Exclusive Angling Holidays News
Keep up-to-date with all the latest Exclusive Angling Holidays news right here. From catch reports to future plans and as many photos as we can gather - it's all here to give you all the information you need before deciding to book with us. This page was started at the beginning of 2004; you can view all previous updates here, you can also now add comments to each new entry, by clicking the link at the end of each post.
An up and down week...
Rouge
For the first week of the year, Rouge was not booked up - which gave me and Dad the chance to have a little go! Fishing on Sunday afternoon, Megan and I managed a nice 15lb 4oz Carp from the stalking swim on a tiny piece of tutti frutti boilie cast into the lilies.
John then fished two evenings from the double swim to bag 8 Catfish to 38lbs. I returned on wednesday night to bag this stunning 34lb 14oz Carp on floating dog biscuits - again from the stalking swim. Early the following morning i also had two smaller Carp, one on fake corn and the other on a 'washed out' Biopeche boilie.
Vert
Three anglers had a Catfish bonanza on Vert, bagging 3 separate 40lb+ Catfish, 5 30lb+ fish and countless smaller specimens. Despite suffering problems with breakages early on in the week, the boys beefed up their tackle and set about some serious hauling. Targetting the Catfish with our large halibut and trout pellets, Vert really provided some superb sport - well done guys!
Bleu
2 first-time Exclusive Angling Holidays customers fished Bleu solidly throughout the week and were rewarded with new PBs all round. The biggest fish of the week was a 50lb 8oz Catfish taken on our 'Catbuster' tackle hire package. This was a new PB by a good 30lbs! Carp-wise, the guys banked specimens to 28lbs in difficult conditions following the up and down weather of the past few weeks. We look forward to seeing you again guys (and girls) and thank you for leaving everything in such great condition when you left!
Tight Lines
Will James
20 June 2007
Rouge
For the first week of the year, Rouge was not booked up - which gave me and Dad the chance to have a little go! Fishing on Sunday afternoon, Megan and I managed a nice 15lb 4oz Carp from the stalking swim on a tiny piece of tutti frutti boilie cast into the lilies.
John then fished two evenings from the double swim to bag 8 Catfish to 38lbs. I returned on wednesday night to bag this stunning 34lb 14oz Carp on floating dog biscuits - again from the stalking swim. Early the following morning i also had two smaller Carp, one on fake corn and the other on a 'washed out' Biopeche boilie.
Vert
Three anglers had a Catfish bonanza on Vert, bagging 3 separate 40lb+ Catfish, 5 30lb+ fish and countless smaller specimens. Despite suffering problems with breakages early on in the week, the boys beefed up their tackle and set about some serious hauling. Targetting the Catfish with our large halibut and trout pellets, Vert really provided some superb sport - well done guys!
Bleu
2 first-time Exclusive Angling Holidays customers fished Bleu solidly throughout the week and were rewarded with new PBs all round. The biggest fish of the week was a 50lb 8oz Catfish taken on our 'Catbuster' tackle hire package. This was a new PB by a good 30lbs! Carp-wise, the guys banked specimens to 28lbs in difficult conditions following the up and down weather of the past few weeks. We look forward to seeing you again guys (and girls) and thank you for leaving everything in such great condition when you left!
Tight Lines
Will James
More freak weather
The wet spring/summer continues down here in the Dordogne - this week saw more mixed weather with sunny spells and heavy thunderstorms. All in all the fish don't really seem to know if they're coming or going! Here's hoping for a settled spell to get us back on track.
Rouge
Two first-time anglers fishing Rouge persevered against the elements to land mainly Catfish, along with Carp to 27lbs. Interestingly, the 27lber was stalked on dog biscuits from the lilies in the 'Stalking swim'.
Well done chaps, and I look forward to seeing you again!
Vert
Two anglers fished days only to bag plenty of Carp up to 20lbs+, and were consistently hooking and losing some monstrous Catfish. I know this for a fact, because everytime i went round to visit they had a run! The guys were fishing with our Tutti Frutti boilies and trout pellets...and lumps of Cheese, which the Cats seemed to love!
Bleu
Long-standing Exclusive Angling customers Mike and Colin fished Bleu during the days, and although it was not their best year, they managed a total of 30 fish including Carp to 22lbs 6oz and Catfish to 34lbs 6oz. The majority of these fish were taken during a frantic Friday, a fine way to get over the hassle of packing up a week's worth of tackle!
Thanks for leaving things in such a tidy state, and i look forward to seeing you next year - hopefully under more normal weather conditions.
Tight Lines
Will James
12 June 2007
The wet spring/summer continues down here in the Dordogne - this week saw more mixed weather with sunny spells and heavy thunderstorms. All in all the fish don't really seem to know if they're coming or going! Here's hoping for a settled spell to get us back on track.
Rouge
Two first-time anglers fishing Rouge persevered against the elements to land mainly Catfish, along with Carp to 27lbs. Interestingly, the 27lber was stalked on dog biscuits from the lilies in the 'Stalking swim'.
Well done chaps, and I look forward to seeing you again!
Vert
Two anglers fished days only to bag plenty of Carp up to 20lbs+, and were consistently hooking and losing some monstrous Catfish. I know this for a fact, because everytime i went round to visit they had a run! The guys were fishing with our Tutti Frutti boilies and trout pellets...and lumps of Cheese, which the Cats seemed to love!
Bleu
Long-standing Exclusive Angling customers Mike and Colin fished Bleu during the days, and although it was not their best year, they managed a total of 30 fish including Carp to 22lbs 6oz and Catfish to 34lbs 6oz. The majority of these fish were taken during a frantic Friday, a fine way to get over the hassle of packing up a week's worth of tackle!
Thanks for leaving things in such a tidy state, and i look forward to seeing you next year - hopefully under more normal weather conditions.
Tight Lines
Will James
Flash floods, and fat Catfish...amongst other things
It's been a hell of a week weather-wise down here in the not-so-sunny Dordogne. Monday brought a storm carry three inches of rain which proceeded to fall in under an hour and raise the level of Rouge by a good 12 inches thanks to the already saturated land. If that weren't enough, Wednesday brought similar rain and similar problems. Despite these upsets, and the odd spot of damage, a few fish were caught...and the sun shone the rest of the time!
Notice the nicely wood-chipped swim, and the water a good 6 inches below the sleepers
Then came the rain
Bye bye wood-chip...!
Water pouring across the road
Rouge
In spite of the weather the two anglers fishing Rouge managed to bank a total of 38 fish. Included in this total were 2 whopping 80lb+ Catfish and Carp to 36lb. A fine effort from the guys, who were kind enough to take plenty of photos and videos for us. I'm still working my way through all of them, but here's a taster below...and there's lots more in galleries too!
Vert
The anglers from Rouge popped down for an afternoon's 'frantic fishing' and had some stunning looking Carp to 24lbs. Earlier in the week Exclusive Angling Holidays owner John, was stunned to land a previously unknown 31lb Common - proving that even on lakes that are fished all year, the odd surprise is still lurking! Unfortunately, unable to rouse help with the camera, this beautiful specimen had to be slipped back without a picture, much to everyone's (particularly mine) frustration!
Bleu
Three long-time Exclusive Angling Holidays customers fished days-only on Bleu, with mixed results. Whilst a few fish were caught, it would seem that the ever-changing weather had a much more detrimental affect on catch rates than on Rouge. With water as brown as chocolate and all our drains running at full capacity it's not really surprising that the bigger fish went to ground and refused to be tempted despite the extra effort put in by all. Several Catfish came out, and some bigger specimens were lost but the the Carp were really refusing to play ball. Fingers crossed for more settled weather next year guys!
Tight Lines
Will James
05 June 2007
It's been a hell of a week weather-wise down here in the not-so-sunny Dordogne. Monday brought a storm carry three inches of rain which proceeded to fall in under an hour and raise the level of Rouge by a good 12 inches thanks to the already saturated land. If that weren't enough, Wednesday brought similar rain and similar problems. Despite these upsets, and the odd spot of damage, a few fish were caught...and the sun shone the rest of the time!
Notice the nicely wood-chipped swim, and the water a good 6 inches below the sleepers
Then came the rain
Bye bye wood-chip...!
Water pouring across the road
Rouge
In spite of the weather the two anglers fishing Rouge managed to bank a total of 38 fish. Included in this total were 2 whopping 80lb+ Catfish and Carp to 36lb. A fine effort from the guys, who were kind enough to take plenty of photos and videos for us. I'm still working my way through all of them, but here's a taster below...and there's lots more in galleries too!
Vert
The anglers from Rouge popped down for an afternoon's 'frantic fishing' and had some stunning looking Carp to 24lbs. Earlier in the week Exclusive Angling Holidays owner John, was stunned to land a previously unknown 31lb Common - proving that even on lakes that are fished all year, the odd surprise is still lurking! Unfortunately, unable to rouse help with the camera, this beautiful specimen had to be slipped back without a picture, much to everyone's (particularly mine) frustration!
Bleu
Three long-time Exclusive Angling Holidays customers fished days-only on Bleu, with mixed results. Whilst a few fish were caught, it would seem that the ever-changing weather had a much more detrimental affect on catch rates than on Rouge. With water as brown as chocolate and all our drains running at full capacity it's not really surprising that the bigger fish went to ground and refused to be tempted despite the extra effort put in by all. Several Catfish came out, and some bigger specimens were lost but the the Carp were really refusing to play ball. Fingers crossed for more settled weather next year guys!
Tight Lines
Will James
What a week!
Rouge
Those of you who have been following the catch reports on this website will have noticed that this season Rouge, whilst throwing up the some cracking fish, has failed to produce the sport we know it's capable of. Whilst this has left lots of very capable anglers scratching their heads, I'm pleased to say that things are making their way back toward what we would expect from this mighty lake.
Last week Rob, Steve, Craig and Dee endured some absolutely foul weather conditions to bank a total of six thirties to 35lb, along with a good number of twenties and doubles. In addition Dee managed to break her Catfish personal best with a whopping specimen of 60lb+!
The majority of the bigger fish were caught from behind the island in amongst the overhanging trees - an area that rarely see angling pressure, and perhaps holds the answer to where the lumps have been hiding out. Fish were successfully stalked from all areas of the lake, and the vast majority fell to our own Premier Baits range, 'Biopeche' was a particular favourite and helped Steve account for 5 thirties.
Congratulations on a great week's fishing, and thanks for leaving things in such a tidy state.
Vert
Well, where to start! 3 anglers fished hard on Vert and threw up some of the prettiest fish i've ever seen from the Papillon complex. On the Catfish front, the guys managed to bank 2 40lb plus specimens including a season's best 47lb lump. Whilst the larger Carp were not getting caught, the smaller specimens certainly were! Amongst their haul, of which the average size was an admirable 15lb-ish, they landed some absolutely stunning fish. I believe that if ever proof were required that size does NOT matter it's in the gallery of photos shown here. Here are my favourites:
And, of course the massive Cats:
Dates on Vert are still available for 2007! Go to our bookings page or e-mail us for details.
Bleu
Young anglers Ben and Jack set a fine example of how to get the most from a week's fishing by smashing a series of personal bests by continually adapting to the turbulent weather conditions. Ben broke both his Common and Mirror Carp records with fish of 23lbs 6oz and 23lbs 4oz respectively, whilst Jack put a new record Mirror on the bank at 28lbs 8oz. In addition, the brothers landed some huge Catfish, with Ben coming in tops at 71lbs and 69lbs - not bad for a 13 year old!
Thanks also to Mum and Dad for keeping an eye on the boys whilst they fished, and for leaving the lake in immaculate condition.
Tight Lines
Will James
Rouge
Those of you who have been following the catch reports on this website will have noticed that this season Rouge, whilst throwing up the some cracking fish, has failed to produce the sport we know it's capable of. Whilst this has left lots of very capable anglers scratching their heads, I'm pleased to say that things are making their way back toward what we would expect from this mighty lake.
Last week Rob, Steve, Craig and Dee endured some absolutely foul weather conditions to bank a total of six thirties to 35lb, along with a good number of twenties and doubles. In addition Dee managed to break her Catfish personal best with a whopping specimen of 60lb+!
The majority of the bigger fish were caught from behind the island in amongst the overhanging trees - an area that rarely see angling pressure, and perhaps holds the answer to where the lumps have been hiding out. Fish were successfully stalked from all areas of the lake, and the vast majority fell to our own Premier Baits range, 'Biopeche' was a particular favourite and helped Steve account for 5 thirties.
Congratulations on a great week's fishing, and thanks for leaving things in such a tidy state.
Vert
Well, where to start! 3 anglers fished hard on Vert and threw up some of the prettiest fish i've ever seen from the Papillon complex. On the Catfish front, the guys managed to bank 2 40lb plus specimens including a season's best 47lb lump. Whilst the larger Carp were not getting caught, the smaller specimens certainly were! Amongst their haul, of which the average size was an admirable 15lb-ish, they landed some absolutely stunning fish. I believe that if ever proof were required that size does NOT matter it's in the gallery of photos shown here. Here are my favourites:
And, of course the massive Cats:
Dates on Vert are still available for 2007! Go to our bookings page or e-mail us for details.
Bleu
Young anglers Ben and Jack set a fine example of how to get the most from a week's fishing by smashing a series of personal bests by continually adapting to the turbulent weather conditions. Ben broke both his Common and Mirror Carp records with fish of 23lbs 6oz and 23lbs 4oz respectively, whilst Jack put a new record Mirror on the bank at 28lbs 8oz. In addition, the brothers landed some huge Catfish, with Ben coming in tops at 71lbs and 69lbs - not bad for a 13 year old!
Thanks also to Mum and Dad for keeping an eye on the boys whilst they fished, and for leaving the lake in immaculate condition.
A good time was had by all in the rain, and we all smell like fish! Mum. :-)
Tight Lines
Will James
A week of sunshine and rain
Vert
Vert was fished occasionally throughout the week by anglers from both Bleu and Rouge and produced lots of Carp weighing up to low twenties, along with some large Catfish. Once again, this lake continues to provide superb sport in a great setting - check out the bookings page for prices and availability. I guarantee you'll have a whale of a time!
Bleu
Bleu was fished by Exclusive Angling Holidays regular Darren and his friends and family. The had a great week banking, amongst others, two 26lb Mirrors and a lovely 23lb Common, along with huge Catfish of 40lb (pictured), 42lb and 64lb.
Bleu is now fully booked for 2007, except for the week commencing 20th October. If you are interested in this week, please e-mail us ASAP, it won't be available for long!
Tight Lines
Will James
Vert
Vert was fished occasionally throughout the week by anglers from both Bleu and Rouge and produced lots of Carp weighing up to low twenties, along with some large Catfish. Once again, this lake continues to provide superb sport in a great setting - check out the bookings page for prices and availability. I guarantee you'll have a whale of a time!
Bleu
Bleu was fished by Exclusive Angling Holidays regular Darren and his friends and family. The had a great week banking, amongst others, two 26lb Mirrors and a lovely 23lb Common, along with huge Catfish of 40lb (pictured), 42lb and 64lb.
Bleu is now fully booked for 2007, except for the week commencing 20th October. If you are interested in this week, please e-mail us ASAP, it won't be available for long!
Tight Lines
Will James
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