Fishing holidays at Sapphire

Sapphire Video

Sapphire Feedback

• Sat 10th Sep - Sat 17th Sep 2011
  M Holliday
  Lake is very wide and the fish are on the far side or in the lilly pads off pegs 1 or 2. All the fish were at the top end of the lake or far side wher...
  
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• Sun 31st Jul - Sat 6th Aug 2011
  David Whitley
  ...
  
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• Sat 23rd Jul - Sat 30th Jul 2011
  Andy Knox
  When approaching the lake it does not seem to have an awful lot of beauty about it and is quite open and basic however the more you take in the lake a...
  
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• Sat 16th Jul - Sat 23rd Jul 2011
  Darren (Stewart party)
  A lot of fish on the non-fishing bank. Also a lot of weed & swim one a lot of pads and too shallow....
  
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• Sat 9th Jul - Fri 15th Jul 2011
  Rhys Meredith & Darryl Morgan
  Good venue, good fish. Ducks a bit of a nuisance....
  
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Weather at Sapphire

Overview

When one of the top fish farming companies in France decides to open a new carp lake you just have to take it seriously.  That’s exactly what’s happened at Sapphire.  Michel and Laurent Bigot have access to some of the best quality carp in the country and the fish swimming in Sapphire reflect that.   Stocked in late 2009 and again in 2010; already the lake is producing countless twenties and thirties and many fish over that magical 40 pound barrier.

There have been some astonishing catches in the last year; with Graham Bonser banking a 100 carp in a week including 78 twenties, 12 thirties and 2 forties, while his two friends landed eighty more carp.  

Only a couple of weeks later Dan Allen fished taking 52 carp in 6 days topped by a 49lb 8oz new lake record   In total he netted over 1,300 lbs of carp with an average weight of 25lb, with these young, healthy, fast growing Bigot carp who knows where it will end. 

Sapphire is a stunning lake set in a long peaceful valley and bordered by woodland and open fields, just 1½ hours from the St Malo ferry. It has never been open to the public before but we confidently predict it will quickly become one of the best known venues in France.

But the Bigots don’t only look after your fishing.  For those wanting to bivvy up there are excellent new facilities at hand, but for those craving some luxury on their fishing holidays or wanting to take family and friends along there is a stunning converted mill house. With 6 en-suite bedrooms and a large lounge with open log fire it will happily accommodate large groups of anglers who want some serious comfort and relaxation along with their fishing.

Sapphire can be booked individually or exclusively and with or without the accommodation.

A stunning lake with great stocks of hard fighting Bigot carp!  What are you waiting for give us a call?

The Carp Lake

Sapphire is a 20 acre mature lake which nestles secretly in a valley amongst the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside.  It’s a long lake, and at around 150 yards at its narrowest anglers have a combination of plenty of elbow-room for the margins and large expanses of open water. The venue is used for duck shooting outside the fishing season so there's a higher than average population of ducks on the water.

Its deeper water runs centrally along its entire length and the bottom is a mixture of gravel, sand and clay. Fed and oxygenated by a stream the water runs out through a sluice in the dam wall created originally to feed the old mill wheel.  Depths vary from 2 or 3 feet to 9 feet closer to the dam. 

In October 2011 the lake was netted giving us a unique opportunity to see the lake bed - invaluable information for serious carp anglers!  You can watch the video here.

There's plenty of bank-side room for anglers to bivvy in pairs or to spread out, so anglers can choose to tackle this large water in pairs or as individuals.

The swims, including several good doubles, are arranged along one side, with an additional swim across at the other end of the dam wall (the lakes widest point) on the far bank near the lodge and facilities. Fishing is from one side only, there is no fishing allowed on the opposite bank, and because of this the carp sometimes stay close to the unfishable bank - so in these circumstances a baitboat is a great advantage.  Don’t ignore the margins as fish are regularly caught on the drop off at 25 yards in shallower water, and the old stream bed also provides some very attractive fish catching opportunities.

Note; One of the swims at Sapphire is a large wooden pontoon. If you fish this swim you may need some small cup hooks to screw into the pontoon if you want to secure your bivvy down. These can be bought cheaply from any decent hardware store.

The Carp

Sapphire has 2 known 50lb carp, at least 16 x 40's and an excellent head of 30's and 20's.

We can be sure of these figures because the lake was netted in October 2011 to remove its silver fish and small carp... so this was an excellent opportunity to assess the current stock.

Some carp will obviously have escaped the net but every netted fish was weighed and listed.  So here's a summary of the known fish in Sapphire, taken straight from Michel Bigot's hand written list on the day; 

• 2 x 50's - a 52lb common and a 51lb 8oz mirror
• 16 x 40's - 5 of these were over 47lb
• 105 x 30's (mostly mirrors) - 15 of these were high 30's
• 192 x 20's
• 22 doubles were returned, a mix of koi, commons and pretty mirrors

A total of 335 carp were returned to the lake and, worked out straight from Michel's list, the average size was just under 30lb.

You can watch a video of the operation here

There's no wonder that some Sapphire anglers had very big hits in 2011... and with the carp growing all the time, 2012 promises to be even better!

The Facilities

Bivvy only anglers have separate facilities just off the dam wall and this includes a hot shower, toilet, bait freezer (there is additional freezer space available at the Bailiffs house but this must be arranged in advance via the Angling Lines office), fridge & microwave. Batteries & phones can be charged here too.

Cars can be parked here but some of the pegs do have room behind them for cars if the ground conditions allow it.

Accommodation;

Sapphire offers the opportunity to rent fantastic accommodation as an optional extra. The beautifully appointed lodge offers spacious & luxury accommodation and must rate as one of the very best on our books. It’s currently used as a lodge for hunting parties and is set in its own grounds just 10 metres from one end of the lake. The bedrooms are spacious and because of the large numbers of bathrooms and ensuites it ensures privacy for everyone, even if you are part of a large group.

The lodge was formerly a working water mill and its roof windows and features make it very appealing. There’s a well appointed, ergonomically designed kitchen and a large dining room. The lounge area has a huge open fireplace so keeping warm on cooler evenings is not a problem, but the house also has full central heating should it be needed. There is also a large room ideal to take off and store all those coats and boots should you be going out in inclement weather.

General;

There’s plenty to do locally for non anglers and plenty of space for children to explore and play without disturbing the anglers. The lake stretches out in a lovely valley and whilst tranquillity reigns on the lake, shops and restaurants are only a few minutes away. 

Close to Laval at the heart of the Mayenne department Sapphire is well situated for day trips to Le Mans, Angers and Rennes.  

Carp Bait

Conditions:

• Applies to fishing & accommodation but excludes bait etc.
• Applies to a Dover - Calais ferry crossing.  Other crossings will be discounted but it may not be possible to offer a 20% discount on the ferry crossing

Conditions:

• Applies to fishing & accommodation but excludes bait etc.
• Applies to a Dover - Calais ferry crossing.  Other crossings will be discounted but it may not be possible to offer a 20% discount on the ferry crossing

Conditions:

• Applies to fishing & accommodation but excludes bait
• Applies to a Dover - Calais ferry crossing.  Other crossings will be discounted but it may not be possible to offer a 10% discount on the ferry crossing

Fishing holidays Offers

Return visits;

Visit this lake 2 (or more) times in the same calendar year & get a 10% discount on the return visits!

We have lots of customers who make more than one trip with us and we want to reward that loyalty. Certain venues have agreed to participate in a discount scheme for return trips. This lake is one of those taking part… so book a return trip and get your 10% discount!

Conditions:

• Applies to fishing only & excludes accommodation (if normally booked separately), food, bait etc.
• Applies to ferry crossing for vehicle only (excludes trailers, cabins etc)
• Members of a group booking who have not visited twice will not be eligible for the discount
• This offer is only valid for return trips taken in the same calendar year and cannot be taken in conjunction with any other offer or special discount applied to this lake

Want a price for this venue based on your particular requirements?