IFD: We caught up recently with Andy Doyle to see how his carping has been going so far this year…..
Dimple back from Maynooth
After a slow enough years fishing so far only doing a hand full of nights on maynooth I managed one of the top shelf fish (dimple back) @ 29 odd and a double.
Lake Chira Gran Canaria
I also revisited lake chira in Gran canaria for a quick 48 hour session in Easter which didn’t provide any kind of action like I had 2 years ago but it’s still a cracking water.
A lake Chira common for Andy
So when David Grimes, (Grimsey) convinced me that we needed a trip to France which in fairness took about 2 seconds. I sent a few messages to waters I fished in the past and only a little over 5 weeks before the time we had in mind I knew availability were going to be slim pickings. Fishable was on our minds but I just think you have to drive south in France for the fish (it’s a mental thing) so when Tracey in etang de Brigueuil (High Mill lake) sends me a message swims 7 and 8 is free first week in September. It was time to book the ferry because we are off to Brigueuil.
I’ve fished it 5 times so I knew what is needed and how to approach the fish keeping it simple and they will come. So I decided to go with cell and hybrid I had the base mixes so I knocked up around 10kg of 20 and 22mm baits. Boiled up hemp maze and Tigers to cover all areas. The weeks before we arrived there was a few blanks been dealt out due to such high temperatures which wasn’t what we wanted to hear.
We got the ferry to Roscoff which lands mid morning on the Friday so we had all day to make our way down through France a nice drive down and we arrived lake side 6:30 Friday evening to the usual big welcome from Andy and Tracey and a nice cold beer which was needed. We took a walk around met a few English lads which were fishing and we were happy to hear it has started to fish again nearly everyone one caught that week.
Saturday morning came we got our kit together and loaded onto the quad and off to our swims Grimsy won the toss and picked swim 7 so 8 it was for me.
It was in the 30’s all day and levels were low on the lake. So we had camp set up dinner delivered to our swims all we needed was a few beeps and that didn’t take long I netted my first fish just before dark and another before midnight, Grimsey set the pace around 2am with a 41 mirror.
I think we had 6 runs between us on the first night which is always good to settle you into your France trip. Sunday sun arrived again and the fish switched off so we all enjoyed the sun on our backs.
Then every evening once the sun would drop behind the tree line the temperature would drop by a lot and within an hours we would be back getting them beeps again. Had a lovely 38’8 common which was my only common of the trip.
38lb 8oz common
Monday evening just after dinner and a beer to wash it down my right hand rod bent over and after a battle in the lillies I scooped out my first 40 of the trip nice way to start off a busy night which give us both a few more 30’s.
The days went on with no action and the nights gave plenty. It was a 30’s factory really which is unbelievable fishing in my eyes. Mid way through the week I once again got stuck into fish which felt that bit more heavier and that it was swinging the scales round to 42’6 happy out I released it back in and off went another rod. As the week went on the size of the fish got a bit smaller but no one was complaining
I finished with 22 runs 2 x40. Biggest been 42’6 10 x 30 all good fish including a 35’10 grassie which we had history it swam away with my net 3 years ago lol.
Rest were 20’s all in all it was a cracking trip sun plenty of runs for us both food package was spot on as per usual and we were looked after 100%. Will I return to high mill lake? One day I’m sure I will….
Ireland Fishing Diaries 