Villefond

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News from Villefond lake

May 2021

Another 24hr Session on Villefond, 6th May

Having no anglers on our lake, Lac du Villefond, due to restrictions meant I could fish at one of the best times of year.

So after a massive prebait I arrived for 24 hours fishing with my dad, John the lake owner. We were fishing two rods each either side of the island from swim 8.

It had been glorious weather but as we arrived it hailed down really heavy but it didnt last long. I quickly boated out my first rod when the weather was clear and then my dads but before I had my second rod ready to go out, my first rod ripped into life.

During the fight I joked my dads rod would go off before I landed this fish. As I played my fish sure enough his rod screamed into life however unfortunately he lost it. I managed to land mine and it was captain sherman the sturgeon at 56.4lb.

I got my rod out again, followed by my second rod. But as soon as my second rod was set my first went off again. This time is was a villefond baby of 22.10lb.

Not long after that rod was back in the water it shortly screamed into life again and I knew I was into a big fish. This time I landed a 57lb mirror.

As soon as the night fell my dads rod went off and he had a 27.10lb common, a Villefond baby. As he was playing his my rod went off and I landed a common of 43.4lb.

In the early hours of the morning I had another run and as the fish tore off I panicked in the darkness it might get around the island so I tried to bully what was a big fish and that never ends well. This time was no exception. The hook pulled and I lost the fish. Now I needed sleep so I left that rod out for the night.

Soon dads rod went off and he landed another villefond baby, a common of 21.12lb. We left that rod out after that last fish too, in favour of sleep.

We got the rods out again in the late morning and it didn't take long for my rod to go again. As I was 10 minutes into playing what felt like a massive fish my second rod went aswell. Dad grabbed that while I finished landing my first fish and slipped the net under it. Then we swapped and I landed my other fish completing what would be the biggest brace I've had so far.

I had dorian at 62lb and a 51.14lb mirror to complete a crazy double take. I put one rod back out and it was basically taken on the drop. It turned out to be captain sherman the sturgeon again and after him we packed up completing yet another crazy 24 hours for me at our amazing lake.

62lb

51lb 14oz

56lb 4oz

57lb

22lb 10oz

27lb 10z

Rig, 8 Korda curve shank

Bait

a brace of a 51 & 62!

Apr 2020

A session of a lifetime for owner Mark, 23rd Apr

Some good news in difficult times. Villefond owner Mark has just landed the lake's biggest resident Arnold at over 80lb for the first time.

Whilst we're obviously disappointed that we can't welcome anglers to the lake at this time, we are over the moon that the man that has nurtured this venue from the beginning 12 years ago has landed its first 80lb'er. Congratulations Mark!

But that's not all.. this was only one of three caught on this overnight session.

The first was a 58lb 8oz mirror, an hour later was Arnold at 80lb 2oz and a few hours after that came the 'scarred' common at 60lb. An incredible run of fish - in fact Arnold and the Scarred Common were the two fish Mark was aiming for.... as he knew they were both due to break into 80lb & 60lb respectively.

Roll on the days we can see the rest of you out on the banks with the chance to catch this incredible mirror too.

Watch the video of Arnold's capture here - https://youtu.be/Ofi9Pd3y5gg

A session of a lifetime for owner Mark - 1

60lb

A session of a lifetime for owner Mark - 2

80lb 2oz

A session of a lifetime for owner Mark - 3

58lb 8oz

Jan 2020

Interview with the Owner, 28th Jan

We asked Mark, owner at Villefond, a few questions about his job. Read the article here - Interview with the Owner

Mark with a Villefond common

Dec 2019

Memorable Captures, 18th Dec

We're looking back at this year's most memorable captures and the stories behind them. Jack Atkinson caught this 77lb 8oz mirror at Villefond, a new lake record at the time.

1. Why did you choose Villefond for your trip this year?

I choose the venue specifically because of the number of 50s...in such a small amount of water, I knew my hook baits wouldn’t be too far away from a big fish's nose... if only I could use all my knowledge and trick one of them up within the 7 days (6 days of proper fishing). Another advantage was having the lake to myself by the off chance!

2. How many days had you been at the lake? How did you decide on your tactics for fishing on the lake?

I got action throughout my trip, mainly starting off with super charged little villefond monsters I was struggling to trip the bigger fish up, I had caught the sturgeon twice in the week as well so was having trouble fending him off the spots. But finally, after persisting through and moving around the lake stalking to no avail, on the 4th morning the alarmed toned into action and what a wake up call it turned out to be. Resulting in the beast that is Arnold.

My tactics from the off, before even knowing I had the lake to myself, was to keep things simple and to fish for a bite at a time as I knew they would be smart tricky fish. My main approach to start the trip was critically balanced hookbaits. Also plastics to fend off crayfish and other such fish but mainly to keep things small and looking like the loose feed. Spombing small areas of bait accurately over all 3 of my rods spreading them out across my swim.

3. When you hit the rod did you know it was something special? How was the fight?

When I first hit the rod, it was a solid dead weight that stood its ground from the off so I knew it was a big one as Mark said they tend to do so. I took my time and after about 15 minutes into the fight I managed to finally move the fish but after it knew it was hooked it went mental, taking yards of line of my reel going up and down from the shallows to the deep end.

Being in my waders I met the fish about half way out and after about half an hour it was finally over but being such a lengthy period of time I had deep in my mind it could be Sherman the surgeon again. I finally managed to catch a glimpse of the flank of the monster carp just before netting it so I nearly messed myself... took a deep breath and watched it slip over my net cord. What a fish what a battle. I wasn’t sure it was Arnold at the time... all I did know for sure that it was one of the A team and it was gunna be a challenge to lift...

4. What was it like to hold up Arnold knowing it was the new lake record?

Absolutely overwhelmed! I intended coming for the one bite and one bite only but not in my deepest dreams would I have imagined it being the biggest in the lake.

I really had my appetite set on a 70lb'er with only the one fish above that mark it was a challenge to target. Especially on my first trip but the planets aligned and wallah! it was epic! Just be sure to get a few gym sessions in before hand cause it was something else!

5. What’s the best tip you can give to someone heading out to the lake in the future?

I would recommend using a bait and rig you are confident in at home and that you do well on. Don’t change tactics just because they are bigger fish. Just make sure everything is to its best ability beforehand, e.g fresh line, hooks, rigs, baits.

Don’t be afraid to chop and change throughout the week as I had to. Started off getting dropped runs to tweaking ever so slightly in the right direction and landing the biggest fish in the lake.

Listen to what Mark and John have to say and they are excellent and very helpful with the fishing, it’s a challenge but a very exciting one. Beautiful place you wouldn’t be disappointed even with a blank coming to Villefond definitely worth a look if your a big time carp angler like myself!