In reply to Post #1
Bit of a late reply but for future reference....

Went to his lake 1 some years back with my family. Jim is a really nice guy - more intelligent and “normal” than many lake owners. I liked him. Facilities were ok.

Fishing was ok that week - the place was exactly what it's says on his website. His second lake is newer and has smaller fish but their growing.

If you like what it looks like on his web site then go for it. Some nice places to visit in the area if it's a family holiday your after.

Kevin

In reply to Post #10
Seems like I am one of the few that have managed this

I cant remember exactly, but I think I had 6 or 7 off the top. Five takes and four landed in first two hours... I had the lake to myself, and so the fish were not feeling pressure.

No need to complicate this. Out with mixers, and see if they take. If they do, then standard floater gear with bolt-bubble will do it. If not, then try again and again or just fold your cards...

I could not get a take off the top on the one lake, as they were only taking mixers close to a natural safe-zone where it was difficult to cast a bait to. They were also being a bit cute. In the other lake where I did get fish, it was middle of open water and the feeding frenzy with 30-50 carp going for it was something else. However, I did also try putting out floaters in the shallows in that same lake, and there they were seriously cagey. I think I would have struggled to catch one there, even though they were taking freebies occasionally. But casting and drawing back was just too obvious to them and they drifted away in the end.

One of the mange observations I had (I was sitting beside the dam and above the fish so saw everything) - was that even freebie bread they did not seem to like. Several times I watched then turn from bread while sucking in mixers like crazy. In this lake, I am pretty sure no one has caught one off the top (and probably not tried either).

There is also a third lake, with only modest stocking density and seriously old fish, where I know they have caught a 50 off the top. We did not try when were there, but they looked somehow catchable. Pretty sure we saw one or two mouth the surface and we had not put out anything. In my experience, if they mouth surface, then they are surface-catchable. Mixers are going with us in September...!!!!

Kevin

In reply to Post #1
Hi

I have had them taking floaters in two lakes in France. For several reasons, these are the only two lakes in France where I have tried this.... So 100% success then - tee hee.

In one of the lakes I also managed to capture a few off the top - despite the owner indicating that they did not take floaters. I simply started to catapult dog floaters and they sucked them down like sweeties. First take almost instantly. They soon wised up however, which is a story in itself as I still cannot fathom out how they managed to wise up to the hook bait despite never being fished for on the top, and that they were still taking freebies like crazy.

If the conditions are right, the fish are up for it, then you don't have to change tactics from UK. Bottom line, ping out some floaters and see what happens.....

Kevin

In reply to Post #650
Hi mate

Cant see the DL team getting wound up about you using barbless, however, many of the korda hooks are micro-barbed. We have used korda kontinental in 2 and 4, wide gape is a good choice, and many over there use kranks.

We have used snowman 18mm 16mm on the 2s and 18mm 12mm on 4s and simple blow-back style with rig ring. Used either coated or uncoated Braid. Despite this very standard approach one of us has been top rod on our lake 5 out of 6 visits to the place so this basic set up obviously is not an Issue.

Hope that helps.

Kevin (surprised at the lack of response to my Qs below)

In reply to Post #1
Hi folks

Off to fish Maronis lake for 13 days at start of Sept. Looking for carp and cats.

Have been to DL a number of times so know what the lake looks like, but would appreciate any background information from anyone that has fished it or been recently and seen others having a crack?

Crays? What sorts of distances people typically fish at? What does the bottom look like? Any favoured swims or areas to fish? Baiting tactics etc?

How many have been fishing it recently? The DL facebook siden has no mention of the lake in past two months since opening. Have people been struggling on there or has there not been many customers on the lake?

Once again, any helpfull information welcome


Kevin

In reply to Post #1
Hi Folks,

A quick report from me.

Was on DL4 for a week then moved onto DL5 for a week. Starting last week in August ending two weeks later.

Did 19 fish in DL4 swim 5. It was fishing a bit tricky and the biggest was just under 38lb mirror. Had a few doubles as well. OK first week.

Moved over to DL5 on the friday afternoon (I was first in the draw for DL5 and was therefore allowed to move on the friday afternoon as the lads on there were packing up) and it just kicked off in style. Ended up on 49 for the week including 3x 40s. I also lost a mega cat. Fished Swim 1. Lost a truck load of fish due to hook pulls and diverse reasons but also landed a truck load. Double hook ups while spombing out etc..

As usual, I had a great time, the food was great, everything is well organised and I experianced what can only be described as mental fishing on the second week. A couple of those nights I literally did not get to sleep.

Saw three grass snakes, one lizzard, many herons and a few coypu. I also experienced a 7 hour electrical storm which was interesting.

Asd for tactics, I used size 2 or 4 Korda continental hooks blowback style on 20lb ntrap soft and semi/fixed leads on clips. Used a fishmeal boilie (JK Baits the beard, Dynamite Boilie chops and some cell) and got through a whopping 105kg of bait in the two weeks. Some of this bait was purchased from anglers pulling off on week 1. Not sure that I needed to use that much bait, but was trying to attact catfish which were a bit evasive this time.

All in all a great trip. The place is highly reccomended for those looking for carp on a well organised coach trip from essex or dover.

Kevin

In reply to Post #254
Hi

Just be aware that they are doing a targeted removal of catfish in the lakes.

As far as I understood when I was there in sept. This year, the 130lb cat in dl4 was removed from the complex. They had been placing out nets in all lakes as far as I gathered to put cats in so that once captured they could be removed from the complex. Still a number of cats in there, but they are disappearing. Dl5 has more cats than the other lakes but also there they are removing them. I never got a full handle on the numbers removed and whether it would continue. I can understand them not wanting cats in lakes 1,2,3 to keep it focused on the carp, but don't quite see entirely why they would want to systematically remove cats from 4,5. I know a 100lb cat will most times do you over on carp gear, but in my opinion that's part of the challenge....

Anyway, hope they don't remove all of them and it's just a bit of a thinning to manage the population.

Kevin

In reply to Post #249
I wont claim to be an expert, but i have understood that dl4 is the closest to a Runs water as you will get on the complex.

It's also the smallest thus shortest cast no matter where you fish.

Kevin

In reply to Post #244
Hi Mate,

That sounds like a truly Incredible trip and certainly one for you and your son to remember forever! Absolutely amazing!

Although I took 29 Fish in my trip ending 3rd October, half of them were doubles and only 3x 30s.... Bit unlucky I ended up catching all the doubles in the lake Still I was happy so no complaints!

Looking back at the Catch records the lake seems to do one good week and then one poor week. The 4 dudes in the week before you appeared to have 19 Fish between them by the Friday mid-day reporting....

Kevin

In reply to Post #232
Same to you Antony. Say hello to Pete for me also.

Just checked my notes, 21 of the 29 fish came to the left hand rod - so it's clear that it was all about location that week. The fish were obviously hiding under the bushes there for some reason.

Cheers,

Kevin