When’s the best time to fish in France?

Here’s the experiences of one lake owner, Martin Barker at Oakview;

Every angler who fished Oakview in its first year will know that we keep detailed catch reports. So what’s the best time to fish? – well, that depends on what you prefer really. Here’s a month by month account of the fishing:

March If it’s excellent value you are after. First three weeks are half price with a great ferry discount too. Weather is often cold and sometimes wet and windy but you can always retreat inside the luxury lakeside lodge. Fishing – no idea. You would be the first ever anglers to fish here in March.

April is the month for excellent catch reports and the fish near their heaviest. April 2009 saw a high proportion of 30’s and the lake record mirror at 39lb 8oz. Weather can often be glorious but this is not guaranteed. Fishing – its all about gambling on the timing and the stakes are high. The later you leave it, the better the weather and the more chance you will be the first ever to bank a 40 pounder at Oakview. Leave it too late and you might get stuck with early spawning.

May is the best month really to strike it lucky with the weather and the fish sizes. Glorious weather is much more likely and May 2009 saw the highest average sizes of just under 29lb. It also saw carp spawning though. Fishing – High risk – high reward. Catch them just before spawning and the chances of 30’s and 40’s are at their peak. Catch them just after spawning and it would be runs, runs, runs, but some of the lower 30’s will now be upper 20’s etc. Catch them during spawning and well, that’s your luck.

June. Glorious June. 37 out in a week by one day fishing angler, 21 out from another and consistently high catch rates during the day. Average fish sizes had dropped but boy were the anglers happy. You have to get in really early for June at Oakview though. No availability until 2011.

July and August.. As the weather gets warmer and warmer, the fish show the first signs of having binge-eating parties followed by a hangover. They appear to move around the lake en mass, pick a lucky angler for the day and then go off to sleep. Fishing – one angler saw 5 on the bank in a day, but nothing the day after, then it would be another angler’s turn. Still, 21 out 2 weeks on the spin in the height of an exceptionally hot August wasn’t bad.

September. September is said to be an excellent time for fishing as the weather starts to cool a bit. In 2009 it didn’t cool down at all and the near drought conditions continued right up to November. Nevertheless, September 2009 saw some anglers averaging more than a fish a day without even night fishing.

October. Early October saw a short cooler spell and a bit of much needed rain. Enough to put 5 nice carp on the bank in one day for the lucky angler who was here fishing alone that week. Total catch was 7, so patience pays off. Fishing – one of our control fish was caught and it showed that at last the carp had started to put some decent weight on again after the exceptionally long hot summer. October is often much warmer than March and the last 2 weeks are half price for 2010, so great value as well.

So there you have it. The best fishing months at Oakview in 2009 were June for pure runs, April for runs and fish sizes and mid-May to mid-October for fishing plus good weather.

Watch our for our next news, which will be a blow by blow account of fishing at Oakview in spring, the time of the lake records, PB’s and runs galore for those who fished here in April.

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