Family holiday last year was a caravan site in the Vendee, West France. Now I found out there was a river at the bottom of the site, but could find no info on species, didn't have a clue how wide, deep or fast flowing so I took a carp rod, a barbel quiver rod and a nod-rod, and enough trout pellets, hemp, sweetcorn and boilies to make an island. Ready to tackle anything from a minnow to a marlin.
When I arrived after the 650 mile drive from Lincoln, it was like the Sixteen Foot Drain, with no flow and 9 out of 10 fish were those little spiney catfish with trench mouths. Was told of odd carp, these being Wildie type with river record for the site at 7lb.
Let them have my baiting campaign for the first two nights, then fished the next evening; cats galore, some bream a 3lb carp (I had dropped down to the noddy rod by this time with 3lb line) last fish of the evening was this pristine 5lb'er.
I was chuffed, and a PB Frenchie ! 'Scuse the red face, it was day 3!
Also had a session on the nearest bit of lake Lac d'apremont, and my pop up scopex maize was away with a blistering unmissable spool melter.
I sodding missed it... That was my only bite there.
