rossmc

id kill for just 2 ft of weed, jammy git! Light leads and long hook links is what ive found works best, but the trick to help the hook bait rest on to of the weed completely is to balance it out with a pop up tied on with pva. Some areas of the lake I fish, the weed comes up to the surface, but if its sunny I try to find a spot where fish are passing over and place a bait on the top of the weed about 2ft off the surface, kind of like zig fishing but using the weed to your advantage. if you can get away with it, clear out small patches and keep schtum about them, feed them as and when you can and it could open up your fishing alot more... OR... Do what half the folk on my lake do, get there, slam the car boot shut, stick a choddy on and give it the best pub chuck ya got, hopefullies crossing a few peoples lines and then go for a walk round the lake after setting your alarms to 300dB +

The little surprises in my stream are upto 35lb salmon! Ive only ever seen dead ones after theyve spawned though!

Where you from travis? I started out fly fishing small streams, sight fishing really, love it, still ride my push bike 12 miles to fish the first stream i started fishing for trout on.

Already thought about that but if its windy then it gets blown all over the lake and causes no end of hassle. Its a high pressured water so I want to keep disturbance to a minimum. To give you an idea, if someone spods out on the lake, it kills the lake off, some even pack up and go home. haha

Ive re4ally been thinking about zigs at the minute too, not many people use them on the lake so the fish wont have seen them too often, but my take on i8t is that the lake i fish if very very very weedy and full of naturals. Now coming from a fly fishing background, I think the new zig bugs a total gimmick, apart from a deed bumble bee, they look like no nymph or owt like that. My train of thought is to tie up some large, very natural looking nymph etc. and use them as the zig instead of something to catch our eye rather than the fishes (zig bugs). Ive seen nymphs coming out the lake at about an inch in lenght so i can get away with making quite a large fly to replicate this and also get it boyant enough to use as a zig. My problem is i cant get my head around having a inline float as this to me screams problems with getting bogged down in the weed. Im on testing a few ideas with drop of cork floats, but has anyone come across this problem and how did they overcome it, if you did at all?

Well after the advice I went out and got some gear, tied one up and tested in me living room and it seems to work a treat. I got the avid inline flat leads with the correct tail rubber and the inserts for the bottom end and it all works well. Now to test on the fish! I'll let you know if the New rig solves me problem. Cheers for the help lads

Is it possible to use an inline drop off lead system using flurocarbon mainline instead of the normal leadcore/leader that it always is shown with? I think i have been getting a few pick ups but they are always getting rid of the bait before getting properly hooked as the last few trips i have had the fish on top of my bait showing, rig was presented on a nice patch of clay, a few picks ups which always result in nothing. So my plan is to use inline dropoff lead set up as the lake is still pretty heavy with weed, but i didnt want to use leadcore or any leader. I run 16lb fluro tiger line and want to know if anyone has tried to use this setup or similar. Cheers

Do korda do ssg shot? If not, how will we ever catch!?!?! What ever next? Im gonna get my dog to tie up some rigs and send them into the mags, probablies get me famous! Having said that....do they do ssg shot in realtree camo?

I too get headaches when Im fishing, tried all sorts, thought I was just dehydrated but drank loads of water on next trip and still have the head aches, cant work it out, could it be the sunlight reflecting of the waters surface? Never packed up and gone home though! just monster trucked on and still blanked. Maybes its just the thought of trying to find a nice spot in a very weedy lake that give me the head aches! With regards to taking something - A travel hammock! Best thing I took! when resting me swims and watching the lake, set up under a shaded tree swinging around! cant beat it!

Je voudrais un grande biere s'il vous plait (I would like a big beer please) Someone missed the grande out! if you forget that bit you get a beer in a funny lookin wine glass (a demi!) If you at least show your willing to try speak french, they are much more helpful and forthcoming with the english. I drove down to just past Limoges 2 weeks ago, got the tunnel for speed. Thought about flying but wanted to bring me two rods (bodger and badger) for the fight! Wouldnt be the same would it! lol Hope ya have a good un!

Indeed, I did have one aim for the holiday, to stalk and land a 20 on my grandarrs old split cane but after the 30, I knocked that idea on the head cause I dont think it would have handled it too well! and my dad would have broken my legs and arms if I broke grandarrs splitty! For now its back to work and a very hard lake with more weed than fish in! Picture of me 30lber - http://www.martinslakes.com/#/customer-catches/4545987948 Im the very last photo taken in the dark, just look for the lad that needs a hair cut or 5! For some reason I cant save the image to upload here.

Just got back from a weeks fishing at Martins lakes and all I can say is amazing! Had the best weeks holiday of my life, fishing was amazing, lake was spot on for what I was after, food was lovely and plenty of it, thanks Nikki, and Greg was a true gent and taught me a thing or two about fishing! My catch rate was nothing near to what other people have had out but tbh it was down to my fishing. Im fairly new to carp fishing and was just not close enough to the spots I needed to be on. Greg came down, gave me a few tips and showed me where I needed to be and the game began. The lake I fish back home has no biggies in really, biggest being 30 which just came out, apart from that, mostly 25lbers which are good sport but nothing like what I was about the catch at Martins lake(my biggest being 19lb)! After blanking the first day due to my poor choice of spots, I had a kind fella show my how to get on with a bit of stalking, krept into the swim, the bay was quite shallow, and wow, the amount of big kippers in the swim, heads down, was unreal...great big kippers! After getting my big ole pellet in between them is was a matter of waiting. 20 minutes and the whole bay errupted, the fish went scattering and my reel started screaming! Pick up the rod and started to play what I though was a bream, nope it was "one of the smallest in the lake" at about 2lb. Still my heart was racing at the thought that it might have been a monster. Nevermind! After realising that there were plenty of big kippers in the lake I started to get a bit shy of the snags and over hanging bushes and started creeping further into the safey of the lake, bit mistake! After one fish all day Greg came down and bullied me into fishing a corner on the other side of the lake, very very close to some big snags. After rowing the bait out and placing it right under a horse chestnut tree and the other rod smack bang next to the overhanging bushes further along we sat and waited. Dusk rolled in... 45 minutes later Greg made his way home and I sat watching and waiting, Both rods locked up, my nerves were jangling convinced the right hand rod near the snags would go first. But no, the left rod went, bobbin smacked the rod and the fish went. I lifted into it, wound down and got the feel for the size, it was a biggy and I was excited, suddenly my alarm starts to go and I look down thinking it was broke?! No, the other rod was on too! Frantic panic started to set in, the fish I was playing was going like a steam train for the snags on the far bank, the other pulled the bobbin up tight and suddenly stopped, giving a bleep out every now again. One fish on going for the snags, one sitting right next to the snags, time to ring Greg, by the time Id hung up it was too late, the fish was in the snags, and then the hook gave, when I say gave, I mean the hook eye must have straightened out but got all the rig back, but no bait, hook or boilie stop, as if I had tied up the rig and left hook and bait off, was a bit strange. Just then, Greg turns up and I pick up the other rod, hes still there! and then I realised that the first fish wasnt that big compared to this one, again, heading straight for the snags! I gave it the crank and started to walk it back up the bank to avoid the snags and all I could see was the bow wave slowly go all the way along the front of the snags, under some of the tree banches that where coming out of the water, to my surprised Id managed to get it away from the snags and then it just went for the middle of the lake, the power was unreal, Id never had a fish fight like this before! Eventually after a good fight of line screaming off the reel, I had the beast in the net, 30lb1oz common! Got the photos sorted, and walked him out back into the lake and had that moment when I realised why I spend days blanking for carp to catch something like this! After that I decided not to fish the night, I cracked open a beer, sparked up a smoke and sat there with the biggest smile on my face, listening the the odd cow fall into the lake! I must admit i was put off by the snags and how big the fish were so i didnt have the rods out while I slept, Ive never done nights and did not have the confidence to do so with fish so big, just too worried i would get one snagged and kill it! The whole week was a real eye opener on how I was fishing and would have no problems advising anyone to go there for a holiday as it truely is a little pocket of peace and quiet with the odd monster lurking around. I did however spend far too much time feeding fish in the shallows and spent a lot of time watching them, how the feed and move about while feeding which I found really interesting. In all honesty, I have never been scared at the thought of my alarm sounding but this place had me in its hands and I was totally blown away by the whole experience. Once again, many thanks to Gregg and Nikki for everything. Greg, I think I still owe you some money for the fags and pellets, cant remember if I paid you or not! let me know and Ill be more than happy to square the books up! Photos to come once I have the computer sorted out, just moved house!

I use the ghost hook link but found the bait didnt move freely enough for my liking so I added an inch of braid to the end of the fluro (grinner to grinner knot) and tied the hook to the braid.

TBH no one on my water uses method feeders and its a bit of a tough cookie to crack at the minute. I think I might give it a go! I used to feeder fish on smaller commercial waters and loved it! waiting for the rip round was great fun! I think sonubaits still do the super carp method mix with a decent forum feeder for free in the bag! Theres loads of bits in that mix and give off a really "milky" looking cloud.

Just a quick post to see if anyone has been? I know Greg the owner comes on here but was just wondering if anyone had been, any hints or tips would be great! Im off soon for a week and cant wait. 17 days feels too long! GET ME OUT OF THIS SH........ I MEAN STUFFY OFFICE AND IN FRANCE NOW!!!

I need to send them an email, gregg who runs the lake comes on here so Im hoping at some point he picks this up, if not ill bob him an email. Gregg sells maize onsite for a decent price so I will order some for when I get there. Just wanted other peoples views on how much they would take, when i have fished back home there is always bait going in so i dont bait up with a lot, say a scattering of 30 boilies max so Im trying to get my head around putting kg's of them in, if needs be. I thought about starting just as i would baiting up at home, a small scattering of boilies, and going from there, or with the possibility of being the only angler on the lake should i up the amount? Been reading through loads of posts and 6 weeks seems like a life time away! Cant wait. To say a little bit of wee constantly trickles down my leg with excitement wouldnt be far from the truth!

Im after some advise regarding how much bait people would take for a weeks fishing in france. Ive read all sorts of different ideas, even people taking upto 60kg of boilies which to me seems crackers! The lake Im going to is Martins lake, its 7 acres in size and holds carp to 40lb plus and theres a possiblility that I could be the only angler for that week Ive been advised by the lake owner that mainline cell or activ-8 work well, but I dont want to put all my eggs in one basket, turn up with a large amount of boilies that the fish could change their minds and not feed on. I would normally fish chickpea or something different from boilies on my water at home and would like to take some different types of baits so I have a range of things to try. Basically its my first proper weeks fishing in france and am looking for some advice. how much would you take? Would you have a variety of different bait of just one type? Do you take other baits, chickpea, etc...? Any help would be great, Ross

Good to hear the fishings going well. Cant wait for august! ross

Ive just booked up for a week here, havent been before but the pictures on the web look good. www.martinslakes.com Gite, small pool, fishing up to 6 if exclusively booked, 4 if not. 7acre lake. Smaller coarse fishing pond for the kids.

Ouchthahurt - Could you kindly tell me how to tie the rythymisadancer rig?

Or on the off chance that any other anglers who are going out in the same week as I have planned that know of a space where they are going, if you wouldnt mind me tagging along, Im a very polite lad, I know my P's and T's! lol Finding it quiet hard to get a place on a lake at the minute so any help would be great. Cheers

Im trying to find a lake that is no more then 20acres to fish for a week starting on the 6th of august. I will be fishing on my own and have my own kit. I wanted to know if any of the lake owners that use this site have any availibity for this week as I realise its a bit late to be booking and im struggling to find a venue. If anyone has an information regarding this matter then I would be very greatful for your time.

French river fishing is quite simply mind blowing, bearing in mind i live in the north east and coarse fishing isnt the best. My folks have a house in france and i spend a few weeks over there every year fishing for the roach, chub etc but i have since learned that there is some hefty carp in the river in one section and theres always a rod pod set up in someones garden when i go past and figured he was after pike or zander. This year my moms having her 50th birthday party over there and told me im going to have to stay on the campsite down by the river as theres no space in the house, the camp site is the sweet spot which contains the carp, i could hardles say no could i? haha 2 weeks bivvied up by the river, its a hard life.

Getting slightly off topic here... I have noticed in france maggots seem to cost a hell of a lot more or is it just the one fishing shop i know charges a ridiculous amount?