Thursday 29 November 2012

A Day Session on Villefond


 
Measels at 44.04
Saturday 17th November;
I arrived at Villefond just as the sun was rising which at this time of year is about 8am. By 9am I had all three rods in the water.  My left rod was a small piece of meat on the bottom, my middle rod was a cut down 15mm pop up and finally my right hand rod was a 10mm white pop up. As with all my fishing I use size 8 hooks, flying back leads, back leads and tight lines.
My left hand and middle rods were dropped on a gravel spot at about 120 yards with my row boat out in the middle of the lake. My right hand rod was chucked out to the right at a patch of bubbles, hopefully a feeding fish.
38lb Villefond Mirror Carp
38.08
10.15am just as my dad was walking round the lake to see how I was doing my left had rod with the meat on bleeped, once, twice, and then I struck. The fish kited straight to the right and as most the fish in our lake they don’t seem to really fight hard until they get into the margins. I knew from the jerky runs and seeing the fish fighting near the surface it wasn’t a big fish by Villefond standards. It topped the scales at 38lb 8oz’s which I was still very happy with as I knew I still had one more bait on the spot with a good chance their was other fish feeding down there.
I boated the bait back out and as I was sinking the line and putting on my back lead my middle rod took off on a screaming run. Immediately as I struck I felt a much heavier weight on the other end of my line and the slow really deep motion of the fish indicated this was a bigger carp. During the fight as the fish kitted to the right in went under and got caught round my right hand rod. I always put a lot of effort into pinning my lines down so I know somewhere out in front of me there must be a gully or deeper hole along the bottom of the lake.
In the margins the fish fought really really hard still just hugging the bottom which had me and my dad thinking this could be a nice fish. Eventually I pulled the fish over the net my dad was holding for me and our suspicions were correct this was a bigger fish. The fish went 44lb 4oz’s and I recognised it as fish known as Measles because of a small cluster of tiny scales that resemble spots on its tail, it was a nick name that stuck.
Shortly after getting my rods out again I had a run on my left hand rod.  As I struck I didn’t tighten the bit runner enough and as I lifted line just span off the reel. This small error was all the clever Villefond carp needed and it quickly shook the hook before I could set it properly and left me cursing myself. The two fish before helped to lessen the pain of this escaped fish so I wasn’t too annoyed at myself.
10lb Villefond Mirror Carp
Just a baby at 10.04!
All went quiet and I got my rod back out, my dad left and I laid on my bed chair and had a few hours shut eye. At 2:30pm my dog saw me stir and came over to say hello. As I reached out my rod began to scream at me again. I struck and felt a small carp which I quickly had in the net. It was a 10lb 4oz Villfond baby, offspring of our monster carp and looked a really solid little tank with massive shoulders, a real future monster.
Shortly after I packed up so I could run my dog before it got dark and I left looking forward to my next session on the lake.
Carp fishing in France at Villefond

    Villefond November Review


    Well winter is well and truly upon us here at Villefond!  The weather has been horrid with heavy winds, extraordinary amounts of rain and now towards the end of the month the cold weather has moved in. That said the big fish have been feeding well to those who have braved the elements and November has seen a lot of 40’s on the bank… some of these doing over 40lb for the first time.
    This is a great time of year to be on the bank at Villefond.  The banks are quiet with most of the summer wildlife well into hibernation but the fishing is far from quiet. The Villefond fish really seem to like this time of year for a big feed up before the temperatures really drop, And not only do they feed well but they are in prime condition and look stunning in their winter colours.
    A truly cracking time to be on the bank. My choice for fish of the month this month is a prime example of a fish that is at its biggest weight and looking cracking in its winter colours, the Long Two Tone.
    Fish of the month
    So my fish of the month this month is the Long Two Tone.  For some time when talking about the large target two toned fish in Villefond this fish was mentioned almost as an after thought.  But in 2012 this has really started to change as this year she has really come into her own as she has started to show some impressive weight gains and also has taken on a unique pinky colour.
    In this most recent capture the Long Two Tone set its new highest weight at 47lb 12oz and we fully expect this fish to join the list of 50’s before the winter is over. It’s hard to see from photo’s just how long this fish is, but it is an extremely long and lean fish with a lot of room for growth and I strongly believe in the not so distant future the Long Two Tone will become one of Villefonds biggest fish.
    A truly cracking fish of the month.
    Carp Fishing in France at Villefond

    Friday 23 November 2012

    Swim Work Commences at Bletiere


    A lot of our guests comment on the Blogs I have done in the past and they like to see what’s changing here at Bletiere, so I will be again filming and going a Blog all winter.  However, before I start I have to say that the filming part will follow as soon as I can work out how to send the video to David on my new camera!  Those that know me will understand as technology and me don’t get on well!
    As I intend to do short videos and the Blog I will start off with one for the blog and a couple of pictures to show what I have started.  I have been luckily enough to have my good friend Norman’s digger here and you don’t waste time when that happens!
    This week I have started to change the middle swim below the house and like a lot of jobs you have to make a mess to get started… so that’s what I’ve done!
    My plan is to make the swim bigger.  As you will see from the photos I have tried to pull out all the reeds that were choking the swim up as far as the digger could reach, but they are tough things and it will be a “get in the lake” job and try to pull them out.  I will make the swim wider on the end and I also want to try and make the swim bigger at the back so guests can get their bivvys on the chipped bark instead of the grass, as this turns to mud when it’s wet.

    I have done a short video of this and it will hopefully be on in the next couple of weeks and after I have had a short break back in the UK.
    Well off now to tackle the drive that got washed away in the storm a couple of months ago!
    Tight lines, John
    Fishing Holidays at Bletiere

    57lb Mirror from Old Oaks


    57lb Mirror Carp from Old Oaks
    Congratulations to Ryan Fasson for breaking the lake record mirror at Old Oaks with a 57lb 8oz stunner!
    Ryan landed 5 fish – 30lb, 34.5lb, 35.6lb, 39.4lb and the the new record 57.8lb.
    The Long Common is still uncaught…. fingers X’d she comes out soon!
    Tight Lines, Mehdi
    Carp France at Old Oaks

    November News from Golden Oak


    Well what a wonderful year it’s been!
    We were lucky enough to meet so many lovely people who chose to spend their holiday here atGolden Oak . As well as the fishermen, so many wives, girlfriends and beautifully behaved children(the goats are still overweight!).
    We thank you all, it has been so much fun meeting you & we have enjoyed every minute.
    And now for a crayfish update……………
    Dick continues to keep the traps baited, but we have had hardly any in the last few months, great success, but we can’t become complacent, so we will continue with this regime. Our neighbours are quite upset, no more crayfish suppers.  I have to admit that I am not a fan, but the locals loved them. When we first started trapping them, Dick was catching a couple of hundred a week! This only lasted for two weeks, the numbers diminishing steadily as the weeks went by. Last weeks total was 9! Some weeks we are getting less, but the traps are waiting for them!
    Although we close through the winter, it is a really busy time for Dick and I. We spend our days clearing the banks, cutting back vegetation and having huge bonfires! There is a lot of maintenance to be carried out, and nothing can compare with a welly full of water in November! Yes, he (who must be obeyed) gets the waders.
    Time passes very quickly, there are always animals to look after and of course the fish to feed, I think Dick is going into competition with me when it comes to cooking, his parti mix is quite superb! When it is cold, it is lovely to disappear into the kitchen, with the log fire burning( so much better than TV).  After buying a large section of cow, I am busy making beef & onion pies, pasties, stews etc. There is something wonderful about beef that spends the first two days in red wine!
    STOP PRESS…………….
    We will be restocking the lake again this winter, more news on this soon, watch this space!
    Fishing holidays at Golden Oak

    Thursday 15 November 2012

    Winter Carping – 4 Items You Must Have!


    This article first appeared on the Quest Baits Blog & is reproduced with kind permission.
    The older I get the more I feel the cold, especially in my fingers and toes and unlike in the love song, it isn’t pleasant at all. In fact it’s miserable. Fishing in these conditions can be demanding and I know that if I don’t keep warm I won’t enjoy being ‘out there’ and more importantly, I won’t fish well. So here are some tips about staying warm this winter.
    Clothing
    With the development of modern fabrics there is no excuse for not keeping your core temperature up. It is vital to use a layering system of clothes right across your whole body. The base layer should be skin tight and made of a non absorbent material which wicks sweat away from your body.  Any dampness in any part of your clothes will lose heat and feel much colder. The next layer should be warm and also non-absorbent – most modern fleeces will do. The top or outer layer should be breathable and waterproof. As a top layer I love my Sundridge Igloo Suit (Mark 2) made up of a bib and brace and a jacket. I have yet to fish anywhere where, used in a correct layering system, this wasn’t plenty warm enough. It’s not cheap but you get what you pay for.
    Remember to put these layers on as you need them. A good layering system will keep you dry even if you get sweaty carting your gear round to your chosen swim, but there’s no point having more layers on than you need. Even a good wicking system has its limits though so I always take a change of base layers and a spare pair of warm socks (and snow boot liners if I’m using them) so that if they get too damp then I can put a dry one on while the other one dries out.
    Hand and foot warmers
    I love these little packets of heat and would be lost without them. If you haven’t used them before then you are seriously missing out. Simply open the packet, expose to the air and the chemicals packed inside the sealed bags start to warm up. I keep one hand warmer in one pocket and swap it from side to side and from hand to hand. The foot warmers come in pairs and you simply stick them to your socks under your toes and put your boots back on. Both the hand and foot warmers take the edge off really cold days. They only cost about a quid and each one will last several hours.
    Bivvy heater 
    This year I decided to buy a little portable bivvy heater. Having shopped around I found this Sunngas Cartridge
    heater for £8 on line including postage! It works off the same propane/butane gas canisters I use for my cooking. The tight flame in the middle has a metal guard around it and it’s very stable. But as it’s a flame system USE IT CAREFULLY! If it toppled over it could melt your groundsheet or worse so I put mine on a low metal bivvy table. It only takes a few minutes to warm a bivvy up with the door down; I put my heater on for a while before I go to bed and turn it off before I climb into my bag. Luxury! On really cold days I might put the door down for a bit and get really warm.
    Hot water bottle
    I simply don’t know why more anglers don’t take one of these fishing with them. Think about it – we go fishing next to thousands of gallons of water! I have a large spare camping kettle which I use to boil lake water with. The piping hot water bottle goes into my sleeping bag ten minutes before I do. There’s not many better feelings while fishing on a cold winter night than climbing into a warm sleeping bag.
    So there you have it – just a few tips and some of the things I do to take the edge of those cold winter days and nights. Go out there, stay warm and enjoy!
    Wishing you a fish filled 2013. May all your bites be one toners!
    Elie Godsi
    Carp Fishing videos – 56 technical videos

    Cots and Slings Supplied FOC at Bletiere


    For the 2013 season to help our guests with space and smell in their cars we will be supplying a nash carp cot and a weigh sling in the swims at Bletiere .
    Tight lines, John
    Fishing Holidays at Bletiere

    Monday 12 November 2012

    Winter Carp Fishing in France


    The Long Two Tone at 47.12
    24hrs at Lac Du Villefond, 7/11/12 by fisheries manager, Mark Lambert
    Wednesday the 7th of November 2012 was the start of my 24 hour session on my lake Villefond . I had my tent set up from a previous session the week before so after a quick setup of my rods I was fishing by about 10’oclock. My approach was simple – remain quiet & use the on site boat to drop off two rods on a gravel spot in the middle of the deeper water.
    One rod had a whittled down 15mm pop-up on, the other a 15mm bottom bait. My third rod was going to be used to chuck at showing fish or experiment on different spots. As I was fishing swim 6 (the woodchip swim) I decided to drop a bottom bait just in the margin by the sluice gate to my right.
    With all rods back leaded and now on my spots I settled down preparing for a long wait. With the weather sunny but still quite cold especially in the shade of all the trees round swim 6 I sat close to my rods scanning the water for signs of fish.
    At 10.30, only half an hour after being put out, my middle rod with the pop up on beeps at me. I watch my rod tip & standing over the rod I see the line start to tighten and with one more single beep I strike.
    Immediately I know this is a good fish. It’s moving very slowly, swimming straight towards me & it doesn’t really start to fight until it comes close to the bank. As the fish gets tired I lower the net into the water and turn the fish. As its head turns I see the width across its back and know its going 40lb+.
    She topped the scales at 47.12lb and is a fish we know as the Long Two Tone. That was an amazing start for me and I quickly boated my bait straight back out and dropped it with more bait right back on the spot.
    Still chuffed with my catch I continued to study the lake looking for signs of fish anywhere but there was none. This didn’t bother me because if I didn’t catch anymore I was happy with one fish, especially such a nice fish on just a 24hr session.
    At 12.14 my middle rod beeped at me again… the beginning of a take. Again before it turned into a run I struck and was in.
    Again the fish moved slowly but powerfully through the water indicating to me it could be a big fish again. Once again as I pulled the fish over the net I saw a massive head. At first because of the width of the head I thought I had caught one of our 50’s, a monster called Bennett’s.  But I knew when I lifted it from the water it wasn’t Bennett’s but I thought it was a very nice stocky fish.
    40lb carp from France
    40.04 – The DIY Ghostie
    The scales stopped at 40lb 4oz, a fish we know as DIY Ghostie and a fish that has been on my top ten fish to catch for a very long time, so I was over the moon again!
    After this fish I checked my hook and found it had become slightly blunt in the process of catching these two fish so I quickly tied a new rig, put a new pop up on and I was ready to get the bait back in the water.
    By 13.00 I had put the back lead on and set my swinger on my middle rod when I notice the line has looped around my last eye on my rod. As I unhooked it with a landing net handle I get a single beep on the rod and the line tightens and a fish starts to take line. I can’t believe my luck as I strike into the fish and again it swims straight towards me, once again fighting hard close in.
    43lb carp
    43.04
    It was 43lb 4oz and yet one more lump on the bank… and now I’m starting to feel really lucky.  How many people get to fish a lake like Villefond where the average weight is so massive. I spend most days helping people catch these monster fish and have watched them grow and documented their captures from stocking in 2008. So you learn a bit about each fish and it becomes a pleasure to seem them on the bank. After checking our records this particular fish is a rare capture with only two other people in four years catching it.
    With all three fish coming off the same pop-up rig off the same spot I decided to change my bottom bait on the same spot to a pop-up. After boating out both rods all goes quiet and I don’t see a fish until the next morning.
    However, at 8:30am on the 8th I was again standing over my rods when I saw the beginning of a take on my middle rod.  Once again I struck and fought and landed a hard fighting carp. It weighed 42lb 8oz and once again I was a very happy angler.
    Carp
    42.08 – my last capture of the 24hr session
    That was my last capture and I packed up for home later that day to post my pictures and identify the carp I caught.
    Four good forties in 24 hours – I was very happy and hopefully during the coming winter I will get more opportunities to bank some of these fantastic large carp.
    Thanks for reading!
    Mark Lambert.
    Winter Carp fishing in France at Villefond

    Thursday 8 November 2012

    New 50lb Common Carp for Old Oaks


    The second largest common in Old Oaks has just come out at a new record weight of 53lb 9oz !
    This fish was caught a month ago at 48lb so it’s really been on the munch!  Makes you wonder what the weight of the long common, caught the last time at 61lb 4oz, will be when it next comes out.
    Here’s the comments from the captor, Bruno Medou ( Korda France);
    “It’s been a while since I last visited my friend Mehdi so I was happy to come to fish Old Oaks.
    I selected peg n°5 cos it seems to be the deepest in the lake & I thought the carp might prefer that sort of depth at this time of the year.  It’s a great month for heavy carp because they pack on weight before the winter.
    On the first night many big carp crashed all over my swim but no action on my rods.  On the second morning I had a slow drop back… fish on!
    After an amazing fight I landed the second biggest Old Oaks common at a new record weight of 53lb 9oz – a new fifty for the lake.
    I was well chuffed, the fish is a beauty!”
    Old Oaks for Carp France

      Review of Villefond’s October Carp Captures


      Dorian – carp of the month
      Wow what a month October has been for carp captures at Villefond !
      As I reported last month the fish had finally finished what had been a drawn out spawning ritual & since then they have been heavily on the feed and are really piling the weight on.
      If I had to pick a top week through October it would be the fantastic session put in by returning customer Nick Johnson and his friend Dave Proctor who between them caught 16 fish.
      Their catch included;
      *  one double which has grown on in the lake
      *  1 x 20
      *  6 x 30’s to 39lb 10oz
      *  6 x 40’s to 47lb 8oz
      *  2 x 50’s. Arnold at a mirror carp lake record of 52lb 10oz and the Mighty Arthur at 54lb 7oz
      Great fishing guys!
      With Arnold generally considered to be the second biggest mirror in the lake this record could be short lived if Bennett’s makes an appearance before the fish spawn next – so watch this space!
      Nick and Dave’s great week of fishing leads into the fish of the month section nicely as I have chosen a fish they caught on their final night of fishing.
      Carp of the month
      My fish of the month for October is a fish now named Dorian after the lead character in Oscar Wildes novel “The Painting of Dorian Gray” The link between the fish and Dorian Gray is the fact the fish is one of the lakes 2 big Grey coloured mirror’s.
      Dorian was actually the first Villefond fish to officially top the 40lb barrier when she was caught by the lake manager Mark Lambert at 42lb in 2009.
      She has been a tricky one to follow the growth of as after that capture she went through a spell of only slipping up once a year and this was always directly after spawning. That was the case until this year.
      In 2012 so far Dorian has graced the bank 5 times, but again most of those have been at low spawned out weights with the exception of Nicks recent capture of the fish this month where she weighed in at 45lb 12oz.  Being such a long fish she will almost certainly put on a little more as the fish feed up in the coming months.
      Dorian is a truly stunning carp, long, lean and with linear scales from the tail to nearly half way up her flanks.  She also has that slate grey colouring that makes her really stand out when spotted amongst other fish in the water. A stunning fish definitely worthy of being October’s fish of the month.
      Carp fishing in France at Villefond

      Tuesday 6 November 2012

      Monday 5 November 2012

      Carp Lake Record Broken at Notaires


       The Horse – 45lbs 10oz
      Matt Baker has only been freshwater fishing since April and had a previous carp PB of 12lbs but atNotaires he hooked into a big fish from the dam wall which proved to be ‘The Horse’ and weighed in at 45lbs 8oz – setting a new lake record.
      This means that the Crane party who have just made their third visit to Alder & Notaires now hold the lake record for both lakes!
      Fishing holidays at Notaires

      Thursday 1 November 2012

      Rain, Rain... and more Rain!


       The wet and windswept group just prior to leaving for home

      Molyneux Report to 20th October 2012... 

      After our week with no anglers and despite the almost continuous rain we had managed to make a start on the winter projects we had set ourselves. This is what many people fail to realise about our job, when there are no anglers on the lake we actually work harder than ever making the little improvements that make the place so special. This year as well as strim and tidy around all the lake, we have decided to remove a lot of the small trees and bushes which we don’t want. We have made a start on this during the course of the year, and many people have already commented on what a difference it has made. As well as allowing people to see more of the water whilst walking round it allows wind to get through moving the water a little more. We also plan to do a lot more work on the Islands, cutting out and clearing the dead trees and clearing the years of growth of brambles which have taken over large parts of it. This will not be easy or indeed happen overnight, but we are in this for the long haul and intend to continue with improving and maintain the stunning grounds that we are lucky enough to live in.

      42lb Mirror Carp from Molyneux France
      Ian and the Big Lin at 42lb 14oz
      Saturday comes round far too quickly and even more so when you are hard at it. The phone rang and it was the week’s anglers; unusually they were not at the gate, but asking for directions. It seems that due to the horrendous blanket of fog covering most of Northern France they had missed a turning and without the aid of sat nav had bought a map and were struggling to find us. I managed to direct them in, and a wee while later were welcoming them to the lake.

      The weather was dire with rain literally pouring from the leaden sky. We all had a warming cup of tea and after donning our waterproof gear set off for a squelch around the lake. This week’s anglers seemed a nice bunch of friends from Hert’s. Upon returning to the kitchen where Helen stuck the kettle back on, the guys decided amongst themselves where they would like to be stationed for the week. Ian decided to try Jacks as that was his son’s name and thought it would bring him luck.

      Kelvin chose to fish Social 2, his father Colin decided to fish Stones a short way along the bank. Kevin liked the look of the Barn swim, whilst Herbie and Mike choosing to pair up in the double swim.
      The guys quickly set up camp as the rain eased for a short time, before coming back down just as heavily and consistently as before. They got their respective pitches organised and then wandered up for their evening meal. After they had all eatenand dried out a little, they pulled on the weatherproof gear and headed back out into the rain to cast out for the night.

      It was 3am when the first alarm sounded around the lake; it was one of Herbie’s in the double swim, a feisty fight followed by a plump mirror being netted. On the scales it weighed in at 26lb.
      At 7am Kelvin had a series of bleeps which got him up and out to see what was happening. A twitching rod tip convinced him to lift the rod, and there was indeed a fish on the other end. After a short fight he brought to the net a 25lb 8oz mirror, shortly after returning the fish one of his other alarms let rip, he was in again. Another spirited fight ensued followed by Colin slipping the landing net under the second fish for Kelvin within half an hour. A very nice start to the week.

      37lb French carp
      Herbie and his 37lb pb mirror
      After returning to their swims after breakfast Kelvin cast out and within minutes was playing another fish. This his third of the morning weighed in at 27lb 8oz.  I took most of the guys out and we had a prod around their swims, I placed one or two H block markers in open water spots and bait was applied. At 4.15pm it was Kelvins turn to do the honours netting his dad’s first fish of the week, another mirror weighing 28lb 8oz. At 7.30pm it was Ian’s turn to leap into action. One of the rods to an open water spot bursting into life minutes after being cast out. A good fight followed, with a good fish desperate to make good its escape. Ian took things carefully and finally netted a lovely mirror which was confirmed at 33lb 9oz.
      With the rain lashing down heavens hard and the pressure dropping like a stone, I was amazed when at breakfast there were no more captures reported. In fact it was 4pm Monday afternoon before the next fish was caught, once again it was Kelvin in Social swim 2. I was wandering around the lake at the time with Rudie the lake dog and was fortunate enough to see a long heavily set mirror which was obviously bigger than anything he had caught so far. Indeed the scales proved his to be the case 34lb 12oz of stunning Molyneux mirror carp. Kelvin was very pleased, not least because he had bested his mate Ian’s fish of the previous day. It was at this point that he told me that the guys had five pound each in a kitty with largest fish taking the pot. He was now in pole position. I told him not to spend it to soon as I fully expected much bigger before the week was out. With the weather as it was and the air pressure as low as it was it was only a matter of time before someone landed a proper beast. That evening at around midnight Kevin in the Barn swim landed his first fish of the week. A 24lb common, which was his pb common carp.

      Mirror carp from France
      Kelvin and his 36lb 12oz mirror
      The following afternoon as Rudie and I were sat chatting to Kelvin in the social 2 swim, his alarm sounded and he shot to pick up his rod. Colin wandered over to see what was occurring. He joked that I should visit them more often as I seemed to be a magnet for the fish, no sooner had he uttered these words than Kelvins middle alarm started to bleep. Initially we wondered if the fish which was being played was the culprit, but after checking the position of his line we realised this was not the case. Colin picked up the rod and wound down, he was also in! I shot down and collected Colin’s landing net and unhooking mat as father and son stood playing fish together. Kelvin landed his shortly before Colin. The scales proved that Colin had landed a 20lb mirror, whilst Kelvin had upped the competition for the kitty with a lovely mirror of 36lb 12oz.
      That evening he landed another almost straight after casting out upon his return from dinner, this a 27lb mirror.

      The early hours of the morning saw Mike land his first fish of the week after losing one on the first night. This was a nice mirror well worth the wait at 34lb 2oz. At 5.15am Kevin in the Barn swim was woken and climbed out of his to attend to a screaming one toner. He had been fishing to the corner of the small island since arriving and finally had some action from this spot. He had a very good scrap with the fish on the other end and after finally landing what looked a very good fish found out just how good when he tried to lift the net. The fish was to be the largest caught so far around the lake, a mirror of 37lb 12oz. The big girls were starting to feed. With the air pressure hovering slightly below 1000 millibars all week and the rain hardly stopping for five minutes at a time I had been expecting it to happen.

      After breakfast Ian moved from Jacks into the cabin, having seen fish further from him than he could comfortably cast. The cabin he felt offered him more opportunity. At 1pm Kelvin added to his tally with a 27lb mirror At 3pm Herbie landed a common, not a beast at 21lb 2oz but very welcome after a few days watching his buddies catching all around him. He was desperate to catch a thirty and he still had not given up hope.  Ian’s move proved to be worthwhile a few minutes later when he landed a mirror of 26lb 8oz.
      Once again overnight proved to be very quiet, but just prior to breakfast Colin had a double take, his first one landed was a mirror of 25lb 8oz, his second a little better and a new pb by some way for him at 38lb’s exactly. He was now in pole position for the money in the kitty, which had changed hands a number of times over the course of the week. Any thoughts he had of spending it were short-lived however when ten minutes Ian in the cabin swim landed the Big Linear at a weight of 42lb 14oz, He was over the moon, as it was a massive pb, one of quite a few so far over the course of the week.

      Carp Fishing in France
      Colins 38lb pb mirror
      There was some very lively banter over the breakfast table, with all the anglers chuffed at the weights of the fish they were catching.  During the course of Thursday there were to be a number of fish lost for some inexplicable reason. Ian lost a couple at short range stalking the snag tree casting to bubblers and showing fish. Colin lost four fish in the space of a few hours, and Herbie losing two I believe. That evening at 9pm Herbie completed his mission of catching a 30lb plus carp in grand style with a corker of 37lb 1oz. Kelvin also had another shortly afterward a mirror of 29lb 14oz.

      Friday was to be the busiest day fish wise for the guys  Kevin in the Batn set the ball rolling at 8am with a 15lb 8oz common. At 10.30am Colin landed a mirror of 31lb. 1pm and Kevin was in again, this fish giving him a good fight. He was very pleased to land a 34lb 6oz mirror. Half an hour later Colin was in again, landing another mirror of 27lb 14oz.  At 2pm he landed another, this time a common of 21lb 4oz. Ian managed to stalk another during mid-afternoon, real hook and hold tactics winning the day. A 26lb mirror his reward. At 7pm Kelvin landed yet another thirty in the shape of a 32lb mirror. Very strangely the next two fish were both Catfish, with Colin catching the first at 22lb, and Kelvin catching the other at a weight of 30lb 4oz.

      The final fish of the week was caught at 8.30am on Saturday, with Mike in the double swim landing a 15lb common. All in all despite the horrendous weather a fantastic week. The guys did not let the weather get them down and persevered with their fishing during the few slow periods that came along. Between 6 anglers we had 4 pb’s and with each angler catching at least one fish well in excess of 35lb’s apart from Mike who could only manage a top weight of 34lb 2oz. Not a bad average between them.

      As they packed and left I wandered up to the gate and we laughed that it was raining as hard as they left as it was when they arrived, with very little let up during the course of their visit. Hope you all had a safe and pleasant trip home, and hopefully we will see you all again.

      French Carp Lakes - Molyneux