Euro carping round 2!

Have it!!!!! Go Dave

Hi all!

Another few weeks has past since my last blog entry and to be honest it's all been about work, work and more work really.

Not that I'm not enjoying things but I have to confess feeling a little over tired of late and in need of rest and recoup more than I thought that I would.

Nothing is going to stop my 3 to 4 monthly jaunts though and my most recent trip over to France with 7 other lads, saw me have probably the most incredible week's fishing that I've had to date!

My good buddy Dave Brooks had invited me over to Etang Des Royales with him some time back and the day finally arrived just over a fortnight ago. The weather started out fairly warm at the start of the week but as time progressed the nights grew much colder and the wind had a real bite to it....this killed the fishing rather but Dave and I still found a group of fish obliging to take a few well placed and well timed baits.

Nigel, Kyle, Neil, Dean, Charlie, Steve, Pete Dave, yours truly and Mr John Hoffgartner at the front

Dave picked out our swim for us as he'd been before and the other lads all chose theirs. You have to fish in pairs at Royales due to the well implemented rules to protect the fish. After arriving and getting set up, Dave and I chucked a coin to see who'd get which side of the swim. I got the hot side and started abut baiting up with around 5 kilos of bait in a 15 to 20 yard area in a wind free bay to my left.

Chunks galore

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A fair few hours passed by and just as dusk was coming I finally got a pair of rods in to the water. It didn't take long at all before I was into my first of the trip at just over 43lbs! The majority of the fish in there are mirrors and they're big! As the next few days progressed, so did my swim. With regular and sensible baiting and fishing/no fishing sessions....the fish kept on coming!

By Tuesday I had caught 6 forty pound plus mirrors and a few back up 30's too. I managed a new PB mirror of 49lb 12oz and after some discussion with Dave, we decided that we'd put a rod on each others pod, so to give us both an equal chance of a fish.

This strategy worked well and finally got Dave off to a start. He managed a couple of nice low thirties from the off. Finally something happened on my rod and after a very long battle with a fish that hung exceptionally low in the water.

New PB of 51lb oz....the Champagne would later flow! 

Dave sunk the net under a rather chunky looking mirror! Well, it was certainly chunky and when Dave called Charlie out to come and help with the weighing and pics etc, I knew it was going to be a bit of a special fish.

A fine forty plus for Dave

The scales tipped round to an incredible 51lb 8oz! I couldn't believe it! After years of trying I had finally caught my first carp over 50lbs! Wonderful! By the final day I had caught 14 fish in total, including 8 x 40's, 3 x 30's, 1 x 50 and 2 x 20's.

Dave wasn't too far behind with 7 x 30's, 1 x 40 and 2 20'. The other lads did less quantity of fish as they found it harder in the main section of the lake. But Neil managed a 50 plus and Dean had the biggest caught all year at 64lb 8oz! What a fish that was!

I Managed a few hours on the cat lake and took a handful of cats to 45lbs on float tactics and even took one on a center pin reel, which was incredible! What a way to cat a catfish!

49lb 12oz for myself

Anyway, lots on with work this week and I have little spare time to fish at present. This has made me consider a few short evening sessions down on the beach after work.

More for the fresh air than anything, but I thought that it may help me to grow back a bit of fondness for fishing in the UK again....who knows? We shall see.....

Tight lines guys

Keith x