France part 2

The Swim Change

After a few days struggling on my side of the swim with only the 1 fish to show for it, it was my time to fish the right side :) After seeing Den lose more then he landed, I decided to get the marker rod out and have a play and see if there was any clear spots near the snags along the tree line approx 80yrs out. After plugging away for around an hour I had 3 spots that I fancied and they didn't seem as snaggy as Den's spots were. Den seemed to favor the pink pop up on a multi rig, I wanted to do my own thing so went blow back and stuck with good old favorite of mine the KD with 3rd pop up and 2/3 bottom bait (own style wafter) I fancied them overall as they are good at resetting them self's if I got mugged over and also with me fishing critical balance baits they wouldn't bury or hide in any debris.

1 spot I did find was in the margin around 30/40 yrds to my right and approx 2ft deep, after I put in around 3 to 4 kg of mix bait (chopped boilies, pellet,hemp,maze) I set the trap with a KD on a self waffler. Then after no more then 10 minutes it ripped off the rest and boy what a scrap!! Soon as I hit in to it a huge Sturgeon jumped out and took what seemed like 100+ yards of line and going like 100 mph!!! And after another jump out (hart in mouth) with what was like 20 minuets we finally landed her :) (Buzzing by this time as she was my 1st) 

39lb 4oz

                                                                         

Even after the 20 minutes fight she didn't want her picture taken and gave me a right good beating on the bank (still got a little bruised rib :(

The new Diem cradle even took a pounding but after having 30 minutes rest and sorting some more rigs out as the last 1 was demolished by the sturgeon (no complaints though) I set the traps ready on all three.
Just as I was about to make a proper carp snack (pot noodle lol) the left hand rod ripped off, as I hit it she was all ready in a snag :(
I put the rod back down hoping she would come out and give me a little help and boy she did just that, and then I walk back 20yrs with the line tight and managed to get her away from the snags and did all the hard work, within 5 minuets she popped up (common 30lb ish) and with 1 last lung hook pull NOOOO :( wasn't very chuffed.
After losing 1 at the net I then decided to upped the hook size from a ACE curv shank 7 to a 5.
Then after re-doing the rigs as they were playing on my mind, within an hour the middle rod ripped off and then landed a 25lb mirror followed by 29lb 12oz
Then next day only the 1 and another mirror 34lb 10oz

25lb

Diem cradle in action

29lb 12oz

34lb 12oz

   

Next morning after a shower/breakfast and putting in a few kg of bait we decided to rest the swim till late afternoon after only having 1 out the day before.
And it soon paid off as within half hour of putting rods back out the middle rod ripped off and another titan battle!! 

You've guessed it another Sturgeon but this 1 wasn't as aggressive as the 1 a few days back but still gave us a good run around before she graced the net.
41lb 7oz :) 
 

41lb 7oz

applying carp care 

Just after put her back the margin rod screams off and another mirror 29lb 5oz
and finally to finish off a good week for us on the Friday we both had 1 last fish each and was both mirrors again bang on 32lb Happy days :)
On the last morning having nipped to see how Craig and Colin got on, I saw Craig had a 37lb mirror sat looking at me, to finish what was a reasonable week all round. 

32lb

32lb

37lb 7oz

So this is how the scores looked at the end of the week:
Overall not a bad week I had 9 lost 3
Den had 6 lost 8 - 32lb mirror (biggest)
Craig lost 5 had 2 - 39lb sturgeon (biggest)
Colin AKA Alblanko1 lost 2 - no fish
Ian had 6 lost 6 - 37 sturgeon (biggest)
Jonho had 6 lost 5 - 47 sturgeon (biggest)
Johno AKA alblanko2 lost 3 - no fish
Paul AKA Fire starter had 3 lost ?? (lost a few everyday) biggest 18 mirror
Matt AKA Poacher had 1 lost 2 biggest 41lb mirror
Cal had 1 lost 10/12 1 landed 12lb common 
 
Thank for looking and good luck on the bank. 

Tight lines 

Matt

Special Thanks to Diem for Providing the New Cradle as was a great help.

and also my swim buddie Den for the picture's. 

  

why not take a look at my review of the euro cradle.

For all the New Diem products visit www.dragoncarpdirect.com

Great Week in France with Matt Hewitt: Part 1

Well where do I start? 
Me and a few close friends wanted to try lake 5 in Val-Dore, we had never fished it before and had only heard or read what was on the net/Facebook ect. We were all excited and rearing to go the week before so decided to meet up and do the draw.
Me and my bivvy bud Den drew 27 (twin swim) which was 1 of the swims we had pointed out. We left a day early to be fresh for Saturday morning as most of you will know can be a killer on the day with driving there and setting up.. 
We managed to have a chat with the guys who where in our swim and it wasn't looking good! The guys only had 5 fish all week and lost 4 or 5 due to snags and zebra mussel's. Me and Den had a chat and agreed a of plan of attack, we agreed to fish normal with minimal bait as the guys before us said they had put 30kg in.
On Saturday 12pm we were let on the lake.

The swim Den and I both wanted was the right side as there was a nature reserve just off it, with some nice looking carpy spots (over hung tree's, dead fallen tree, snags ect). We decided one of us would fish for a few days there while the other did the rest, then we flipped a coin and Den got 1st dib's. We both got all sorted and set our traps for the night round 7pm. Around 10pm 1st blood, Den had a 1 toner and hit it only for it to snag him and getaway. Just as we where getting in our pit I had a liner on my margin rod, then a full 1 toner to me! After what seemed to be 10-15 min's we banked the 1st fish out the lake, it was a nice mirror 25lb.
Next morning we reeled in and had a walk round the lake to see if any of the other lads had done anything the only other fish that had been out was a 18lb mirror and a tench.
After breakfast and just sorting rigs out, Ian in peg 30 had hooked a sturgeon, so we decided to pop round and have a look as neither myself or Den had ever seen one on the bank.
After what seem like 20 mins Ian managed to land it 37lb of pure muscle.. 
After seeing fish bosh all over our swim and not one run, we reset the traps again for the night. Just as the sun set Dens rod ripped off and within a few mins we had the common on the bank and as we was just sorting her out his other rod screams off. 
After sacking the common we sorted his mirror out which was 17lb and the common at 19lb, we retried to bed. Next morning we reeled in as again as I never had a beep and neither did Den.

 After breakfast and tea we reset our traps, with Den going for pop up in almond goo and myself going for half cell with half stick pink to act like a wafter. 
Around 2 pm Den had a screamer and then lost to the snag. We had nothing that night. 

Part 2 to follow

Find out more about Matt HERE and take a look at the Diem Ranges Here