Thursday, September 11, 2008
Carp Fishing Holiday - Lake Bossard 30th August to 6th September 2008
On the 30th August Olly Wagg, Dean Peters, Mason Mills and I travelled 300 miles via the Channel Tunnel in anticipation on catching a life time’s fish at Lake Bossard http://www.60pluscarp.com/ in the Champagne –Ardennes region of France.
On arrival complex lived up to it billing on the website
“The main lake (Bossard 1) is definitely not just another overstocked hole in the ground with a 6ft barbed wire fence around the perimeter. It is a stunning 23 acre lake set in 200 acres of forest with carp to 68lb. The other lakes (Bossard 2 and Bass Pool) are also located in stunning surroundings near to the main lake”
On arrival complex lived up to it billing on the website
“The main lake (Bossard 1) is definitely not just another overstocked hole in the ground with a 6ft barbed wire fence around the perimeter. It is a stunning 23 acre lake set in 200 acres of forest with carp to 68lb. The other lakes (Bossard 2 and Bass Pool) are also located in stunning surroundings near to the main lake”
Steve the Owner made us most welcome and took on a tour of the Main lake – Olly chose his swim as the 1st One we came to – Tight Squeeze’ Dean & Mason chose the next one ’61 (named so as the 1st fish Steve caught here was a 61lber) – being a double Swim. I choose the next one ‘Bonsai’ named after a late friend of Steve.
We were joined later by Kev & nark from Norfolk as they got lost. They set up on 1 & 2(but moved the following day to the top end.
The rest of Saturday was set up; evening meal cast the lines out for the night.
Sunday was a bright Sunny day which meant the lines stayed out as very little activity so we all went spinner fishing on the Bass Pool for the early part of the day. We all managed to capture a Small bass each.
I decided I would put some baits out on my marks as I said to Mason "you won’t catch anything if you don’t have bait in the water whatever the conditions”
I was rewarded at 5.30pm with a run and take on my rod that was set on a hard patch in the middle of lake along the top edge of the river bed that runs through the Lake.
It snagged on something out there but got it out. I gave a shout and help was at hand even though I knew it was only a low twenty, mason was 1st a got my other rods out the way then Dean got the Movie out to record and Olly arrived in time to see it a superb Common into the net & landed.
Cheers and handshakes all round as the 1st fish on the bank went 24lb 14ozs.
Alas that was it until Thursday Evening. No other bites at all from anyone, mark was reporting he had not yet seen a fish –
We were joined later by Kev & nark from Norfolk as they got lost. They set up on 1 & 2(but moved the following day to the top end.
The rest of Saturday was set up; evening meal cast the lines out for the night.
Sunday was a bright Sunny day which meant the lines stayed out as very little activity so we all went spinner fishing on the Bass Pool for the early part of the day. We all managed to capture a Small bass each.
I decided I would put some baits out on my marks as I said to Mason "you won’t catch anything if you don’t have bait in the water whatever the conditions”
I was rewarded at 5.30pm with a run and take on my rod that was set on a hard patch in the middle of lake along the top edge of the river bed that runs through the Lake.
It snagged on something out there but got it out. I gave a shout and help was at hand even though I knew it was only a low twenty, mason was 1st a got my other rods out the way then Dean got the Movie out to record and Olly arrived in time to see it a superb Common into the net & landed.
Cheers and handshakes all round as the 1st fish on the bank went 24lb 14ozs.
Alas that was it until Thursday Evening. No other bites at all from anyone, mark was reporting he had not yet seen a fish –
How that was about to change. The intervening time was spent on sessions on Bossard Two where Carp to 20 lb and Koi to 10lb were stalked by all. The other major events were the explosion from a Military exercise on the nearby farm land and Thunderstorms.
In fact I believe Aircraft were dropping Bombs - on 3 occasions on Thursday Morning we had three exposions that made the bivvies move ! Well it woke Olly up.
Rain was very much the order of the rest of the week with very long periods of up to 16 hours of sustained moderate to heavy rain. Mason was flooded out and by Wednesday evening he had enough and after Dinner He and Dean made their way back to The UK.
Steve was concerned about the fish not seeming to feed and thought it may have been the fact that he had cut the weed two weeks before and the disturbance and sudden abundance of natural food was caviar compared to what we had to offer. We had tried every natural bait we could lay our hands on to no avail. I will leave what they were to your imagination.
Steve likes the water and has a relationship with his baby such that he will don his wet suit and get out into the lake and clear hard patches as ‘Dinner plates’ for you - On Wednesday evening he cleared the spot I had the fish from on the Sunday and prepared a shot spot to just under the Tree to my right and place markers for each. On Thursday he boated out a bait for me some 300 yards. Later that evening just as dusk arrived I had a Run and somehow it pick up my 300 yd line even though it was back lead at the rod end. I managed to shout for help on the radio and Kev arrived shortly after. It proved a difficult fight and was now dark, once landed in the net we saw the reason – it had managed to get the 300yard line around its Dorsal such that - that was the way I fighting it. –
Steve was concerned about the fish not seeming to feed and thought it may have been the fact that he had cut the weed two weeks before and the disturbance and sudden abundance of natural food was caviar compared to what we had to offer. We had tried every natural bait we could lay our hands on to no avail. I will leave what they were to your imagination.
Steve likes the water and has a relationship with his baby such that he will don his wet suit and get out into the lake and clear hard patches as ‘Dinner plates’ for you - On Wednesday evening he cleared the spot I had the fish from on the Sunday and prepared a shot spot to just under the Tree to my right and place markers for each. On Thursday he boated out a bait for me some 300 yards. Later that evening just as dusk arrived I had a Run and somehow it pick up my 300 yd line even though it was back lead at the rod end. I managed to shout for help on the radio and Kev arrived shortly after. It proved a difficult fight and was now dark, once landed in the net we saw the reason – it had managed to get the 300yard line around its Dorsal such that - that was the way I fighting it. –
However a long slim Common which went 25lb 10oz.
That was the signal for Mark to start catching up the far End Over the next two days he managed to land Two PB’s – 44lb Common, 36lb 10oz Mirror and a number of other Twenties and his last fish on the pull in on Saturday morning was ‘Newt’ A small fish caught from the stock pond by a lad on a recent trip and put in Bossard One as a Trophy Fish – So that cost Steve another Bottle of Champagne (he offers a bottle for PB’s)
This a beauty or What ?
I had an Lovely 18lb 10oz Plated mirror from the centre Dinner Plate area on Friday afternoon. I called Steve as there should not be any fish less than 20lb in here. He inspected and agreed to release back as this would Twenty by the Winter – I would very much like to catch it again in a few years time – I only regret not taking a photo of it.
Olly only managed a PB Tench of 7lb 10ozs and a large Rodent, Kev did not have anything either.
I did have one really good bite – Wasp Sting on my top lip – I so engrossed in a book I was reading I forgot a was around I picked up my Beer for a swig and hey presto.
The facilities, food and the Company are superb, yes the Fish did not want to play ball but that’s fishing. I will be back next year – but I’m not saying when. I’ve worked out when the best time will be
Olly only managed a PB Tench of 7lb 10ozs and a large Rodent, Kev did not have anything either.
I did have one really good bite – Wasp Sting on my top lip – I so engrossed in a book I was reading I forgot a was around I picked up my Beer for a swig and hey presto.
The facilities, food and the Company are superb, yes the Fish did not want to play ball but that’s fishing. I will be back next year – but I’m not saying when. I’ve worked out when the best time will be
Labels: Pleasure Fish
