cobleyn

That looks nice mate. Like the idea that fishing is in. I'd sooner just pay that bit more and then just fish when I fancied it rather than having someone coming and bugging you over a fiver. I might give anglers paradise another blast. I've not been for years. I've always enjoyed whiteacres but I've never had good weather down there. Newquay Is just weird...the rest of the country can have 25 degree sunshine and Newquay will be under thick rain clouds.

Thanks for the info guys. It looked ok on paper for a week away with the family...reckon I'll give it a miss. I hate penny pinching...it's things like that fiver (which lets face it is no big deal) really boil my water...miserable git charging you a fiver to chuck a rod out for an hour. The joys of forums though. ...just need to find somewhere else now.

Just looking around for a week away with the wife and kids and this place seems to come up a fair bit. Just wondered if anyone had been recently or could recomend it?

I tend to use 2-3inch hook links with solid bags. Usually with supple braid.

Now to be fair, the guys in the pegs across from me where new on the lake and it was quite busy – so its not like there was much option....and truth be known the feature I was fishing to was over halfway across. So technically I was fishing their water. As an angler, you know when you’re poaching and it was time for a re-think. Clearly I couldn’t be chucking across the pond to the front side of the plateau and claiming to be ‘in my water’. Even if I was so brass necked as to do it- would I really want to be spodding for 2 hours a day just to share a swim with loads of other rods. A brief chat with the guides suggested that quite a bit had changed since my last visit. The mekongs had started to push the carp around consequently there were new feeding grounds to try. A little time with the marker rod gave me some new areas to explore and I decided that two particular areas could be worth concentrating on. Both were almost identical and felt very smooth and sandy until they hit a gravelly lip. My plan was to get some bait down and vary my casts both onto the back of the lip and in the sand and over the front side of the lip in the rocky/ gravelly side. Both new areas were much closer in which allowed me to change things up a bit. Instead of using the spomb I changed to a huge old bucket of a spod which allowed me to get bait out a lot quicker ,albeit that within 5 minutes the braid from the spod rod had sliced into my finger. Luckily I’d packed a stall!. I also changed from long distance rigs to using solar’s PVA swivels. This meant that I could tie up loads of long PVA bags and thrown them into a bag for use at a later date. The next couple of days I didn’t do much fishing. I got out of the resort with the family and did some sightseeing. The first night produced a cracking carp of 90lbs which was really nice and dark and proved to be the biggest carp of the trip. I managed another fish that night a redtail of around 30lb. Redtails are stunning, with very vibrant covers and have crab like shell across the top of their heads and shoulders. They run to around 100lbs at Stuarts place, but in the wild can grow over 300lbs. It became apparent from catch reports from around the lake that the carp weren't really playing ball. Odd ones were getting caught, but the mekong were incredibly active. Head and shouldering all over the lake and making the presence felt. I came to the decision that I was going to pursue the mekongs (which were after all one of my targets for the trip) and if carp came along then all well and good. I started to soak a load of pellets in the Pineapple glug and apply more bait as the mekong seemed to come in hard on big baits. I also started to tighten up my baiting. Instead of putting a bed down of around the marker float of maybe 12 feet wide I tried to get the spod within a tight 3 foot area. I figured that I was fishing in 14 feet of water so the natural spread in that depth would still give a reasonable area for multiple fish to come in and feed- but not spread them out too much (and hopefully give me quicker bites). It was obvious pretty quickly that this was the way forwards as I had a screaming run whilst I still had the spod in my hand. I bent into a very angry Mekong that left a huge vortex as it exited my swim. After a quick walk through my neighbours swim (and much apologising as I walked past him. I exited the water about 100 yards from where the fight had started. After a ¾ an hour scrap the fish started to circle my inside margin. A stocky Mekong of around 100lb head and shouldered and started to pull away from me. Now I don’t mind telling you that I wasn’t in the mood to be bullied around and I clamped teh cluth right down to slow the fish. It turned the fish and started to bring it towards me. It dived for the near margin under my feet and “CRACK” the line gave out. Now I take no pleasure in leaving a hook in a fishes mouth; but the fishery runs a strict barbless policy, so I’m sure it ejected the hook pretty quickly. It has to be said though- it did give me a feel for how much pressure was possible on the line. Whilst I really was heaving hard on it- its some-way from the pressure you can give fish on 100lb briad (eg ebro cats)...so there is some finesse in it. However if you’d seen me heaving at the fish in 100 degree heat you wouldn’t have thought there wasn't much.

Credit where credit is due- the tackle out there needs to be on a different level and without wanting to spoil the rest of the weeks fishing (before I've written it up)- I'm really impressed that not one of your hooks failed. If you want some of the photo's just PM your E-mail address and I can mail them to you.

I'm game!

Oh yeah...it's worth pointing out at this stage that Mr. Garderners hooks stood up to 2 hours of thorough abuse completely faultlessly. I checked the hook that had played the big Mekong and to be honest I would have been happy to throw it out again. As I said to Richard, if anyone reckons that they have straightened them out on a carp they are full of something stinky out the back end of a cow. I can't recommend them highly enough.

Even at that range I knew it was a big fish. Imagine a small bottle nose dolphin head and shouldering (is it still porpoising for a dolphin?) on the end of your line and your line lifting across the surface of the water to pull tight to the hook. It’s tail was as big as an office desk- it just lifted up and then slapped on the surface. The clutch began to slowly tick, and then just melted as it ripped line from the spool. To put it into some perspective, the 6lb T/C rod was bent through to the but- the clutch was pretty much as tight as I dare put it to stop the 39lb line snapping...and the fish was just stripping line as it headed down the lake. I vaulted into the margin and started to follow it...there was no way I was stopping it and if it ran to the left it would just cut me off. Long story short the fish ran to the far end of the lake over 300 yards away. I apologised profusely to every angler who’s swim I was walking through...they all just laughed and gave me a look of ‘better you than me mate’ as I struggled to keep my head above water as the fish just continued to blaze away from me. I’d like to say that the fight was measured and I had some semblance of control; but it was a one way street. After an hour- and I do mean an hour! It started to get dark. The resort had a power cut and the fish was showing no signs of coming in. I’d been giving it the full beans for a full hour...leant into it and the clutch locked up. I was dehydrated, mozzies were starting to batter me, my bicpes and forearms were properly jacked up and the fish just ran wherever it wanted. Half an hour later, I was fighting the fish in full darkness. The power was still off at the resort and I was waist deep in the lake, covered in bites with just my head torch pointing into the lake. I knew it was a big fish...I wasn’t sure how big. I needed to get out of the lake as the fish was starting to circle the near margin and I feared the rod would snap if it got right next to me. So here’s the problem- I may have been getting way ahead of myself- but IGFA rules state that no-one can touch the rod or line if you are to claim a world record. It was a very long shot...but I couldn’t take the risk. Fortunately a small crowd had gathered and a cluster of hands came down into the water and unceremoniously dragged my substantial backside onto the bank. Tired and looking like a pin cushion I fought on. ...and on... After 2 hours, we finally pulled it over the net. Some way short of the world record but a huge new PB Mekong catfish for me at around 180lbs. I was absolutely made up. Two hours of a gruelling battle- I couldn’t be happier...and then the guide reminded me I needed to pick it up for a photo. Balls! Photo’s were done. The fish was bathed in antiseptic around the hook hold and it was released back into the depths. I lost a huge Mekong years ago, which would have taken the WR (A story for another day) and I’ve joked with Gollock (Gillhams longest serving guide) about “Big Mekongs this trip” for years. He’s stood with me in some god awful weather, monsoons and high winds in the day and night (he never moans, bitches or complains- just has a big smile on his face)- when there was no-one else on the lake or at the resort. I had to be honest with him – it made me very happy that it was him that netted the fish for me- It just made it that bit more special that he was there to share it with me. That was it for the night. I went and got showered and sunk a few large bottles of Singha to celebrate. I treated myself to a lie in the following morning and came into my swim at around 09:00. What hit was a bit of a shock; on the far bank two anglers had moved into the adjacent swim and were basically casting onto the hump that I'd been baiting for a couple of days. Not happy.

It's not that it wouldn't work with a bottom bait. I used it a lot in the past with critically balanced/ snowman rigs....its just that's it's widely regarded as a good pop up rig.

I guess I’d finished spodding by around 09:00 and had the rods bang on the money. I was feeling a lot happier with the position of the rods and of the bait that had gone out. I’d only been settled back and the left hand rod gave a one-toner. The fish took maybe 40 yards on its first run and then settled into a heavy plodding around the lake interspersed with a long straight run. 10 minutes later I had one of the broadest backed carp I’ve ever caught in the net. As I played it I didn’t think it looked that big as was a bit cavalier with it- but taking a look across its shoulders it was massive. We agreed on 85lb’s and a lot of handshaking and backslapping ensued. A proper fish and a cracking start to the day. The next couple of hours didn’t produce anything, so I spodded another few KG’s out and retired to the restaurant for a bacon baguette and a cup of tea. Rods back out and a long wait ensued. I couldn’t work it out- no fish. Checking around the lake- little was happening. That said- any day you catch an 85lb carp is a winner I would have happily packed up and had the day in the bar. At 15:00 I decided that I needed to make a positive approach. I put a mix of about 15kg’s together and put the lot in. Wet through with sweat, sun burnt and knacked, I slumped into my chair. I cracked a beer and smiled- it might have been a grimace. I finally felt like I was fishing properly. An hour later a one toner screamed from my right hand rod and something set off at an alarming rate. I slipped the baitrunner and hit into the fish. It did little to stop it and it carried on as if nothing happened. I tighten the clutch down and the rod just dipped and flat rodded...oops, dial it back. The line just kept going but the fish was coming up from the deep at 150 yards. It rolled on the top. Holy .... that’s a monster!

I use their rods and reels and take everything else myself. You can literally turn up with nothing - but experience has taught me that taking your own terminal tackle is the way to go if you are there for any length of time. I'll get the rest written up as soon as I can. The good news is that the fishing just got better and better.

As a quick word on rigs. They were nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe a bit longer than you would use in the UK at 12- 15 inches. I've used Nash fang x's in size 1 for a few years and had no issues with them...but they are a bit shiny for my liking. Whilst Gillhams is a commercial 'holiday' venue- the fish are pursued 365 days a year by some pretty good anglers so the fish aren't dumb. I've taken different curve shanks out there in the past and had them wrecked. Darth Munga was kind enough, or maybe foolhardy enough to send me some Continental Mugga's in a size 2. They seemed ideal, curved shank, thick wire, sharp and a dull finish. I say 'foolhardy', not as a criticism of Richard at all- but these fish go like the absolute stink and very few 'normal' bits of tackle stand up to the power they put out. Hooklengths were GLT cat cable in 65lb - great stuff that I've reviewed elsewhere. Flat profile, abrasion resistant and sinks like a stone. For the Arapiama I had procured some thick wire 9/0 hooks to 80lb Solar unleaded leader. Rods were 6lb t/c free spirts couple with big bait runenrs and 39lb GLT UV line.

Sorry mate; second instalment for you. I didn’t want to overdo the baiting as I knew that I’d be upping sticks in a couple of days; so I was effectively fishing for one fish at a time. However, with the average carp weighing over 40lbs and 200lb+ mekongs swimming around any baiting I had to do had to be substantial enough to make them get their heads down. My usual bait out there is Trigga, with Pineapple, High levels of GLM and Betaine. I’ve always done well on it; however after an initial session with Blue oyster last year I was convinced that it would make a good substitute. As a back-up plan I also took a tub of Pineapple particle glug. I’ve always done well on Pineapple out there and looking back it could have been risky taking a new boilie. I also took six pots of different pop ups, to twin up with a pellet approach. In addition to this I had put as many ziptop bags of big halibuts as I could in my cases to take me to my limit. Halibuts seem to work the world over and a few kilo’s in the back pocket always gives me a fall back plan. The two days in my first swim plodded along steadily. I had no real strategy other than putting a bait in a likely spot with a few kilos of bait around it. I took a couple of medium sized carp (a mid forty and a mid fifty), which probably represented the amount of effort I put in. There’s no doubt it was tough fishing with quite a few anglers blanking. After my three days in ‘quarantine’, I was gagging to get into my proper swim. I was down at first light with the marker rod. From previous trips I know that there is a significant bar at around 60 yards. It lifts by 6 feet and has a flat top to it about half the size of a squash court. I put a spod mix together of small and large pellets, boilies, and halibuts and peppered the area with around 10 KG’s of bait. Both rods were dunked into the area and I sat back and waited. It may seem like that’s a fairly normal thing to do, but considering morning temps are anything up to 90 degrees and the afternoons were around the 100 mark any activity is a struggle other than laying by the pool. It is a labour of love to get a swim going out there as its flipping hard work. Most anglers are content to do the minimum and wait for a fish to come along- but when the fishing is tough I think that’s when the extra effort counts. So I sat back and waited for the on-slaught of fish. ...and then I waited a bit longer. Lunch came and went. ...Had a magnum (white chocolate if you’re interested)... ...Went for a swim and came back... You probably get the picture. Things weren’t going to plan. There was no onslaught of big fish or even much action. Around 15:00 my rods finally got their first action with a fish that set off like its backside was on fire. A spirited fight left me made up with what I think is one of the prettiest fish in the world and a new PB to boot. That was pretty much it for the first ‘proper’ day. Very disappointing tbh. The gold rush of fish that I had earmarked for the day didn’t materialise. The following day I was up early. I was questioning my approach a little bit. Whilst I had everything clipped up; I felt something wasn’t quite right. I spent a further hour with the marker rod. I over cast the hump and dragged it back up and over and replotted the area. To be honest I think I was fishing on the back edge of the plateau and maybe the bait I had spodded had ended up on the back edge (and therefore at the bottom) of the slope. I re-set all of my markers around 15 feet back and started the process again.

I've been back a week or so and I've been looking to write the trip up since I got back- but works been ridiculous. I’ll try and get it wrote up in blocks- so apologies if it takes a while. I’ve been fishing at Gillham’s since it opened around 5 years ago. It will be familiar to most- but to those who haven’t heard of it- it’s an 8 acre lake (which will be extended to 12 acres later this year) owned by Stuart Gillham. It’s stocked with 44 species of fish which are split roughly into mini species (EG. Gourami, Snake head, Java Barb), Predators (EG Redtail catfish, Arapiama) and Carp (EG Siamese, Mirghal, Julians prize). There’s roughly 25 swims around the lake, but they limit the amount of anglers on it to guarantee everyone their ‘own’ water. The lake has depths down to 30 feet, but has various ledges, plateaus and bars that come up to 12 feet- with the majority of the lake being around 18 feet. As you would expect the fish can be caught anywhere, but location is the difference between a tough day and a few fish in the net. After a few days in Bangkok to get over the jetlag we arrived late in the afternoon. A quick chat with the guides revealed that the lake was fishing hard and the fish weren’t playing ball. The good news was that the Mekong were playing ball- I had planned my trip to catch the Mekong and had sifted through catch reports over the last few years to give me the most chance of catching them. So whilst the fishing was ‘slow’, at least I was in with a shout of catching my target fish. A couple of bottles of Singha later I was off to my peg. I was to have three days in a peg halfway up the lake and then the remainder of my trip in a peg I know very well (which happens to be called “Cobleys”). The first evening came and went with little action. I was slightly disappointed, but not overly concerned. After a day travelling I was just happy to ping some singles out and get comfy. But I was a bit surprised that I didn’t pick up a fish- knowing the lake as well as I do, Its rare to sit for an evening and not have one run. The following day was a bit of trial and error. My favourite method on the water has always been to fish the float. Its essentially a pike bung with a feeder underneath that you mould groundbait around. Much like Matchmen- the art is in the activity and work you put into it. Most of the time spent rebaiting and casting- which in 100 degree heat dissuades most from doing it right. But if you persevere you can get the fish feeding very competitively and bag 6-10 fish a day. However- Stuart has now stopped the use of groundbait at the lake as it was polluting the water quality. The ground bait has now been substituted with pellet- which (although trying for a couple of hours) I just couldn’t get to work. That said I can see why he has done it- the water quality is through the roof and the fish are piling weight on. After a frustrating morning, I found some spots with the marker rod and set to work getting some bait down to fish over.

I have no valid retort. My name is Cob...and I like long hairy bottoms.

I always like a long hair for bottom baits.

Congrats on 100 posts! I used to work in Hungerford. If you have a walk down the canal early in the morning- you may be surprised by what you have on your doorstep.

A few comments: A ring swivel (as previously mentioned) will be better on the hook. See Nige's recent photo tutorial for a cracking way to fix the swivel and bait on. Maybe try a size 6 or slightly thicker shank hook for more weight. I personally like the carp r us long shank nailers. The tubing on the left hand side (ie on the swivel) will inhibit the pivot into the fishes mouth. Whilst not a pure 360 rig (more of a hinged stiff rig), you could consider a length of mono in between the hook and the swivel. This allows you to vary the distance between the deck and the pop up and if you crimp it on adds weight. A loop knot to the ring swivel (Rather than the fixed one you use) will add potentially add more movement to the rig.

Hooklink or mainline?

Fleabay gives you a full choice of sizes. I've carried one for years for worms and to inject pva bags with flavour.

Red wine and Camembert.

As Mick says- don't worry about driving in France it's a piece of cake and you can consume hundreds of miles easily on their road networks. With modern sat nav it's just so easy- the French used to change their road names all the time, which could catch you out. But with sat nav there's no need to worry. Just make sure you put a tank of fuel in before you get on your ferry. The roads out there will usher you out of the port and on your way very quickly (ie avoiding the town centre) and it may be 50 miles before a fuel station. You may have left it a bit late for most of the popular lakes as they get booked up. If you are serious...you need to get phoning around now. I did review on lac de premiere a few months back. As its a new lake you might be able to get on there and it will tick all of your boxes (easy to get to, good facilities, lots of fish). There are quite a few lakes that do uk pick ups, like dream lakes (I think). Not sure how they all fish though as they get pressure all the time. Try and work out how good you think your angling is...don't assume that France is always easier. A lot of them see as much pressure as the lakes at linear so they aren't the bite a chuck lakes they once were

I use the solar stuff in 80lb for hooklengths for arapiama. Awesome stuff. Nash armour braid is good stuff. Not the most flexible braid on the market, but sinks like a stone and is really abrasion resistant.

Blanksalot beat me to fortinerres ...I fished there about 5 years ago and it was a bit run down. Since the new owners have took over it looks a load better.