Brocard larging it!
So the story begins!
After ringing a friend to see if he could fill a space on a trip to create lakes I fond my self booked on another trip that he was going on on his own, how could I let a friend go to France on his own fishing for the first time, so after consulting her in doors I hand my moneys over and before you know it we were at the Eurostar waiting and waiting to cross. After two hours wait and 35 mins crossing we we coming off the train making our way down the toll road on our way to vitry le francois for a overnight stay at lac desire.
Arriving at lac desire were we greeted with the usual warm welcome this time from the new bailiff with chicken curry for tea in his hands, A few beers later and its time to dig up as were back on the road in the morning all be it for only 25 mins.
The next morning couldn’t come soon enuf for me as I was up all night listening to my mates snoring and thinking to my self “ god this going to be a long week”…., geof woke to find a pair of crocs out side his bivvy and asked were they came from I replied “ there mine I threw them at you last night”!
A lovely breakfast and were back on the road, The venue for the week is 16 hectares of Brocard large set on the 300 hectares of domain de Brocard owned by the Bachelier family.
Arriving at the venue we are greeted by the bailiff frank who gives us all a beer and last week swim catch report for the peg 5 that we are booked in.
We booked peg 5 after advice from angling line that it was a good double peg, looking a the catch report it shows 34 fish for the peg between 2 anglers and lots of grass carp over half the report are grass up to 60lb, I said to geoff if we have half as many with no grass it will be a good trip to a new venue.
When we arrived a peg we picked sides and I’ve opted for right side and geoff for left,so time to get the rods out I’ve fanned the rods at 80yards 100yards and 120yards to horizon markers and the right one out to a light marker on far bank ive spotted.
The first day has passed and the night slipped away very quietly,The next morning around 7am im woken by a one note on the alarm absolutely screaming off lifting and pulling into the fish it felt good but this fish is tearing through the water right to left and picked up my middle line and a load of weed wrapping it up like spaghetti then its kite’d into my left line what a mess luckly geoff is on hand to help out and we finally get the fish in the net.
Its a stunner and one of my favourite captures to date out in france, it would look at home in a lake in oxford for sure, A male scaly mirror weighing 35lb gets me off the mark.
The bait we took with us is Dave Mallins pungent squid and so far so good, The next night brings another fish for me and another 31lb stunner followed that day with a 24 and another 31 that night all of the stunning etang le horre strain.
Geoff was struggling to get of the mark and when he did he lost a few fish as it was hard going for both of us not easy fishing because of the venue being so shallow about 2ft in some places. The weed was well up to not causing direct problem but sticking lines to getter when they cross so u cant unwrap them by going under or over a rod.
It was a few days in until geoff landed one and it was his first 30lb too. he was buzzing we both were once he got one he stated catching and the pessire was off
After all was done at the end of the week I had 20 fish and geoff had 8 so we was both happy and we had a great time too sometimes in fits of laughter especially when a pike cut geoff of half way up his line and he had to wade out to get it back,We made some new friends there too all the lads on the lake were very nice ,the bailiff on the on the other lake called Jon cherry
came round to see how we was getting and on and do a bit of fishing with us he was a great help and a credit to the owners, thank Mark Slade for the info and help oh and the bottle of champers.