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| | 20-01-2012
We have just had a cancellation for the week starting 2nd June 2012. This is a rare opportunity to secure this prime week as all other weeks (except October) are already sold. Please contact us directly if this is of interest. Cheers, Matt.
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| | 11-01-2011
We have received a website enquiry from Matthew & Christina Palmer. We are unable to contact you at the email address supplied and you did not provide a telephone number. Please get in contact again. Thanks, Matt & Ren.
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| | 08-01-2012
Thanks to the mild weather that we have at the moment I took another cracking 28.5lb mirror last night from the island point. I kept to the same tactics that worked earlier in the week and simply presented solid PVA bags to target marks. This is an excellent tactic when your not quite sure of the level of fish activity or the condition of the bottom that you are fishing over. On leaving the lake I been applying small amounts of pellet on a large variety of known marks around the lake. This keep the fish feeding in areas that I know they are confident in and confuses them as to where the angling pressure will come from next visit.
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| | 04-01-2012
I named this fish Grey Scar after my mate Jon Bews had it at 44lb. It came out 3 times last year in a space of just 2 months (all from the same location). It then disappeared for the rest of the year. It currently holds the lake record for mirror carp at 50lb (spawned up weight) and obviously was my number one target fish. I thought it would take me years to be lucky enough to catch it. I looked at the forecast for the week after New Year and the 3rd - 4th Jan looked great with strong south westerlies and rain. After 35 nights angling last year and full year in charge I knew the lake fairly well and had pre-selected my swim the night before. I still did a full walk round just to make sure. I stopped in my target swim and 30 seconds later a fish boshed just 15 yards to the right. I immediately set to work tying up a bag and lobed it out. The weather was coming in bad and I just managed to avoid a soaking by the time the biv was up. I hadn't even got another rod in when the first one was away. Sammy the stupid sturgeon at 20lb was the culprit. I then went off to take another sturgeon and carp of 28lb and 15 lb. By 5 pm all was quiet. The wind and rain were lashing down all afternoon and evening and my only option was to batten down the hatches. At 1am I was woken up by a stormer of a take. The Delkim sang its merry tune as I fumbled with the biv flap, and grabbed my boots and head torch. On exiting I found myself connected to a large, slow but deliberately moving fish that had decided to head to the far corner of the lake rather than round the back of the island. It had already picked up my middle rod so I opened the bail arm and let that sing away too. After the initial run the battle was fairly straight forward and the fish was netted in 5 minutes. At first I didn't realize what I had, I knew it was definitely at least thirty. I set too making the usual preparations and it wasn't until I went to lift that I knew I had something a bit special. After unfolding the net, the scale of my prize became reality. My first thought was “it's Grey Scar” and after I rolled her gently over I knew it was true. I was gobsmacked, it was 1am on January the 4th, the wind and rain that had lashed so hard earlier had abated and I'd just landed the number one carp in my own lake. Words cannot adequately describe what it feels like to do that. Although it's not a new PB or a new lake record, for me this is the most important fish I've ever caught.
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| | 04-01-2012
Lake owner, Matt Collins managed to sneak out the lake's largest resident carp whilst on a quick overnighter. The howling winds and lashing rain really stirred the fish into action and he took 5 fish in under 24 hrs. The final fish of the session turned out to be Grey Scar at 46lb! Not a bad start to 2012!!
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| | 23-11-2011
Previous lake owner Howard popped down for a quick over nighter this month and scored well with three fish to 33lb 4oz. All fish came from one overhanging fir tree down the back channel. The Cell based snowman baits were dropped under it using a microcat with a sprinkling of house pellet. Good angling!
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| | 29-10-2011
Feedback and catch report from Dylan. No. of persons fishing 2.
Catch report:
Mirror carp: 26, 30, 33, 25, 25, 33, 41lb
Common Carp: 26lb, 26lb
Catfish: 59lb
Sturgeon: 20lb
Best swims/baits/tactics were single 10mm popups under trees/bushes in either pineapple or tutti frutti.
Weather was changeable. Sunny to start then rainy/cloudy. Temp 16 -19 deg C.
Facilities were satisfactory.
Suggestions for improvements: Lag the scaffolding bars around the aerator to minimize snap offs as all fish hooked in this area head that way.
We would most definitely recommend the venue.
Fantastic lake plus good facilities and hospitable owners. Leaf fall from surrounding trees was a hazard. Would like to come earlier in the year next time. Thanks for a great stay!
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| | 23-10-2011
***NEW LAKE RECORD FOR COMMON CARP***
Last week Jan broke the lake record for common carp previously set at 33lb 1oz, it now stands at 33lb 8oz.
A fantastic result for a day only angler on his first trip to France from Holland!
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| | 23-10-2011
Matt’s notes on Bart and Jan’s visit:
Bart and Jan are our 4th set of Dutch clients this year that have made the long journey (some 10-12hrs drive) to visit us.
Bart (Jan’s son) fished 24/7, Jan fished days only. Bart took the majority of the fish but it was his father, Jan, who broke the lake record for common carp which previously stood at 33lb 1oz and now stands at 33lb 8oz. The fish was taken within 5 minutes of casting out a single bait to one of the central gravel spots. Jan’s other fish was another common of 30lb 7 oz. This is the only time this year that two 30lb commons have been taken in a week, let alone by the same angler doing days only! Bart’s tally included 3 x 30’s as well, the best just shy of 38lb.
Their approach was meticulous. They followed the fish movements and fished virtually every swim. Baiting was kept exceptionally light and accurate either singles or singles with 1-6 baits over the top. They tried some spots with 30 or so baits but just did not get the results. This is contrary to how I and many people fish and yet this week it worked well for them. Location was the key to their success and extensive work was done with a prodding stick and fish finder before a bait was placed/cast. As the old adage goes, all you need is a bait in the right place! Talking of bait, they make their own garlic flavoured boilies and after breaking them apart and having a sniff they were of the finest quality.
I was very impressed by their angling especially Bart, who for a young man really knew his craft. I’m fascinated by how each angler approaches the water differently and even more so when they get such good results!
Congratulations to Bart and Jan and thanks for coming to Beausoleil.
Regards,
Matt.
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| | 22-10-2011
Feedback and catch report from Bart & Jan: No. of anglers 2.
Catch report:
10 carp in total included 5 x 30's
Mirror Carp: 30lb 7oz, 35lb 4oz, 26lb, 24lb 4oz, 37lb 15oz, 22lb 8oz.
Common Carp: 30lb 7oz, 25lb 9oz, 33lb 8oz, 26lb.
At 33lb 8oz Jan's common is a new lake record!
Best swims/baits/tatics: We fishing many spots around the lake and caught from most of the them.
Weather was good. Only two days of rain and a few cold cold nights.
The facilities were great and we can't think of any improvements that could be made. I have already recommended the venue to a friend.
It was a great week. We caught many beautiful and strong fish. Thanks for everything.
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| | 18-10-2011
Just back from my mid week visit and our Dutch father and son team (Jan and Bart) are having a perfect time. Dad has managed one nice upper twenty doing days only and Bart has taken three and lost one. Best fish thus far 37lb. Bart has been working hard on feature finding using a combination of a bait boat with echo sounder and the rowing boat with a prodding stick. He's taken all three fish from open water with very carefully placed single baits. He's experimented with putting some bait in but feels he can't get it to work this week. It was great to chat with him today and see what's working and what's not. I know they like a bit of bait so it's interesting to see a contrary approach. It will be interesting to see how he does by Friday.
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| | 16-10-2011
Matt's notes on Mark's visit to the fishery:
This was Mark's 2nd visit to Beausoleil. The first being 2 years ago before it was netted. Mark's first fish was one he caught on his previous visit at 12lb, it's now at 24lb! The fishing was tougher than he remembered but the average size of the carp is now mid/upper twenties.
For the 2nd week in a row, no cats have been caught. Although some fish have been lost which could have been cats. It will be interesting to see if any more are taken this year!
The carp remain very active with plenty of shows. The weather continues to be excellent for the time of year.
Mark appreciated the addition of the pool table and the well stocked tackle box. He also complimented us on the tweaks to the house interior that we've made.
It's always a pleasure to welcome back previous customer to the fishery and glad that they can see that we continue to enhance the venue.
Regards, Matt.
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| | 15-10-2011
Feedback and catch report from Mark & Mark Worsley. No. of anglers 2.
Catch Report: various carp to 28lb
Best swims/tactics/baits: Running leads, Bankside Tackle's pineapple popups, D-liver with bright popup's, various swims.
Weather: Good, temperatures around 20 Deg C. no rain. mixture of overcast and sunny.
Facilities were excellent.
Recommendations: Bedchairs and Bivvies for hire would save space in the car.
We would recommend this venue to a friend.
General comments: Excellent venue.
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| | 13-10-2011
I have just completed a map of Beausoleil. You can find it in the lake gallery but the resolution of the gallery is too low for it to be clear. You can find a higher resolution pic here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=248071425243950&set=a.177263598991400.53517.159416247442802&type=1&theater
Cheers, Matt.
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| | 09-10-2011
Matt's notes on Andre and party visit to Beausoleil.
Firstly it was an absolute pleasure to welcome such a lovely bunch of young guys to the fishery for their first trip to France.
It was also the first time that we welcomed a largely wheelchair bound angler to the fishery named Koos. The other guys were assisting Koos, who'd lost a leg many years ago, and enabled him to break his P.B. which now stands at 34lb. Anyone that takes a 30 from Beausoleil has done well. To do that from a wheelchair.... well words can't really describe.
It just goes to show what can be achieved with sheer grit, determination and friends! An awesome result guys. Job done!
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| | 08-10-2011
Feedback and catch report from our third set of Dutch clients this year. Andre, Koos, John and Rik. No. of anglers 4.
Catch report:
At the start fishing was difficult due the unseasonably warm temperatures. This was also our first trip to France and we lacked experience. Thanks to Matt we managed to catch:
3 Sturgeons to 9.8kg and 15 carp, mainly mirrors from 10kg to 16kg.
Best swims/tactics and baits: The new named Irish spot, the tree line next to the bridge all produced fish (mostly mid twenties). The central overhangling trees in the middle of the dam wall produced the best fish (3 x 30's).
Weather was very hot at first with temperatures of 30 deg. C. On Wednesday the weather changed to 17 degrees and the fishing improved.
We had a great week and learnt a lot of valuable lessons from Matt. We will certainly be recommending the venue.
Fantastic time! Great experience. Matt & Irene are great people and we have learned a lot. Thanks, and good luck with your great venue.
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| | 01-10-2011
Feedback and Catch report from Callum & Tony. No. of Anglers 2. Fishing days only and one night till 3 am.
Catch report:
Mirror carp to 32lb and commons to 28lb (new PB for Tony).
Cats to 90lb new PB for Callum.
Lost lots of fish this trip but no complaints - a good venue.
Best swims and tatics: carp in the margins - using cell on inline leads. Cat in open water of 3 x D-Liver
Weather was hottest September we can remember with temperatures to 30 deg C.
The facilities suited all our needs.
Recommendations for improvements: Impossible to please everyone - everything was as stated before coming.
We would absolutely recommend the venue and would come again.
Matt & Irène make a good team. This was one of the most pain free fishing holidays I have had and that is down to them - great hosts. The 90lb cat was an awesome beast! The dream that is Beausoleil.
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| | 30-09-2011
4th 90lb cat this year!
I just got back from my end of week visit with Callum and Tony. Callum has patiently waited for two years to fish Beausoleil.....with only one goal in mind.... a 60lb plus cat. We've had a very warm week here with temperatures up to 27 deg C. The days have been bright and clear and not ideal for angling. Despite this fact Callum still managed to achieve his goal! At 6.40pm on Tuesday evening he found himself connected with the 4th largest cat to be caught this year. It was an epic battle and tested his cut down 3.25lb TC infinities to the max. The cat was hooked off the island tree and made the mistake of heading left towards the dam wall rather than right (behind the island). It wasn't until the cat smashed its way up to the surface that he knew he'd hooked one of the biggies. Callum described the fish as unstoppable (despite the stepped up gear) and Tony, armed with with a 60" cat net, still struggled to net it. On the scales it went 90lb and beat his previous PB by some 30lb. Needless to say Callum was over the moon for the rest of the week!!
Up to this point Callum had to suffer the ribbing from Tony while he held out for a monster. He maintained his focus for one of the big cats and got his reward.
It was a pleasure to meet both of the guys and I really enjoyed watching them apply their different approaches. Well done fellas. Good angling.
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| | 28-09-2011
Beausoleil is now sold out for 2011. If you are interested in angling out of season then drop me a line and we can have a chat. Otherwise check out the 2012 calender for the 11 bookings that we currently have left for 2012. Thanks, Matt.
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| | 27-09-2011
Just back from my midweek visit, this week we have Callum and Tony. Callum is an avid carp angler here to break his catfish PB of 60lb. Tony is no carp angler but a very experienced coarse and game angler. By Monday lunch Tony was leading Callum 3-0 (much to Callum’s disgust!) While Callum was busy targeting the cats in open water over big beds of bait, Tony had spotted some nice carp down the shallow end by the bridge. At first light Tony made his way down to the lake dressed in his pyjamas and wellies, armed with some pellets and boilies. He then began to sprinkle these around multiple areas that he had seen fish. Back to the house for breakfast and change of clothes, Tony returned armed with one rod with a simple inline lead, and a braided rig simply tied to a strong sharp hook and single boilie. With an underarm swing, Tony delicately made his cast and walked back to a spot where he could discreetly locate his rod and patiently wait. He didn’t have to wait long and within 30 minutes he’d taken his first fish, a very fine mid twenty. Another cast yielded the same result with little delay. His best was 32lb from this area but lost another 2. This is an excellent example of fishing at its simplest: find the fish, trigger them to feed with some free bait, drop and rig in without spooking them and catch fish. Top angling Tony, well done!
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| | 26-09-2011
We have just taken booking number 18 for 2012 to go with 2 for 2013 taking us to 20 advanced bookings in total. This year we have taken 27 bookings out of 29 available weeks. That's an excellent result for our first year as fishery owners!
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| | 23-09-2011
Feedback and catch report from Mark Barr & Party. No. of Anglers 2.5 (one member arrived half way through the week due to personal commitments!)
Sturgeon: 16, 19-8, 16, 16lb (yes it was the same 16lb suicidal greedy sturgeon that was caught 3 times!)
Mirror carp: 25, 29-04, 28, 24-08, 31
Best swims/tactics/bait: Dam wall tree, Iris spot and point of island all produced as did the long gravel bar off snake bank. Green Lipped Mussel/Spicy Sausage boilies accounted for most fish.
Weather was mostly good, with a mixture of sun and overcast conditions. A little rain. Temperatures around 19-24 Deg C day time.
Feedback written by Matt as Anglers forgot to fill in feedback form.
This was the lads' third trip to Beausoleil so they knew it well. They did appreciate the opening up of the utility/shower room and the addition of the pool room.
The fishing was a little tough. The fish have seen intense angling pressure all season and were not easy to trick by any means. A number of good fish were lost including a very nice common or grass carp that flipped off at the net. No cats were landed but they may have been lost during the fight.
The guys had a great time. It's always a pleasure to welcome back previous customers to the fishery that love it as much as we do!
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| | 17-09-2011
Feedback and catch report from Bob Davis. No. of anglers 2.
Catch report: Sturgeon to 18lb, cats to 48lb.
Best swims/tactics/bait: Home swim most productive, D-liver and halibut pellet both produced.
Weather was unsettled, rain, sun, wind. No two consecutive days were the same.
Facilities were excellent. Nothing more could improve the house/amenities.
Recommendations for improvements: Home swim could be widened or and additional swim added.
We would most definitely recommend the venue.
Beautiful fish, wonderful venue, gracious hosts. Matt & Irène are superb and helpful hosts who went out of there way to make our stay enjoyable and happy. Matt is knowledgeable and his advice should be followed. I was particularly grateful to Matt for his tactical tips and general fishing advice.
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| | 20-09-2011
Feedback and catch report from Adam Petitt party. No. of anglers 3.
12 fish total. Initials of the anglers proceed each fish.
JD 28lb mirror carp
JD 68lb cat fish
JD 62lb cat fish
JD 26lb sturgeon
JD 31lb mirror carp
JD 27lb mirror carp
JD 23lb mirror carp
CK 23.5lb mirror carp
CK 25lb common carp
AP 25lb mirror carp
AP 36lb mirror carp (unknown fish)
AP 28.5 mirror carp
Best swims/tactics/baits:
Hemp/maze beds fished snowman or pop up
Pellet beds single liver overtop for cats
Shell Fish B5
Plastic pop up corn
Home Swim, Point C, and Cat corner had most of the fishing time.
Point C died half way through the week after first two days of good fishing.
Weather was mixed, sun, cloud and rain however a warm wind. One evening of strong winds.
Facilities were excellent. We could not of asked for anything better 10/10 AAA
Outstanding!!!
We can't think of any recommendations for improvements, it was amazing!!
We would recommend this venue.
A stunning fishery that holds a magical feel. It has to been seen to be believed. Everything from the lake to the house is perfect. The fish are in A1 condition and the surroundings are idyllic.
Matt and Irene are fabulous hosts. The quality of the lake, house, fish and equipment is testament to the love care and professionalism in which they run Beausoleil.
It was a pleasure meeting them and having the opportunity to fish their lake. We took home amazing memories that will never be forgotten and very much hope to be back at some point in the near future.
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| | 04-09-2011
Matt's notes on Stephen and Peter's trip:
As you can see from the catch report the guys had an absolutely awesome session. They've been to number of different angling venues in France over the years and this is the best result by far. During our mid and end of week visits they were highly complementary on the quality of the fishery and the fishing. Peter & Stephen are both seasoned and experienced anglers and it was a pleasure to welcome them to the fishery. Beausoleil is not a runs water by any means and challenging for some anglers. With the right approach, the guys have clearly demonstrated just what the fishery is capable of producing.
Unfortunately there appears to have been an incident with the oven during their stay. We have looked into this and it appears as though the oven has been moved back so that the hob cover wasn't going far enough over center to stay in place by itself. It was also reported that the oven got very hot. We have tested this and the oven is certainly not over heating. I suspect that the guys tried to use the grill (which we don't recommend for safety reasons). We will be checking the oven a weekly basis and ensure that all incoming clients understand how to safely operate it.
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