Details of your catches:

We caught 25 fish all three of us mirrors, common at smallest was 11lbs to the biggest carp 42lbs, a majority in late 20lb mark, I beat my record twice with a 28 and then a 32lb, the fish were spotless hardly ever a mark on them

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Definitely use Martins bait he has as the boilies we took didn't work

Were the facilities what you expected?

Absolutely, the house was amazing and clean and lovely decor, and the shower is lovely too, the lake itself is amazing and is bigger than first thought, the area is lovely and quiet and the views of the stars at night is incredible.

Were you happy with them?

Yes absolutely

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Yes indeed

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes

General Comments:

We miss the place already and would loved to have stayed longer. Martin was a lovely bloke and could have a good laugh with, next time we will fly and hire his tackle absolutely as the drive was 13 to 15 hours all in from sw london, we will definitely be back 100 percent.

Details of your catches:

Approx 35 fish including 4 x +40lb. Biggest 46lb 10oz. 10 x 30lb. Reminder being majority high 20lbs.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Plenty of boilies over simple rigs. Majority of our catches were far bank from main pegs under trees. A few from the dam wall.

Were the facilities what you expected?

Yes

Were you happy with them?

Yes, the accommodation was simple but clean and comfortable

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Yes

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes

General Comments:

I emailed the owner Martin a few weeks before the trip. Martin made the time to call me on the phone rather than email. He answered all of our pre-holiday questions. Lovely chap and we hit it off from the go. We arrived at the venue and Martin was waiting with a warm welcome. We travelled by car so hired all kit from him. It was all really good kit and more than enough for what we needed. Martin is the kind of host who will give you as much advice and attention as you need but I think he would also leave you alone to your own space if that's what you wanted. Full of tips and venue knowledge. We would suggest using Martin's bait as the fish seemed to love it. We have exchanged numbers and hope to stay in touch. He has a great sense of humour. This was our first fishing holiday and we had the best time. A perfect venue for family with younger fishermen. All completely fenced off and gated and safe. The local area is beautiful but very quiet.

Details of your catches:

We'd had a very busy year so just wanted somewhere nice to relax and do a spot of fishing. Bears lake fit the requirements perfectly. The apartment was quiet and allowed my partner to sit back and do some reading. The large TV was great to connect to my lads Nintendo Switch. The lake was stunning and allowed me to chill out and catch some nice carp in beautiful surroundings. I had 12 carp and lost one just fishing short day sessions. I caught commons of 11, 23, 23, 24 and 30.8lb. And I caught mirrors of 22, 29.8, 29.14, 37.8, 43(twice) and 43.10lb. I probably could of caught more than this if I had moved about a bit but I was quite happy to relax and fish my spots. With flat calm sunny days and cold starry nights the weather was not the best and a lot of fish had been out the week prior to us arriving. Fishing had slowed but I still caught ample stunning carp.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

I fished simple running clips with coated braid slip d rigs utilising either a single bottom bait or snowman presentations. Feeding RG Baits vitalac boilies over the top, little and often.

Were the facilities what you expected?

The cottage was stunning and had everything you needed for a weeks fishing. It was a little rough around the edges as Martin the owner(a very pleasant and hospitable chap - sound guy!) had only just bought the house but he was aware and on with what needed doing.
The local area is very quite but the Intermarche at Nontron can supply you with plenty of decent food for the week.
We also visited the Grotte de Villars caves and garden, these were spectacular and very reasonably priced - well worth a trip.

Were you happy with them?

Yes, the facilities were good enough for us.

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Yes, I would definitely recommend Bears lake to a friend. Beautiful location with some stunning carp.

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes, I would definitely recommend Angling Lines Services to a friend and have done on many occasions. This is the 7th trip with Angling Lines and have been pleased with all of them. Top angling service!

General Comments:

Bears lake is a little gem.

Details of your catches:

There were two of us fishing for the week, fishing from the middle swim, one fishing towards the dam wall end and one towards the shallower end. In total we caught 51 fish, carp up to 45lb and also a catfish of 45lb. All fish were in excellent condition with a varied catch of common and mirror carp.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Nothing overly complicated. We used lead clip set up when fishing towards the dam wall as the bottom was siltier and more leaf debris. We used an inline lead set up on the shallower harder areas. Shorter hook links seemed to be better. We simply found spots and regularly spread boilies around. We initially caught during the day however once they became aware of our presence we mainly caught during the night.
Stalking off the dam wall during the day when the spots were quiet was very productive.

Were the facilities what you expected?

Facilities were excellent. We stayed in our bivvy however we had the use of the apartment in the house which was extremely clean and well equipped. This had two bedrooms with one double bed and 2 singles, kitchen, lounge area and bathroom, all very comfortable. Freezer space was available along with fridge which had been stocked with complimentary water, soft drinks and some beer which was a really lovely touch.
Nothing was too much trouble for Martin the host. He was always on hand if we needed anything. Martin gave us our own privacy even though he lives on site. We questioned why he hadn’t joined us for a beer however he was respectful of the fact we were a couple and provided us our privacy. However I have no doubt he would join a group of guys fishing for some banter and a beer! Martin is very laid back, he was happy to leave us to our own devices but would happily share any advice and support if required. Martin’s main focus is to ensure you have a really good time and fully enjoy your time at the lake.
The lake is extremely quiet and tranquil with no light pollution, it gets very dark at night with amazing views of the stars!!!!
We didn’t use the food package however judging by previous comments and the conversations with Martin we would seriously rethink this next time!
Having the accommodation is a great asset to the Lake especially for anyone fishing with family that would like a little bit of luxury or in bad weather which provides some additional comfort particularly for winter fishing.

Were you happy with them?

Extremely happy with everything.

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

We would definitely recommend Bears Lake to anglers that would like to fish an easier water with a good stock of quality carp. Fishing from one swim wasn’t a problem as the fish moved around, unlike some other waters where you may need to chase the fish. We didn’t feel the need to change swims during the week as the fish moved between the shallower and deeper water.
Although there are no doubt similar sized lakes closer to Calais we felt travelling the extra distance was worthwhile for the larger catch rate and quality of fish. Lakes closer to Calais are likely to be more heavily fished and potentially not providing you the quantity of catch and the quality of fish that you will achieve here.

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes definitely. We had to make a couple of changes to the ferry times and they were very obliging and efficient. We were kept well informed throughout the booking process.

General Comments:

We travelled with our dog Coco which was a first experience for us. Bears Lake is fenced all the way round and we found it to be very secure. Martin was very laid back and accommodating of Coco, we felt comfortable to allow her to be off lead during our stay.