| #1  04-21-2011, 08:13 PM | |||
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| Etoile lake I went to Etoile lake in the Somme valley for a long weekend, 4 days and 3 nights with my girlfriends dad and his mate. We caught the eurostar at 5:20 am sat morning and drove 3 hrs to the lake. It should have only taken 1hr 45mins but my gf's dad bought an A reg cf Bedford camper for the trip  . It was supposed to be drive an survive, not survive the drive, anyway we made it, just  At the lake there was already a group of regulars who let us pick their brains about the lake and how best to fish it. They all told us that it hasn't fished as well as it normally does as only 25 fish had been out all week. The lads were a nice bunch, very helpful and they gave me about 30 kilos of prepared particles and some sticky tigernuts. Once the lads packed up and left we chose swims and set up. I fished two long braid rigs with double 18mm boilies and had a non leadcore choddy on the other with a single pop up. The idea being I could cast the choddy to showing fish without worrying about it sinking in the silty bottom. The other two I rowed out and placed them gently on top of the silt with a few handfuls of particles and boilies. The first 24 hrs passed and not even a bite and not even a sign of fish. I started to think that Etoile was gonna turn into E-toilet. So as I had packed my fly gear I decided to get some practice in with that for an hour or so whilst awaiting for the carp to turn on, and I caught some lovely little Rudd on a buzzer.  Just as I was pulling out the Rudd my choddy rig went off, which resulted in a bream  Then nothing through the second night, but I was hearing fish to my right splashing about. As morning broke, still no carp, I crept down the bank to check out where I had heard fish and and noticed a few bow waves under the surface. That made my mind up for me and I moved swims. Four trips along the bank and one very dodgy boat ride I was in the new swim, i had also decided to use rigs that worked back home for me and hair rigged two tigernuts on the rod where I had seen the fish and boated my baits out again. At 3 am I had a take and struck into what felt like a snag,after about 30 seconds it moved so I started to reel down and bring it towards me, it didn't show itself until it wAs under my feet, but being dark I couldn't see a thing. I slipped the net under it and hauled it on the bank, I couldn't have been happier as it was a 27lb 4 oz common  Not a huge fish by French standards but a new personal best for me and a blank beaten __________________ If it was easy, it would be called catching. Now I may be an idiot, but there is one thing I am not, sir, and that, sir, is an idiot.....     |
| #2 04-21-2011, 08:29 PM | ||||
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| Re: Etoile lake Well done on the PB,some good points on the board too ...  __________________ Mike.. Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints, Kill nothing but time Mike`s Fishing Photo Gallery Last edited by MRG2000; 04-22-2011 at 11:11 PM. |
| #3 04-21-2011, 08:36 PM | |||
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| Re: Etoile lake thanks mrg  __________________ If it was easy, it would be called catching. Now I may be an idiot, but there is one thing I am not, sir, and that, sir, is an idiot..... |
| #4 04-21-2011, 08:51 PM | ||||
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| Re: Etoile lake survive the drive pmsl Great fish m8 well done __________________ Species 2011.. Common carp,Mirror carp,Pike,Rudd,Dace,Eel,Bream,Perch,Roach,Barbel, Chub |
| #5 04-21-2011, 08:52 PM | ||||
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| Re: Etoile lake Congrats on the pb. Did your gf's dad buy the camper van off Matt Hayes and Mick Brown, lol. |
| #6 04-22-2011, 08:10 AM | |||
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| Re: Etoile lake @ MT - cheers mate. @ ND - lol, i think thats where he got the idea from, but their VW is much better and probably a lot faster. have you seen a cf bedford camper? they're not exactly streamlined. __________________ If it was easy, it would be called catching. Now I may be an idiot, but there is one thing I am not, sir, and that, sir, is an idiot..... |
