Etang de la Poiteviniere in Spring
April 2022 saw us venture to the awesome Chateaux Lake in France. We first visited this awesome expanse of water some five years ago, although slightly later in the year. This time we were armed with enough bait to sink a boat, and all the luxuries of a drive and survive expedition. This majestic venue is located in the Loire Valley, and is steeped full of history. A regular haunt for the pioneers of continental carp fishing in the seventies, it is renowned for the numbers of carp present.
With an average depth of 6 feet, the water warms up quickly once the sun gets on the water. Methods usually consist of putting a bed of bait down, and let the shoals of fish find your bait. Either pellet, particle or boilie will hold the fish, and you can get through a lot of bait. We decided to concentrate on Poacher Baits T&M which is a tiger nut and maple flavoured boilie. This coupled with a pellet feed base, chopped boilies completed our feed base.
The week started of with a run of smaller stock carp that we did not encounter on our previous visit. All were lovely looking commons with an average weight of around 10lb’s. I decided to increase the baited area, by wading out and placing my baits. The area in my bay area was a foot shallower, so even a short arse like me could bait up accurately and with increased quantities. This seemed to work as i increased my numbers of fish, although the average weight only slightly increased.
All whilst fishing it was impossible to ignore the awesome beauty of the lake, its sunrises, and its sunsets. Seeing no one but your travelling partners, sitting and relaxing, it was a welcome break from work and home life. Indeed it is the tranquility, and feeling of being amongst nature that keeps us going time and time again. Just to sit there and take in a sunset, is an awe inspiring feeling of peace and calm.
Best baits were definitely pop ups over a bed of chopped boilie and pellet. A bright pink pop up soaked in wonderberry Goo worked best for me. A helicopter rig, coupled with a stiff ‘boom’ hook link, with a ‘ronnie’ rig completed the set up.
It was good to get back in the groove, and get back out to France. We have a number of trips planned in the next few years including visits to Goncourt, Negralube and Nepoleon Lakes. Some offer different challenges, and contain bigger fish. The chances of a really big capture were slim on Chateaux, although what it lacks in size of fish, it makes up for in tranquility and scenery. The trips next year offer the chance of more 50’s and quite possibly a first 60, so lets hope.
See you all soon with some updates from here in the UK. There is a lot of fishing to do.