Here you go..
* do consider distance to travel, personally, I wouldn't consider a lake > 4 hours drive from the French ports..
* decide if you want runs with a chance of a biggy or two or out and out big fish with anything under a 30 being a nuisance.. there are lakes out there which will give you the feeling of a runs water with an average stamp of 30+ A venue I have fished twice has given me an average fish size of 40+ lb twcie now,with 2 or 3 fish a day being caught! (it's gone downhill since I think). Personally, I wouldn't consider a venue if it didn't have a couple of 50's swimming about (there's plenty out there that do for the same price as you'd pay for a lake that has a top fish in the 40's). Think about the quality of the fish too, are they in poor condition through bad lake management, are they from a none descript strain with few scales and fat bellies or are you going to be over the moon with what will likely be your new PB? size aint everything in my opinion!
* sounds strange but if you do go for a lake with really big fish in it.. practice holding a fish of that size.. get a full bag of spuds and see if you'd be able to hold it for a trophy shot, if you can't then either learn the crouching on your haunches style with your knees supporting your forearms or make sure the lake and swim you're in can safely accomodate you taking pictures in the water.. of all the advice given, this is probably the most important for you and the fish.
* decide if you want to have everthing on a plate (transport, food etc laid on) or whether you'd prefer drive and survive... the former costs more in the long run but it's convenient.
* can you book the whole lake at a discount and take your mates to ensure you're not fishing next to a ravin muppet who's only there to get drunk and cause trouble every night?
* what's the reputation of the lake owners and bailiffs.. it's an art getting it right.. a balance between making sure the anglers look after the lake owner's fish and lake and not being so protective that they become oppressive, looking over your shoulder all the time. Independant and reliable reviews of a venue (as already said, solid unbiased feedback from those who have been there), is a must.. bear in mind though, all lakes can have bad weeks and sometimes it's the anglers fault so check out multiple reviews.
* do your research on the lake you choose before parting with a deposit.. does it have at least an acre of water per angler? are there any poisson chat? any crays? are sturgeon present? (will be a pain in the ass if there's loads of them), what are the facilities like (shower, good swims as apposed to mud pools, tackle shop available etc), what's the surrounding area like e.g. is the lake next door to a noisy road or worse still an active gravel works! is there a supermarket within easy reach, what's the stamp of fish like? when was it last restocked? any recent fish kill? is it a bowl in the ground or plenty of features to go at? is there a significant weed problem? any silly bait bans? any boat bans? can you use your own bait or are you forced to use theirs? etc etc etc
* go later in the year to catch the big fish (Sept time) or take your chance and hit them on the munch in May(ish).. early season will be hit and miss though, get it wrong and you'll see plenty of carp, they'll just be in the margins getting it on with one another. Then think of yourself, do you want a good chance of some rays or will you be happy sitting in a bivvy with the potential of 7 days solid rain?
* take all the essentials.. cold/wet weather kit even if you think there's no chance of inclement weather, no fun sitting wet through in your shorts for 7 days!! sun cream even if you think it'll rain all week.. medical kit, spare tackle if no on site shop, read up on new laws when travelling in France (hi viz vest etc), ensure you have European breakdown cover and travel insurance. Ensure your kit is insured abroad too. Take mossy repellent and good quality coils. spare batteries, solar panel to charge 'stuff' if the venue doesn't provide that as a free service etc etc etc
* think about the none essentials to make life more comfortable.. 2 man bivvy for 1 angler, portable BBQ, 3 way fridge to keep the beer/food/bait cool. If the venue allows, take kit to cook you particles on the bank and take it out there dry with a large pan to soak it for 24hrs.. if going with mates, take walkie talkies. buy your food and beer from the likes of Super U and cook proper meals on the bank to avoid the squits (spag bols etc are a doddle if you organise yourself correctly).. remember that lake owners make money out of feeding and watering you on site (typically), it's cheaper to cook yourself and adds to the overall experience.
* go for the tunnel if travelling during months of inclement weather.. it's well worth the extra as you avoid ferry cancellations and rough trips + if cancelled, you'll pay a fortune to the Euro Tunnel guys to get you home.
* Don't go for the first lake owners that get in touch with you unless you're 100% sure it's for you, shop around and get the best combination of price and quality to ascertain if it is.. remember, if a lake is quality then they're probably not going to need to get in touch with you to sell their lake as it'll sell itself through word and mouth.... clearly, ignore this advice if it's their first or second year (see my next comment below) There's litterally hundreds out there and times is hard so get the most for your hard earned! I write down what I want from a trip that particular season taking in to consideration the advice I've given in this thread and then, and only then, go on the search to find a venue that ticks all the boxes.
* don't be put off if the venue is in its first few years.. long established venues 'may' be harder than those in england as they typically see pressure week in week out for most of the year.. a new lake that's been setup properly and nutured until it's just right to accept its first year of anglers will typically see many many happy anglers with big catches..
* Finally, treat it as a holiday.. if you catch, great.. if you don't, yeah it's a bummer but at least you aint been at work that week if you catch a new PB.. it's cartwheels and flick flack time.. nothing like it in my opinion
Think that's about it, feel free to PM me if you like... the above is off the cuff and I'm bound to have missed something.
p.s. I don't own a lake so won't be trying to sell you a place.. of the two that's contacted you, I'd be more inclined to speak with Mrs RushesLake.. never fished it but she offered you advice without peddling her lake.. that's a good sign.. Got to say that I also don't know MoorLands Lake so cannot comment on the quality of that venue either so worthwhile continuing to ask the questions above to check out if his venue is worth a shout.
Hope that helps.
Cheers Gary
