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MEANWHILE, AT THE SHOW... “I run a lake in France, do you fancy fishing it? I’m Tony Underwood.” He lent over the CARPology stand to shake Rob’s hands and mine. ‘He’ll do it’, Rob said, flashing me one of those Rob looks and I’ll look after your missus while you’re away! So what could I say but ‘Yes!’ (Bit worried about the missus bit, though seeing as he looks like Robbie Williams).

I’d been handing out fliers on the CARPology stand at The Winter Carp Conference Show, now was being sent to France! Sorted. Just had to convince said missus.

RESEARCH I studied the Carpruns website (www.carpruns.co.uk) on a daily basis, checking the lake we were to fish (Du Moulin De Bley). The website is great and very informative. You are able to view fish caught during the previous season and also look at the lakes and swims. The Lake itself is on a secluded and very private estate owned by the Engel family. Cattle have been bred here for many years. Jules Marc Engel has a wellestablished, well-run trout farm, which supplies for table and local trout fisheries.

The three lakes on the estate are surrounded by forests and rivers and are as picturesque as they come, especially the Bley, which is also stuffed full of prime, hard fighting, French beasts! The other two are in the process of being stocked, one of which it is rumoured will only have one swim on it. Should be fun!

Now on to the Bley. We were guided to the lake with military precision via instructions sent to us by a genuinely caring Tony Underwood, the English side of the fisheries partnership, a very experienced fisheries manager and carp and cat fishing guide. I feel he has achieved what he set out to and created a perfect runs water with big fish. Genuinely not in it for the money as the Bley has only eight swims on its eleven acres. Four times that could be expected on some waters. But that’s exactly how Tony and Jules Marc want it. Jules Marc is a character that you warm to instantly with barbie tongs in one hand and fag in the other, waving his arms spouting descriptive French flare, English better than mine, and jokes, well, enough said about those!

DAY TIME MEETING So we arrived. Past the pine trees, next right, “just seen the lake mate”, said my co-pilot and navigator John Presland, a French fishing veteran of the highest order. With many places like under his belt. Peering through the tall entrance gates, instantly greeted by a warm welcome from Jules Marc. As much as we wanted to get baits out we had to wait due to five lads already on lake catching our fish, and catching them they were! We had a walk around the lake for the first time with Oliver Underwood, Tony’s son, who informed us he was a barbel angler and not really a carp angler and had only been to the lake a few times. Modestly oozing every detail of the lake, carp and the fishing. (Me thinks he’s a hot barbel angler!)

It was a warm eve, but it had been hot for the last few days and there was too many fish to mention showing and clouding up. We couldn’t put a bait out - torture!

Each swim we passed was as good as the last making it really difficult to choose between them. John said it was as pretty as any he had fished in the past.

THE CRACK The evening was spent round the table with the lads on their last night. There was a shell-shocked state of amazement about all of them, as we ticked off their catch lists. Too many 20s, 30s and 40s to mention - sorry lads! Eager to get back to their rods for their last night, a quick seconds on the burger front was had, then they were away leaving a bewildered Jules Marc, who is still getting his head around how keen English carp anglers are. You just know he wants to sit at the table all night getting animated, but the crazy English want to sit in their bivvies waiting for the next screaming banshee of a run! (You don’t have to wait long.)

We set bedchairs up in a big open faced barn with kitchen, loo and store room, well stocked with everything you could possibly need: tackle, bait, food etc. All things much cheaper than in England. We set up rods with eager anticipation under cover of the barn, a welcome storm let us have it. It finished as quickly as it came, to leave a fresh smelling starry night. “Right mate, see you in the morning” I said with child like excitement and snuggled into my sleeping bag for a good kip. Yeah right, it wasn’t going to happen! I got up and made some PVA bags up stuffed full of Elite Baits Smoked Mackerel and Ocean Fruit boilies. These have had some fantastic results this year in France. Two of the biggest fish last month, both 60lb+ fell to these baits. I had pellets and dips to complement the freezer baits.

I had a good chat with Carl the bailiff (diamond geezer) and then sunk back into my bedchair. The time being just after 3a.m., I only managed two-and-a-half-hours. Awoken by John pulling boots on with a smile that said it all. “Going for a walk around the lake, mate” I couldn’t move fast enough. I felt for the lads who had the last day blues, who had had another productive night. One having two 40s and many others. It was dawning on me; we were going to ave it!

PEG 2. THAT’S THE ONE... Swim decisions near impossible as fish were showing in every one, so I was drawn to what I thought was the prettiest looking Peg 2. A double swim two of the lads had been fishing. I was fishing to an end of the lake, which had no swims at all, and was completely tree-lined with overhanging trees. John being to my right covered open water and had a big willow to his right.

With first rod placed on a silent Delkim+, bail arm open and Viper chomping at the bit in the margin, hopper piled high with Elite Smoked Mackerel boilies and pellets. The Viper was sent on its first mission a metre under overhanging branches in an obvious hole 60 yards along end bank I was fishing to.

Echo sounder telling me I was in a metre of water. I dropped its cargo. That was going to be the infamous middle rod! Glancing over to John to see him pushing buzzer bars and all three rods chucked out on the bank with baitrunners on. Uncontrollable big smiles!

My left rod I boated down to my left dropping in the corner of lake. Third rod I banged out into open water with a PVA Elite cocktail. Sliding second from last peg in for bivvy, Delkim called my name, very loud and very long! Middle rod under trees Du Moulin De Bley and we’re off. 24lb mirror back of the net! Quick nod and wink from John and finish pushing second from last peg in.

QUIET TIME We entered what we named ‘quiet time’ between 11p.m. and 2a.m. Then the first wave of attacks came to me first. 14, 30, 19, 25, 28lb. John started slow, but was soon tugging at my shirttails with 34, 34, 23, 31, 31, 21lb. Great first day! Warm calm starry evening. Right, for those who have been to France and experienced the frogs and we’re not talking the locals here, I mean the slimy hopping kind, they have to be heard to be believed. Thousands all croaking all the way round the lake; one starts and its like a Mexican ribbet wave!

As it started to get dark, the middle rod mayhem kicked in with 42lb 3oz mirror. Most of the fish in the lake are mirrors. Two lads who had moved on the lake were fishing the other end by the islands. They had two 40s during the night, the biggest being 47lb. We had a steady flow of takes for four days and four nights. Jules Marc invited us down for a last eve bbq and we decided it might be rude if we both blew it out so John fished and I went to receive burgers, chicken and sausages and hurried back for the usual evening attacks, more 20s and 30s. I can actually say the lower 30s started to look small!

The lake is extremely secure with gates being locked of a night. A quiet environment you can relax in knowing car, tackle and yourself are 100% safe, something that is a worry on some other waters.

Rigs we didn’t have to tweak at all: Korda’s Wide Gape Barbless. Braid a no-no on the lake, so 15lb GT80 did the business. 10” hooklinks, 4oz bolts, simple as it comes. I picked up the odd fish on left and right rods, but 90% of my fish came to the middle rod. An impossible cast, so I owe everything to Viper, well and Rob and Joe a bit, it’s theirs. Thanks lads.

THANK YOOOUUUU! Ash gratitude rating: five big stars. Who’s a happy boy then? Big thanks to Tony, Jules Marc, Carl and all the lads on the lake, you know who you are. Ash