Stu in The Snow

#1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2003, 23:39

Excellent article Stu,
Sorry you never had a bit more success (rats don't count count), but you will!

#2 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 10:30

Hi Stuart,enjoyed your article mate, mad or what,still all good fun,its good to hear from a local, i use ashford tackle at favashem, live in whitstable. what make of pod have you got there? looks like there`s plenty of room between the reels. all the best Les.

Stuart Dennis · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 10:38

I'm in Faversham Les, where do you fish matey?

#4 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 11:03

Hi Stuart, i fish mid kent waters, nice and local, I was under the impression that you were a northener ,how wrong can you be.

#5 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 12:25

mid kent have just bought westbere - excellent pike water, and some cracking carp there as well now (a lot of fish from fordwich get in there when it floods)

Stuart Dennis · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 12:32

Les, our Mr. Rothery here was a canterbury boy until he moved to devon so fished all the waters we do. I'm originally from Essex, but moved down this way five years ago. I joined Mid Kent for two seasons then got bored by snobbery/Clickiness of some of its members on the bank. I've recenty got into Faversham which house Bysingwood and School Pool and I'm also a syndicate member of Highfield. Other than that I fish all over with the guys from here. You should come along to one of our fish-ins Les!

Bob Roberts · #7 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 12:42

Having spent a little time at Maison du Lac Bleu I can confirm that the food is indeed excellent.

However I think Stu is guilty of misleading us with regards to the large rat. The ragonda he caught was a coypu and big might better be written thus...

BIG (absolutely 'kin ginormous)!

We spent a few hours controlling the ragonda numbers whilst there and Spike established a new ragonda PB (better explain, Spike, a gamekeeping member of our party, is also BIG - nay, VERY BIG, certainly well over six foot and somewhat thick set).

Holding the recently expired ragonda by its tail at shoulder height, its whiskers trailed the floor!

By any standards I'd suggest that qualifies Spkes ragonda as a BIG rat.

Stu also fails to mention the size of a mature ragonda's teeth - those two-inch long red and yellow curved things!

But there is an upside to all this - Allan Parbery of Mistral fame insists they eat rather well, sort of like a large rabbit, but we chose to accept his word on that score. Well, given a choice between barbecued ragonda and Cindy's cooking what would you prefer?

For anyone contemplating a first visit to France you would do a lot, lot worse that Lac Bleu. The lakes are well stocked, the facilities excellent and the hosts genuine.

Even the ragondas are vegetarian so don't worry yourself too much about them.

Bob Roberts

Stuart Dennis · #8 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 13:00

That’s a strange one Bob as we all discussed the rat being a Coypu and the feedback was that this was definitely a small Ragonda. I aint gonna argue either way, but it certainly weren't a bloody carp I know that much!

The hosts: Simply Fantastic, caring sharing, generous and extremely enthused about their project, and so they should be they’ve worked bloody hard on the place to make it a most enjoyable experience for all to explore. I’ll be back without a doubt, the location is great, the settings fantastic the cooking, well, what can I say? I’m 6 foot and eighteen stone and I was filled to the brim at every meal time with the best grub I’d had for a while. If you want a brochure on this place and are interested to know what it produces (when I’m not fishing it in freezing conditions at the end of Jan,) just give Ray a call on 07850 394306 and he’ll send you out some info for your consideration. The way I look at it is that I’d rather go to a place that has been recommended by fisherman than just pick up an advert from a magazine and hope for the best! In the mean time, if ok with you lot, I’m gonna give Nick a call and see if he’ll add a few of his modest details on this thread.

If you’re reading this Nick, tell Sam I think he truly is a cracking lad too!

Stuart Dennis · #9 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 16:27

Here Les, I've got Ray from Ashford Tackle at the office who sends his regards. Unfortunately, the old git is thinking of becoming a FM member!

#10 (**permalink**) 07-02-2003, 16:39

Nice article fella. You gonna give up on the carp now and concentrate on those rats?