The perfect French carp fishing holiday

SWIM GUIDE BY BRIAN SKOYLES

Basically when considering where to fish on Etang Meunier you have five main options.

The House Swim

Many people have said that this is there favourite swim of all time, and rightly so. A large double swim, which is close to all the house facilities, and accesses some of the best areas on the lake to fish. Recently renovated to make it a large enough area to fish two anglers comfortably, it provides a wide range of fishing options.

Fishing on the right of the peg. The open water, about two thirds of the way across, is a very consistent area, one of the deepest areas of the lake, it often fishes well overnight and early morning. Fish bubble prolifically in this area, and you'll know if they are having a "scoff". If you are a bait angler and want to put a bed of bait down, this is a good area to do it. The far tree line can be very good, but remember if you go in close, you need to be on your rods quickly. The area on the far margin, in line with the entrance to the lake, can be a real suntrap, and is a great spot, for a bonus fish late afternoon. The margin to the right, off the dam wall, looks great, but rarely seems to produce big hits, but you are welcome to prove us wrong.

Fishing to the left of the peg. Again the open water about two thirds of the way across can be superb, it's another area to put a bed of bait down and wait for the fish to come to you. (If one of your party is fishing in the woods swim 1, it can be a good idea to put a marker between you and fish the same area from two directions!). The margin to your left is also well worth a try. You often see fish top in this area, and it can often produce the biggest fish of the week. Looking slightly left from the swim to the far margins, two large bushes/trees go into the water, the area around these trees produce a lot of fish, but stay close to your rods if you fish these areas.

As you walk away from the house down the lake you'll come to three swims.

In the Woods (swim 1)

Second only to the House swim in popularity, it gives you a wide range of options. The open water directly in front of the swim (looking back towards the lake entrance), can produce well, as can the near margin to the right. (this near margin does not produce large numbers of fish, but has a good track record for turning up biggies, plus this year a large snag tree has been removed from this area so a new area for fishing has been opened up).

Most anglers fish across to the tree line which can produce well, especially slightly to the right of the peg, where the far margin is clear of trees, and you can get in tight to the margin. There is a good depth of water right up to the edge and fish do move up and down the margin, particularly if the weather is warm but it needs fishing carefully, as these are big fish and they know where the trees are. In the cooler weather a lot of fish can be caught well off the tree line, with about a rod length away being a good distance to try.

In the Woods (swim 2)

A very consistent swim, but it needs fishing very carefully. Opposite the peg is a gap in the trees, and the fish often congregate in this area. A small pva bag and a light scattering of boilies is all you need, but if you go in tight, you need to sit on your rods, and be prepared to hit and hold. Not for the faint hearted, but fabulous fishing. If no one from your party is fishing this peg full time when you are there, a favourite tactic is to drop some bait in the gap in the evening, then pop round for an hour or so the following morning, you'll often get a bonus fish fairly quickly.

In the Woods (swim 3)

Very similar to swim 2, and again you have some lovely margins on the far bank to cast to, don't be tempted to go in too tight, as it becomes very shallow close in. An underhand swing to your left, just off the conifer, followed by a handful of freebies can produce, particularly if you've seen fish to your left down the shallows. This does tend to be a warm weather swim, and it's a great swim to ambush fish as they move from the deeper water in front of the house swim and swim 1 in the woods, on your right, to the shallow water to the left of the swim, so it's worth keeping your lines slack, or pinned down and the bait quantities low. In this swim fish for a fish, rather than a big hit.

The Stalking Swim

This has to be one of the ultimate stalking swims anywhere. Situated at the far end of the lake on the far bank, it's the perfect place to spend a couple of hours. When the weather is warm, the fish often drift down to the shallow end of the lake, and collect off this lovely little swim. It's very shallow, you can spot the fish easily, and they often send up clouds of silt as they root around for food. The perfect situation to set a trap or two. Take the minimum of gear, keep quiet, and in the right conditions you can get takes right under your rod top. It just doesn't get any more exciting. A great tactic is to fish a small PVA bag, and just a few bits of crushed boilies scattered around.

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