Details of your catches:

Peg 4 – Glen
Mirror Carp – 44.1lb, 42.1lb, 38.5lb, 54.8lb, 39.14lb, 38.9lb, 36.4lb, 41.5lb, 38.8lb, 32.9lb.

Peg 3 – Jamie
Common Carp – 63lb 3oz (Long Common)
Mirror Carp – 34.7lb, 37lb, 38.2lb, 45lb.
Grass Carp – 34lb, 34.4lb.

Peg 2 – Darren
Mirror Carp – 40lb, 41.12lb, 31.8lb, 28.6lb, 42.9lb, 33.5lb, 45.8lb 49.75lb, 42.9lb.
Common Carp – 48lb, 37.10lb.

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Critically balance wafters wrapped in Korda Super Wrap, topped with either pink or yellow pop up corn top. (see comments below)

Were the facilities what you expected?

As we visited before it was exactly as we expected

Were you happy with them?

Fantastic facilities could not have been better!!!

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Definitely!!

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Definitely!

General Comments:

We arrived for our next visit to Old Oaks, three of us fishing the lake. It being the first, second and third time to fish this fantastic lake!

The facilities were as always fantastic, no issues what so ever it has plenty of room inside both fridge and freezer, the shower was so great after a days fishing with a huge water tank supplying hot water! Mehdi had just replaced the freezer as the previous one had decided to give up after 13 years! He met us at the entrance and opened the gates to our home for the next week, the great thing is that he will just leave you to it, unless you have an issue then he is there straight away.

So weather conditions were set to be perfect with the storm having pushed through a few days earlier, and low pressure set for the flowing week. We fished Pegs 2,3 and 4 and were able to spread our rods around all sections of the lake. The baits we used were the following;
Essential Cell (The Bait and Feed Company), The Nutz and Jackie Chan, Rock Lobster (Active Bait Solutions).
We also fed Particle and sweet corn, together with various sized pellets, together with crushed and broken up boilies, with some secret liquids to enhance the flavours in the water.

We set up and within minutes we thought we were going to be cursed with the Poisson Chat, all three catching them almost immediately, so we then wrapped our baits using the KORDA Super Wrap, and from that moment we have no further issues at all with the Chat! Mehdi said we would need to work for the fish, and this is what we did.

It took a few days to figure out their hiding places but once this was established we were onto the week of a lifetime. Basically during the day, the fish hugged the far margins as the water level was around 3-4ft, and a ledge was formed about 4-5 feet in width, this then dropped off rapidly to around 10ft. Also casting to bubbles in the deeper water paid off. Normally within 20 minutes the fish were hooked and fighting.

The fish sat in the margin during the day, and then dropped to deeper water at night. Fish during the day coming from 10am – 8pm, and then in the night from 2am-5am. These fish fight so hard, they just don’t know when to give up! They hold the depths right up until they are near the rods, and then when they come up, away they go again fighting, it was the best fighting fish we ever encounter.

Here are the fish weights per peg;
Peg 4 – Glen
Mirror Carp – 44.1lb, 42.1lb, 38.5lb, 54.8lb, 39.14lb, 38.9lb, 36.4lb, 41.5lb, 38.8lb, 32.9lb.

Peg 3 – Jamie
Common Carp – 63lb 3oz (Long Common)
Mirror Carp – 34.7lb, 37lb, 38.2lb, 45lb.
Grass Carp – 34lb, 34.4lb.

Peg 2 – Darren
Mirror Carp – 40lb, 41.12lb, 31.8lb, 28.6lb, 42.9lb, 33.5lb, 45.8lb 49.75lb, 42.9lb.
Common Carp – 48lb, 37.10lb.

This equalled 28 fish and weighing a massive 1,135.01lb’s.

When on form this lake explodes with fish, they simply can’t get enough, and just keep coming for more. This lake just keeps getting better and better, don’t get me wrong, you have to work to catch them, but once caught its worth every penny going.
We will be back again it has to be the best lake in Angling lines.

This week all pegs produced fish from the far margins, and then again in deeper water during the night.

Once meshed there was NO issues with any Chat destroying the bait. To see the long common come out, and first time since April was an absolute pleasure even if it was caught by Jamie, this fish almost doubled his previous PB, together with is first time with the ever fighting grass carp. I think for myself it has been the fishing trip of a lifetime, and will be hard to top in future.

Thank you Medhi for looking after such a great lake, and allowing people to fish them, he truly is passionate about his lakes and the fish in them, and will be on call at any time to help with any issues or tips to help increase your chances of catching.

Details of your catches:

Between 4 anglers we had 12 fish.
8 x 30's
2 x 40's
2 x 50's
Biggest fish 51.04lb
Most of the 30's were upper 30's

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

We found the poisson chat a problem but we were prepared for them by wrapping our baits and tipping with pop us and fake corn which prolonged the baits in the water.
We mainly used boiles but was putting out partyblend to make sure there was some bait left in the area in case we were being wiped out by the poisson chat.

Were the facilities what you expected?

The facilities were what we expected and made our stay enjoyable.

Were you happy with them?

I would recommend taking extra freeze cool packs and change them daily in your cool box to keep food fresh.

We froze our food and bait straight way and took out what we needed for the next day and put it in the fridge as we took a lot of food and worried the fridge wouldn't cope being fully loaded.

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Absolutely loved the place and the facilities.
Medhi was really helpful and a real nice guy.
The weather was so hot and we feel that if it was a bit cooler then maybe more fish would have came out.

These fish fight really hard in the deep margins and all of us had said that apart from the slight mouth damage, these fish were immaculate.

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Definately

General Comments:

We will be back for another go at some of the bigger fish.

Details of your catches:

29 fish caught, biggest 51lb
Smallest 27lb, average size 44lb
Poission chat 260 caught and killed

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Single Boillie wrapped in armour mesh topped with yellow or pink rubber corn with around 30 free baits slatterd in the area.

Were the facilities what you expected?

Facilities were good. There was always hot water although this was not needed in the heat.
Drinking water from the tap is ok and Large chest freezer was a saver

Were you happy with them?

The fridge supplied is not very cold, in fact with the heat we experienced food was going off in the fridge and we found using a cold box was more cold efficient.

The supplied BBQ is in the wrong place really to far from pegs 4 and 5 if you wanted to carry on fishing while eating, this problem was fixed by our BBQ expert Jamie who brought his own portable large BBQ and left it there for other anglers, cheers pal.

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

I would recommend this lake and I would go again my self however this was my 11th French carp holiday in and around August and iv never experienced the volume of poisson chat that we dealt with this year. Literally 10s of thousands all over the place. We appreciate that this lake can not be drained in order to control the chats but a heads up of the severity of the problem would have been appreciated.

**Angling Lines note** We're sorry that the poisson chat caused an issue for you this week. We asked Mehdi for an update... 'With temperatures averaging 36deg that week, the poisson chat were exceptionally active. They are being removed where possible and the black bass, pike and catfish are doing their bit too! Meshing baits and or using fake corn is the best way to fish when they are active. Some boilies attract them strongly while some other are not so attractive.

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes I would and I already have.

General Comments:

Pegs 5 and 4 were the most productive which is why Joel Hersay in peg 2 won angler of the week for me, this was a very difficult and at time Barron part of the lake and for Joel to catch 6 carp and lose just 1 was an impressive achievement and matching his PB at 48lb 8oz was fantastic, all this in an average temptirure of 36 degrees, One of the hottest weeks we have had is a great bit of angling. Well done pal, and well done to Alfi major for catching his first 40lb carp, I'm sure there's loads more to come.

P.S Jamie Buttwell caught another 50lb carp...... I'm getting sick of this! 😉

Details of your catches:

11 fish caught, 3 lost

Jason peg 4/5 and 1 six fish 37/40/41/42/45 and 51

Stephen peg 3 four fish 35/37/38/40

Andy peg 2 one fish 35

Your best tactics/bait/rigs:

Started off using boillie and corn with snowmen hookbaits but after 1 or 2 fish we had to use bait wrap as the poison chats were abit of a problem. After this we switched to plastic hookbaits again over boillie corn and hemp. Also id surgest a stiff hooklink martieral with fox extra long anti tangle sleves just as when the chat were picking up ur hookbait they wud tangle a softer hooklink and u wudnt be fishing properly, i found this tactic stopped it an even if the chat picked it up the stiffness of the hooklink with the extra long anti tangle sleeve reset ur rig and you would still be fishing.

Bait boats are very useful in warmer months as the fish like to sit right at the back of the trees . The last thing is ide use heavy leads to 5 oz grippers if fishing on or just off the far margin slope as it is very steep in places and smaller leads would roll down from a line bite or if the bigger chats were picking the hookbait up.

I mention the chats alot but if fished correct then you can get around the problem easily just as long as you read the reviews and go propared, Medi as far as im aware is sorting the problem with the chats so dont let it put you off a fantastic venue.

I would suggest if u have a small party to not sit behind motionless rods and reel in and go looking for the fish it may be worth just taking a few rods an the net down to another peg, i moved 3 times in the week because it was obvious the fish had moved. Peg 3 didnt have that problem because if the fish moved off after i had 1 or 2 in 4 or 5 they had to bypass 3 same situaition if i was in 1 or 2 so the angler in 3 usually picked a few fish up as they're moving through.

Were the facilities what you expected?

Yes big freezer easily hold ur bait and frozen food
Good size fridge
Shower is really good
Grounds well kept and secure big gates and fenced perimeter

Were you happy with them?

Very happy

Would you recommend the venue to a friend?

Yes

Would you recommend the services to a friend?

Yes very satisfied

General Comments:

Mehdi is a great host, he greats you on arrival, takes you round and shows you the lodge. Then he walk the lake with you tell you how its been fishing and gives you his contact details before heading over the road back to Laroussi. He pretty much leaves you to it after that unless you need him and a quick message or phone call and he'll be there asap. Very welcoming friendly chap.