ASK THE EXPERTS
This month's winning question:
Dear Panel,
My mates and I have just returned from a well-stocked fishery in France
where we had a great week’s holiday. We all caught well, however they all
seemed to catch bigger fish than me, including some 40s and plenty of 30s.
They then spent the whole week taking the mickey out of me because my biggest
was only 27lb. How can I shut them up by catching the bigger ones when we return next year? Do you think it’s my style of fishing because the rigs and baits were pretty much all the same!
Adam Archer
Clenchwarton, King’s Lynn.
Hi Adam and thanks for the question.
Every year my mates and I also go to France to a well-stocked fishery (in my case, Les Quis) for a week’s holiday and a well-earned rest. Over the years we have come to learn that even on such well-stocked fisheries, 40lb+ fish don’t just crawl up the rods, contrary to what some people believe! The truth of it is, the way to fish this sort of fishery is to try to learn to be consistent at catching, because even though they are well-stocked it doesn't mean you will always get amongst them. So many times I have witnessed people who have caught well on these lakes who turn up and think that it’s a foregone conclusion that a big one will come their way, only to go home disappointed.
Now, bearing in mind you have said that the rigs and bait were essentially the same, I won’t go over those two possibilities, and it really boils down to two or three reasons.
Just 23lb so they came and took the mickey out of me!
- Sometimes the bigger fish do sit back and let the smaller fish go in and compete on the beds of bait. They then carefully pick off your freebies without you even knowing they are there! Remember, they are fished for a lot so don’t underestimate how cute they can be; try fishing one rod in your baited area, where you are getting the bites, then fish one rod just off the baited area about 10-15yds away. This method often produces the bigger fish.
- You have just been unlucky and maybe most of the bigger fish happen to be elsewhere that week, as often what is the best swim one week is not necessarily the best the week after. This has happened to me before, and the way I got over this was to cast into my mate Hogg’s swim when he was fast asleep to just try to nick one (good angling I reckon!). However, I wouldn’t always advise this course of action, so it’s probably best to try to move swims.
- If you have seen big ones showing in your swim then obviously you don’t need to move, so my advice would be to just try to get as many bites as you can, wade through the smaller ones, and eventually (although not every time) the big ones will come.
48.12. Who’s laughing now?
The very same thing happened to me a year or so ago, and my ‘mates’ came round and took the mickey out of me for catching a 23-pounder (and other things), which we then duly photographed (just to shut them up). After they left I caught a mirror, which weighed in at 48.12! Who’s laughing now?
Hope this helps, and be lucky.
Spug 
