We are not a runs water, although the lake certainly has its moments! In fact, the lake can prove to be a little challenging at times but only as you would expect from a lake holding such a good head of big carp. However, there is no reason why, if you are a capable carp angler, you should not have a very good chance of catching some beautiful carp and hopefully join many others in breaking a PB.
Unfortunately, many factors are out of our control. We can’t influence the weather, air pressure, water temperature etc but knowing the lake as well as I do, I thought, sharing a few of my thoughts might help with your approach to fishing here at L’Angottiere.
The lake bottom varies between clay, sand and silt and depending on which swim you are in, it can be quite undulating in places. It would certainly help to study our pictures on the website of the lake drained down and our contour map. There are a number of features to fish to and varying gradients that run away from the 4 islands. All of which will prove important factors when choosing your presentation.
Concentrate on your line lay! keep it pinned down! Either with back leads and/or semi slack/slack lines. Give your line plenty of time to settle before setting your rods!! Flurocarbon line is perfect for that!
Our minimum requirement for rig tubing is 300mm but I would recommend fishing with as long a length as possible of some good quality weighted tubing. I personally like Rigmarole’s micro braided tubing which comes in either 600mm or 1 metre lengths. The longer length is perfect for fishing a Chod style rig (with no stop bead) whilst keeping within the rig tubing rules. I have certainly noticed considerable differences in catch rates between those that pay particular attention on line lay and those that don’t.
A variety of rigs will work and I’m sure you all have your favourites that you are confident fishing back in the UK but do bear in mind that the bites here can be a little shy at times so don’t just wait for screaming runs. Single bleeps, drop backs or small lifts have resulted in many of the bigger fish.
Experiment with your lead weight. 1.5oz – 2oz should be more than ample especially if your using a bait boat and weighted rig tubing and super sharp hooks. A flat style lead will help you hold your spot as will chopped boilies if you are fishing tight to the island margins where the drop off can be steep in places.
A foam riser nugget on your hook will ensure your hookbait sinks slowly and doesn’t sink should you hit a silty spot.
Once your lead has hit the lake bottom it is imperative you that you don’t pull it back and risk masking the hook point. Not even a fraction! This could make all the difference!
If you are fishing 3 rods I would suggest starting your campaign with 3 different bait options to test the water and see what is currently working. Perhaps a snowman, secondly, a small single bright pop up (pink seem to do particularly well) and lastly, a more traditional single boilie approach.
Whilst I would always recommend minimal disturbance certainly experiment with bait colours and rig positions until you find your spots and are getting some action. Often a small move of a few feet to the left or right can make all the difference.
As with any lake, the debate will never end over the best way to fish it. We have had some very successful anglers that swear by a dark hook bait over a dark bed of dark particle whilst others that have done extremely well on small bright pop ups (when fishing is tough, as small as 6mm can make a big difference) over a small bed of pellet or crushed boilie.
One thing is for sure, the fish move around the lake regularly and personally, I believe that you are looking to attract the attention of those fish on the move as they patrol the lake and island margins as oppose to heavily baiting a particular area and trying to hold the fish. A wider spread of boilies with a catapult or throwing stick with a few offerings around the business end (perhaps with a small PVA mesh bag or PVA stringer) can often pay dividends.
Of course the mood of any lake can change by the hour due to any number of factors so be open minded to tweaking rigs (rig length, hair length, hook size etc) until you find what works for you.
Don’t forget to remove lines or rest spots whenever possible. A break in line pressure can sometime work wonders!
Lastly, don’t dismiss casting to showing/feeding fish. Even in open water! This has picked up some big fish even when bites are hard to come by.
Once you arrive I’m more than happy to walk you round the lake and discuss the individual swims in more detail before we transport your gear around to your chosen swim. During the week, I’m never far away and happy to offer pointers and any advice should you want it.
I look forward to meeting you here at L’Angottiere.
Tight Lines
Graham