Fortinieres
FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS I HAD BEEN COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS MAKING LAST MINUTE PREPARTIONS FOR OUR FIRST JAUNT OF THE YEAR TO FRANCE, MYSELF JOANNE AND OUR DAUGHTER ABBIE WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED WITH MY OLD FISHING PAL ALAN ALONG WITH HIS WIFE HELEN AND THEIR SON ZAK AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH US MICK, AS YOU CAN SEE THIS WASN'T JUST AN ORDINARY FISHING TRIP BUT A FAMILY HOLIDAY AS WELL . THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF LES FORTINIERES. I HAVE FISHED THE LAKE BEFORE BUT NOT FOR A FEW YEARS AND HAD A GREAT TIME THEN AND ALWAYS VOWED TO RETURN, SINCE THEN THE LAKE HAS BEEN SOLD AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE I WAS GUTTED BUT HAD HEARD THE LAKE HAD GONE IN TO GOOD HANDS, I HAD BEEN WATCHING THE NEW WEBSITE AND HAD SEEN SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE, THE LAKE WAS GREAT THEN BUT COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE THE NEW CHANGES,NEW FIXTURES AND FURNISHINGS INCLUDING 42INCH PLASMA T.V LUXURY ACCOMADATION AND NEW KITCHEN WHICH AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THE WIVES COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE, THE BOYS HOWEVER WERE KEEN TO SEE HOW THE FISH HAD COME ON. BACK THEN THE LAKE HAD A PROLIFIC STOCK OF CARP TO MID FORTIES HOWEVER WITH DEBBIE AND PAULS HARD WORK THROUGH THE WINTER THE FISH HAD COME ON LEAPS AND BOUNDS AND WE HAD HEARD JUST BEFORE WE LEFT THAT THE LAKE HAD DONE ITS FIRST FIFTY OF THE YEAR.
WE PICKED UP OUR BAIT ON THE DAY WE LEFT SHEFFIELD (THANKS NUTRABAITS AND ROLLIN BAITS) AND WE MADE THE LONG DRIVE DOWN TO THE FERRY PORT, SOON WE WERE ON THE FERRY AND ARRIVED IN FRANCE. APPROX SIX HOURS FROM CALAIS WE HAD ARRIVED AT THE BEUTIFULL LES FORTINIERS, IF YOU COULD DESIGN YOUR OWN CARP LAKE THEN LES FORTIIERES WOULDN'T BE FAR OFF IT. THE LAKE IS APPROXIMATLEY 9 ACRES, QUITE SHALLOW WITH ISLANDS AND OVERHANGING WILLOW TREES SIMPLY STUNNING. WE HAD ALLREADY DECIDED WHERE WE WERE GOING MICK WENT TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE LAKE ALAN WAS IN THE NEXT SWIM DOWN AND I WAS JUST IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE WHICH MEANT I COULD BE NEAR THE FAMILY. AS I WAS SETTING UP I NOTICED THERE WAS SOME BUBBLING COMING UP APRROX 40 YARS OUT SO JUST DECIDE TO CAST A COUPLE OF RODS OUT TO THEM WHILE I SET UP.
ON THE FERRY COMING DOWN WE HAD PLACED A BET 1 EURO FOR THE FIRST, BIGGEST AND SMALLEST FISH. WELL WITHIN THE HOUR THE IST EURO WAS MINE AS I STARTED OF WITH A NICE 26 POUNDER NOT LONG LATER ALAN WAS INTO A 34 POUNDER. WE THEN REELED IN AND HAD A LOVELLY MEAL COOKED FOR US BY OUR WIVES FOLLOWED BY A NICE BEER, MICK WAS STILL WAITING FOR HIS FIRST FISH BUT DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG, AS WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF CASTING OUT AFTER TEA HE WAS INTO HIS FIRST FISH, A CRY SOON WENT UP IT WAS OBVIOUS MICK HAD CAUGHT A BIGGY, I WAS ON THE WALKIE TALKIE AND SOON HEARD 51LB 12 OZ WOW WHAT A START FOR MICK NEW P.B AND LAKE RECORD NOT BAD FOR FIRST TIME TO LAKE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY ONE EURO TO HIM. WELL THIS JUST STARTED OF WHAT WAS TO BECOME ANINCREDIBLE WEEKS FISHING. THE FISH JUST LOVED THE BAIT AND CONTINUED COMING ON A REGULAR BASIS THE FIRST NIGHT FOR MYSELF PRODUCED 8 CARP TO LOW FORTIES, ALAN FOLLOWED UP THE NEXT NIGHT WITH ANOTHER FIFTY POUNDER AND STILL THE FISH KEPT COMING, THE 2ND NIGHT PRODUCED THIRTEEN CARP FORMYSELF INCLUDING ANOTHER 51 POUNDER. ALAN AND MICK ALSO SCORING WELL, AND THE FISH JUST KEPT ON COMING, WE HAD OBVIOUSLY TIMED OUR TRIP WELL AS THE FISH WERE WELL ON THE FEED. BY WEDNESDAY WE WERE ON OVER FORTY FISH INCLUDING ANOTHER FIFTY FOR MYSELF AND ALAN AND NUMEROUS FORTYS AND THIRTIES. YOU CAN GET A BIT BLASY SOMETIMES WITH ACTION LIKE THIS BUT THIS SHOWS THE QUALITY ON OFFER WHEN YOU GET IT RIGHT. SATURDAY CAME AROUND ALL TO QUICKLY WE ENDED WITH A TOTAL OF 88 CARP BETWEEN US MICK WON HIS EURO FOR BIGGEST FISH MYSELF ONE FOR THE FIRST AND ALAN GOT THE LAST ONE ON OFFER FOR SMALLEST CARP 14 POUNDER ONE OF ONLY 6 DOUBLES CAUGHT DURING OUR TRIP. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK DEBBIE AND PAUL FOR BEING GREAT HOSTS NEEDLESS TO SAY WE CAN'T WAIT TO RETURN.
ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IF YOUR AFTER QUALITY FISHING WITH LUXURY ACCOMADATION (DID I MENTION SWIMMING POOL) WITHIN EASY REACH OF SOME SWIMS AND WHERE THE STOCK OF CARP IS OF A HIGHEST STANDARD THEN LOOK NO FURTHER.
