Unlike my winter report in February 2005, this years report was a doddle. The main reason being that last year there was only so much you can write in a week on a lake that is frozen solid.
My week at Hooked in France in February 2006 this year however showed exceptional conditions for angling. Temperatures were a bit higher than usual, between 6 and 10 degrees during the day and between 0 and 4 at night. There was plenty of rain too. The feeder stream was full from two weeks of rain prior to my visit – in complete contrast to last summer where the stream was bone dry!
Water Levels
Ian and Frosty, during the course of the week, made every effort to get the lake’s water levels up to their maximum. The feeder stream is dammed at the house end of the lake, this feeds the stock pond which itself feeds the lake. So by manipulating where the waters going by either blocking or unblocking the dam, the water level can be raised as and when necessary – except of course in the hotter summer months when there is no water to feed. In the space of 7 days they managed to raised the water level by about 10 inches and by the time I left the lake, it was full!
The Hosts
Ian and Sue greeted us when we arrived with cups of tea and the usual banter. One thing you can’t get away from at this place is the micky-taking. If you fall in the lake or the wind blows your bivvy over, everybody will know about it and remind you about it!
Bailiff Frosty, having gained a recent Fisheries Management course qualification from Sparsholt College, had hitched a lift back with me from the UK and was raring to get back to work for the season ahead.
After the tea, Ian pointed out the improvements that had been made to the property since my last visit.
Improvements to the Lake
The lake is maintained carefully throughout the year but Ian summarised the main changes since last June as follows:
the dam wall between the Natural swim and the house has been completely dug out, anglers can now easily hit spots right close in to the house
the dead /dying trees on the bank between the Natural Swim and the Big Double have been removed
the path running from the house down to the Big Double swim has been re-laid with gravel
the drain next to the Roadside swim has been covered and blocked to prevent water loss and to help maintain consistent water levels
the lake has been treated with lime to help minimise weed growth
On the point of the weed growth, Frosty had learned that the weed forming large clumps in the summer months, particularly in the Double Island swim, was of a variety where cutting-back can actually make the problem worse. In other words, if you cut a patch of this weed in half, 2 weeks later you could have double the amount you had to begin with! Therefore the best course of action is through the use of lime to minimise the growth in the first place.
Improvements to the Shop
A number of cosmetic enhancements have been made in the last few months to the Angler’s Lodge, most notable are the changes in the tackle / bait shop. In addition to Boilies and Pellet, Hooked in France now supply particle products freshly prepared onsite. 2.3 litres tubs of maize, hemp and parti-blend are available all year round.
Also available are PVA products from EAP including: mesh, pva bags and pva string.
Hooked in France also now supply a range of Solar End Tackle – there’s always bits and bobs you’ve left in the UK so the availability of this is very handy.
The Anglers - Week 1 2006
I wasn't alone fishing the lake in the first week of the season at Hooked in France. Joining me were 4 fantastic scousers full of banter. Walking round the lake on the Saturday the usual debate about who was having which swim kicked off. Before arriving I had my mind set on the Roadside swim but my mind seem to change at every swim I got to round the lake. The two Gary Risleys wanted a double swim so they went for the Big Double (which turned out to be a cracking choice). Matty went for the Roadside swim without any argument from me as I was starting to have designs for the Double Island swim. Finally Dave picked the Natural swim nearest the house.
As a grand group plan, seeing as though the weather was still quite cold we all pretty much decided we were pretty much going to be baiting up quite lightly. In other words fishing for one bite at a time. Typically the tactic was to drop the hook bait out via a baitboat with a handful of pellet or particle and leave it at that. I found that the Procat baitboats were perfect for that as you can only load them with a small amount of bait in any case.
The two Garys on the Big Double decided they were going to trying fishing in the deeper open water rather than marginal spots along the top island. Gary senior also put a bait in the channel between the islands to tempt any fish passing through.
Matty on the Roadside also went for fishing the open water with one rod to the left of the island, one central and the other out to the right in the shallow bay.
I stuck to the same spots throughout the week on the Double Island swim. I had one rod in the channel between the two islands, one under the big overhanging tree on the side of the top island and the third rod in deeper water on the corner on the top island out towards the roadside swim.
Dave in the Natural went for the margins on the bottom island to begin with but also shifted out to open, deeper water.
First Night
The first day was quite a mild and sunny one and I think temperatures even got as high as 10 degrees! We were all kept up on the first night by touches and line bites but it was big Gary on the Big Double that struck first at 2am with the first 30 of the week, a mirror at 34lbs from the channel.
Gary Risley with a 34lb mirror on the first night
Second Night
Everyone was over the moon to see a 30 come out on the first night. It was the only fish to come out but with all the bleeping that was going on it showed that the fish where up for something to eat.
The second day went without much event however the evening showed more positive activity. FIrstly, at some point in the early hours, Matty managed to hook a duck much to the amusement of everybody else. It flew all about the lake wiping out all his lines! Using his expertise as a owl impersonator, Matty managed to reel in and free the poor bird.
Later, in small and early hours, the two Garys on the Big Double, landed 2 fish between them: Big Gary had another 30 at 32lbs 2oz. Little Gary beat his PB with a 25lb common.
Gary Risley with a 32lb 2oz mirror on the second night
Gary Risley with a 25lb common the second night
Hooked in France Week 1 2006 Rizzo, Gary, Dave, Matty and Mike
Third Night
The third day saw a change in the weather. The heavens opened, and everything got drenched. I'm sure if I had 12 outer skins on my bivvy some water will have still gotten through. Still more water was good for the lake and was likely to stir things up a bit for the carp.
As for the fishing, nothing much happen during the course of the day (except for the constant effort to keep everything dry!). The fish were mostly feeding at night and the Risley's were off and running with it little Gary had another double common but big Gary had himself another cracking mirror at 29lbs.
But just when we thought those two were going to be the only ones to catch Matty landed himself a 23lb Mirror from the Roadside swim.
Night 4
Again no fish caught during the fourth day. Myself I was starting to think that all the fish were out in front of the Big Double swim where the Gary's were fishing. I hadn't caught anything at that point so I started to think about bait. I'd been using an untried Mainline boilie and decided to switch to Hooked in France's trusty Cranberry and Caviar boilies. It paid off because a 10:30pm on Night 4 I broke my duck with this 22lb common:
The Risleys struck on night 4 with a mirror at 23lbs and a common at 24lbs - see the video clip below of Gary with the 24lb common.
Gary Risley 24lb Common click the Play button to play.
Fun and games at the ranch ... Gary was fishing with his own special secret bait known to us as "Chicken Supreme" ... see the video clip below and be as confused as the rest of us!
Chicken Supreme - click the Play button to play.
Night 5
Having had only 2 takes so far, resulting in one fish I was still buzzing. It looked as though the fish were in the deeper water this week due to it still being quite cold. In fact, as the forecast had predicted, the Wednesday turned colder. It dropped to about 3 degrees during the day and Wednesday night it was sub-zero.
The heater in my bivvy was on most of the night and seeing as though it was unlikely I'd get a take, Frosty joined me for a few beers and a dvd. Ain't technology great!
Once again I woke up to the sound of cheering across the lake. Something pretty special had happened I could tell. I wasn't wrong, the biggest fish of the week had come out just short of 40lbs to guess who? Yes Rizzo had done it again - a whopping mirror carp of 39lb 8oz in the early hours.
Gary Risley with a huge 39lb 8oz Mirror Carp
Night 6
Tactically Rizzo had it spot on this week. It certainly helped having the fish out in front of the Big Double but you've really got to get the bait right and also your rigs.
The Gary's sensed early on that they had fish in their swim and decided to take a chance by putting a lot more bait in than was usually required. They were filing their Viper baitboat up to the top each time with a mix of particle and pellet, sticking with the same spots all week.
I should also point out that the Gary's had only missed one run all week demonstrating that their rigs were spot on. They were using their own variation of the nailer rig, held down to the bottom with putty.
What was Dave up to? Dave in the Natural swim was having no luck with the carp and so by this point his attention had shifted to the pike which were active in the lake all week. Dave caught himself 4 pike upto about 6lbs using the deadbaiting technique.
In the early hours of the 6th night young Gary Risley caught his first thirty, his third PB of the week. Here he is in the clip below with a pristine 34lb Mirror Carp:
Young Gary Risley with a PB 34lb Mirror
Close of Play
By the end of things on the Saturday we were all shattered, I stank from not having showered all week - I got loads of stick for that. I swear when I did have a shower on Saturday morning, the water came of me was greeny-brown!
Fishing-wise, the stats were great for a week on February. 21 fish out, albeit 15 of them to the Risleys in the Big Double. This included 5 x 30s and 9 x 20s! The biggest of course was Rizzo's 39.8lber on Wednesday night.
Socially it was great. We all met down at the lodge in the mornings for a huge full English breakfast prepared lovingly by Sue. Ian would even get his arse out of bed to go get us fresh bread from the local bakery! And we'd met again around 4pm for our evening meal (and huge portions) and a few beers.
Ian, during the week, introduced his new beer delivery service. He'd turn up at your swim with a coolbox full of beers! Bliss!!
Thanks to Ian, Sue and Frosty for a fantastic week! Well done to the Scousers - particularly the Risleys, you certainly taught me a thing or two about winter carping!
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