & the long shank X. These hooks are incredibly strong & stay sharp even fishing over gravel, stone etc. The wide gape I have found to be perfect for fishing against weed & snags. They seem to be like a magnet in the carp’s mouth, absolutely brilliant. I have used other brands of hooks with a few problems, opening out on the bend, snapping at the bend etc.
Hook links have become a bit of a fashion accessory to me, manufacturers bring a new one out, I gotta have it !!
I prefer soft hook links, in various lengths, but I’m decreasing them in length.
During a visit to one of my local lakes, I had a quick walk round, visited the four other anglers in situ & got the same response from all of them “Its hard going Marc” not exactly what I wanted to hear!
This got me thinking & after a few searching questions a pattern emerged - they were all using hook links from 6”-9” in length with loads of freebies scattered around.
Rather than just getting my rods & casting to the hot spots I sat there for while, smoked a cigarette, deep in thought. I proceeded to take my rods out of the quiver & cut the long hook links off. I tied one rod with a link around 3” long & mounted a single 14mm boilie. The next rod I tied a link around 2” & mounted one piece of glugged maize & a small piece of yellow foam above it. The third rod I kept to the normal pattern I had been using in the past. All three rods had a small pva bag of chopped offerings attached & cast out to the likely spots.
I was hardly settled into my chair when the maize rod was off, not a monster fish but a carp all the same. I made another pva bag up & cast back out to the same spot (I all ways mark my line whether day or night). I had literally resat back down & poured a coffee out when the maize was off again, two runs in less than thirty minutes of fishing - this time an upper double graced my mat & the attention from the other anglers was growing. The nearest angler kindly did the photographs for me & as I slipped the fish back into the water the single 14mm boilie rod leapt into action, I was in again, another small double laid on the mat.
On returning the fish, the owner of the fishery popped over with two other anglers, all with the same question “What bait you on then mate”? I replied “Two fish on maize, one on boilie” there was a bit of head shaking going on in disbelief from the other anglers as they departed to their swims.
I went on to catch another four carp that day all from the short hook links, not one of the other anglers asked me about my presentation, just about the bait?
As I mentioned earlier I try to keep my hook links simple, eighty percent of the time I use the knotless knot with a small piece of tubing near the bend of the hook & a piece of heat shrink of about ¾”. The heat shrink I like placed opposite the point down the hooks shank & about ½” above the eye with a slight bend towards the point.
I have also been using a micro ring on the hook replacing the tubing - this does increase the weight of the hook towards the point & aids in hooking/turning of the hook when entering the carp’s mouth.
I do use combi-link materials too; however I do prefer to use them when fishing pop-ups.
If I want a stiff rig presentation I use amnesia (fluoro) rather than combi material.
I have had some blinding results from single bait popped up 2” from the lead.
This season all of my rigs incorporate the kwik change links that are available from most fishing tackle suppliers; they simply speed up all the process of swapping rigs & getting fishing again.
Another change I made this season was my lead arrangement, rather than follow all the other anglers with the semi fixed lead I started using running leads, leads with a stop bead 3” up the rig tube & the helicopter rig, all with different sized leads. Yes some rigs do rely on a heavy lead to function properly, but this season saw me use leads only heavy enough to reach the baited area.
My rig tube choice has to be Korda, the sinking version; they make various colours, its always super smooth & supple. Tungsten putty seems to grip to it beautifully too. Above the tubing I will normally place a flying back lead with a stop of about 3ft-4ft on the main line. I find these little weights great for pinning the last few feet of rig down to lake bed.
For the last two seasons I have been loading my reels with the unrivalled X-Line - it sinks like a brick, its fluorocarbon based, casts well & has yet to let me down.
I hope upon reading this you may get some useful tips, ideas to try out yourselves & please remember to keep your rigs safe!!!
By the way I’m not a Korda consultant; I just love & have 100% faith in their tackle.
Next time I’m going to have a natter about the bait changes I made during the season 2006.
Tight lines Marc
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of the fishing articles or if you would like to submit an article of your own.To do so, please visit the CONTACT page.
DreamLakes, France
The DreamLake Complex, consisting of six mature, tree-lined lakes offers excellent carp and catfish angling on either an Inclusive Package or Voyage Self-Drive basis. Currently five of the lakes are open, the sixth housing a huge number of stock fish, ensuring future growth and development.
DreamLakes aim to provide anglers with the highest quality French carp fishing holiday. Offering the size and numbers of carp you would never hope to find in any English water, the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful Champagne countryside only serve to enhance the DreamLake Experience. DreamLakes 3, 4 and 5 are able to offer a great experience for anglers who want to do their own pioneering in France. Only four hours drive from Calais, and with the advantage of knowing that there is always someone on hand to give expert help and advice, you have the freedom to enjoy some really impressive ‘all action style’ carp angling.
Reader Review - Luke "crazy carper" Thomas - August 2007
DreamLakes !!! - Lake 3
We arrived in Relyon Car park, Dover, at 9.45pm ready and set to make our
long voyage over to Dreamlakes. We were absolutly buzzing by now and couldn't
wait to get over there and wet a line. The two 36 seater coaches arrived,
briskly picked us up, along with all our gear, and bombed off for the ferry
port. The ferry journey over was about an hour and a half and we got
ourselves aquainted with everyone we would be spending the week wit ... what a
class bunch of guys !
After 5 hours following the ferry journey we arrived at Dreamlakes, met by a
bacon roll and tea, coffee etc. How welcome it was ! The sun was just
starting to come up and it looked like it was shaping up to be a lovely day.
We managed to settle into our swims and get set up, wandered around for a
chat and then cast in. Our Bailiff for the week, Garry, informed us that the
lake wasn't fishing as well as it should and that the previous week, the swim
I was in had blanked. I was a little apprehensive but took the approach "it's
about time they were here" and got on with it. I knew alot of bait would be
the kiss of death so stuck with tiny bags of pellets with plastic corn as
hookbait and within 2 hours I was in to the first fish. It went like stink,
taking out 1 of my other lines and nearly snagging me up, until I managed
to get its head up and land it. The scales flew round to 23lb 10oz Mirror Carp
and a lovely first fish it was.
I then went the next day without so much of a sniff. I was starting to worry
a little now and decided that a change of bait was in order, something a
little more attractive and smelly than my tutti-fruitti pop-up corn ! This
new bait was to be Mainline's Pulse boilies which we had pre-ordered. That
night I was to reap the rewards as a 34lb 8oz Mirror Carp and a 31lb 4oz
Mirror Carp graced my net. I was over the moon with these as my change of
tactics had paid off and what fish to catch !
The following night using these tactics I managed a 34lb 12oz Mirror Carp, the
biggest yet, and was happy that what I was doing was right. It was clear now
that the majority of the fish were coming out at night and that my efforts
should be doubled for the hours of darkness so I could catch consistently.
The next day Bruce, Dean and I were talking about how it would be nice to
catch a lovely common as all the fish we had caught were Mirrors.
Unfortunatly that night Ii failed to catch at all and morale was lowering a
little.
They finally dragged themselves out of bed and they're reaction when they first saw it was un-printable. We made sure the scales were zeroed first ... weighed it several times ... and then photographed it ... all 47lb 10oz of it !!!!!
I was absolutely smashed, never did Idream I was to catch a fish of that callibur. Phil and Andy (Andy incidently is in the final of the Welsh Carp Masters and is a top bloke !) came round to congradulate and lend a hand. Thanks alot lads !
That was the last fish I caught, Bruce managed 5 fish to 42.08lbs (Common) and Dean managed 3 fish to 34lb 12oz (Cracking Mirror). So overall it was great !
Would like to give a special mention to all the other guys on lakes 3, 4 and 5 it was a great laugh and must do it again next year !
Get yourselves to Dreamlakes, its the place to be !
Luke Thomas
Crazy_carper
Score
Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have Dream Lakes in France. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Dream Lakes who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ UK Fisherman
Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.
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Description:
The Middy Rock 'Ard Camo Match Carp Net is a landing net designed specifically with match fisherman in mind.
Light enough to handle with ease and be shipped in and out regularly which match fishermen need, but strong enough to deal with some of the larger fish, espcially carp that dominate many commercial fisheries these days.
RRP: £19.99
- Available in match carp size and specimen match size.
- Green Alloy Frame.
- Extra strong alloy spreader block.
- Straight front-edged frame design.
- Soft camouflaged finish netting.
- Also ideal for specimen fish like barbel, chub, tench, carp
- Fish friendly, carries Kitemark assurance
- Compliant with Environment Agency Bylaw 12
Review:
I have been thinking about getting a new landing net for a while now so you can imagine how delighted I was to receive this quality carp match net from Middy recently.
I don't do any match fishing, although unlike some of our carp fishing friends, I am more than happy to sit all day catching small roach, skimmers F1s etc. This is where a net like this comes in real handy. Big, heavy carp nets are too big for this type of fishing and a smaller net like this Middy landing net which is tough but very light, makes landing smaller fish a doddle. No more aching arms at the end of a session.
As you would expect from Middy, this match landing net is well constructed to high standards and should last for many seasons of fishing. I'm not sure the camo design serves any practical function although it will defintely appeal to the camo lovers out there.
Finally, with fish care high on the agenda these days, it is essential to use nets that are fish friendly. This middy net carries the fish friendly kite mark of assurance and complies with Environment Agency Bylaw 12.
All in all I give the Middy Rock 'Ard Camo Match Carp Net a big thumbs up. A quality" product as always from Middy.
Score:
Where to buy Middy Rock 'Ard Camo Match Carp Net:
Available from all good tackle suppliers or from Middy Tackle. For more information or to order this excellent landing net, visit www.middytackle.com
A big thank you to Middy Tackle for supplying UK Fisherman with this landing net for review.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
Dreaming of fishing for BIG carp with the sun on your face all year round. Turn your dreams to reality and pay a visit to rural France for some big carp action.
Ron Browning from Carp Anglers Dream sets the scene:
Set in the heart of the Limoisine region of France, dating back 100 years, Etang De La Boissonie is a totally secluded private lake. Being five acres in size and totally surrounded by acres of treelined meadow, it ensures that you are not overlooked by houses or roads.With its mainly gravel bottom and two natural water supplies feeding the lake, it makes the perfect habitat for big Carp and Cats.
In my 25 years of Carp fishing, I have seen too many lakes overcrowded, making fishing very difficult, so we have limited the maximum number of anglers to six. The lake opened in April 2004 and has seen a successful season. Bookings for 2006 already being taken so book early to avoid disappointment.
To compliment its original stock of between Two hundred and Two hundred and fifty Carp, we have added another ninety Carp with weights up to 30lbs. Fourteen catfish were also added up to 30 lbs
January 2005 saw an additional stock of carp introduced which consisted of 3 x 28.5 lbs, the rest were between 31 lbs up to 36 lbs +. Also added at this time were 6 Catfish between 41 lbs and 98lbs.
To make your stay with us more comfortable we have added an English shower and toilet block, with hot and cold water. We can now offer collections to and from Limoges Airport in our 11 seater mini bus, when booking Fly and survive.>
To read more about fishing at Etang De La Boissonie or to check availability and prices, visit Carp Anglers Dream's website at:
www.carpanglersdream.com
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