It was time to brave it. I’d put it off for too long, but today was going to be my first French ‘Public Lake’ experience. My reservations stemmed from a fear of the garde du peche (and not trusting my translation of the information that came with my carte du peche), and getting too used to catching fish on our own lakes.

I was hoping to be able to find somewhere on the 12Ha lake where i could tuck myself away and avoid drawing attention to myself. Unfortunately due to the obscene amount of rain we’ve had over the last couple of weeks the water had risen to the point where the only fishable area was right next to the car park, the road and the dog walkers’ route…hmmmm.

Regardless, i set up both rods with a small method feeder and single plastic corn pop-ups and got myself settled. I knew from an English friend that there was a good chance of catching Bream, and knowing that my chances of latching onto a Carp were slim on my first session, i geared up to fish for bites, any bites.

A few casts with my marker rod revealed a gentle slope littered with snags (that i later found to be tree stumps), down to a depth of 14ft. At this point the bottom appeared to become silty, and it was here that i placed my marker float for the afternoon and fished both rods.

It was a slow start, and just as i was beginning to relax the French came… Dog walkers, families walking off their sunday lunch and every local fisherman who saw the English car parked and felt the need to check i wasn’t breaking any rules. At first it was stressful, but soon i realised that almost everyone was being genuinely friendly and i was getting some useful information!

I found out about the tree stumps (lots and lots of them apparently), the size of the Carp (15kgs…thirties!), that there are only 2 access points on the whole lake and that nothing ever gets caught from where i was fishing… oh well.

As if on cue, my left hand bobbin rose and let out two short beeps. The nervous excitement meant i was up with the rod in my hand before i had chance to think, and for once it was a smile that crossed my face when i felt the reassuring tap tapping of a bream on the end. It took a while for my heart rate to settle; for that split second there was a chance i’d latched onto a Carp!

As the afternoon progressed i started to get more bites and in the end i had 4 bream and dropped another. It might not seem like a result to you guys, but to sit there knowing that the next time my alarm went it could be the fish of a lifetime was a brilliant feeling, and i’ll certainly be back….

Though not next weekend, as i was warned away…appparently the trout season starts on Sunday and i wouldn’t want to get in between the French and their Truit

Stumble it!