Carp Fishing in France at 36 Carp Lakes
Monday, 3 December 2012
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.
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.
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
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
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