Good Evening.
I am writing this from the confines of a caravan. I don’t like it, and I feel caged in after my week at the ‘Enchanted Lake’. Fishing sometimes really is about just being there, enjoying the surroundings and to top it all, I also caught three magnificent carp. It was simply awesome!
Taken at 3.30am on a slow shutter speed.
From that paragaph you will gather I did not catch anything else on my final night, but to be honest with you I did not mind in the slightest. I think going to a new water for just one week with the intention of catching the biggest fish in the lake, would require an element of luck and possibly some damn fine angling. The fact my target fish was caught a couple of weeks prior to my arrival, did little to help my chances. But then you never know you do, sometimes fish slip up easily. I could have stayed on for longer, but I felt I would have outstayed my welcome if I had. I planned to fish for one week and that’s just what I did. I left with full respect for the place.
I repositioned my rod which needed to be moved shortly after 6pm last night. It was also put on the far margin reed line. It was now a case of staying up for a while to savour the atmosphere and enjoy my final evening. I made a nice meal and watched as darkness enveloped the place. I knew in the morning the peace and serenity would be broken by the arrival of pike anglers and I was ready for them when they arrived. I have to admit I was expecting a little animosity and almost hostility. I was carp angling and set up in one of the areas they like to launch their boats from. How wrong was I!
The first arrival came earlier than expected; 3.30am to be precise. I could hear the car crunching the gravelled track from a few kilometeres away, but could not quite believe that they were arriving ‘this’ early. Fortunately these two lads were without a boat, so my rods still had a chance. I knew once the boats arrived, then that would be my lot. I took the picture above on a slow shutter speed of 30 seconds and then stayed up for an hour before sleep got the better of me. At 5.30am I could suddenly hear amplified and excited voices and more cars arriving in numbers. The boats were being prepared to be launched and I knew it was nearly time to reel ’em in. Then bang on 6am I had one bleep on the newly positioned rod. I sat up and looked at the red led on my ATT box glaring intently at me. I encouraged it with a “Go on!”, but nothing else materialised.
A car pulled into my patch and two Brochet anglers got out of a van with a trailer behind. They shook my hands and greeted me and then inquired if the boat could be launched from my place. I was ready to pack up and leave at this point, so I let them carry on. I really felt I had a good chance of a carp this morning too, but it obviously was not to be with all the new disturbance. I could just imagine a fat carp waddling down the far margin, picking up the odd Carptrack Fish boilie, whilst it slowly made its way to my hookbait. Oh well!
6am and the Pikeys arrived!
In all the time I have been fishing in France, I think I am still yet to see a pike angler actually catch a pike. However, a small one was caught by one the anglers present today measuring 55cm, so at least one of them had some action. As I was packing up my equipment which took four hours altogether, a pike angler decided to fish from my swim. I enquired whether he released his fish or did he take them home for the ‘pot’? I was pleasantly surprised by his answer. “No, I just fish for the tranquility and the sport and I release my fish.” Just maybe the No Kill message is slowly getting through to some folk. What was nice to watch today, was the passion of some of these pike anglers. It was there new season and they too were full of excitement and anticipation of what the day might bring. We all have our passions and it is nice when two types of fishermen can fish side by side without any problems. After all, we are just fisherman, fishing for fish!
Packing up was quite enjoyable in the morning sun. It was made so much easier by having the van parked adjacent. A couple had stayed the night in a camper van, complete with two canoes strapped to the top, and a 7 month old Rottweiler called Lucie. Flash played with this large puppy while I finished packing away my inflatable and then it sadly was time to leave.
One final look from the car park.
I will be down at Cassien tomorrow at some point tomorrow to see how my friend Lee Croson is getting on. So far he has had two small ones and generously he let Steve and Kyle catch the bigger ones on his rods whilst he was off shopping. I am looking forward to letting Lee do the shopping when we fish together. Tomorrow’s post will therefore be from the banks of Cassien to give a short report on my day’s events and also on how the lake seems to be fishing.
The highlight of my session at the ‘Enchanted lake’ had to be the capture of my first fish, the grand old 40lb mirror. Here it is again!
No need for words!!
Till then goodnight.
Jake Langley-Hobbs & his two dogs.
Team Imperial Fishing-We love to fish!!…..
www.carp-gps.com
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Tags: ATT, boilies, carp, Carptrack, fish, france, jake langley-hobbs, mirror, pike, rottweiler
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