Saturday 31 August 2013

Fish on the Feed

Laroussi Carp Fishing in France
45.04
Last week's catch report from Laroussi...

Details of your catches: 58 fish in total. Lots of grass carp. 6 commons from 20lb to 43lb. 5 mirrors 43lb to 51lb 14oz, 1 sturgeon at 60lb and a 9lb tench!

Your best tactics/bait/rigs: Light baiting with boilies fished over medhi's partyblend.

Were the facilities what you expected? Yes
Were you happy with them? Yes

Would you recommend the venue to a friend? Yes
Would you recommend our services to a friend? Yes

General comments: Great week, great weather, lots of fish, young Mark (11 years old last week) had a great time. Medhi is always a great host. Thank you again.
Laroussi Carp Fishing in France
51.14

Friday 30 August 2013

Golden Oak Continues to Prove Itself

Chris Long, Dave Price and George Evans dropped in at Golden Oak for the week at short notice early this summer, only going on to land the boss at 63lb 8oz!

Details of your catches: 2 singles, 12 twenties, 7 thirties and the boss at 63lb 8oz. All in great condition and put up a good old fight.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs: After finding out from dick that the fish have a constant feed containing lots of maize and pale pulses going in I opted to top my baits off with a bit of plastic corn. Had a cracking few days and it wasn't long before the other two anglers cottoned on changing to a pineapple pop up over dicks party mix. Listen to his advice, fish the spots that are known for producing and be sure to pin your lines down. Don't ignore the shallows, had some great days watching the fish basking in the sun with no more than a rod, mat and net. Nothing better than hearing your persistence pay off when your drag starts screaming.
Golden Oak Fishing Holidays
33.08 - Dave Price
Were the facilities what you expected? The facilities on site are second to none. We were fully prepared to spend the full week in our bivvies and arrived to find a beautiful building with three bedrooms, all ensuite, dinning area with all the facilities you need to prepare a slap up meal, a well maintained garden and patio area and even sky tv. If by any chance there is anything that you need or have forgotten, speak to joe and dick and they are always happy to accommodate.

Golden Oak Fishing Holidays
63.08 - Dave Price
Were you happy with them? Was above and beyond our expectations.

Accommodation facilities: 
Accommodation cleanliness: 
Accommodation overall: 

Would you recommend the venue to a friend? Would recommend golden oak lake to any group of keen anglers. The fact that you are not tied to a peg means you are free to roam and drop in your baits wherever takes your fancy and the fact the the lake is all your means there are no other anglers to worry about. I would also recommend this place for anyone who struggles to find the time or money due to family commitments. This place is ideal for the family to relax, visit the resident goats, horses etc whilst allowing you to drop in a couple of lines. The gardens roll straight onto the lake (with gates to keep the kids away :)) allowing you to socialise whilst being close enough when your alarms begin to sound.

Would you recommend our services to a friend? We opted to take the food package which was very reasonably priced. I can't describe how good the food was, full english in the morning and a home cooked three course meal in the evening. Joe is a miracle worker in the kitchen and you will not find a better pastry anywhere else. If you are a fussy eater like myself, Joe is more than happy to offer up an alternative.
Golden Oak Fishing Holidays
36.08 - Chris Long
General comments: We booked golden oak a week before we were due to leave due to our original booking with another complex being cancelled so we were just happy to have somewhere to fish. We were blown away when we arrived to find that the whole site and accommodation was ours to use as we please. Joe and dick can not be more accommodating and it was lovely to sit down and have a beer with a couple who care so much about their business, fish and guests.

Don't arrive with the preconception that you know it all, listen to what they have to say and take their advice. We did after having a slow day and managed to bank the boss at a new lake record of 63lb 8oz. The fish are beautiful, it's nice to see a fish with everything intact. The food on site was amazing and after showing pics of the facilities and fish to some of my fellow anglers, i already have competition for the dates i want next year, missus in tow if i can convince. 5 star plus. Thanks for a great week Joe & Dick and see you sometime next year.

For more information on Golden Oak follow the link - Fishing Holidays

Inflight at Blue Lake

In the first of our Inflight series, we bring you an aerial flight over Blue Lake, designed to give you a real taster of the lake's layout and features...



For more information on Blue lake follow the link - Fishing France

Thursday 29 August 2013

How to Catch Carp 3 - Baiting Tactics

Following his hugely popular video on slack lines and running rigs, Duncan de Gruchy is back at Oakview with a follow up.  This time Duncan reveals his baiting tactics.


If you have missed 'How to Catch Carp in France 1 and 2' you can go straight to them here:
Part 1 - Slack Lines and Running RigsPart 2 - Tight Lines and Shocker Rigs

For over 65 other technical Carp Fishing videos follow the link - Carp Fishing

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Two from Watersmeet

Rob and Izzy stayed at Watersmeet for two weeks this month, you can read their feedback here
Watersmeet Fishing Holiday with accommodation
26lb - Izzy
Watersmeet Fishing Holiday with accommodation

For more information on Watersmeet follow the link - Fishing Holiday

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Repelling Nasty Little Blood Suckers

I have spent a lot of time this season fishing very short sessions on the river for barbel and some of these evenings in real over grown swims have seen swarms of mozzies and midges all wanting a bit of the Harrison blood.

Now I am quite attached to my blood and don’t really want to waste it, besides I tend to react quite badly and I’m not disciplined enough to stop myself scratching bites which obviously makes things worse.  Lots of anglers carry those spiral Mosquito coil type things around with them but for me I always end up with a bad throat after breathing these in for a period and to be fair I find them quite bulky and they leave a large area of ash wherever they are used.

Small tube holds more than enough and they weigh next to nothing
Myself I have always carried Joss Sticks/Incense Sticks around with me. They do the same job keeping the biting monsters away, smell pleasant if you choose one to your taste, can be brought for peanuts (just had another parcel drop through the door with 80 in there for £2.10) they are very light and don’t bulk out your kit.

I don’t see others using them so thought this may be a useful little tip for you. Personally I always try and avoid any lotions and potions when angling. These secret little swims I have been fishing I’m not leaving the tell tale circle of ash behind to give the game away. They can be used on a holder as per the picture to catch the ash or simply push a few into the ground around your chair – the ash from these is minimal.

Best fishes
Shaun Harrison

Courtesy of the Quest Baits Blog

Monday 26 August 2013

Wels Catfish at the Surface

Nik, the owner at Holly Pools, has managed to catch some of the lakes residents on camera feeding in the margins...

I have heard the opinion stated from non-cat lovers that Wells cats “Just sit on the deepest bit of bottom all day, then surface at night and eat your 20lb carp”.  Certainly there is less known about Silure behaviour (as the French call them) than carp, but I have been learning a lot by the simple expedient of standing and watching them for minutes on end. In the day time. Near the surface. Competing with the carp for particles and generally being catfish.

In this short clip you can see they are far from shy and nocturnal!


For more videos, catch reports and pictures from Holly Pools follow the link - Carp Fishing

Sunday 25 August 2013

An Angling Honeymoon at Mas Bas

Mas Bas is an 80 acre farm estate with two lakes. Set in the heart of rural south west France, the privacy of the site offers tranquil family holidays with the added bonus of excellent carp fishing. Beautiful accommodation, swimming pool and specimen carp fishing - you can’t help but fall in love with this venue.

Mr & Mrs Ward spent a week at Mas Bas this month for their honeymoon, here's their catch report...

Mas Bas Main Lake Fishing Holidays
20lb
Details of your catches: 41lb 35lb, 31lb 30lb 45/50 fish, mainly all 20's few grass

Your best tactics/bait/rigs: Single 20ml boilie, hand full of baits rowed out

Were the facilities what you expected? Yes! Super

Were you happy with them? Yes
Accommodation facilities: 
Accommodation cleanliness: 
Accommodation overall: 

Would you recommend the venue to a friend? Damn right, already booked with other party for next year

Would you recommend our services to a friend? Yes

General comments: A big thank you to Sharon and Gilles, nothing was ever to much to ask for, we spent our honeymoon here  and Sharon had gone out of her way to decorate the house for us. Even though the fishing was a bit slow we still had an amazing time and made some more good friends which we will be returning with next year. The house was immaculate, you would never have thought it was a fishing venue.
Mas Bas Main Lake Fishing Holidays
41lb
Mas Bas Main Lake Fishing Holidays
30lb
For more feedback, fish photos and information on Mas Bas Main Lake follow the link - Fishing Holidays

Friday 23 August 2013

New Catfish Lake Record at Beaurepaire

Gary Rivett, fishing Beaurepaire this month, has managed to land the new lake record catfish at 67lb 12oz+

Nice one Gary!

Catfish Record at Beaurepaire Angling Holidays
67.12+

For more information on Beaurepaire follow the link - Angling Holidays

Thursday 22 August 2013

Latest Catch Report from Glehias

Sean Trafford's group fished Glehias this month, here's their catch report...

Details of your catches: Total weigh - 809lb 7oz. 38 fish; 14 mirrors, 14 commons, 6 catfish, 1 koi, 3 grass carp plus loads of smaller carp etc on float fishing tactics.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs: Rested the swims during the day, only fished nights (4/5pm - 10am each day). Prebaited during the day and fished the spots at night with boilies over pellet. All fish caught on Oxford carp baits - squid & octopus cream & bp oil pop ups. Quest baits - rahja spice, liver b8 & special crab.

Glehias French Carp FishingWere the facilities what you expected? Yes, great cottage with animals near by. Perfect for children.

Were you happy with them? Yes,  Lee & Tracey did everything they could to make our week great.

Accommodation facilities (rated 1-5): 
Accommodation cleanliness (rated 1-5): 
Accommodation overall (rated 1-5): 

Would you recommend the venue to a friend? 100%

Would you recommend our services to a friend? Yes

General comments: Had a great weeks fishing and lots of little villages around the area for shopping etc.

Glehias French Carp Fishing

Glehias French Carp Fishing

For more information on Glehias follow the link - French Carp Fishing

Malvo Madness

When it comes to sorting out a fishing trip together we’re not really very organised my mates and I.  We all have demanding jobs and family commitments so finding a mutually agreeable time is difficult. So in February when we finally managed to settle on a long weekend at the back end of April it wasn’t altogether surprising to find that our choice of venue was severely restricted.

Having booked with Angling Lines on several occasions before I felt confident they would be able to help us out and after exchanging a number of emails and phone calls with the helpful staff in the office we ultimately settled on Malvoisine in Normandy as our target venue.
 
 
Malvoisine Lakes in France
Lake Map
When we fished there back in 2011 our results were not spectacular but we learnt a lot so felt well prepared to tackle the venue more effectively second time around.  Back in 2011 our swim choice had been limited by the other anglers on the water but this time we were very pleasantly surprised to be offered an exclusive booking for our short Thursday to Sunday stay.  Suffice to say we jumped at the opportunity which allowed us the chance to fish exactly as we wanted..

The journey over was uneventful but very pleasant.  In 2011 we had taken the short ferry route from Dover to Calais but then had a drive of 5 or so hours to the venue.  This time we opted for the longer overnight ferry crossing from Portsmouth the Caen with the shorter 2 hour drive to the lake.  If you want to maximise your fishing time go via Calais but if you want a relaxed start to your holiday take the overnight ferry and enjoy a beer in the bar but be warned, the shutters come down on the bar around 1:00 am in the morning and breakfast doesn’t start until 5:30 am so you might do well to book a cabin or at the very least reclining seats in order to get some shut-eye before arrival..
After a drive through the stunning Normandy countryside we stopped in the typically beautiful French village of Alexain, just 5 km from the venue, to pick up essential provisions before heading to the lake in glorious warm spring sunshine.  Once there we were greeted by Gigi and Pierre who own the lake and live on site in a caravan on the eastern bank.  It’s difficult to adequately express the warmth of their welcome.  Our woefully inadequate French and Gigi’s basic written English are no barrier to communication and over a much needed freshly brewed coffee we learnt that the lake had not been heavily fished in recent weeks due to the extended winter weather and heavy rain.  However, those that had been brave enough to venture out had been rewarded with multiple catches of carp to over 30lb with an average weight over 20lb.  OK maybe not the monsters available in some other lakes but Malvoisine has now produced fish over 40lb and they are packing on the weight every year so this really is a venue to watch in the coming years..

We were really impatient to take a look round so after bidding our hosts au revoir we donned our Polaroid glasses and went for a walk around the periphery of the lake.  When we visited back in 2011 we barely saw a carp show but this time as we quietly walked the banks we could see clouds of silt being forced up by fish feeding in the margins around almost the entire lake.

Based on our prior knowledge we’d already decided where each of us was going to fish, at least to start with, so we all headed off to our pre-determined spots to get ourselves set up.  I was so buzzed up by the fish I’d seen I quickly set up one rod and bait-boated a rig with a few freebies to the distant margin, slackened off the clutch and laid the rod on the ground whilst I sorted out my other kit.  I swear not 10 minutes later the clutch started a steady click, click, click and on lifting the rod a good fish bow waved off the far margin and I was shouting for someone to get a landing net set up pronto!  The fish in Malvosine fight incredibly hard and after an excellent battle my nephew Joe slipped the net under the first fish of the trip, and what a start!  A pristine 27lb 4oz mirror was the first of many to pose for the camera.  If you’re put off by the fact that I used a bait-boat please relax and let me tell you that was the one and only fish I caught using one. I’ll explain in more detail..
Malvoisine Lakes in France
10 minutes at the lake and a pristine 27lb 4oz mirror was the first of many to pose for the camera
As far as we could determine there are really no significant holding areas in open water.  Therefore most of the fish tend to stay close to the margins where there are countless fish attracting features in the form of overhanging trees, shallow and deep areas and thick reed beds.  At the start of our session we did catch some fish, including the best of our trip at 36lb 12oz, right in the near-side margin but as the session progressed the bank-side activity pushed the majority of the fish to the distant margin.

In some swims extremely good casting or the use of a bait-boat would seem the obvious answer but learning from our trip in 2011 I came prepared with an alternative which, although it took some effort, proved to be very effective.  The idea was to remove the rig and use a distance casting lead to cast the line across to the nearest section of the far bank.  Then, armed with the baited rig, a bag of 20 - 30 freebies and a baiting spoon on a long handle I walked round to find the lead, attach the rig with the use of a quick-link and then walk the rig down to my target feature.  Using the baiting spoon I accurately dropped the rig exactly where I wanted, surrounded it with a few carefully introduced freebies then returned to the rod to set the bobbin and await the next run!  It was easier to do this with a friend on the rod to help straighten the line etc but with a little care I performed the whole process single-handedly without too much difficulty.

During the first afternoon we caught some good fish between us, including an upper 20 for brother Adam.  On one of my excursions round the lake to position my rigs Gigi informed me that she and Pierre would cook a BBQ for us that evening, so at 6:00 pm Pierre lit the BBQ and one hour later Gigi invited us to one of the picnic tables for a very welcome meal of typical French fare accompanied with a choice of wine.  Simply stunning and a further example of what great hosts they are.

During this feast my middle rod was away and I covered the short distance from the picnic table to my swim in double quick time to connect with another hard fighting fish.  Not surprisingly nobody was very motivated to leave the BBQ to come to my aid so they continued to enjoy the hospitality whist I provided the entertainment.  I could tell this was a good fish as it took an age to work it back across the lake to my near margin where it stayed deep, sending up huge swirls as it twisted and turned under the rod top.  Eventually I managed to manoeuvre it into my waiting net to applause from my spectators.  Hoisting the fish onto the unhooking mat it was obvious I’d caught a good 30+ common which was sufficient to finally cause some interest from my fellow diners.  The fish bottomed out my Avons so I had to fall back on the Rubens to settle on a final weight of 35lb 4oz, a scale perfect deep bodied specimen with beautiful chestnut brown colouration.  Once the photos were taken and the fish slipped back I returned to polish off what little was left of the red wine..!
Malvoisine Lakes in France
The BBQ was interrupted by this deep bodied 35lb 4oz common
Overnight most of us continued to catch well including two good fish, one of which was the afore mentioned 36lb 12oz mirror to Den, caught against the near bank.  Clearly the comparative quiet overnight encouraged the fish to forage in close so it’s always worth dropping a rod in the near margin during the hours of darkness.  Unfortunately my nephew Joe was yet to catch and being as how we’d promised him his first 20, at first light I agreed to move swim and let him get baits in the productive areas.
Malvoisine Lakes in France
The best fish of our visit Dens 36lb 12oz mirror caught against the near bank on the first night
I moved out of the swim and we moved Joe’s rods in, taking the time to get his baits in exactly the right spots using the baiting spoon technique.  Brother Adam (Joe’s dad) moved in alongside him to be hands-on support whilst I moved to the other end of the island to fish a new area adjacent to some reed beds.  Murphy’s Law was clearly at play because Joe’s first run produced our only single figure fish of the trip at 8lb and his second run produced a 13lb 12oz mirror.  In contrast my first two runs in the new swim resulted in mirrors of 27lb 14oz and 28lb 2oz.  Despite this we were all convinced Joe was in the right spot and it would just be a matter of time so we all settled down for the rest of the day.

Malvoisine Lakes in France
Friday afternoon the weather had taken a distinct turn for the worse but it made for some good scenery shots!
By the early hours of Saturday morning the air temperature was well below freezing and unhooking mats, weigh slings and landing nets were stiff with ice.  During these distinctly unpleasant conditions I was summonsed from my warm sleeping bag by another hard fighting fish on my left hand rod.  Concentration on the matter in hand took my mind off the cold and after a battle of epic proportions I was eventually near to netting the fish when my right hand rod signalled a take and the rod tip wrapped round.  I had no choice but to complete the netting of the first fish before securing the net in the margins and picking up the second rod with aching arms to do it all again.  The fish had kited sharply to the right and I had to walk round the bank and halfway down the causeway to make sure I kept it clear of the near bank snags.  All well and good but my nearest spare landing net was now 30 meters away with no prospect of me steering the fish back round to where it was no doubt frozen to the ground.  Nothing for it but to start yelling for some help.  The motivation to get out of a warm sleeping bag to come to my aid was not high but eventually Adam pulled on his wellies to come and sort me out.  Both fish turned out to be commons, the first of which was the same 35lb 4oz specimen from the day before and the ‘bonus’ fish was a very long lean fish of 26lb 1oz. 

By Friday afternoon the weather had taken a distinct turn for the worse with much cooler temperatures, intermittent showers and strengthening easterly winds.  It didn’t seem to stop the fish feeding but it curtailed our socialising a little and made us less inclined to have communal weigh-ins, instead opting for the relative comfort of our bivvies and a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep.  We did manage to come together for dinner and a quick exchange of catches before bidding each other good luck and retiring for the night.

When the sun finally came up the ice slowly melted away, feeling returned to my finger tips and we came together to have breakfast and talk about events overnight.  Unbelievably although Joe had caught another fish it was still not a 20 and we were running out of time.  My second swim was still fishing well so I suggested that Joe move again.  Same procedure as the previous morning had Joe with three baits all on the going spots and I moved just down the bank to another new spot facing the lake outflow and a large tree on the far bank.   Thankfully this move proved fruitful for Joe and after a couple more doubles he landed a cracking 23lb 14oz mirror – mission accomplished!
Malvoisine Lakes in France
Joes 23lb 14oz mirror mission accomplished!
My new swim posed some new challenges for me.  Since the first fish of the session I’d not used a bait-boat and didn’t really want to have to rely on one now but the far-bank features were much further away, the baiting spoon technique was not an option and I needed a re-think to get to what I assumed would be the going areas.  To achieve this I changed from the fluorocarbon main line I’d been using and put on spools of Korda Adrenaline paired with distance pendant leads, shorter hook-links and shorter lead-core above the lead.  The change worked and with my best casts I was able to drop baits within a meter or so of the features I was aiming to reach.  A walk round to the opposite bank enabled me to bait-up accurately.  The move again proved worthwhile and my first fish from in front of the distant tree turned out to be a most beautifully proportioned 30lb 10oz common with big, bold scales and deep orange colouration to it’s anal and caudal fins.
Malvoisine Lakes in France
The move again proved worthwhile a most beautifully proportioned 30lb 10oz common
Again the weather went crazy during Saturday afternoon but this time for added enjoyment we first had sleet followed by marble sized hail stones.  Adam and Joe had wisely abandoned their roach fishing excursion and retreated to the kitchen block, Denis and Ive had not emerged from their bivvies for several hours and as I sat on the edge of my bed-chair watching the water explode with each icy impact I thought surely this would be the kiss of death for the remaining hours of our visit.  Yet again I was to be proven wrong as my forth ‘experimental’ rod burst into life and I was forced to break cover to do battle.  It was clear the fish was no monster but it stubbornly refused to give in and seemed determined to get me a thorough soaking.  As the fish neared the net one of my distance rods signalled a take.  Same as the previous night I had no choice but to net the first fish before securing the net and grabbing the other rod.  Fortunately this fish had chosen to run into open water so I was able to play it without incident into my second net.

By this time the hail had abated and given way to rain so Adam and Joe emerged from the kitchen and came to take photos.  The first fish turned out to be an upper double but the two-tone colouration on the second mirror we recognised as one of the target fish from the photos we’d seen of the venue.  Not the prettiest fish in the lake but very welcome at 32lb 4oz. The crazy weather stimulated a mini feeding frenzy because in the space of 30 minutes or so we had 6 carp from different areas of the lake before it slowed down again...
Malvoisine Lakes in France
Not the prettiest fish in the lake but very welcome at 32lb 4oz
Weather wise Saturday night was a repeat of the previous one with freezing temperatures and cardboard stiff weigh slings.  Best fish of the night fell to Denis at 30lb 8oz from his reliable hot-spot under the trees on the far bank directly in front of Pierre and Gigi’s caravan.  We had to be packed up and on our way by 10:00 am so we set about the tedious task as soon as the sun came up over the horizon.  Of course rods were left out until the last possible moment which proved to be a good decision, particularly for Adam as he had his best fish of the trip at 28lb 12oz on a bait dropped into the very furthest corner of the north-east bay.
Malvoisine Lakes in France
Adams best fish of the trip at 28lb 12oz just minutes before packing up
I cannot recommend Malvoisine highly enough.  The facilities are great - clean hot shower and toilet, plenty of fridge/freezer space, charging points (don’t forget adaptor plugs) and a welcome that’s second to none.  So if you’re looking for the ultimate social venue with excellent conditioned, hard fighting fish and beautiful surroundings Malvoisine has to be the venue for you.

Chatting on the ferry on the way home we decided that although my motives for moving Joe into my going swims were good enough, in retrospect I was accessing un-pressured areas which is why each move maybe proved more fruitful for me than Joe.  The fish also ‘follow the wind’ and were clearly stimulated to feed each time the weather changed.  So don’t despair if it clouds over and starts to rain but do be prepared to move if bites dry up.  Simple but efficient rigs are the recommended approach.  Most of the bottom is clear of debris so provided hooks are sharp there should be no problem with secure hook-holds (we only lost two fish between us the whole time we were there). A final piece of advice, don’t use pellets in your baiting campaign as they only seemed to attract bream.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Laroussi's Recent Captures

Here are two of the monsters caught at Laroussi this month...

Laroussi's catfish and sturgeon may get less press than the lakes infamous BIG carp, but they're certainly sizeable.

Laroussi Carp Fishing in France Large Catfish
122lb - Julian Bellew's Group
Laroussi Carp Fishing in France Large Sturgeon
56lb - Chris Kirk's Group
For more information on Laroussi follow the link - Carp Fishing in France

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Late Booking at Lillypool Carp Lake Arrives with a Bang!

Lillypool welcomed Dave brown and sons, Cody and Matthew, on a late and shorter than usual booking this week...

Despite this, a bumper 4 days fishing was to follow consisting of 45 runs, 33 fish to 39lb 10oz and a new lake record catfish at 48lb 6oz were banked. Great stuff guys!

Lillypool French Carp Fishing

Lillypool French Carp Fishing

For more information on Lillypool follow the link - French Carp Fishing

Monday 19 August 2013

Boux Catch Report

Tom and Jake Carling, along with friends Simon Dew and Jack Bonner fished Boux for a week this month, coming away with some stunners...

Details of your catches: 12 fish to 45lb 10 oz. 10 mirrors, 2 commons.

Boux Carp Fishing in France
36 - Simon Dew
Your best tactics/bait/rigs: 9 of the 12 fish were caught fishing from the right hand side of the wooded bank to the dam wall and the far bay. One was taken close in from the right hand side. The other two came came from fishing from the left hand side of the wooded bank. The best bait by far was fake maize/corn as it did could not get attacked by the crayfish which in the heat were rampant for 4 days. The two biggest fish were taken fishing over pre-baited beds of particle.

Were the facilities what you expected? Yes, a stunning drive and survive venue with some lovely fish. The facilites are basic but fine as long as you dont mind driving back up to the house. A bath/shower mat and some teatowels would be a good idea as someone else has mentioned.
44lb Carp at Boux Carp Fishing in France
44.06 - Jake Carling
Would you recommend the venue to a friend? Yes definitely - but perhaps not in the height of summer due to the crays.

General comments: Beautiful lake, great countryside. Some stunning carp too. Bait has to be rowed out or use a baitboat from the wooded bank. Casting any distance was difficult due to overhanging trees.
We took a day out and went white water rafting at St Martin de Puy. Highly recommended. It is a long drive from calais - about 7 hours both ways for us.
Boux Carp Fishing in France
29 - Jack Bonner
For more information on Boux follow the link - Carp Fishing in France

Carp Fishing Tactics ; Wading Out Baits in a Shallow Lake

Paul Cooper shows you that you don't always have to cast to catch carp.  By wading out to your chosen spot you can place your hook bait & freebies EXACTLY were you want them...



  Carp Fishing tactics & techniques - 65 technical videos to help you put more carp on the bank!