French Fishing in the Limousin

Going to France for the first time at the begining of April, going to be fishing an Angling Lines venue at Chapel Lake in the Limousin area of central France. There'll be six of us and we'll have the lake to ourselves. Two of the party have been to France before but we're relative beginers as far as France goes, so any help or advice will be eagerly soaked up and well appreciated. All of us are experienced anglers but not necessarily on the carp front.

Good tackle shop in Limoge at Beau Breuill call Pacific Peche. It's just off the main road into Limoge. If yo see it from the main road you have pasted the turning.

Hi Steve,

This is quite a large lake, but when I went to film much of the bank side was inaccessible and heavily wooded.. There are large areas you can get to however, and you'll have loads of water to cover...these are on the point to the rear of the chapel itself and on the road bank opposite, there is a really nice area, where the old bailiff used to fish. The owner did have plans to cut out some more areas to give choice.

There is quite a head of carp of all sizes (bre&d and butter fish mid doubles to mid-twenties)..right up to the very large ones stocked recently...
Due to the lack of pressure this lake has had, you should catch well in April. I'd use a mixure of particles, hemp, pigeon seed and maize. If you had a boat or a bait boat it would give you better presentation hear the pads. The particles will get the fish moving into you area and will be a fairly instant bait.
Over the particle beds I'd fish a good boilie...the fact that it is surrounded by trees and is an old lake means it will no doubt have some deep silt in places. I'd certainly use a marker float to see what I'm fishing over...a bouyant or semi-bouyant bait would be my preference, pop ups or snowman.

there is a cheap and reasonable truckers caf? (Routier) in the village the Coconut or something (about 5kms away, just by the incredibly busy A road...)It is not bad and you get a three course meal with wine for about 15 euros. it's always full at lunch times.

Your nearest decent supermarket in in La Souterraine about 10kms away... may be worth stopping off on the way as it is left as you get off the Autoroute, where as the lake is on the right.

regards
Gareth

Hi Geoff

Limoges is a fair distance south of this lake... which is in the Creuse region

Regards
Gareth

Many thanks for the advice, I've got some hemp pellets to take so far but I'm off to the Thorpe Park angling show on saturday 11th Feb with the whole party of anglers who are going to France. We hope to pool ideas and select some bait to buy there. I'll take as much variety as I can but don't really want to waste money on stuff that may not be needed. Any ideas on locally produced baits or should I plum for well known tried and tested varieties from one of the UK main named suppliers ?

Hi Steve,
It's now common knowledge that Shaun Harrison has joined us to launch his own bait range...having shot the catalogue photos and video last week, I can say that his products are superb... the owner of Chapel has purchased a large quantity and these will be available on site. (PM me at gareth@anglinglines.com if you want more details)
You will not get good quality boilies in France.... virtually all the readily available stuff in France is semolina soya flour attractor baits...

You'll receive an info pack before you go..and our website too will be up dated with the new range very soon.

hope the site mods don't see this as a plug.. but it's important for the guys going to this pretty isolated venue..

cheers
Gareth

Hi Gareth,
You're the man.... many thanks for that info, I'll speak to the rest of the gang and no doubt some or all of us will consider taking up the bait-on-site option.
We've seen the video on-line and all the photos, even found more photos of the lake and grounds on estate agents site when it was up for sale. Looks the business and I'm looking forward to some spesh fishing. Cheers.

of course it's a plug and a blatant one too, but probably very appreciated by those anglers that are going, knowing that a someone with your knowledge of France is available for advice, not only for your venues, but for France in general.

Hi Rik,
Cheers always available to answer any questions I can on France... I know many venues and even if we have nothing to do with them I've proabably fished them or know a bit about them... or at least the area of France...

So feel free to to ask away....

Tight Lines

Gareth