During a session on Monument carp lake in France Paul Cooper gives hints & tips on how to safely look after our beloved carp.
Carp Fishing in France at 36 Carp Lakes
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Knockout Start for Notaire’s with 46 carp
New PB for Steve – 38lbs 4oz
Steve Grant got the Notaires season off to a flying start landing 46 carp to 38lb, fishing daytime only.
The fishing wasn’t easy in the first half of the week as Steve battled high winds and heavy rain but as the weather improved mid week the lakes really took off.
Rachel's 1st ever carp -17lb
Steve’s tactics were to bait up several spots with a mixture of the house hemp/parti-mix, and then move between them, topping up the freebies after a take.
The runs were coming so fast that Steve downsized to just two rods and even then had three double takes while playing fish that he had to leave to be dropped.
On the Thursday Steve hooked into a big fish and after a good fight landed a new PB of 38lb. This also became the first fish that we chipped in our new fish management programme (more about this later).
The icing on the cake came on Friday when he persuaded his wife Rachael to have a go and she landed her first fish at 17lb (and lost a bigger fish – sounds like an experienced angler already!).
Congratulations to Steve and Rachael on their new PBs
A Different Approach to Carp Fishing
A Different Approach…
by Salv Licata
Most, if not all, anglers head to France with a single minded mission to capture a monster carp & I suppose I’m no different… it’s something anglers all dream of and it’s something that seems to be more readily available in France. However, if I’m brutally honest, a lake record wasn’t the be all and end all for me. I wanted ideally to catch fish using traditional tackle, simple methods, preferably stalked, and anything that pulled back on the line a bit.
My two fishing buddies, Brian “Ealy” Steeley and Paul (Stoke on Trent champion distance rower) had been toMas Bas before, and I have listened to 2 years of tales that were spoken with much affection and wonder for this lake and location.
So did it live up to its name? Yes… and then some more!
From the car park I walked up the stairs at the side of the house and not 20’ away was the lake. To the right was a beautiful willow; on the left bank across the water were trees with red leaves. The left bank caught my eye past the little island – this looked an ideal stalking place (if there was a way through the branches), as did the far end of the lake which had an inlet and lots of overhanging trees.
I had bought carbon rods and bait runners, alarms and all the other gear which is standard carp fishing gear now a days, this was the first time I would use them, so they were set up and organised.
Then the rain set in & I was getting cabin fever sitting behind buzzers! I was catching the odd fish, grass carp mostly, & I know this way of fishing works for most people, but I found it a very detached way of catching fish. So on the third day when the rain stopped, a centrepin, cane rod, float and a tub of fat worms were quickly put together.
The first dip of the float was the cause of enough excitement for the video camera to come out. I was sure it was a good carp as the fight was so much more dogged than that of the grassies. Eventually my first ever sturgeon came to the net.
Brian had actually caught this fish the same morning and believe it or not we caught it six times over the week between us, all on different baits! It was 9lb 6oz and had two marks behind its gill plates, so anyone who catches it in the future can see how it’s growing.
So armed with my wellies to plough through the puddles and mud I started exploring. There are some mouth watering little spots and as you get towards the shallows there is evidence all over the place of big fish feeding… and being spooked by me as I heavy bootedly worked my way around.
I stopped by the inlet which was a torrent because of the two days of heavy rain. I looked down and not two feet away from me were some huge carp pushing for prime position for food coming in through the pipe.
I set the float at about four feet and put a shot about six inches from the size six hook baited with four of the biggest worms I had. I very slowly lowered the worms down but the flow of water was so strong the next time I focused on the bait it was twenty foot away and surfing on the top!
So the split shot was made heavier and the worms went down again. They bounced across the bottom & all I was thinking was will it be the huge common or the massive mirror with the yellowy belly?
Within sixty seconds I was in! I was waiting for the pull from a thirty pounder, it never happened. This fish I hooked was fast and zigging all over, trying for the sunken snags… but it lacked the power.
When I got the fish out of the net I saw the most beautiful fish I have ever seen & I am very happy to have caught it. I call it “the fire fish”, it was around around 6lb or so & when you look at the photo below you’ll see how it got its name.
After a few snaps I was stunned to see fish still by the inlet. So I baited up and did exactly the same. Within sixty seconds the float went down and I was in again. This fish caused me to get a good grip of my centrepin handles. I couldn’t afford to let any line out, the bend of the rod would have to fight the fish for me, there were too many snags in every direction.
Eventually the ferocity of the runs receded and another odd looking fish was on the bank. This was around 18lb and is actually the big orange fish Giles is photographed with on the Website.
Half an hour later & another location – that’s the thing this wonderful, moody and charismatic lake offers for anybody who cares to move away from standard buzzer fishing. Looking down from a high vantage point I could see through branches that were still waiting for leaves to grow yet more big carp!
I set everything up, landing net on the left, unhooking mat soaked and on flat ground, hook baited and big split shot changed for small split shot, worms swung out in a left to right arc which put them almost under the overhanging b
ranches. I tightened up on the line so the weight of the worms were cocking the float.
This time it took longer for action, at least two minutes, and the float slid away sideways. I had a hell of a battle that in all fairness I shouldn’t have won. But I did and I’m glad to say I did it my way!
I shouted Paul & he thankfully came around and helped with weights etc – 27lb 15oz. Strangely this was the first of four 27lb carp that I caught while stalking during the week.
This is just a snippet, or a taste of what you can find at Mas Bas. I spent more or less the rest of my week doing this. I had a small interlude with the bass which have now changed location on the lake as a result of the sturgeon stealing their patch! The bass are a great change of scene from the carp; I would urge anyone to try for them.
What I hope comes across in this report is not so much what flavour boilie or what rig works (for the record the £5 worth of worms caught me 80% of my fish compared to the £80 or so of boilies), but the feeling I got of pioneering and exploring a brand new Redmire. It does have that kind of mood about it, you never know what you are going to find around the next corner or under the next snag.
Looking forward to my next trip & thanks to Giles’s dad for creating the pool in the first place, to Giles and Leslie, ginger cat… and of course the wonderful carp!
98lb of Common Carp in 24 hours!
Jonny smashed his Pb – 49lb
Rob & Jonny have just landed 2 commons for 98lb in just 24hrs at Lac du Val !
Rob baited up the big tree with corn pellet and Lac du Val’s to land his Pb @ 49lb 8oz and hit his target – his method was a pop-up tipped with corn
Jonny baited up the willow, left it all day then dropped a rod on top of mixed size LDV`s ( 10, 15 & 18mm). A snowman nailed it and smashed his Pb by 20lb!
Heaven is Lac du Val!
Rob hits his target - 49.08
Monday, 28 May 2012
New Lillypool Lake Record Common – 43lb 3oz
43.03
A new Lillypool lake record common for Martin Larner @ 43lb 3oz - a new PB for him.
It was his last day and it came with the last cast of the week!
Record Breaking Week at Molyneux…
42.12 – The lake record Common
Molyneux Report to 14th April 2012;
Saturday arrived and after an early breakfast, Paul was on his way. Living Ooop North, means he has an awful long drive from Dover, so he set off in plenty to get home during daylight.
Our next anglers consisted of two parties of friends who all travelled across together.
Richard Dawson, his sons James, and Matt, and their mates Reece, John, and a non angler Perry who had come along for the social side of things. The guys had the obligatory cuppa and after introductions and a chat about the lake we wandered round and showed them all the swims.
John, and Matt decided to plot up in the double, whilst Richard chose to fish from the Barn swim. James set up In Social 1, whilst Reece joined him fishing in Social 2
The weather was much the same, chilly, although a lot more overcast, and there was the promise of a massive drop in air pressure, and rain to come on Sunday night/Monday morning.
There were two fish caught late Saturday evening. James was first out of the blocks with a 27lb 6oz Mirror, John following closely behind with a common of 19lb 8oz.
Matt had an early morning call in the shape of a 28lb 8oz mirror at 2.30am, he was up again at 5am to photograph a stunner of 36lb for his dad Richard in the Barn swim.
Just before tea, James was in again, this time a 24lb common. With the promised weather closing in, things were looking very good.
The next morning the chill wind had died, it felt distinctly warmer, and the pressure had dropped, large clouds loomed over the slopes of the valley, and it looked like we were in for a drop or two of rain any moment.
The fishing had followed the pattern of the night before with four fish being caught between 2am and 7am, Matt started the ball rolling with a 32lb mirror, John chipped in with a 23lb 5oz mirror, Matt then had a 24lb 2oz mirror. James around the other side of the lake had only the one fish, but what a fish. A cracking mirror at a weight of 40lb 2oz. The first time this fish had been caught over the magical barrier.
40lb exactly!
The rain came at around 2pm in the afternoon, dropping steadily straight down as it moved slowly across the lake. At around the same time, the two guys in the social swim suddenly became very busy, with James landing a gorgeous 30lb 2oz common, Reece following closely with a mirror of 33lb, and James catching his second forty of the day with another new one of 40lb exactly.
Two new forties in one day was excellent news for Helen and I, and of course Molyneux. The lake has so much potential, with lots of lovely big carp in, it is a slowly slowly scenario, where you watch and wait for the carp you know so well to grow and prosper. Finally it seems they are getting there.
9pm saw John land another fish of 27lb 4oz. shortly after Reece landed his second of the trip at 28lb, this was quickly followed by his third a 31lb mirror. James then capped his day off in style with a mirror of 38lb 4oz just prior to midnight.
Richard had a 23lb common during the night, and James landed a 30lb 4oz mirror at dawn the following morning.
After a slow morning, things picked up again at lunchtime, with James away again, this time landing a 15lb common. At the same time John in the double swim was photographing a 32lb 12oz mirror. Half an hour later, James lands another corker of 36lb.
At 4pm Richard landed a 37lb mirror. After dinner the guys headed back to their swims and it wasn’t long before James was in again, this mirror weighing 37lb 8oz.
At midnight, Matt caught a 29lbmirror, at 12.30 James had a 31lb mirror, a short while later John caught a 25lb 8oz mirror. Then at 1.30am Reece landed a 38lb mirror.
At first light John had another, a mirror of 25lb 8oz, then as the guys were gathering for breakfast, someone spotted James playing yet another fish across the lake in Social 1.
This was to be the highlight of an already extraordinary week. A stunning common of 42lb 12oz, a new lake record common. Surely this could not continue.
That afternoon James had a 29lb mirror. 7pm and Richard in the Barn had a 36lb 12oz beast, his third fish over 36lb’s. There were two fish out around midnight. James with a mirror of 24lb, and Richard again with a 23lb 2oz common. John then landed two before first light, 23lb common, and 25lb 12oz mirror. James also had another just after first light, a mirror of 23lb.
For the first time this year fish and plenty of them had been coming out during the day, so Matt having had no luck in the double during the day decided to try the cabin swim and see what happened. His luck changed is what happened. Within half an hour of casting out, he was in, the result a 23lb mirror, and it wasn’t long before he and I were guesstimating the size of another much bigger chunk in his landing net. Neither of us guessed it right though, it was a massive 37lb’s. A male fish, built like a pit bull with attitude to match, it fought like a brute and looked like one.
Meanwhile, just before tea, James who was on a mission now to beat our previous record of 48 carp for a group, almost single handedly, landed another thirty in the shape of a 33lb 4oz beauty.
By breakfast time on Friday four more fish had been added to the ever increasing total,
Reece contributing two mirrors of 25lb 4oz, and 29lb 12oz. James had of course chipped in with two, a 21lb mirror, and another massive fish of 38lb 4oz.
Reece had fish in front of him now and was making hay while the sun shone, (so to speak as it was still peeing down more than it was dry.) He caught two more mirrors of 30lb 4oz, and 26lb.
40.02
That evening Matt, deciding to do the last night in the cabin swim was rewarded with three lovely mirrors, of 29lb 6oz, 33lb 2oz, and 27lb. Richard landed a 30lb 2oz mirror.
In the early hours of Saturday morning Reece had two more, both mirrors weighing 26lb 10oz, and 36lb 4oz.
A record breaking week in so many ways, A total of 52 carp landed, for a total weight of 1’543lb’s between 5 anglers. The average weight across the 52 fish being 29lb 10oz, Incredible!!
It proves that all the winter feeding is doing the fish and the lake the world of good, Almost all the fish were in stunning mint condition, with a few showing signs of flanking or flashing over either stones or branches and having the odd nasty scratch, all were treated with a very good Koi treatment and will heal well, and continue to thrive.
It was a pleasure to meet you all guys, I am so pleased that everything clicked for you with the weather conditions and the fish playing ball. You undoubted angling skills shows that with a little application and working at your fishing, dreams can indeed be made at Molyneux.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
54lb 2oz Common for Leanne
54.02
Lac du Val lady angler Leanne lands 54lb 2oz common breaking her Pb by 6lb
20 minutes previously she had landed a 15lb 4oz lake record tench.
What a start to her week!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)