Jan 2007

An Overview of our 2007 results!, 1st Jan

Firstly, we wish a Happy New Year 2007 to every angler and especially good health.

Many thanks to all our customers who spent time with us in 2006, respected our rules and made for such a good atmosphere at the venue. We had many repeat bookings, with many regulars; this is the best proof you can offer to us, that we are on the right track.

The 2006 season has been an excellent fishing year with plenty of pb’s broken every week! From March to November most of the weeks saw forties coming out with plenty of high thirties.

Some spectacular catches have been recorded: for example, Mr Mank and Mr Longman both caught 2 new fifties at 50lb 4oz.

Mr Goodman broke his Pb mirror twice at 42lb 8oz and then with a huge mirror at 69lb 8oz – a fraction under 70lb'er - a new lake record!

Mr Dobbs caught a 34lb 4oz, 43lb 3oz, 48lb 4oz, 49lb, 57lb 12oz and a 58lb! in the same week totalling, for his party 18 mirrors for a fantastic 40lb 12oz average weight!

Mr Blake managed a new sixty at 60lb 2oz.

Mr Morris broke the lake and French record brown back sturgeon with a monster of 71lb 3oz.

Mr Raoul had 2 runs at the same time and netted 2 big catfish at 70lb and 76lb, awesome!

Mr Martin party caught a record of 53 fish in a week, including a lake record grass carp at 43lb 12oz and a 56lb mirror.

Mr Woltman caught 2 fifties at 50lb and 58lb, Mr Hodder broke the lake record koï at 18lb.

Mr Chawner finally had his dream come true: in the shape of a 59lb 8oz mirror while his brother managed some forties, etc.....

However, Mr Naylor had the most amazing result catching 2 differents sixties during the same week at 60lb and 60lb 6oz! Since last year, he has caught 4 different sixties! Awesome! Congratulations!

The average size of the mirrors landed this season has also been very high: between 30lb and 35lb, with several anglers having an incredible week’s average at 40lb 12oz and 41lb 3/4.

The catfish weights have been also very impressive: indeed, the smallest out this season was 64lb! The monster however, avoided capture but snapped up many lines.... it was 96lb in 2005, so we bet it will top 110lb + in 2007.

We saw some very big grass carp on the top during the summer, with one particular specimen uncaught estimated at 50lb!

The fish growth rates have not slowed down: the catfish stocked in 2005 between 40lb and 50lb, have been caught at 64lb, 68lb, 69lb, 71lb and 76lb in 2006! A carp whose weight in 2005 was 36lb topped 50lb in 2006!

Many high thirties will break the 40lb barrier soon and will increase the already high number (around 30+) different 40lb fish. We expect also the higher forties (46lb, 47lb, 48lb and 49lb) to make it into the fifties, to add to the 5 known specimens. We also hope the 2 high fifties will produce new sixties!

Some surprise fish have also been caught this year for example a huge eel of 1.40m, a 22lb pike, a 2lb 3/4 roach, a 7lb crucian carp, a 2lb 3/4 perch  and a 2lb 8oz crucian koï ...

Here is the table  with the record weight per species to beat:

Mirror : 69lb 8oz            Linear : 35lb

Catfish : 96lb                 Fully scaled : 38lb 8oz

Grass carp : 43lb 12oz  Two tone : 39lb

Sturgeon : 71lb 3oz       Ghost common : 22lb

Common : 44lb               Orange Koï : 18lb

Leather : 50lb 4oz          Crucian carp : 7lb

We want also explain to our future customers Laroussi is not an easy run water, but a challenging, big fish water. You must work hard, use quality baits and be patient to hook them.

You never catch loads of fish but you can expect to catch some true monsters! Each run can be a 70lb+ carp, sturgeon or catfish and maybe a 40lb grass carp.... so please to avoid the problem some faced in 2006 & bring a bigger set of scales of at least 120lb... 60lb is not enough!  You’ll need a good antiseptic such as Klinik and a large good quality unhooking mat. These points are only to protect our fish and not to bother you.

Baitboats 

We would like to point out that baitboats are only allowed when there is an exclusive booking of the whole lake. Due to reliability problems, we have sold our 2 Lakestar baitboats. We are building 2 new baitboats for the coming season. They will be available from Mid March.

Winter improvements 

During the winter, we have worked hard to improve the fishery. We had promised during 2006, some improvement and we are at the moment working on these.

Laroussi

Like the previous winter, we have planted some new trees : weeping willows in some pegs ie:

“La Plage”, “L’Anse” and “Les 2 Saules” so anglers will have more shade during the hotter months of the summer. In total, there are 17 new big trees around the lake.

We have extended “Les 2 Saules” swim and dug 2 steps to facilitate the landing and releasing. It is much more confortable now.

A big part of the fence has been changed between “La Pointe” and “le Haut fond”.

Old Oaks 

We have brought in more earth to some pegs to avoid the rain damage problem and cut down some of the old and dead trees.

New fish stock 

We have carefully selected each fish... young, fast growing, different shapes and scales patterns has been released. 

In Old Oaks, 4 new big mirrors: a superb heavily scaled carp of 37lb; another long 37lb’er and 2 forties at 40lb and 42lb (lake record!) So now, anglers will have runs and runs and the chance to catch a lump!

In Laroussi to complete the excellent existing fish stock, quality virgin fish have been stocked.

250kg of babies grass carp will regulate the weed problem. (Please if you catch some of these young grass carp, carefully release them straight away and don’t use them for live baits for the catfish...)

2 new big catfish of 44lb and 48lb will help the others cats to regulate the silver fish population. (You can use a fourth light rod to float fish for the coarse species but please don’t release them... keep them alive in a keepnet.)

Finally, 11 lovely carp have rejoined the depths of Laroussi : 4 good mirror of 33lb, 34lb, 34lb 8oz and 37lb; 7 common between 22lb and 32lb including a magnificent ghost carp and a golden one.   The cheery on the cake was a amazing perfectly conditioned common of 44lb!!! 

We hope all these details will improve the comfort of your holiday and will satisfy you.

Thanks you very much

Happy new year with plenty of carp!

Tight lines 

Mehdi