Simon Irons

Field Tester

0

The end of June signaled another trip to Le Bel Etang de Puyrigaud in southern France. It’s a lake I know well and have fished for many years. Fishing it is one thing, doing well on it is another. The early trips were varied in their results but after being introduced to SBS M1 baits by my long time angling friend (and ex boss), Richard Bissett, I never looked back. Taking as much SBS as I could carry and the bank manager would allow, myself, Richard and two other friends headed across the channel to tame a few more beasties.

 Arriving on Saturday the 28th of June, I managed to get the swim known as “the point”. Happy with my swim I set up ready for a week of French carping. All of the rods were set up by 5 pm, the bivvies were erected and the rest of the gear and copious amounts of SBS baits and 25kg of halibut pellet were stowed for later use. To my surprise, at around 5.45 I had a run on my middle rod. Striking into the run I had about 15 seconds of playing time before, unfortunately, the fish played me instead, and escaped the hook. It had fallen for a pva bag of mixed halibut pellet with M1 pellet, and an M1 14mm soaked in the lush bait dip. However it was not to be.

With the quick run and lost fish, I changed rigs and recast to the same spot. The next couple of hours passed without event, which, after the long drive down through the french countryside I was secretly thankful for, and managed to get an hours rest in between the next fish which came at 11pm. It was only a 16lb common but none the less a very welcome fish to open my account. No more were hooked over night for myself but at 12.30pm I had a lovely looking apple-sliced mirror of 23lb 5oz, once again falling to the magical M1.

The afternoon came and went without fish but I kept the bait trickling in ’little and often’ to attract the carps attention. It must have worked because at 8.40pm I had a lovely golden brown common of 19lb. Then, following it up an hour later with a new Pb Common of 35lb 9oz. Both having a taste for the M1’s. Although not a massive fish by todays carp fishing standards, any personal best sets the heart pounding and the face smiling, no matter who you are.

Monday was a slow days fishing, not surprisingly really, with relentless rain and later thundersorms. I did however manage to have a few out including fish of 21lb,16.8lb, and a cracking 31.8lb mirror known as “the duck”. Its a strange looking fish from one side of its head, with real yellow prominent lips and a blue eye. Unmistakeable and very welcome to visit my unhooking mat.

The duck was the last fish for that monday at around 7.30 pm and he too fell to an M1 bottom bait glugged in M1 bait dip.

Tuesday was a consistent day with some nice carp banked. Fish of 10lb, 18lb, 20lb, 28lb and 14lb were included but outshone by yet 2 more 30`s. One fish called “the red rash” at 34lb 8oz (fig 4 the red rash) and another clonker of a carp which fought like a demon at 35lb 3oz.

An early wake up call from mr delkim on Wednesday resulted in another lost fish but the rest of the day would more than make up for that loss.

At 8am I had a lovely looking mirror of 32lb. This was followed just after dark by the biggest hardest fighting monster of the trip.

The 40lb Mirror - this big fellow had a liking for a chickpea. Cast about 10yards from the bank to a lovely gravel spot that runs around the edge of the point swim. He was certainly in good form and fought long and very hard for at least 10 minutes. I had made some rig changes earlier in the day and had gone down to a 15lb supple hook length with a size 8 hook, to try and make things a little finer on the end of the lead.

Scary to think a 40lb creature is attached to such a small hook, but it was properly nailed in the bottom lip and, even though it was barbless it held on regardless.

Thursday bought a break from the rains that had pretty much been there all week. Nothing massive was banked on thursday but still a nice run of decent carp hit the net of 23lb, 16lb, 5lb, 21lb and a brace of 17lb commons.

Friday is always an emotional day as we generally tend to pack away on the friday at 4pm and go for a meal in the village of La Coquille at Les Voyagers restaurant. The rain returned in the early hours of friday morning whilst playing a 20lb common. Despite the rain I managed another 38lb 2oz mirror.

With the trip almost over and before packing up, I had another common of 25lb a mirror of 20lb and then a double take on the right and middle rods resulting in a 18lb brace of mirrors. The timing was perfect, end of session and right there at the moment that the owner, Russ, stood there watching.

Just for good measure, I went for a bit of ’last minute’ stalking round the far side of the lake. Finding a small group of fish happily “tails up” feeding, I dropped a 10mm M1 amonsgt them. The result was a fight to rival anything I have felt in this or any other lake over the years. It was not a massive fish but to get a grass carp from this lake is no mean feat as there are only 4 in the complex. This one was a cracker, though, at 17lb. Like I say, not the biggest, but on the last day …... who cares how big it is.

Having a second trip rebooked for August, I am sure there will be plenty more sleepless nights, rain storms and carp banked in that report.

One thing that I can be certain of is that my approach will involve SBS baits . A lot of baits these days are designed to catch the anglers eye.

SBS baits are designed to catch you fish time and time again.