smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Hi all. Haven't been fishing much lately, but am off in 7 weeks to this beautiful place.... http://www.theretreatlake.com/ Went last year for a week, fell so much in love with it we're going for 2 weeks this year. Bait has been ordered (Trent Baits Freshwater Shrimp) and odd bits and pieces of tackle been purchased to replace stuff that is getting on a bit in the tackle box. Going with the wife, daughter Lydia and her boyfriend Tom, and my Son Harry. Really (really) looking forward to it. Hope everyone has been keeping okay???? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Hello stranger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Hello stranger How ya doing mush??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Same old same old Rob . You've been missed . Still the Sussex Arthur Daley ? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Same old same old Rob . You've been missed . Still the Sussex Arthur Daley ? Lol Yes mate. Wanna buy a motor?? lol! Been working very hard this year, absolutely knackered if I'm honest. Not been playing as much golf as I would have liked due to the weather, but really (really) looking forward to this two week holiday coming up. As I say, went last year but just with the wife, who doesn't fish... so I limited my fishing to early morning/late evening. This year, with my daughter Liddy coming along, will be doing a few nights. The kids are just coming the 1st week, driving home on Saturday 9th July, so just the two of us for the following week. I went about it halfheartedly last year because I was basically fishing solo (exclusive use of the lake) but will put more effort in this year as I have a bit of "competition". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Yes mate. Wanna buy a motor?? lol! Been working very hard this year, absolutely knackered if I'm honest. Not been playing as much golf as I would have liked due to the weather, but really (really) looking forward to this two week holiday coming up. As I say, went last year but just with the wife, who doesn't fish... so I limited my fishing to early morning/late evening. This year, with my daughter Liddy coming along, will be doing a few nights. The kids are just coming the 1st week, driving home on Saturday 9th July, so just the two of us for the following week. I went about it halfheartedly last year because I was basically fishing solo (exclusive use of the lake) but will put more effort in this year as I have a bit of "competition". Well it looks a nice lake and I hope you get the time to stick around on here a bit more too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Well it looks a nice lake and I hope you get the time to stick around on here a bit more too Nice to be back and I'll try me best mate..... You been pulling them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Nice to be back and I'll try me best mate..... You been pulling them in? I ain't even been mate , my little uns been diagnosed as on the spectrum and he takes up pretty much all my time nowadays . Hoping to get out once or twice this summer though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I ain't even been mate , my little uns been diagnosed as on the spectrum and he takes up pretty much all my time nowadays . Hoping to get out once or twice this summer though Sorry to hear that mate. I have not even looked at my gear since returning from France in July last year! All of it is lying out in the shed, I am hoping that I still have some of it left with the mice we have in there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Sorry to hear that mate. I have not even looked at my gear since returning from France in July last year! All of it is lying out in the shed, I am hoping that I still have some of it left with the mice we have in there.... Best you get out there and check it mate . Long way to go to find out yer landing net looks like mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Best you get out there and check it mate . Long way to go to find out yer landing net looks like mine Luckily they provide nets, slings etc. I'm more worried about my umbrella and rod handles!! Little mices will eat anything.... newmarket and cyborx 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Luckily they provide nets, slings etc. I'm more worried about my umbrella and rod handles!! Little mices will eat anything.... woohoooo! he's only back init heya smuft, thats a beaut of a lake mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 woohoooo! he's only back init heya smuft, thats a beaut of a lake mate It's gorgeous mate. Spotlessly clean (unlike the dump I went to the year before!) with lots of features to fish to. And the gite is perfect. Exclusive use of the lake, I had it all to myself last year. Managed to get the two weeks this year for £1,500.00 which I think is brilliant value for money bearing in mind there will be four of us fishing exclusively, and the gite alone would be worth that for a fortnight in July. The fishing is a bonus in my eyes. I didn't catch brilliantly due to a sudden heatwave (nudged 38 degrees one day) which got them spawning again, hopefully that won't happen again this year. Like I say above, my daughter Lydia is coming with us this time, she loves fishing all nighters (which I didn't do last year) so hopefully fishing the margins during the hours of darkness will produce a few lumps. Catch reports indicate that the margins generally give the best results. I also feel that I took the wrong bait last year, relying on my favourite coconut boilie that I use a lot over here. The lake has a lot of Sticky Baits Krill going into it, as that's the bait they loosefeed and sell over there. I am going to try the Trent Freshwater Shrimp as a "meatier" alternative but take a couple of kilos of Krill with me "just in case". Also going to fish pop ups a lot more over there (well certainly on one of my rods) as the lake has a little bit of silt in places. Can't wait mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 It's gorgeous mate. Spotlessly clean (unlike the dump I went to the year before!) with lots of features to fish to. And the gite is perfect. Exclusive use of the lake, I had it all to myself last year. Managed to get the two weeks this year for £1,500.00 which I think is brilliant value for money bearing in mind there will be four of us fishing exclusively, and the gite alone would be worth that for a fortnight in July. The fishing is a bonus in my eyes. I didn't catch brilliantly due to a sudden heatwave (nudged 38 degrees one day) which got them spawning again, hopefully that won't happen again this year. Like I say above, my daughter Lydia is coming with us this time, she loves fishing all nighters (which I didn't do last year) so hopefully fishing the margins during the hours of darkness will produce a few lumps. Catch reports indicate that the margins generally give the best results. I also feel that I took the wrong bait last year, relying on my favourite coconut boilie that I use a lot over here. The lake has a lot of Sticky Baits Krill going into it, as that's the bait they loosefeed and sell over there. I am going to try the Trent Freshwater Shrimp as a "meatier" alternative but take a couple of kilos of Krill with me "just in case". Also going to fish pop ups a lot more over there (well certainly on one of my rods) as the lake has a little bit of silt in places. Can't wait mate. Sounds like heaven in a bed chair lol,I paid £2000 for a week on the riviera this year and I can't even fish [emoji12] Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted May 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Currently spending a bloody fortune on "must have" bits and pieces of terminal tackle off the bay. Each item might only be a couple of quid but it's surprising how it all mounts up..... Determined to go at them with a bit more thought and effort this year rather than just relying on my good old tried and tested running rig. cyborx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted June 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Well it's getting closer!! Only 3 weeks to go and I'm like a little kid waiting for Christmas. Bait is now all bagged up and in the freezer, new batteries in the alarms. Spent Tuesday re-spooling 7 reels. Arm still aches! Also tied quite a few rigs up too. Ended up having to buy a new rod holdall, bait "bucket" and carryall as the mice had chewed bloody great holes in them, but picked up some bargains off the 'bay. Luckily my brolly and rods were fine. Have been getting regular updates from the fishery, been a 38 and 31 out over the course of the last couple of weeks, along with numerous high 20's. Weather over there hasn't been brilliant but it's warming up a bit now. Fingers crossed that they don't go into late spawning mode while we are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davew Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 7 reels??????????????? Sounds like my sort of lake, have a great trip m8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted June 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 7 reels??????????????? Sounds like my sort of lake, have a great trip mate! My three and my Son and Daughers pair each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted June 14, 2016 Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 countdown moving on now smuft, even i am getting excited smufter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted June 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 countdown moving on now smuft, even i am getting excited Just a tad over two weeks to go mate. I am soooooo looking forward to it. Son and Daughter also getting excited now, and wife just looking forward to doing absolutely nothing for the duration. I've told her we are expecting her to bang a nice liver & bacon in at some point though :wink: cyborx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmarket Posted June 14, 2016 Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 Just a tad over two weeks to go mate. I am soooooo looking forward to it. Son and Daughter also getting excited now, and wife just looking forward to doing absolutely nothing for the duration. I've told her we are expecting her to bang a nice liver & bacon in at some point though :wink: Sounds like you should be taking them to Disneyland Paris instead of fishing :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyborx Posted June 14, 2016 Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 mmmmm!! liver and bacon, aint had that for soooo long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagnaccarp Posted July 11, 2016 Report Share Posted July 11, 2016 I will be there in 3 to 4 weeks time , chasing an elusive couple of lumps that have evaded me for a couple of years ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smufter Posted July 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2016 Having a great time here at the moment. Biggest caught so far is a 32lb common, with a couple of 30's thrown in for good measure and a fair number of mid 20's. I did lose a "monster" a few days ago, slipped the hook a few feet from the net, had a tail like a shovel and was pulling like crazy. Weather is a bit hit and miss, quite chilly in the mornings. Best bait has been sticky baits krill but my lost fish was hooked on popped up corn. The 32 was caught on a lump of luncheon meat tried as an experiment, but no other takes on it since. bivvystreet and nealjt 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bivvystreet Posted July 13, 2016 Report Share Posted July 13, 2016 Having a great time here at the moment. Biggest caught so far is a 32lb common, with a couple of 30's thrown in for good measure and a fair number of mid 20's. I did lose a "monster" a few days ago, slipped the hook a few feet from the net, had a tail like a shovel and was pulling like crazy. Weather is a bit hit and miss, quite chilly in the mornings. Best bait has been sticky baits krill but my lost fish was hooked on popped up corn. The 32 was caught on a lump of luncheon meat tried as an experiment, but no other takes on it since. well in mate,best of luck and enjoy the rest of your holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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