Nick Helleur A Change is as Good as a Rest
I was relishing the prospect of not having to look over my shoulder as I usually have to re do on the public waters w he night ďŹ shing isn’t allowed 98
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A Change is as Good as a Rest Nick Helleur
A CHANGE
IS AS GOOD AS A REST Nick takes a break from fishing difficult low-stock waters and looks forward to fieldtesting a new bait on a French venue where the fish prove to be more than co-operative!
A
fter working on a couple of prototype baits for Dynamite Baits early in the year, we needed to start in-depth testing to be in with a shout of releasing them the following spring. The trouble with this sort of work is that to get a clear indication of a bait’s effectiveness you need to use it on the right waters to enable conclusions to be clearly drawn. My usual English fishing is more often than not on low-stock waters that can be classed as difficult, and obviously this type of water isn’t best suited to testing bait. As many of you will no doubt be aware, I do a fair amount of fishing on the Continent but most of the waters I target are similar to those on which I fish back home, in that more often than not they hold a low stock, but they do differ from those at home in England in that they are often relatively unpressured and, once located, the carp can be tempted to eat most baits. Unfortunately, these waters don’t make the ideal testing ground either. A much better option for this sort of work are the type of commercial waters that now abound, particularly in France, as these invariably have a very big head of fish to satisfy the anglers’ demands and are fished week in, week out by lots of anglers. As a result, the fish not only see lots of pressure, but also lots of bait, both good and bad, and so can pick and choose what they eat, making this type of water an ideal test bed. You also find that very good records are kept of the fish caught each week as well as details of what they are caught on, and this is very useful information in this situation. Recently, through sheer good fortune, I was offered the chance to fish one of these waters
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in France for a week and, realising the obvious opportunity to do some in-depth testing on the new baits, I accepted without hesitation. The story starts a couple of months back when Kev, one of the lads from the development centre up at Dynamite, rang out of the blue. He had been fishing on a water in central France around Christmas time with a couple of friends and had done really well. Anyway, while they were fishing, an Englishman turned up and introduced himself as the new owner of the fishery as he had just purchased the lake. This is where fate played a hand because in conversation it turned out that Jim, the new owner, was an old friend of mine who I used to fish with almost 20 years ago! It’s a small old world. Jim was keen to get in touch so Kev passed on my number and when we spoke Jim offered Kev and I a week’s fishing on the lake in May if we wanted it. This would, as it turned out, prove beneficial to both parties as it would enable Jim to get some publicity for his new venture and would mean Kev and I could do some proper testing of a new spicy tuna bait he had been trying to perfect. So, after a discussion, we decided to take him up on his offer. Full bookings of anglers on the lake in the run-up to our visit and full bookings in the weeks following meant we could use the weekly catch return figures to compare against our results for the week to give us a better idea of just how well the new baits were working. Of course, that alone would not give a clear enough indication of the baits’ effectiveness, so we would each fish the new bait alongside the Fresh Fish boilies, which itself is a fantastic bait, and one in which I
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Nick Helleur A Change is as Good as a Rest
The snaggy treeline was alive with fish, the depth quickly shelving away from 8ft tight to the overhang down to 22ft at the foot of the marginal slope.
have total confidence, having used it extensively over the last couple of years, both home and away, with great success. With three of us using two rods each on the fish bait and two rods each on the tuna bait for seven full days it would be clear to see how each performed throughout the week. I must say, work aside, I was really looking forward to a nice relaxing trip on several counts. Firstly, it would be great to see my old mate Jim again, as it had been a while since we had seen each other, and, secondly, I’d never fished with Kev before but I knew we would have a good laugh. On a personal note I was relishing the prospect of not having to look over my shoulder as I usually have to do on the public waters where night fishing isn’t allowed, as it meant that I could relax and concentrate solely on the angling, a situation in which I rarely find myself, and one I was genuinely looking forward to. As is usual for me, before I knew it the ferry was only days away so I busied myself sorting out all the bait and tackle for the trip. A quick phone call to the development centre and I had equal quantities of the prototype Spicy Tuna and Fresh Fish frozen baits, rolled in 15mm and sent down along with some jars of Frenzied Hemp and a box of mixed groundbaits. We were to be joined on the trip by a friend of Jim’s, who I also knew from way back, a lad called Mick, who would also help to test the new bait alongside the benchmark Fresh Fish boilies. I met Kev early on the Friday morning and, after loading the van, we were soon on our way to Dover and the waiting ferry. The journey flew by without a hitch and as usual the drive through the French countryside was a joy and with every passing mile the anticipation grew and grew. It was mid-afternoon when we pulled off the main road and headed down the bumpy track across the fields when we got our first sight of Blue Water Lake. It certainly lived up to its name, being a lovely baby-blue colour and it looked very inviting indeed. At around 20 acres it was an unusual shape and well established. It was certainly going to be interesting fishing, and without a doubt a delightful place to spend the next few days. I wished I’d been able to bring my family along as they would
The new bait, simply awesome stuff that big carp just can’t get enough of.
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A lovely place to spend a week, with good company and lots of fish.
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The fields were ablaze with millions of poppies in the bright sunlight.
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A Change is as Good as a Rest Nick Helleur
After the initial baiting I rested the swim for the day and the takes came shortly after casting. Here is the first carp of the trip, a nice 30. Happy with the first good fish of the trip to the new bait after a long hard fight in deep water.
have loved it, I am sure, as it was more akin to an overgrown garden than a commercial carp water, with lush green grass and big wooden picnic tables in some of the swims. We parked up the van and after changing into our fishing clothes we headed off to the lodge in the distance to find Jim. With the lake booked up there were eight or nine lads fishing and they would be packing up and leaving the lake by 9.00 a.m. the following morning. After saying our hellos to Jim and his wife and supping a couple of very welcome cold beers in the lodge out of the sultry heat, we unloaded all the bait into the big freezers inside the lodge and then went for a wander to familiarise ourselves with the swims and stretch our legs after the drive down. It turned out that the group who were fishing hadn’t done particularly well that week, which
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As I say, a change is as good as a rest!
It turned out that the group who were fishing hadn’t done particularly well that week, which I must admit surprised me, as the fish were very evident in several areas, jumping and bubbling like mad I must admit surprised me, as the fish were very evident in several areas, jumping and bubbling like mad. To be truthful, I couldn’t wait to get started, but that’s the thing with this style of fishing where you book a week on this type of lake, sometimes you hit it right and sometimes things don’t go to plan. We spent a lovely social evening in the lodge, chatting over a bottle of cold rosé and watching out across the lake as fish after fish showed and bubbled. We had all decided to start off
on a large point that covered the area where it seemed the bulk of the fish were held up in two bays at the top end of the lake. We reasoned that by catching a few it would soon push the fish out and spread them around the lake more evenly where we would then follow and spread ourselves out more. This would ensure that we kept the fish on the move throughout the week and we hoped that by doing this it would hopefully keep the action more consistent. Around midday Kev and I went up to
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the far end of the lake in the open water and, after identifying the two likeliest areas, we baited each heavily. The first area we chose was a long bit of overgrown bank where, we were informed, the fish spent a lot of time, which wasn’t surprising. The margin shelved away from 6ft close to the trees down to 20ft thirty or so yards out in the lake – a cracking-looking spot. We baited the whole area with five kilos of the new Spicy Tuna baits and then did the same to the other area, a lovely open water mark in the middle that held a series of humps coming up out of 20ft into 15ft on their peaks. This area was baited with the same amount of the Fresh Fish baits. It was obvious that the lake was holding more water than usual and had flooded right up into the trees; I could imagine the carp spending the days in the snags and pushing out at night to feed, especially if it stayed hot as was forecast. With the open end primed, we headed back to the point and baited our areas for the night ahead in much the same way. After all the disturbance we had made, I thought it best to give the area a rest for a while, so I didn’t cast out a line until late in the afternoon. Anyway, by 5.00 p.m. we had all cast out as impatience got the better of us, and had just sat down to prepare dinner on the big wooden tables when Kev got the first bite of the trip on a rod fished to the far tree line. After a good scrap I netted a nice 30lb mirror for him, the Spicy Tuna boilie clearly visible hanging from the corner of its mouth as it slipped into the net. A good, and not to mention encouraging, start so soon
after casting. With everyone in an upbeat Again, we caught more that night but they mood we had a great meal and a few beers and were a mixture of small fish on the whole, with watched out over the lake as fish leapt and only one or two better fish of low-30s and a bubbled all around us. handful of cats, again the Spicy Tuna baits Things in my swim soon started to hot up received the majority of the bites from the bays, and it appeared the fish were keen on the big their pungent aroma seemingly proving much feed I had put out. Throughout the first night I more attractive initially, perfect for this sort of barely got a wink of sleep as fish after fish came angling and ideal for the softer-bottomed areas. off both my spots. By morning I had huge The next few days seemed to fly by, as it bags under my eyes and was covered always does when you’re catching a in slime. It was six fish on the lot, and we experienced some in g Spicy Tuna and four on the incredible action with lots “ B y m o rn bags e g u Fresh Fish from my swim of bites coming from our h d a Ih s and e y alone – it looked like a baited areas, including e y m r unde m e . It hectic week’s fishing plenty of big fish. In fact li s in d re y was cove ic was on the cards! I it seemed that once the p S h o n th e tried to sneak off back baited spots became h s re w a s s ix fi s F e fo u r o n th to bed mid-morning more established, the d n a a e n n u T a lo im w s y for a catch-up but it size of the fish increased m F is h fr o m h e c ti c steadily, a sure sign of a was impossible to sleep e k li d – it lo o k e o n the bait doing a good job. in the heat, so I put out h in g w a s w e e k ’s fi s my bed under a shady It quickly became obvious !” th e c a rd s willow and lay there with that these carp preferred the the welcome breeze blowing on Tuna and it was noticeable that me. I was asleep in minutes I was so the fish were passing out the Tuna tired and then, yes, you’ve guessed it, one of bait, even those that we caught on the Fresh the rods roared off again. It looked like there Fish baited spots. The darker Tuna bait was would be no sleep for me. much more noticeable as Kev had coloured As planned, the fish became much more it specifically so that we could distinguish spread out over the next 24 hours after the between the baits in exactly this situation. It initial battering and the next evening it was was becoming clear that they homed in on the obvious that fish were very much in evidence Spicy Tuna aroma as soon as it was introduced on the baited areas at the far end of the lake, and results on the more subtle-smelling Fresh so we agreed to move after them the following Fish baited areas would pick up slowly in morning after one final social night on comparison, but only once they had been in the point. and eaten all the Tuna baits first! It was not
A big mirror stalked from exactly the spot to which I’m returning it.
The corner where I spent many a happy hour sheltering from the midday sun whilst stalking carp at my feet. A lovely time of year to be in sunny France.
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A Change is as Good as a Rest Nick Helleur
only the carp that liked the Tuna’s pungent aroma as on most nights we all caught catfish, and some big ones too, which were difficult to land on carp tackle, but a great test of the tackle and hooks which were the new Korda Curves in Size 6. The days were hot and I spent much of the time watching the big fish in the snags. Time was running out on us before we were ready, as it always does when you are somewhere special, and all of a sudden it was Friday, and our last night on this lovely lake. It had been a terrifically successful trip and we had banked a shocking number of carp, despite the fact that the fish had yet to spawn and were not really in full-on feeding mode. I must admit that I wasn’t ready to leave, I was really enjoying the fishing and the surroundings and could easily have spent another week or two, but Jim had another group booked on the following week, so reluctantly I packed up the following morning, even though I was getting bites right up till I reeled in the last rod. We came home with every confidence in the new bait and from our results it is clearly a winner. I took it along on my next trip to Belgium on the river and it proved just as effective. One thing’s for sure, on my next French trip at the end of November I will be taking plenty with me, and I will be topping up the freezer at home as well so that I can continue testing on some hard English waters into the autumn and winter to allow us to make final tweaks before the bait’s launch the following spring. Cheers till next time. NH
The baited spots produced a string of good fish from the off and regular topping up kept the takes coming almost hourly.
As the temperature soared, the treeline rods received the bulk of the bites, which kept on coming right up until the very end of the session.
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