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Moulin De Gassas Carp Fishing - Richard Howland
After convincing Mary that it wasn't a fishing holiday but a holiday with fishing (big difference!!) we booked to fly on the 10th August 2015.
Having parked the car at Jet park just outside Stansted airport we boarded the 6.30am plane and flew with Ryanair to Bergerac landing at 9am French time. True to their word Peter and Madeline were there waiting for us. After a 20min drive through the lovely French countryside we were being shown though the most wonderful mill house while Peter loaded our bags into his War world jeep ready to drive through the River on route to our log cabin.
The cabin could not be any closer to the lake and once inside we couldn't believe how lovely it was and on the table and in the fridge was our starter pack of food.
I was eager to get the rods out so left Mary to look round the lake with Peter. He informed me that he had been baiting an area just off the Island which I could fish too from the swim near the cabin.
After sorting out the Rods and Reels etc that come with the package I set up two rods with pretty straightforward bolt rigs, Korda tubing, lead clips, Fox fluorocarbon and size 4 micro barbed Korda krank hooks. As it was nearly midday and 30 degrees I wasn't expecting much action but how wrong I was. The fish must have been waiting for me to cast out as I had 3 in no time at all, the biggest being 27lb, I was buzzing and had forgotten all about the early morning start.
With Mary on the sun lounger soaking up the rays I was in again this time a double take and with the help of Mary we landed both fish, another 24lb for me and a very happy Mary with her first Carp of 18lb. It went quiet after that so I thought I'd try a little float fishing in the River that is behind the lake but of course left the Carp rods out just in case a hungry fish came along! And it wasn't long before the alarms let me know that a carp had picked the bait up, not just one but two, as I was playing the first rod the other one was away. After landing the first and leaving it in the net I had to coax the second one out of the Lillies to my right resulting in two lovely Mirrors of 31lb and 24lb. I caught 11 lovely fish that first day of different sizes. The perfect day was finished off by a wonderful meal (and a little to much wine) at the main house cooked by Madeline.
Day 2 After a good nights sleep I was up at around 7am (way before the good lady) and as I had baited up before going to bed and clipped both rods to the area where I caught yesterday, I was fishing in no time at all. Not long after casting out I lost a good fish in the Lilly's but it was a good sign that the fish were feeding on my bait. By the time Mary called me for breakfast I had landed three more fish to 26lb. With the sun shining it was time to try the car out that comes with the cabin, and head to town for a spot of sight seeing and stock up with food, it took a little while to get used to driving on the wrong side but as there were not that many other cars about and I soon got the hang of it. From the local town (and Supermarket) which is about 7 minutes away we ventured even further to a place called Sigoules for our first wine tasting experience of the holiday. It seemed a shame to keep spitting the lovely wine out, but with the amount of wine there to taste I would have been over the limit very quickly!
On returning to Moulin it was back out with the rods and back into the fish. With two double takes it was time to get the boat out as one of the fish gone deep into the Lilly's and was not coming out. With Peter in charge of the oars we were soon over the fish and slipping the net under another fine looking mirror. I ended up with 7 fish and lost 3 up to 30lb. Before tea that evening Peter and Madeline and of course Barty the dog took us out in the African Queen for a cruise along the River with drinks and nibbles before a Barbecue and sitting out with a glass of wine watching the shooting stars in a sky so clear you could see the milky way.
The early hours of the next morning saw a change in the weather resulting in a big thunderstorm waking us up, but by 8am the sun was shining and it was out with the rods while the good lady caught up on the sleep lost to the Thunderstorm. The first fish was a lovely looking Mirror of just under 30lb followed by two more mid twenties before breakfast and then a day out to Bergerac which offers great views of the Dordogne River, the lovely old buildings and shops that line the streets, and of course the many restaurants for you to choose from.
On returning to our cabin later that day we found a note on the door saying that if we wanted to we could join Peter and Madeline for meal at the local bar that is 5 minutes away, later that evening. Which gave me a few hours to fish. Yet again because I had baited before I left that morning the fish were waiting for me. Resulting in four more fish to 34lb before reeling in and going out for the evening for what turned out to one of them nights where we met English and French people that were so welcoming we didn't want to leave, and of course the wine was flowing!
The following day the weather felt more like a English day, with the rain coming down most of the day. I decided to have a move as Mary had gone out for a few hours with Madeline and I hadn't explored the other end of the lake. After having a look round I decided to fish one rod next to some Lilly's and the other rod next to the island, with the rods out and a sprinkling of boilies over each bait it was time to sit back and read my book under an umbrella. About three chapters in and my left hand rod next to the Lilly's was away. After a short battle in the Lilly's with me walking along the bank to change the angle out came a lovely Mirror of over 30lb. Apart from the rain things were looking good. With another two fish coming to the rod next to the Lilly's before it was time to pack up as Mary was back and eager to show me a lovely town called Eymet where her and Madeline had just come back from.
The next morning it was time to pack things away and say our goodbyes, with a total of 40 Carp caught and 7 lost without fishing at night and some lovely days out I was more than pleased with the fishing but sad to leave such a lovely place.
Until next time Thank you Peter, Madeline, and not forgetting Barty the dog.
Tight lines, Richard
For further details about Moulin De Gassas please contact Richard Howland at our Sittingbourne store.
Call: 01795 426 011 Angling Direct Sittingbourne 26 St. Michael's Road Sittingbourne Kent ME10 3DE
