We asked Mark Bushell to provide us with a few more details of his magnificent 61lb Margot common;
Hi David,
The 61.05 came from peg 4. I was using Fox titanium rods (12.6 ft,3.25 t/c) paired with Shimano 4500's (filled with 18 lb Krystonite line).
As for bait this was one single fluoro yellow Nash mutant plastic bolie,with a small PVA bag filled with halibut pellet.
Hook link was again 18 lb Krystonite with Fox Arma size 8 hook, Fox camo brown tubing with lead clips,to a 4oz lead.
The big common was my third fish and came at 19.49 on Monday evening.
I've also attached some of my other notable Margot captures.
Regards, Mark.
The 61.05 Common...
50.04 Diamond Back Sturgeon..
38lb Albino cat...
40lb mirror...
41lb... another cracking common!
31lb Grassie...
Date:
October
2009
Details: Another Monster Margot Common Breaks the 60lb Barrier!
Mark Bushell was the lucky captor of this magnificent 61.05 common, yet another common over 60lb for Margot.
Margot must be about the best chance in France of landing a 60lb+ common... surely one of the most sought after fish for a specimen carp angler.
Well done Mark!
61.05 ... what a magnificent fish!
Look at the width of the back!
Date:
August
2009
Details: Monster Carp Parade
My fellow Angling Lines venue owner Michel Bigot netted his own Margot Lake recently for essential fish management and I was very privileged to be invited along. As anticipated with this fabulous fishing venue, the number and size of the fish was staggering.
The 350 carp netted saw an endless parade of 30s, 40s and 50s. Plus of course Margot’s famous monster commons, which weigh in at over 60 and 70lb. The lake’s other giant commons easily matched the largest of the mirrors pound for pound.
A great number of large carp and other fish either escaped the net completely or jumped for freedom before the sorting began and I didn’t see a single small carp. I estimated the total carp stock at over 400, the smaller of which would be classed as decent fish at my venue.
The 40 or so cat fish included some 80lb whoppers in a range of colours equalled only by the bright orange and brilliant white of the large koi carp. A small number of sturgeons between 50 and 70lb also showed up for the photo call.
About 250 grass carp weighing an average of 4lb 8oz were also netted and these were removed as potential nuisance fish. They have been transferred to a holding pond where they await their next mission to control weed if required. Only the largest grass carp were returned to Margot.
Apart from 500kg of small grassies, no other nuisance fish were found and although not considered a problem to carp anglers, about 50 000 small zander averaging 4 inches in size were removed to the stock ponds. These could attract cormorants and other carp enemies in the winter months, so out they went too.
With no nuisance fish and no weed problems, I don’t think that there has ever been a better time to fish magical Margot where dreams can become reality. A venue where 40 and 50lb mirrors have to bow to their torpedo-shaped common cousins who are 20lbs their senior. A venue where even the few Koi and grassies run to 40lb+ and the odd sturgeon and cat comes in at 60, 70 or 80lb.
I returned to Margot last Friday to check how the latest group of anglers were getting on and I walked in on a celebration party. The runs were so thick and fast it had been every man for himself and they hadn’t had time to add up the group totals. “About a hundred fish with loads of upper 20s and 30s and a couple of 40s” was all they could tell me at that point. Nobody had missed out on the feeding frenzy.
Some used to say that Margot could be a difficult lake to fish in the hottest weather. Not any more it seems. One of the best carp venues ever? Who knows but Margot must now come close, very close!
Martin Barker – Oakview Lake, Angling Lines.
Escaping the count
Parade begins
Cat wrestling
Sturgeon returning
Monster common
60lb and 70lb commons
Date:
May
2009
Details: Common out at 67lb
From: Koen Timmers Sent: 23 May 2009 16:00
To: Gareth Watkins; Linda Latham; Bridget Keep
Subject: Margot record fish!
Hello Angling Lines,
Maybe you remember, i went from 25-04-09 till 02-05-09 to Margot with my dad. When we arrived we all choose our swims, a draw whasn't necesarry so we picked peg 6. I whas the only one fishing but we caught some really nice fish including the lake record fish at 67lb.
The owner of the lake have seen the pictures as well and other fisherman, we compared the fish with the same fish that whas caught at 71lb a few weeks ago and he said it whas the same fish. Some other experienced fisherman told me to send anglinglines the pictures of my record fish, so i did. I hope you like the pictures and maybe you can use it for advertisement or something else.
Cheers,
Koen Timmers
Date:
April
2009
Details: STOP PRESS! Big common comes out at 71lb!!
Margot Common comes out at 71lb!!
The Simon O’Brien party from Wales fished Margot from the 4th to 11th April, 2009 & what a session they had!
In total they caught over 200 fish, the most notable being:-
• 71lb common - caught by Mark Long
• 55lb common - caught by Andrew Riste
• 49lb common - caught by Andrew Riste
The haul included 5 x 40’s and 70 carp over 30lb, plus the biggest cat was 52lb.
There is also a story to the big common which Mark will be ribbed long and hard about. He had gone to bed without any rods in the water, being so tired from the huge haul they were getting. Some of his mates passed him by, chuckled… and decided to cast a rod out for him.
He awoke to the run very confused, as he thought he didn’t have a rod in!
Guess what… it was the 71lb’er! So the big girl came out to a single hook bait!
Date:
April
2009
Details: Margot Produces 53lb Mirror.
Margot Produces 53lb Mirror.
The Etang de Margot has got off to a cracking start with a number of big carp banked. We already announced that the big common graced the banks at a new lake record weight, well the mirrors are coming out too the best to date 53lb 8oz.
This fabulous fish was landed by French carper Lionel Lomet from the peg nearest to the facilities block. Conditions were not easy with a north wind blowing and temperature dropping to -4° overnight.
Fishing at just 40 metres from the bank with a Coconut/scopex boilie and a light baiting of free offerings, the take came at 4pm to a bait presented popped up.
Despite this success Lionel was unlucky enough to lose the big common at the net just days before it was eventually landed at the new record weight of 74lb.
Date:
March
2009
Details: Margot Record Falls
News from the Margot bailiff, Laurent, that the giant common from Margot graced the banks to the first group on the venue this year.
Mr Chris Morton and his co-carper from Peterborough fished the venue from the 21-28th March and really got amongst the fish landing over 60 carp in the week.
However the icing on the cake came with the capture of the biggest fish in the lake - the Giant Common allegedly tipped the balance at a whopping 74lb!!!!
This incredible fish (if the weight is confirmed) is only a couple of pounds short of the World record!
We're contacting Mr Morton's party & we'll have more info as soon as possible and hopefully some photos.
Date:
February
2009
Details: Additional Stock for Margot
The 24th of February saw Michel Bigot’s “Etang de Margot” get a boost to its carp stocks. In total 70 large carp to 49lb and 4 Koi were introduced to this prolific venue taking the total stocks of carp to over 400 fish.
The vast majority of the carp were in the high 20’s to low 30’s with the jewel in the crown being a magnificent 49lb common, what a superb fish!!
So now there are two very large commons in this famous lake including the lake record of 66lb.
The fish included:
* 33 x thirty pound plus carp the best specimens were: 49lb, 38lb 6oz, 35lb 8oz, 35lb (Commons); and mirrors of 34lb, 33lb 5oz,
* 46 x twenties from 21lb 5oz to 29lb 15oz and one double figure fish.
Margot already had an impressive head of carp, but these new fish will certainly add a boost to the lake and we fully expect to see some excellent catches in 2009.
Date:
November
2008
Details: Margot : New Stock to be Added
Margot: New Stock to be Added
Brief news from Michel Bigot at Margot is that he plans to add between 50 and 100 extra fish to the lake in either December or January.
His stock lakes have been particularly productive in large carp this year with excellent growth rates. So it's good to see that not only lakes wishing to buy top quality stock carp have the choice, but also that Michel is adding to the carp stocks in his own top classes fisheries to further improve anglers sport in 2009.
We'll post more news as we receive it.
Regards, Gareth.
Date:
April
2008
Details: The Big Common comes out at 66lb!
Margots famous big common has made its first appearance on the bank at 66lb!
Lucky captor was Andy Lennox who used a Carp Company Caviar/Cranberry boilie, 8inch Atomic Tackle 25lb jelly wire hook link, Korda wide gape size 6, 3oz Atomic Tackle dung lead.
The fish was caught from the left hand margin of peg 2.
Well done Andy!
Date:
March
2008
Details: Margot Update
Some recent news from Michel Bigot’s Etang de Margot. I was there this week and was able to see at first hand the improvements to the site and the stock that have taken place over the winter.
Lake Work
Firstly the guys got a digger in to renovate the swims. Railway sleepers were used to consolidate the banks and prevent erosion from the wave action eating away at the margins. These were then backfilled with stones and gravel to provide a firm and dry place to set up to fish. I was really impressed that despite the torrential rain they have had over the last few weeks, the pegs were perfectly dry and clean… no need for boots and your bivvy will stay mud free.
On the subject of the rain, many of you will have been aware that the venue has suffered from low water occasionally in the past. Well I can say that those days are over and Margot is now brimful. In fact it has never been so high. The water is up to the top of the banks and even behind the reedmace in places. Fortunately the good design of the swims has left these dry and out of the water. Fishing will therefore not be hindered one iota.
Additional stocking
Recent stocking saw 46 fish added from 16-27lb for an average of 23lb. These young and fast growing carp should all put on three or four pounds by the summer. During my visit the final batch of fish went in consisting of ten carp from 28lb to 32lb. All in all this represents fifty four extra carp and a brace of mid-twenty sturgeon.
With the removal of small carp and poisson-chats late last year the improvements to venue should be quite pronounced for the anglers visiting the lake this season.
Tight Lines
Gareth
Date:
September
2006
Details: 2.5 tonnes of Poisson Chat removed from Margot!
News just in from Michel Bigot the owner of Margot.
He netted the lake last week to undertake routine fishery management. He took out 2.5 tonnes of Poisson Chat & about the same amount of silver fish. This will ease the problems the Chat have been causing with the carp baits no end!
Date:
July
2006
Details: July 27th. Much less weed now...................
Angling Lines Director, Gareth Watkins, is fishing at Margot this week. He tells us that the weed has greatly died back but the poisson chat are driving him mad! Tiger Nuts (available cooked on-site) and netted baits are very much the order of the day. However, they are catching very well with numerous fish up to mid 30's.
Gareth is accompanying Paul Cooper & Jim Kelly who are producing an article for Carpworld on their session. It'll be reproduced on this site so you'll be able to read a full account in the near future.
Date:
April
2006
Details: Great Start for Margot
Hi Bridget, thought I would let you know the first party did well with around 60+ fish for the week including 2 x 50's, big sturgeon and catfish. Great group of guys. I should be able to finish the gravel around the last few swims as soon as the bank has dried out a little. The two guys on this week are also doing very well carp to 40lbs+ already :-)
Pretty fish!
Big Sturgeon!
Date:
March
2006
Details: Venue improvements at Margot
We reported a couple of weeks back that the owner of Margot was carrying out some significant facility improvements. These pictures show the new swims, boats, BBQ pergola & refurbished shower/dining cabin. Add these to the fantastic stocking we reported recently & you’ll see why we’re confident that Margot will be a top class venue in 2006.
Date:
February
2006
Details: Restocking of Margot February 2006
The étang de Margot in the west of France near Angers, is an ancient lake dating back to the 13 th century.
It was acquired in 1987 by the present owner, Michel Bigot after it had lain fallow since the 1800's. As a fish farmer he stocked the lake and opened it as a carp fishery.
As most people will know France was hit by drought conditions last summer and Margot was particularly affected and had problems with low water levels, oxygen depletion and unfortunately a few fish deaths. The owner took the decision to close the lake and to net the venue by way of a rescue mission to save the carp. The larger specimens were removed and transferred to a safer haven.
Click here for a detailed article on the restocking event.
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