Want the Real French Experience? – Spotlight on Notaires

The Limousin Stone Farmhouse

The Notaires Lakes are located deep in the French countryside in the region known as the green heart of France. Your accommodation for the week is a renovated 200 year old Limousin stone built farmhouse with a swimming pool overlooking the carp lake. Peace and quiet are guaranteed. 

38lb

The fish stocks have been added in stages to ensure their health and vigour and now range from 15lb to a terrific 41lb, with the average in the high 20’s.

Notaires is set in its own 75 acre estate of lakes, woods and fields in one of the quietest areas of France. This makes for a unique holiday experience; the calm, quiet atmosphere is appreciated as a counterpoint to the busy modern life in England. If you stretch your legs round some of the hidden fields you could well catch sight of deer or boar as well as buzzards, kestrels and sparrow hawks.

Outside is a generous garden that overlooks the lake and features a 200 year old oak tree, great for providing natural shade when you’re sitting or eating outdoors.

"Absolutely fantastic place, I cannot wait to come back. The gite has everything you could need. Clean and warm and welcoming.Steph and Chris are lovely - we were made to feel very welcome and were shown all their beautiful animals.

Thanks for a fantastic holiday. See you next year."Jordan Hay and Family, May '13

Fantastic venue. All fish were in great condition. Chris & steph are fantastic hosts and always is a pleasure to stay!Tony Crane, Nov '12

Both lakes are in a beautiful and tranquil setting, roughly rectangular in shape but narrowing at one end and both are fringed by mature beech, oak, willow and alder trees. The willows create plenty of cover and provide bays to fish to on long summer days whilst the large oak and beech trees provide welcome shade for both the carp and fishermen.

There are no nuisance poisson chat and any crayfish are kept under control by the resident catfish. Vehicle access is possible to both lakes, so unloading fishing gear is nice and easy.

The Lake

Master Bedroom

For more information, articles and feedback on Notaires follow the link - Fishing Holidays

Carp Fishing in France Webcast - April 2013

Here's our April Webcast... Carp Fishing - 59 videos to chose from!

One of the Big Mirrors banked at Mas Bas Carp Lake!

In March we stocked two new 50′s here at Mas Bas and it certainly hasn’t taken long for one of them to make an appearance for our anglers.Franck Consato was the clever/lucky angler to land one of the mirrors this week at 53lb 2oz!

53.02

For more information, videos and feedback on Mas Bas follow the link - Fishing Holidays

Talk about Short Sessions!

So, after 5 months of working around the Carp and Cats lake at Holly Pools – it’s done for this year. New swims complete, path gravelled, plants starting to grow, leaves appearing on the trees. Bearing in mind I really have done little else but work on the fishery for the last 5 months, I decided I’d better get to work in the veg garden and score some points with S(H)e Who Must Be Obeyed. While digging for victory one thought kept going through my head: “You haven’t fished this year, and there are no guests this week…”

After arguing with myself for literally 3 seconds, I decided that as H was in England for a few days and there was nothing on TV, surely wetting a line for the last hour of light “just to test the water”, would be OK. I have my kit laid out pretty well, so it literally takes me 10 minutes to get the gear out of the tackle room and be ready to cast on the bank. I decided someone should test the new Stump Swim, and put 1 rod 20 yards out, with 1 Carp Cuisine “Fruit de Mer” and 6 more in a PVA bag on the hook. After casting out, I sat down on the handy lump of oak at the back of the swim to take in the surroundings: whilst fishing, and not working for once. I literally hadn’t completed my look around when the alarm screamed and the bobbin hit the rod. 10 minutes later and the Stump swim was christened with one of the smaller cats – 20lb on the nose. It didn’t half fight and was in super condition and very fat.

20lb Catfish

Telling this story to my French neighbour Yvon today, I suggested it was a shame he’d not been there to see it. He’s an excellent coarse fisherman, but has never caught a Silure (Wels Cat). Why, I suggested, didn’t he pop down for a cheeky whiskey after dinner – say 7, and we would fish for half-an-hour?

My reasoning was: a) to see if the 10 minute take was a total fluke, and b) if I could land a Silure Yvon would be pleased to see “English style” fishing and a Silure to boot, and c) if I caught a Carp I’d have proved it wasn’t a fluke and I’d have caught both key species in our “Carp and Cats” lake in less than an hours’ fishing across 2 nights.

Talk about short sessions! But this is what we are about: bring your other half, keep her happy by doing tourist things like the markets, medieval towns and chateau – and then have a session after dinner, or just the morning – and still have a great chance of bagging up. Carp fishing isn’t just about spodding “munga” and casting to the horizon!

I suppose you can guess the next bit, since I have bothered to write the story: but our half-hour and a cheeky drinkie after dinner went pretty well. We met at 7 and after explaining the rigs to Yvon I cast the second rod out at 7:10 (One rod each tonight see!)

After setting the alarms I walked back up the steps to pour the drink – but liquid had not touched glass before we heard the unmistakable Delkim Bibibibibibibi! A really strong first run was followed by 10 minutes of slowly gaining ground. I didn’t want to lose one in front of the local audience! The result was a very healthy looking 21lb mirror, nailed in the bottom lip.

21lb Mirror

So you see – you can have a fishing holiday that’s not ALL about the fishing, and still have some action when you decide to unwind by the water. See you on the bank.
Nik

For more information, articles and feedback from Holly Pools follow the link - Carp Fishing

A Surprise Capture of a 60lb Unknown Resident at Roseau

During week commencing 20^th April I was woken up to the news of a fish on the bank at Roseauof over 60lb, as you can imagine I was very surprised but even more surprised to hear that the lucky angler didn’t know what species it was.

Knowing the only fish in excess of 60lb is the one and only Catfish that resides in the Large lake, I was expecting to see the large whiskers of the giant tadpole on my arrival to the swim. However, I’m sure most, if not all anglers have heard and know what a Catfish looks like so my mind started working overtime and thoughts turned to a large Grass Carp as I wandered the long banks in anticipation of what I was about to see.

60.04

Walking into the swim it was very clear that all the lads present were equally confused by the creature that laid in the floatation sling.

Together we prepared the weighing equipment and hoisted the fish onto the waiting mats, as the folds of the sling parted my first reaction was “that’s a huge Grassy” but as the head was exposed I was completely thrown by it, the weight was confirmed by myself at 60lb 04oz, pictures were taken before the fish was released back to its watery home.

60.04

I returned to the lodge and immediately open the computer to see if I could find out exactly what species it was, after a good hour or so I came to the conclusion that it was a Bighead Carp, I emailed Angling Lines to notify them of the capture and reports came back that it was actually stocked around some 10 years ago, it would be interesting to find out the weight of which it was stocked because Bighead Carp are plankton feeders and I’m sure it wasn’t stocked at such a large weight. Bighead Carp have an under slung bottom lip which makes them very difficult to catch, this is its first capture in my four years being at Roseau Carp so who knows how big this fish will actually go!

After having the time to digest it, it actually doesn’t surprise me that such a large fish was swimming around the depths of the large lake and avoiding capture, during my time here I’ve seen some very big Carp which have yet to grace the banks, how many more surprises does this awesome complex hold!!!

Until next time…

Tight Lines
Roy

For more information, photos, videos and feedback from Roseau follow the link – Fishing France

Biggest Catfish to date comes out of Molyneux

35lb Mirror – Keith

The anglers due this week at Molyneux were old friends from last year, which is always so nice, as it is truly a pleasure welcoming back familiar faces to the lake. Having been before they had predetermined what swims they were going to fish, mostly the same as last year. Keith opting for Social 1, with his mate Steve next door in Social 2. Another Steve headed for the Barn swim, while Troy chose to fish from the double swim. Jason started off in the Pines, and Bish chose the cabin swim where he fished last year.

Saturday was spent finding the old spots, and baiting up, and after dinner we enjoyed a lovely social evening with the lads in the dining room having a chinwag and a few beers. I don’t think anyone fished Saturday night as they were tired after the journey.

36.08 – Steve

The following morning a few speculative casts were made at first light hoping to pick up a fish before breakfast. Only one angler Keith was successful in this and after casting out into open water in front of the social swims landed a corking mirror of 34lb’s. Not a bad start to the week.

The rest of Sunday nobody managed to catch possibly due to the cold North wind which whistled across the lake. Monday sadly was much the same story, and at teatime Monday the guys still had only the one fish between them.

With the weather due to change significantly no one was too concerned and we all felt confident that with a little sunshine and a change of wind things would improve greatly. How right we were. Monday evening the wind died right down, and looked set to change. The temperatures without the wind chill immediately improved and so did the fishing.

At 1.30am Steve in the barn landed a new lake record Catfish weighing in at 62lb 4oz… A cracking beast almost as long as Steve was tall.

62lb 4oz New Lake Record – Steve

At 4am Keith hooked and landed his second of the week, a 21lb 8oz Grass carp. Steve then landed two more from the barn in quick succession, a 31lb 3oz mirror and a 14lb mirror, one of the few double figure mirrors coming through. Steve Taylor in Social 2 was next off the mark with a 28lb 4oz mirror at 7.30am, and then Steve in the Barn swim landed another just before reeling in for breakfast, this one was a 20lb 4oz common.

Things were looking up, and with the light S/E breeze springing up after breakfast it could only improve. Steve in the Barn landed two more Mirrors in the afternoon, weighing in at 28lb 3oz, and 29lb 2oz respectively.

Tuesday night and a few of the big girls came out to play. The first fell to Steve in the Barn, a little after midnight, landing a lovely 35lb mirror. The next mirror caught was a massive new pb for Bish in the Cabin swim at 36lb 3oz. The next was caught at first light, Keith in the double swim landing the largest of the week so far at 36lb 6oz. He followed this up with a smaller mirror of 26lb 4oz just before breakfast.

36lb 6oz – Keith

Jason who had been fishing the boat swim with little success decided on a move after breakfast and I gave him a hand round with his gear to Jack’s. He had seen a few fish showing down in the shallows early in the morning and thought it worth a chance.

At lunchtime Steve In the Barn caught what can only be a lake spawned Grasscarp weighing in at 14lb’s. Keith then had two decent mirrors in quick succession between 5pm and 6pm, a 30lb 8oz mirror and a 29lb mirror.

Just after midnight so technically Thursday there were two fish caught almost simultaneously at either end of the lake. Jason, proving that the move was worthwhile, landed a gorgeous 22lb common, and Steve in the Barn landed another Catfish, this one tipping the scales at 39lb exactly. Keith then caught another cat at 2.45am, this one weighing 27lb 12oz.

The next fish caught was at 4pm, and was a 20lb 10oz Grass carp landed by Steve down in the Barn, he was having a whale of a time down there and was catching consistently throughout both day and night. A short while after Keith caught our second ever double figure Grass carp at 17lb’s. They don’t normally breed very successfully in lakes, preferring to do so in running, or at least moving water. Tucked away as we are in a valley, it is testament to the water quality that we seem to be seeing fish which have obviously grown on in the lake as none were ever stocked as low as these.

Later that evening, Jason in Jack’s landed his first thirty of the week, a nice long mirror of 30lb 4oz.

36.03 – Bish

On Friday conditions were absolutely perfect and it was to be a cracking day for fish. It started at just after midnight, Keith in Social 1 landing a 22lb 6oz mirror.

Then at 5.30am Steve in the Barn swim landed a beautiful mirror of 37lb 5oz, as he put this back, another of his rods rattled off and resulted in a 23lb 9oz mirror. Keith then landed another just after first light, another mirror, this one weighing in at 25lb 10oz.

At 8.15am, Jason in Jack’s landed another scraper thirty at 30lb 2oz.

At 9.30am Troy landed his first fish of the week, a 20lb 4oz common. I don’t think the constant bellowing and noises he was making had helped in his cause.

After breakfast Steve who had been persevering in Social 2 moved into Stones after seeing fish in the channel. He then proceeded to have three mirrors in a short space of time during the afternoon. Proof that keeping your eyes peeled and making the effort to move can pay off. His first was 29lb 12oz, his second weighed 26lb 4oz, and his third weighed 27lb 4oz.

37.11 – Steve

Steve in the Barn also got in on the afternoon fun with another chunky mirror weighing in at 36lb 8oz. Troy whose voice had obviously gone by now then landed another at around 5pm, his second common, this one weighing 22lb 3oz. Just before he reeled in for the evening meal Keith managed a 26lb 6oz mirror.

At 10pm Jason landed his third thirty of the day and this one was a bit special, a gorgeous 30lb Grass carp.

At 11pm, Steve in the Barn landed a 30lb 3oz mirror, and at almost the same time Keith in Social 1 landed a 35lb mirror.

Steve in the Barn, then caught a 37lb 11oz mirror, just stealing the biggest carp of the week crown off of Keith by 6oz….

In the early hours of the morning there were to be two more fish banked. Steve in the Barn had yet another, a 23lb 3oz common, and Steve in Stones finished up with his largest of the week with a 33lb mirror.

All in all a good week, with every angler catching, and from only one fish caught by Monday evening they finished up with forty fish for the week between six of them. A very good result in the end.

Good to see you all guys, it was a pleasure as always, and we hope to welcome you back with a warm smile and a cold beer sometime soon..
Wally

For more information, videos and feedback from Molyneux follow the link - French Carp Lakes

Another new 60lb Carp at Laroussi

62lb

After a long and cold winter, spring is finally here. In fact, we had the wettest winter in France for 20 years! Fishing has been slow but things are better and better now with the warmer temperatures. Forties, fifties and sixties have been landed so far.

Last week, a special fish came out. Mr Diment’s party, regular and happy anglers at Laroussi, caught a few nice fish including “Le Grand Male”.
It’s the biggest male carp of Laroussi, two years ago they had it at mid forty, last year at a low 50 and this week at 62lb !

Which means a new sixty for the lake. Congratulations to DZ for that great capture, the perfect present for his birthday that week.
Well done again!

Mehdi

For more information on Laroussi follow the link - Carp Fishing in France