How to make the most of your Beausoleil fishing holiday
We want you to have an amazing fishing experience at Beausoleil.
Whether you dream of cradling one of our magnificent specimen carp, or dancing toe to toe with one of our monster moggies, you’ll have to bring your ‘A’ game. The fish do not give themselves up easily.
The carp can be harder to catch than the catfish as they are good at ejecting rigs. Our catfish aren’t difficult to hook although they can be tricky to land. Every lake creates unique angling challenges and Beausoleil is no exception. It’s a thinking man’s water. You will have to work for each fish you catch, but that is what makes fishing Beausoleil so special. In order to make the most of your trip, book our carp fishing tuition that I guarantee will make a massive difference to your results.
Do I need to change my setup?
Fishing a lake that contains specimen carp and multiple 100lb+catfish is something that very few anglers have experienced before. You and your gear will be tested to the max. Remember, our cats don’t know which is your carp rod and which is your cat rod so you need to fish strong for both species at all times.
So, what’s the secret to getting it right?
Fishing a new water for the first time can be daunting, so have a browse through the sections below and make sure you follow our fishery rules. The carp here are very clued up. What I’ve seen over the years is that small details can make a massive difference and we cover that in depth during the tuition.
Personal tuition available
Step up your game
If you have only fished for carp on runs waters in the UK or France and you want to up your game and tackle more challenging waters, we offer a structured tuition program. I will work with you one on one and go through everything you need to know. This structured program can be tailored to your exact needs and will transform your angling both at home and abroad. It’s the only way to get up to speed quickly enough in the short time you have here and you will be a more complete angler for the experience.
Under the surface
Beausoleil is a tree lined estate lake that was dug in the 1950’s along the line of an ancient stream. The lakebed is feature rich, complicated and changes every year. When I talk to anglers that come and fish here for the first time, I bang on about how accurate and precise you have to be in your whole setup. I understand how difficult it is to imagine exactly what I’m talking about so have a look at this video where I take you on a tour of the lake shallows when the lake was drained for the netting. You’ll see some of the features that are typical to this venue, how and where the carp feed and how they carve and change the lakebed. You can also see how small changes in rig location can have a massive effect on your rig presentation. We spend a lot of time during the tuition exploring the features and you can see why in this video.
Tackle and tactics
- Mainline, tubing, hook link and hooks
- Tackle
- Bait
- Rigs and tactics for carp
- Rigs and tactics for catfish
Mainline, tubing, hook link and hooks
● Mainline
You will see from the rules that we only allow Berkley Big Game in 25lb (0.45 min). Experience has taught us that no other line of this strength and diameter can handle the awesome power of our catfish. It’s also helped anglers bank carp that would have otherwise been lost on the savage lake bottom. It may come as a shock to use such a heavy line for carp fishing but rest assured, it will help you catch more, not less.
● Tubing
It is essential to protect the last metre of your mainline with top quality rig tubing. The simple and safe option is to use Korda Kamo Rig Tube (the silicon one) or Korda Dark Matter Rig Tube. If you hate threading tubing, book a tuition with me and I’ll show you how to do it in 30 seconds flat!
Don’t forget to bring some marker elastic to create a stop knot above the tubing to hold it in place. I’ll show you on arrival why this is critical. You can also use a dab of super glue between the tail rubber and the rig tubing.
● Hooklink
For hooklink we recommend Nash Armourlink in 35lbs which is available to purchase on site. Other proven products are the Nash Skinlink 35lbs and the Nash Heavy Duty Snag Leader in 30lbs. If you are not familiar with these products and are unsure as to whether your favourite hooklink is up to the task, just let me know and I’ll be happy to advise.
● Hooks
Only barbless hooks are allowed at Beausoleil for reasons of fish safety. Hooks should be minimum of size 6 and of a decent gauge wire. Feel free to get in touch and I’ll let you know exactly what I recommend.
Tackle
Due to the large catfish, light or even medium weight carp tackle is not enough. To maximise your chances of landing every fish you hook, do follow our fishery rules for tackle and see my other recommendations below.
● Rods
I wouldn’t advise using anything lighter than a 3lb TC rod. I use 3.25lbs and I’m still outgunned if I hook a big catfish. Although you won’t be casting very far, I prefer a fast tapered action rather than a through action as I want the point of leverage to be halfway up the blank not at the reel seat. If you plan on targeting our big catfish specifically, I’d recommend using your spod rod or invest in a set of dedicated catfish rods.
● Reels
Good quality, robustly constructed big pit reels are an excellent choice and anything in that style from Daiwa or Shimano should be fine. I use Shimano Ultegra Ci4 10000 and rate them highly. Good reels aren’t cheap but choose well and they should last a very long time. We have seen anglers use inferior quality reels that have literally disintegrated while playing a big catfish. If you’re very serious about your cat fishing, then specialist catfish reels are available.
● Knots
Good knots are essential if you’re going to land what you hook. All lines and materials are different and you’ll need to use the right knot for each. Strong mainline knots include the palomar, and the blood knot. Fluoro carbon and stiff filament hooklinks work well with a two turn blood knot. For braided hooklinks, you can’t beat the 5-turn grinner and for coated materials the uni knot works well. Fishery rules state that every single knot must be properly tested before fishing using a rig puller and a leather glove or one of our 8kg kettle bells.
● Leads
Traditional semi fixed rigs such as lead clips or inline leads with an insert are now banned. The carp find it very easy to use the weight of the lead to swing out the hook and you may not even get a beep! My Beausoleil inline system has been popular and successful for many years. Other options include pure running lead systems with either a swivel or inline lead. Size wise, I tend to stick with 3.5oz leads but you may find leads as light as 1.5oz useful for fishing softer areas.
● Bankware
Individual bank sticks are very versatile and enable you to fish more effectively and safely. I use a soft hammer if necessary to make them more secure. Most swims are gravelled and quality stainless bankware can be driven deeply into it. Long, thin aluminium bankware is not a suitable choice for the venue. Make sure you point each rod directly at the mark you’re fishing. Using hangers instead of swingers will give you increased bite indication. You also need a rear rod rest that securely holds the rod in position. Even with the clutch locked up, the rod should not move an inch on the take. If you have a three rod pod, your options will be more limited and your ability to fish locked up safely in front of many of the features will be seriously compromised. Fishing two rods and a bank stick is a more workable option if you don’t want to buy yourself a full set of bank sticks.
Bait
Your best bet at Beausoleil is either a boilie only, or boilie and pellet approach. I take bait quality very seriously and only roll bait to order to guarantee freshness.
You can choose from a nut based Nutty Banoffee mix and a shellfish based Shrimp & Cray mix in 20mm with matching cork ball popups. For guidance on bait quantities, click here to read “How much bait for a week’s fishing in France”.
If you prefer to catch carp and avoid the catfish then we highly recommend our “veggie pack”. Consisting of Garlic Specials boilies and 24% protein cereal pellets, this 100% veggie approach has proven a highly effective method of being more selective between the two species.
Rigs and tactics for carp
Carp rigs
The carp at Beausoleil can be caught on a variety of rigs. I have my own favourites of course and after a few years of experimentation, I know what works here, but these are not the only rigs that work!
● The Beausoleil rig: If you haven’t seen this before, it’s a trick version of a standard braided rig. It’s a confuser of carp and is well worth a look at.
● The mono D rig: I recommend it because it’s tangle free, easy to tie and 25lb Big Game makes a great hooklink! Oh and it’s a brilliantly effective rig.
Whatever rig you choose, please note that traditional semi fixed rigs which incorporate lead clips or inline rigs with an insert to retain the swivel are banned for reasons of fish safety. Please stick to simple or trick running rigs only.
Carp tactics
The carp at Beausoleil are very cute and fully aware that they are being fished for. These tips should help you in your quest.
● Get to know the lake
Beausoleil is feature rich. Explore it well, both above and below the surface, with the prodding pole, rowing boat and waders. Winding in and searching for signs of activity are fundamental to success. Timing is everything: the very best anglers only fish during the hours when a bite is most likely.
● Bait strategically
Our carp are hungry and can eat a tremendous amount of bait. However, it’s no good just piling it in expecting success. They’ve learnt to sort free bait from your rig so you need to force them into making a mistake. Build their confidence by introducing bait without a rig present. Spread baits along marginal shelves or over large areas to force them to move in between baits. Build the swim steadily by increasing the amount of free bait after each capture.
● Pick your spots
Casting singles to showing fish is a powerful tactic. Fish from an alternative margin to change your line angle. Spread your rods out and don’t fish too many spots at the same time. Avoid disturbing the spots near bite times. Try to have multiple spots on the go and juggle rods between them.
Rigs and tactics for catfish
Catfish rigs
There are countless different catfish rigs but the honest truth is you don’t need anything complicated. It just has to be simple and very strong! All I use is a beefed up version of my Beausoleil rig using 165lb hooklink and a size 2 heavy gauge carp hook.
Catfish tactics
Generally our catfish are not too difficult to hook. Pick a good swim and target them in open water with beds of catfish pellets, and fishmeal boilies. OK, it’s not exactly a technique for purists but it’s very effective.
Don’t think landing them will be easy! You will need strength, patience and a little luck. If they are heading towards danger such as the tip of the island or the bridge, it is possible to spook them back towards you, either from the bank or from the rowing boat. I call it waterborne catfish herding! For more tips, check out the catfish section of our blog.
Fishing essentials for Beausoleil
At a lake where every single bite counts, small details can make all the difference in the world. To get the very best from your session, check out my 6 essential tips below. They may well be common practice for you already but maybe not all of them.
Hook sharpening
Hand sharpened hooks are essential for consistent results. Only an ultra sharp hook is good enough to trip up our carp time after time. If this is something that’s new to you or you don’t have the kit, don’t worry, you’ll find a full hook sharpening kit on site and I’m more than happy to demonstrate how to use it. You can also check out my hook sharpening blog and video.
Knot testing
Kryston puts it best: “The finest tackle in the world is totally useless if your knot is iffy”. With a badly tied knot, you will lose fish. To make sure it is strong enough, test it. A knot that can survive our kettle bell test is a pass. If it fails, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your line is not good, it means you have to tie the knot again.
Knot testing
Kryston puts it best: “The finest tackle in the world is totally useless if your knot is iffy”. With a badly tied knot, you will lose fish. To make sure it is strong enough, test it. A knot that can survive our kettle bell test is a pass. If it fails, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your line is not good, it means you have to tie the knot again.
Knowing you’ve been done
Knowing whether or not your rig has been into a carp’s mouth and ejected is a great piece of information to have. If you get done repeatedly, you know you need to make some changes. There are different ways to do this: my tell tale system is one or you can add a small piece of silicon on the shank of the hook to trap the hair.
Tightening your clutch
It takes a lot more than the weight of a 3oz lead to hook our fish properly. You need to tighten your clutch well: not so tight that your rod will go in, but tight enough to stop the fish getting up ahead of steam. This way, it’s the clutch that drives the hook home before you even pickup the rod, effectively striking for you.
Tightening your clutch
It takes a lot more than the weight of a 3oz lead to hook our fish properly. You need to tighten your clutch well: not so tight that your rod will go in, but tight enough to stop the fish getting up ahead of steam. This way, it’s the clutch that drives the hook home before you even pickup the rod, effectively striking for you.
Sinking your line
Our carp are very aware of lines in the water and getting pickups when fishing tight lines is difficult. It’s best to carefully sink them, from rig to bank, across the contours of the lake. I find this technique more effective than back leading. Back leading works well when fishing open water marks but is not great when you present a bait on a far marginal slope and need to keep the tubing nailed to the deck to avoid spooking the fish.
Inspecting your line for damage
The lake bottom of Beausoleil is not a flat smooth silt bowl. There are many super hard gravel bars littered with small rocks of various sizes and there are one or two larger boulders out there too. Walking out your lines and routinely inspecting them inch by inch for damage is an essential part of fishing the venue. Damage is most likely after a capture or a loss.
Inspecting your line for damage
The lake bottom of Beausoleil is not a flat smooth silt bowl. There are many super hard gravel bars littered with small rocks of various sizes and there are one or two larger boulders out there too. Walking out your lines and routinely inspecting them inch by inch for damage is an essential part of fishing the venue. Damage is most likely after a capture or a loss.
Have a question?
If you are not sure whether your existing setup
and gear are suitable for fishing Beausoleil,
drop me a line and we’ll talk about it.
