Etang Des Moulinots
Just back from an eventful trip to Moulinots.
Following last years hauling session on Millstone Pool I wanted a more challenging water to test myself on and Moulinots did not disappoint. My friend Phil and I wanted to see if the tactics which had proved so successful else where in France would work on a water where the average catch was 3 to 4 fish per person per week. Moulinots fitted the bill in that it contains big fish with a very high average weight, but, the fish are not noted for crawling up your rods.
We arrived on Friday evening to make sure we were fresh for the challenge. 19 fish were caught in the week prior to our trip with the most to any one angler being 7.
Phil settled into the lodge swim and I opted for a swim known as dead tree (do all lakes have a dead tree swim?).
Phil fished to his usual high standard landing 13 fish in the week with an average weight of over 32lb per fish. He was unlucky only in that he did not land any of the bigger residents but he did manage fish of 36 and 37lb, along with a very rare (for Moulinots) grass carp. 13 fish represents an exceptional result for this water with the most this year being 14. Most of his fish being caught using an alternative bait approach, a mixture of all sorts of baits including pop ups and bottom baits.
By Wednesday I had managed just 1 fish – a 32lb mirror. Time for a rethink. Some excellent fish were coming out around the lake. As everyone was well set into their swims I didn’t think a move was on. Dead tree swim controls a lot of water so I opted to change tactics.
The margin rod was cast further down to showing fish and I started feeding just 2 spots instead of relying on the baits to pull the fish in. By Thursday morning I was still on 1, things started to click in at this point when the margin rod produced a good fish and I managed a further 2 during the day, the best at 37lb 02oz. 2 more followed Friday, the best caught during a downpour during the night weighed in at 42lb 08oz.
We finished the week on 19, 13 to Phil and 6 to me, my average being just over 32lb as well. It might have been 1 more but Phil opted to put a rod down when playing a fish in the middle of an electrical storm and it promptly fell off.
The total for the week was I believe 39 fish to 11 anglers, which I think included 11 forties and an average weight of some 35lb, no doubt Dave will update the Moulinots site in time with the details.
Not the greatest number of fish I have ever caught and not the biggest, but, all in all a very pleasing result, I wanted a challenge and I got it. Each fish made me work hard, but I think was well worth the effort.
The fish pictured is the 42, sorry for the quality but it was snatched in between downpours.
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07-09-2008, 08:06 PM
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