The Mill - May 2011

Back to Boux Aug 2010

Here's a selection from a 44 fish haul from Boux consisting of 1 x 40, 19 x 30's and 24 x 20's.

Weekend at Abbey June 2010

We, my Girlfriend and I, arrived at the Abbey Lakes Clubhouse around 11ish on a miserable looking Friday morning after an early chunnel crossing and relatively stress free short car journey. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by an excited Rob Hughes whom was sitting down with a cameraman having a bite to eat. He was absolutely buzzing with tales of an excellent week of filming for a new Avid DVD that will feature a couple of my dream targets in Shoulders and the Grey Lady that had already come out of the Heron lake. The good news was that the fish were absolutely everywhere and up for a feast! The news got even better as there were very few Anglers on both lakes probably down to the fact that it was the World Cup with England’s second group match that evening which we agreed to meet up with Rob and the others to watch in the Clubhouse that night. I bid them farewell and was off to have a good look around both the Fox and Heron to see where would be a good place to make a start.

I usually have no problems locating the Abbey fish as there are so many and they are not shy of showing themselves so was not surprised to see a couple of shows in the first swim on the central track between the Fox and the Heron, however, I prefer to have a good look around before opting for the first swim and was amazed at just how many empty swims there were! I settled on swim No 11 on the Fox that commands the top bay where I’d seen some nice dolphin like displays and a few bubblers. Perfect!

I explained to my Partner, whom had never been camping before never mind Carp fishing in France, that I’d need to get my rods out first and since it was not drizzling anymore I’d put the bivvy hotel up later. Luckily this went down ok! Good start! I soon had my rods in confident positions and was impressed with the latest “A bait” from Jay Rider that had been so successful at Teillats and a proven winner when combined with the Cell that the Abbey fish absolutely love! Just needed to get off the mark and teach my new camera lady how to take a central trophy shot!

It wasn’t long before I had my first take and was gutted when I got weeded up and lost it due to excessive pressure that resulted in a line break! a) Just like any Angler, I hate losing any fish….especially the first one in France! b) I should’ve got the boat c) I should’ve used 45lbs Quicksilver leader d) My girlfriend never heard me swearing like that before! LOL!

Hey ho, that’s fishing and excited humans make mistakes……I soon changed to the Quicksilver and found out that the lakes shared boat would be available to use should I need it. I was glad just to be on the fish anticipating another chance! The next action wasn’t too far away and resulted in a nice 23lbs Mirror a little down in weight and flat across the belly, however, I was pleased to get this one in and critique my Gilly’s photography skills! Not bad for starters but would need to get quicker if I were to be holding up a lump!

That evening came and went in a flash as it seemed to take all afternoon to set-up camp as well as good bobbin action, eating, drinking and generally really enjoying the start of the weekend…..luckily I made a very wise decision that evening and gave the Algeria game a miss! I was far better off fishing and loved every minute of landing my 2nd fish of 38M and then a 3rd of 43M…..now my photographer was getting impressed! “Next one will be a 50” If only it was that easy!.... The next one was back down from the clouds at 30 but who cares….they were having it big time in the Bay! The Quicksilver was helping but the weed was really thick in places so I tried to steer the fish out of these areas but unfortunately they knew exactly where to go and I still managed to lose a couple more before getting access to the boat that really was a big advantage.

After a much needed rest I was awoken by the sound of crashing fish in the Bay that turned out to be spawning fish in the edges of the weed. A couple of sausage sandwiches were washed down with a couple of mugs of tea before roaming around to the end of the Bay to check out the carp orgy! What a sight! 40’s, 50’s and possibly even bigger Commons were thrashing through the weed causing a massive disturbance around all areas of the margins! Maybe the action would dry up today but who cares….I’d had a great time already and anymore would be a bonus!

We headed round for a nice hot shower and change of clothes to freshen up and get settled down for a nice day’s fishing and chilling out in what was turning out to be a sunny intervals type of June day around 18 degrees. Jereon Flokstra was my neighbour for the session and is always there when ever I am, even in the depths of the harshest Winter! He was being filmed by Rob for the Avid DVD and had already caught some nice fish to mid forties….looking forward to seeing this DVD when it’s out later this Summer…should be a really good one with lots of stunning Abbey fish!

Back to the plot…..my fears of not having anymore action due to the spawning ritual soon disappeared with another couple of 30’s and a nice 42M. Most of the fish I saw spawning seemed to be Commons so was not too surprised to only be catching the Mirror’s but then when a scarred mid-twenty common arrived I soon put him back and that explained why the Mirrors appeared to be in better nick as this had to be the second spawning of the Season.

 

That evening was spent with a nice bottle of red to wash down the Red Thai Curry and to smugly bathe in what was turning out to be a really good session, just needed that something a little bit more special to complete the icing on the cake with a cherry on top. Before dusk the receiver was squealing out yet again and I was bent into another lively lump….by now my Girlfriend knew the drill and with this particular fish I didn’t need the boat and was soon wading along the margin to the spot where I can safely land a fish without too much weed trouble. The lead was released on the take and the fish was ponderously wallowing on the top and slowly heading into the direction of the net….I could see it had a very large head and was praying yet again that this one didn’t pull out.

I let out a “Yeesss!” which signalled a successful netting that motioned my Gilly to wet and zero the sling, refill the water and prepare the camera, by this time we were joined by Rob, Jeroen and a few others whom just happened to be passing by…. “Scraper 50” I estimated as it certainly felt heavier than the previous fish but you never know thus I wasn’t surprised when the Reuben’s spun around to 49.14 and flicked too 50.04……”50” was the consensus and who was I to argue! Rob kindly took some really good snaps followed by plenty of handshakes, pats on backs and plenty of celebratory drinks that night! Happy Days indeed!

The following morning with brew in hand I was still on cloud nine reminiscing about my first 50+ this year from Teillats and now one from Abbey!….2010 is going to be a memorable year and I’ve still got six months to go!….surely I wouldn’t have a 60!!!, that’s just far too greedy….I mean, I would’ve have settled for just the first three fish on the first day of the weekend and here I was on ten good fish to 50lbs with a night and a day still to go!

Usually I never reel in and take a shower but given the company and the way things were going, I couldn’t resist and ended up having one each day! The toilet and shower block have been refurbished and are much improved, they also now have an essentials grocery shop and an improved well kitted out tackle and bait shop. Abbey certainly goes from strength to strength and you are always made welcome there by Evelyne, Cedric, Julian or Sebastian and certainly by Jeroen! A big thanks to you Guy’s for making my best ever trip that even more memorable!

The last night and day continued with six more fish that included a stunning Mirror at 46lbs giving me 5 x 20’s, 6 x 30’s, 4 x 40’s and a 50….that’s sixteen with an average size of 35lbs for 3 nights and 3 days not too shabby considering I had lost or pulled out of about another 10!!! Before I sign-off from another memorable blog entry, I’d just like to thank my new Gilly and expert photographer and formally announce the sacking of my old one! Lee you know it’s nothing personal Mate, but you simply don’t have the same smile Fella! Be lucky.

Teillats 2010 - Spring this time!

I'd been toying around with the idea of going back to the lake containing those monstrous carp a tad earlier than usual this year to see if my two latest theories would lead to fruition....The first hunch was that the fish would be more spread out and not stacked up in one of the four bays; thus a good chance no matter what swim we ended up in. The second being that the weather during the first week of April would be better than it's been in recent years due to the fact that we were overdue a "milder" Winter! How wrong can one be! Hey ho, luckily the first hunch would be more accurate!

Upon meeting and greeting the other ten excited Anglers down at Relyon Parking in Dover, it was time to sit back, relax and sleep off the beers consumed whilst waiting for the coach and on the midnight ferry crossing to Calais. It appeared as though the arduous journey went much quicker than normal mainly due to the good banter being had with the Fella's which mainly consisted of Southern “Softies” with a couple of Northern “Monkeys” thrown in for good measure! It was nice to hear that one of the Northern lads Michael had been reading up on my blog for information that brought a smug grin to my face at the mercy of much piss taking from my other two “Dear Mates” Lee and Colin!!!

We soon arrived earlier than usual although more unusual was the fact that we were the first group of 2010! The first two weeks seemed unpopular this year mainly down to the harshest Winter for some time and subsequent low water temps, although the forecast and brisk wind direction looked very promising indeed. We greeted Jake the bailiff with plenty of banter and joyful reminiscence and set-off for the guided tour around the barren looking lake.

The first swim we came to was the new’ish swim along the field bank called “Manny’s” that covers the bay to the left of the Bailliffs Point. As the group marched on we held back for a longer look as the chilly wind whipped into the carpy looking bay, when suddenly a dark fish popped his head out amidst the mini waves! “That's encouraging!” I exclaimed to Lee.

We completed Jakes entertaining swim tour and knowledgeable feature tutorial and gathered around for the draw. I ended up picking out of the bag around 6th or 7th with my two mates out earlier although I wasn’t too bothered fishing for the Social as it’s the lumps we are mostly after thus any celebrating could wait! My number one choice is always "New Biffo's" as I’ve never fished there; followed closely by "The Bailliff's Point" which I had fished before. Unfortunately they had both already gone although I was well pleased that my partner in crime Lee had managed to get into my second choice and was pleased again, after I drew ball number 11 and found that Manny’s, where I’d seen that fish show and the wind was banging into, was still available! Happy Days!

Manny's

Saturday is always a tiring day thus I just like to fish singles with no bait and within minutes had four rods cast out, with limited disturbance from the marker rod, at four varying ranges.....one was covering the bay where I’d seen the show, one to my far left along a reed lined margin, one straight out “pub chuck” style and the last one to my right hand margin under-armed out. I was fishing for lumps again and happy and confident so opened up a cool can of Stella and meticulously set-up my home under “the” tree looking out towards the Bay. It's a nice comfortable swim Mannys with steps down to a stage therefore bringing the Worldwide pod was a bonus! The lake appeared very sparse and barren after what seemed like a de-forestation throughout the Winter as it was strange to see the majority of the swims with far less foliage and leafage at this early part of the Season.

After about only one hour of having the rods out the one cast towards the show pulled up to the top with what turned out to be an aggressive liner and not a take…..I was onto it in a flash and cursed when no resistance was felt! The rod went back roughly into position with a satisfying thud as the rig was feathered down into approximately 10ft to15ft of depth. Confidence had been boosted to that lovely warm buzzing nervy shaky full of anticipation state that we carpers love to experience!

Quite surprisingly I had no more occurrences throughout the remainder of the day so by dusk I reeled in and had a cast about with the marker rod in front of and to the left of me consciously leaving the bay undisturbed in case I’d spook whatever was on wind. I found some prominent features at depths of 12ft and 14ft and lightly baited with a mix of the latest A-Bait and Cell that had served me so well on my previous trips. I went to bed absolutely shattered with a belly full of Jakes “new” curry washed down with a few more Stella’s in a confident and contented mood.

The night passed by like it never happened such was the depth of sleep I had with no alerts from the receiver only inches away from my ears!…..the kettle was fired up and it was time to get back to watching the water for anymore “head poppers” to show. My Mates Lee and Colin came around to my swim on their way to breakfast to chat about any happenings worthy of note either in the Shithouse Bay or the Bailliffs point when whack! The rod on the gravelly spot in 14ft was away! I sprang out of the Armo and flew down the steps to the churning Mag Tech and gently leaned into the fish…..this felt big!

The sky was steely grey with the early morning biting chill instantly freezing my hands but I didn’t care as I carefully controlled the clutch to ensure the powerful surges were not overstraining my 16lbs Tigerline! I’ve lost big fish at Teillats before so was playing this one extra carefully taking no chances and soon had the other rods reeled in and out of harms way! Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed before we got a first glimpse of the Mirror…..I was starting to shake again and it was nothing to do with the cold! Another nervy five minutes passed by before the fish was safely in the net when a sudden rush and sense of relief washed over me! At this point I then realised that I couldn’t feel my hands! “Forty?” I asked Lee whom landed the fish…..”At least” I think was his reply! “Nice one!” I said excitedly!

It wasn’t until the preparations for the fish were made and the first time I picked up the net from the water that I realised just how bloody heavy this fish was! “This is well over forty Mate” I said puffing out my cheeks. We hoisted the lump onto the tripod and just by looking at Lee’s face I could tell it was something a bit special……I glimpsed at the 120lbs Reubens and could see that the needle was in a position that looked like it was back at zero! At 58lbs 4oz I was well and truly overjoyed!

58lbs 4oz Mirror.

Breakfast tasted great with a few hot brews as I re-lived the capture and the feelings of smashing my PB and becoming a new member of the 50’s club with Jake and the Fella’s in the hide….if only you could bottle that “excited kid at Christmas” kind of feeling! I happily made my way back round to Manny’s with a plan to fish three rods to that depth and within 5, 10, 15 yards of the gravelly spot…..another few handfuls of A-Bait and Cell were despatched and a very, very happy camper sat back thinking about the earlier moments and how great it was for the week ahead!

Lee and I decided to have a celebratory drink or three so paced out the half-way point between the Bailliffs Point and Mannys where we sat down and clinked bottles together looking out across the windswept bay. It always amazes me how a take will come out of the blue when you least expect it as within minutes of sitting down my ATTS receiver squealed it’s shrilling call….I was instantly doing a “Boult”!
It only took me seconds to get back to the offending rod which was satisfyingly next to the one I repositioned close to the 58 spot. This time the fish felt smaller but a fish nonetheless and was not prepared to lose it. Lee soon had the tips in the water as I didn’t want to reel any of the others in…..I looked down at the rod on the left of the spot and saw that the line was caught on the alarm so I asked Lee to untangle it just in case. The fish continued to fight well when all of a sudden the other rod started churning away!!! Lee was soon bent into what he said was another lump!

I always take two landing nets so was keen to get the smaller of the two safely into the net so that I could take over on the larger prize! Lee was keeping the fish at distance whilst I netted what looked like a nice scaly Mirror. Lee handed over the rod and said it felt like another good fish…..he was right.

The fish plodded and plodded and on occasion the line flicked off the dorsal fin where for a split second or two it feels as though it’s somehow dropped off and your heart misses a beat and I always sigh….Please don’t do that FFS!!! Another 5 -10minutes had passed before we caught the first glimpse of a Common where all kinds of thoughts race through your mind! Is it my turn? I thought to myself….my turn to land one of the big girls…..a fish of a lifetime! Calm down, calm down I said to myself and just focus on getting however big it is safely in the net!

A cheer came out as my third fish of the trip slipped into the other net greeted by a firm handshake and a slap on the back from Lee…..”Cheers Mate!” “It’s not quite the Generals Mate but at 42lbs 8oz I was more than happy and also happy with the “mini” scaly Mirror of 23lbs and ounces.

42.08 Common and 23 Mirror

Time to celebrate again with a few beers with Lee whom was genuinely made up for me…”Nice one Mate and many thanks for the camera work, just hope I can repay the compliment” I said. I soon had the three rod trick back out to the spots and topped up with more of the winning formula. I was ecstatic with my start to the week and had all sorts of glorious thoughts whizzing around my head! (Maybe something to do with the Strongbow!) That night zoomed by without anymore action although there was some really strong winds now hacking into the Bay which made me even more confident but all of a sudden the weather took a change for the worse when the wind dropped and high pressure took charge.

Bank holiday Monday morning soon rolled round with clear blue skies and an unwelcome frost although the familiar Teillats “Ghosts” were shimmering slowly across the ripple less surface….Heaven! With brew in hand I watched the water again for any signs of fish but could only see the odd lump splashing out in front of Jakes Bivvy and New Biffos which had done a few smaller fish but unfortunately everyone else appeared to be struggling.

The Spring like day was spent watching the water and drinking beer in the now much warmer climate….bliss! I was not complaining too much that the swim had slowed down but was thinking about how long I would sit it out in Manny’s before making a move when something caught my attention in front of Lee’s swim…..I paged him on the radio phone and asked if what looked like a Coypu in front of his swim was doing the breast stroke or butterfly??? His response was “Back stroke”! He wasn’t that far wrong as the back belonged to a large carp in distress…..shit! It was making large bow waves and swimming around in circles before beaching itself in the reeds next to the Bailliffs Point!

Lee scooped the fish up with his landing net and called Jake for an inspection of the mid-forty plus Mirror. Strangely enough the fish looked absolutely fine so we left it in the net in the deep margin to “revive” for a while and oddly enough after an hour or so it swam off strongly no worse for the strange display! Weird or what!!!

That night Lee pushed out in the boat a tad further where fish had been showing and dropped an A-Bait paste bomb off around the mid-point between the Bailliffs and New Biffos. He would get off the mark with a 32lbs Mirror….nice one.

Tuesday was almost a repeat of Monday weather wise and I was starting to get concerned as the Bay had been devoid of fish that was also confirmed with no more liners or any indication that I might get any more action……although I remained upbeat as it was so early in the week still and I’d seen a lot of shows in new places…..we just needed the Anglers and swims to start producing and keeping the fish on the move. Unfortunately the Anglers whom had fish in front of them were not fishing on top of them and were not putting much bait in! This frustrated me a bit as I always try and give people a steer when asked and believe me I was asked a lot having been a regular for some years now, however, none of that really mattered as the swim next to Lee called “In between the trees” was free but the wind was on the turn again and was now pushing into Colin and the Shithouse bay where he’d been “breamed”!

That night I was rudely awoken by an excited Lee whom I thought was winding me up when he said he’d just had a 51lbs Common and would I do some snaps! “Quality Mate…..Well Done, now we’ll be celebrating your PB as well”….so we did in style! The move was put on ice mainly due to the wind change which on Wednesday was now hacking into the last swim on the Field Bank! Surely Rory and / or Arron would have some action…..they did but only landed a 28lbs’er and got cut-off on the shelf a few times! I won’t go there again about 45lbs Quicksilver which is banned but suffice to say that you never know what you are losing when fishing Teillats…..it could be a 8lbs Bream or a 80lbs Common! Anyway, back to the plot…..Lee was absolutely over the moon and rightly so….little did he know that his mood would improve further the next day when he beat it again with a stunning big common of just under 52lbs!

51 and 52 Commons

 Now I normally don’t wait too long to make my mind up to move when I’m not seeing any signs or feeling less confident of some action therefore I soon reeled in and moved “In between the trees” much to the displeasure of the Danny Fairbrass lookalike one down from Lee but rules are rules and if there’s a free swim with nobody bivvied up in then the water is in theory yours! I was soon rowing out and dropping my A-baits and Cell around 90yds past this fella’s casted left hand rod that was fishing smack bang in front of the vacant swim….he came round when I stuck out my marker rod and highlighted just how far short and left he was angling and luckily saw the light however, I wasn’t expecting his mate fishing in Biffo’s to come round and begin a debate of how far away from his swim I was! This was getting messy and I thought about moving back! The thing is with these swims is that deception plays a huge part when looking at a boat out in the open water. Luckily I had a banned H-block with me and asked him to try and cast to it where I’d drop my baits…..he got nowhere near it!!! Problem solved! Phew….now I could focus in peace and concentrate on the water and having another celebratory beer with Lee.

Time flies when you’re having fun! Friday was a beautiful Summers like day with no frost and only the sound of nature to soothe the head after another bite less boozy night! Lee had another two fish early doors…..40+ Mirror and a mental 29lbs’er that tore all over the place with a tail like a 50! He was really pleased with his five fish tally and rightly so…..I just greedily needed some more action myself now although it was already shaping up to be a perfect trip with PB’s smashed in what was rolling out to be a very slow start to the season with the majority blanking! I genuinely felt for these Fella’s as I can relate to what a blank week feels like having been there done that…..however, they all had an opportunity to move and they were mostly not fishing to where they were showing…..As Jake says…..you might as well talk to the fucking tree!

The day passed by and we got stuck into yet another case of beer lounging around basking in the hot sunshine when out of the blue my receiver begins to squeal!!! I’d literally not heard it for the best part of five days so was elated to get stuck into another fish! The long range rod with around 8kilo’s of A-Bait and Cell was under stress right from the moment I hooked this torpedo that made me think that a big cat was responsible. Pure and simple….I hate cats! But was not prepared to let it go thus aired on the side of caution until we got a glimpse to confirm…..the problem is that it took the best part of 45mins to do this! Was I over egging the cautious play? Was it a 120+ cat? Or was it a large carp??? “Danny” climbed the nearest tree and confirmed the latter making me a nervous quivering wreck with proper jelly legs! Awesome buzz! After the hour mark had passed I began to have a small audience all taking the piss but secretly willing the fish to give up so that they could see what was tearing my arm off! The mouths of these fish are really soft and with big barbless hooks you just have to wear them down and pray they don’t drop or cut you off!

The last half hour was exhilarating and frightening all at the same time although I had a good team of tree climbers, beer openers and an eagerly awaiting netsman in Lee with waders on in the margin.

This fish was mad! It had no let up in him and we were all getting twitchy to see which one it was! Jake had his opinion kept to himself although by now I was just hysterical with laughter that a carp could continue such long powerful surging runs characteristic of a large moggy! Eventually the fish got into the upper layers and began to tire….what a fight! Lee got him at first attempt and huge roar came out! “How big Lee?” Which one is it?” I asked excitedly…..”It’s not that big!” came the disappointing reply but at 48lbs 12oz I was more than happy and will remember that fight for the rest of my days!

48.12 Hard Fighting Bastard!

The photo session was hilarious with Jake leading the way with a mooney in the background and a bucket of water over the head for good measure! Lee was quick to quip “Looks like twins in that photo!” Good memories, lengthy celebrations, hilarious banter, fantastic weather and a really top week that will be hard to beat. Teillats really is the lake of dreams that will keep us going back time and time again until one of those massive commons crosses one of our paths! Until next time…..be lucky!

No Comment!

Teillats August 2009

I started getting excited the moment the phone went down on Owner Si Haldane back in June when I'd managed to secure a place back to Teillats for another crack at those massive Commons! Unfortunately I'd be going it alone this time as my partner in crime was unable to fork out for what would've been our third trip together already this year, a year which will stand out in my memory for many years to come. Six trips to France, one to Redmire (and catching!), the most fish out of my Syndicate and not to mention one out of the local ressie!,....this year will certainly be a vintage year to remember.......yes I'm now Divorced!

I'd been keeping a close eye on the weather and the very few reports back from the lake which were mainly from the Forum......for what ever reason, the web-site is well behind, not only on the lake reports but also from a rule perspective......more on this later as I want to set the scene on this particular trip and on those previous trips I'd been on which were a mixture of blanking and the odd fish or three. Essentially the draw can make or break your trip depending on the conditions and the mood of the fish, I'll elaborate.....each previous year bar one during mid-Summer I've witnessed high pressure resulting in fish being grouped up in Bays or one or two particular swims.....the one year we had low pressure, the fish were well spread out with the vast majority of Anglers catching a reasonable number of quality fish. This trip was to be consistent high pressure so getting into one of the Bays looked a good bet.....it turned out to be a reasonable assumption, although which Bay? With the closure of the Crescent, due to the abundance of thick mussel strewn weed, the swim affectionately named; "Shithouse Bay" looked a great option and became my no. 2 choice as "New Biffo's" will always be my no. 1....until I blank in there of course!!! No. 3 was "Nice Andy's" which was next to the closed Crescent with No. 4 being the "Bailliff's Point"....just needed a good draw!

The first picker came out with the last ball.....unlucky for some No. 13! He would have to take what's left! Next ball out.....No. 1! Bollocks! That's New Biffo's gone! I had the 5th pick and pulled out ball no. 5! Excellent! The House of Poo Bay was mine.....staggered that nobody fancied it from the first 4 picks....oh well, at last a good draw!......just needed to get the mountain of gear around the other end of the lake, crack open a Strongbow in the warm sunshine and get fishing....Happy Days!

Home for the week - The Shithouse Bay.

Saturday's at Teillats is normally a write off for me although the previous year I had one and lost it within an hour!....hook pulls can be a nightmare here as the mouths are softer than your average carp coupled with the fact that the weight of these fish are above the average size! I'd pre-loaded each rod with 20ft of 45lbs Quicksilver attached to 16lbs Big Carp Fluorocarbon, 2oz running rigs with 18" of 15lbs HiQ2 rigs with an "A" bait and Cell snowman critically balanced on a D-rig.....these were instantly "pubchucked" with Solar nuggets and forgotten about whilst I took my time, relaxed and then slowly set-up base camp in what was now a glorious mid-Summers day that would continue right through the week...God help those on the Field Bank!

I hadn't fished this swim before so was keen to get the boat, fish finder and prodding stick out to have a real good poke around to build a clear picture of likely spots and where to avoid the treachorous weed which was not only in front of me but also on the far bank where the Crescent was closed. I literally had the priviledge of fishing around 75% of that end of the lake! The remaining 25% was unfishable due to the weed....God it was thick and menacing with those razor sharp mussels that would make short work of any mono, lead-core or even heavy braid! This would surely be the best test for my Quicksilver and I would need to fish locked up so that no carp could get a head of steam up.....only a big cat would cause me a problem!

I soon found a few nice spots.....two fairly close to the left hand marginal tress in 9ft of water on gravel and one silty area in 15ft of water and not too far from the underwater world of weed in front of the plateau near the Crescent. I conservatively scattered a few mixed handfulls of "A" bait and Cell along with a mix of pellets that covered the spots and reeled in for dinner....this would be the first and last time that I'd reel in for dinner as I like to team up with my neighbour and ensure that my time here is utilised to the max! I'm convinced that bite time for us is in sync with bite time for them and the less swim disturbance around 5pm and 9am the better.....Just one bite here can be the fish of your dreams and I always have a "keep it in the water" policy just in case the General's Mate at 80+ fancies a nibble while I'm fetching my pie, beans and chips!

A quick drink and a few cracks with Jake and I'm back to the swim for my first sortee of rowing my traps out for the first night on my own....ie usually my partner in crime holds the rod or rods whilst dropping baits out....but this time I had to improvise.....using fluorocarbon can be a nightmare with an open bale-arm with line spooling off and able to tangle with anything in it's way! To overcome this I routinely submerged each reel in the margin and removed each bobbin and rotated each hockey stick and let the line pass on top of the buzz bar opposed to through the alarm! I also made sure that the snag leacer knot had passed through the tip ring before having the confidence to row out 150yds to the furthest spots! This takes alot of patience although I was soon into a routine and was soon comfortable doing two at a time in the dark.

The first night was mad! Not from a fishing perspective, although a few lumps were out, but there was a party going on somewhere near the river.....fireworks, singing, shouting, loud music,......it was going off!!!! I was knackered and in much need of some sleep after all the travelling through the night, the 2hour delay we had, the Strongbow, the sun, some red wine and could feel a serious headache coming on when out of the blue I awoke to the welcoming sound of my receiver! I was out of the bivvy in a flash and into a plodder from one of the marginal tree spots......after a carefully played and spirited fight the first fish of the session was a 25lbs Mirror which looked like it had a few old war stories to tell as it displayed a serious battle scar on one of it's cheeks.....I was off the mark and pleased to open the account so early on......hopefully this will be the smallest.....and it was!

Old warrior - 25lbs

It was soon Sunday morning so I made an early brew and sat and watched the sun and mist and carp out in the lake....a truly special time that I would repeat each and everyday of the trip, I was lucky to have plenty of fish in front of me! I gave my receiver to Ed my neighbour whom was making his first visit to France, and went to fetch breakfast. Ed was also off the mark with the long Common at 63lbs! What an unbelievable first fish to have......just goes to show how awesome this water is....Well Done Ed! All the lads on the trip were sound and All put in the customary tenner for the biggest fish which Ed had one hand on.....staggering to think just how many fish are over this mark! More on that later!

The first night done a few fish and looked promising for the week....Bullseye was out at 50lbs from the field bank, a 40+ had been out from Nice Andy's, Ed's 63, a few Cats and plenty of cut-off's!!!! Jake made a point to All of using Quicksilver and I must've told most on the way down.....even still, people ignored this and lost God knows what......yeah you can convince yourself it's only cats BUT truth is you don't know.....trailers have always been a problem at Teillats NOT just in the extreme case of the weed this year.....so the simple moral of the story is....USE A SNAG LEADER! I've found 45lbs Quicksilver to be adequate.....if you find a better one then all the better......don't risk it!

Back to the blog....Sunday was hot and I spent alot of it watching the water and drinking beer and sunbathing and generally enjoying being alive! I'd noticed that fish were very close to the top and soon had a zig out amongst them to see whether I could tempt one!

Fish close to the top......surely they would take a Zig!?!?!

I know for a fact that back at home I would've been licking my lips in anticipation of a few takes but out there it seems that any bait on top or close to the top appears alien to them....really weird!... but I would persevere nevertheless. It soon became apparent that takes in the day were going to be few and far between due to the schorching temperatures. The day passed by too quickly and I was soon back out in the boat and topping up the spots with a good mix of soaked seeds, pellet, boillies and chops......I've done well abroad this year with T1 cow cola, tuna and sweetcorn soaked with the seeds and pellets so was confident in putting in a liberal amount this time......I was soon into some early night action!

Getting bigger - 32lbs Mirror

40.08 Mirror

Ed was kind enough to assist with weighing and taking some snaps whilst continuing to have some quality fish himself.....fish of 49m and 48c were backed up by a few 30's.....Nice Angling Mate! Not a bad way to pop your cherry in France methinks! The following day was kind of a Groundhog day where I'd been up most of the night rowing out baits, playing fish, setting up due to trailers, drinking tea watching the mist and sun and carp, having breakfast,......when all of a sudden the sequence was broken by a War Cry of GET IN THERE!!!! Must be one of the Commons was my immediate thought! I grabbed the camera and ran down to where the whoooping and a hollering was coming from......New Biffo's to be precise! Chris had started off slowly with only a 23m, small cats and a few cut offs.....he changed to 45lbs Quicksilver that I supplied him after his complaints and that night he had a 79lbs cat and then followed it with the most awesome sight in 27 years of carp fishing I've ever seen.....

The Digital Common - 73lbs 3oz!

The width of this fish has to be seen to be believed....simply jaw dropping! The whole episode was surreal beyond belief and a memory that is firmly etched in my mind forever! This is why I do this I thought......this is why I spend all my hard earned money and invest so much time away from family and friends for moments like that.....one day this will be me struggling to hold one of the biggest Commons in the World......I wish!!!

Back to the Shithouse! I'd taken loads of photos and drank a few celebratory beers on Chris' behalf and focused on my night ahead......there's still five bigger than that I thought and it's only Wednesday!!!! That night was probably the busiest night of the week for me with only one carp, (a 37M), to show for it.....it was busy for all the wrong reasons, cats, trailers and a bream.....I was in and out of the boat and bivvy all night and by the morning I was shattered.....I tried sleeping in the day but it was far too sweaty in the bivvy so I had to make do with Zig fishing and drinking beer! Life's a bitch! Jake stopped by for a smoke and a chat when out of nowhere I had one bleep and a nod of the rod on one of the 13ft Zig rods! I was in! Four days of persevering had finally paid off but having such a small hook and a long 12lbs Zig was not going to be easy to land! Luckily Jake was there to assist.....the fish kited and pulled line from the loose clutch...I didn't want to lose this one and I knew it wasn't a cat or a bream!

The fish felt big and when it decided to go round to the weed mountain to my right, I had no choice but to get in the boat with Jake and find another angle to avoid being cut off there and then! We managed to row out beyond the weed and luckily the fish was still on....it came up and then went back down....it looked like a decent fish but we kept quiet trying not to lose it or fall in as I had to stand up due to the length of the Zig! By now we had a crowd gathered in my swim....they must've thought I had a biggun'! It wasn't but all the same pleasing to have one on this method in the heat of the day......at just under 30 I was satisfied unlike the moans and groans from my unimpressed audience!

They do take Zigs! - 29lbs 12oz Mirror

I was really enjoying myself with plenty of action each night and now managing one in the day.....Ed and I would battle it out for top rod....he was a couple in front on nine and I was ready for a productive night of carp! I was not disappointed, the first being a stunning half linear of just under 40 and then an awesome pb Common of 43lbs 4oz! Well Pleased with this one as I'd pulled out of a good fish previously at the net and was devastated as I'd vowed not to lose any on this trip but sometimes you just have to take it on the chin.....at least I wasn't getting cut off!!! Famous last words.....later on in the night I had an absolute belter on a rod fished locked up! Must've been one of those big cats as every other take was simply pulling tight and kiting but this fella was having none of it! I didn't need to wind down on him as the line was already taught and up in the water.....there was nothing I could do but hang on! It ploughed through the Crescents' underwater world of weed and cut me off on the IQ! Ferocious stuff! The Quicksilver done it's job although on closer inspection I had to change it as it was badly frayed by the mussels in the weed! Big Pussy.... I thought! Hoped! I soon got the rod re-tackled and rowed back to the spot and sat down in the moonlight with a beer in reflective mood and flicking through my productive nights snaps.....

Half Lin - 39.08

PB Common - 43.04

























39.12 Mirror

























The last day and night rolled round all too quickly....I decided to sleep under the stars and packed the bivvy away after dinner and was well prepared for a final night of carp action.....if only I didn't need to bring the flipping boat back that evening! Jakes had all sorts of problems with people leaving broken row locks and/or bait covered boats in their swims on the Saturday morning so he makes sure that the boats are back Friday night....this I had an issue with because all my takes were coming at night and I was only having more action when they were repositioned.....the inevitable would happen!




I took my boat back after dumping my remaining bait and dropping my rigs on the spots and sat enjoying the last evening's carp showing display to finish and the action to start. It wasn't long before the trusty left hand marginal tree rod was pulled tight resulting in a nice 32M.....with the tackle I had there was no way I could put this back out on the spot so cast this near to a spot that I'd been baiting up throughout the week and which had already produced a nice 36M. The next action came around midnight to the silt area....a nice long common 33lbs.....this brought my tally to thirteen. Again I had to make do with casting and that was the end of the action.....I'm sure I could've had another couple with the boat but hey ho.....there were five Anglers that blanked and I thank my lucky stars that I wasn't on that one again! Ed finished with ten and was more than happy....Chris finished with the biggest fish and what a fish it was....one I certainly won't forget...Well Done! The tally for the week was extremely low...only 37 although a good few of us left with pb's and most agreed that seeing the Digital was worth coming for alone!

33lbs Common and 36lbs Mirror



















The Lads!



















Until Teillats 2010.....All the best!