‘O’ what a week!?
DreamLake 3, Swim 14, 7th- 15th September 2007
by Mick Mann

Friday 7th September 2007 finally arrived and we were on our way for our annual trip, this being the fourth annual fishing trip to France and my second trip to DreamLakes (having fished Lake Four in 2005).
The aim of this trip was to have a good holiday with my two friends and catch a few fish.
My PB from a previous French trip was a 43-12 mirror, but having seen a 44lb common on the bank during my first visit to France, my target has since been a 40lb common, and with the number of large commons in DreamLake Three, my fingers were crossed.

Saturday:-
Arrived bleary eyed and opted for swim 14 with my mates Bill and Paul settling into swim 7 & 8 respectively.
Having located the plateau on the left of the swim 14, mentioned in the swim guide, I put two rods to this and the third rod to gravel patch at more or less at 12 o’clock.
In the afternoon the left hand rod was away, which produced a magnificent 35-14 mirror, duly photographed by Matt the Bailiff.
I went to dinner Sat night, a very happy bunny thinking that the pressure to catch was now off.

Sunday:-
Today the two left hand rods produced big time as follows:-
29-10 mirror
28-12 mirror
37-12 mirror (repeat on Monday)
24-00 mirror
34-15 common
35-00 mirror
Not sure exactly which thirty I was playing but the other LH rod took off while I was playing a fish, Steve (I think that was his name) who was fishing lake 4 was passing by and did a hook and hold for me, but the hook pulled under the rod tip, and I lost my chance of a brace.

Monday:-
Again the two left hand rods produced well as follows:-
34-08 common
33-09 mirror
22-08 common
32-00 common, whilst playing this fish my other LH rod tore off, I could hear Matt and Nathan on Lake 4 talking and shouted for help. Nathan did the hook and hold for me whilst Matt netted the 32-00 for me, the second fish came out at 37-06 which was the same fish at 37-12 yesterday.
Wow, a brace of thirties.
32-00 & 37-06 repeat from Sunday
33-15 mirror
19-00 mirror

Tuesday:-
I had Spoken to Matt the night before and asked him if he had any suggestions for my RH rod which had not produced a fish; he told me to whack a single bright hook bait out 85 yds at 2.00 o’clock, this morning this rod was away only for the hook to pull. The other two rods had been silent whilst this rod was fished at distance so I decided to find a spot close in, to see if the line passing along side my baited area to the left was making the fish nervous.
I found a small gravel patch surrounded by silt to the right at about 25yds. I placed a small quantity of boilies onto the gravel and placed the hook bait just short in the silt.
LH rod started off again with a nice 28-2 mirror.

I went back to sleep and was awoken to a screaming run on the LH rod. After a lengthy battle I landed the fish, and having weighed it as a 30-14 mirror I set up my camera ready for a self portrait. Just then my middle rod leapt into life.
By the time I had safely put the thirty into the water, the other fish was at a good 120yds before I lifted into it. I struggled to gain line but I slowly pumped that fish back from what seemed like the moon, under the rod tip I saw its tail, only for it to bore deep by which time I was completely shattered. Out of desperation I tried to bully the fish which resulted in a hook pull and I knew that the biggest fish had escaped me. I was gutted and felt like I had been beaten up by Henry Copper followed by Tyson.

The RH rod at short range finally produced a run which Matt patiently waited for with the net. It looked like a good common and on the scales I could not believe my eyes when it read 42-05 (the forty common I had so desperately wanted). Matt was so pleased for me because I had told him previously what I was after, and being able to share a capture with some one who is genuinely enthusiastic, really made it special… man I was bowled over!
By this time my mate in swim 7 had started to get his swim working after a slow start but my mate in swim 8 had still not banked a fish, so he moved round to fish swim15. I moved the LH rod to a new position and gave him a rig that I was using and showed him where the LH rod had been catching.

Wednesday:-
The new positioned rod started to produce:-
28-10 mirror
33-01 common
26-00 common

Thursday:-
36-01 mirror
In the afternoon around 15.00 hrs I decided to go for a shower. I gave my remote to my mate in swim 15 and said I would not be long. On my way to the shower, Simon who was fishing DL3 saw me and asked if I would take a few photo’s of a forty for him, to which I agreed and then went on to take my shower. I just got into the shower when Pete from swim 12 came charging into the shower and said my mate was playing a fish on my rod. I pulled my shorts on whilst running out of the shower block still dripping wet and arrived at my swim to be greeted by a beaming smile from my mate holding the landing net with a decent fish in, which turned out to be a 41-08 common. I am still not sure if this was a set up between Pete, Simon and my mate so that Pete could take an early shower.
I can still not believe the speed at which that fish was landed.
Anyway that evening I was greeted at the lodge by Bailiffs to “here is the streaker” just adding insult to injury!
At around 20.00 my mate in swim 15 asked for help, when I went to lift the net I thought the week must have caught up with me until I laid the fish on the mat and peeled back the net to reveal a stunning common which weighed in at 48-09. It then dawned on me that this fish came from my LH swim on my rig! After a few choice words, well a lot actually, I congratulated him on a fantastic capture and felt very pleased for him - well just take a look at his cheeky smile!

Friday:-
22-10 common

My total catch for the week was 22 fish, which included a stunning 42-05 common PB, and 12 thirties.

My mate Bill in swim 7 total, had 20 fish, which was a credit to him because he built that swim up from nothing. This included 11 thirties (3 of which were 39 pounders).

And the other mate Paul in swim 15, had a tally that ended in 9 fish (2 forties and 4 thirties).

That’s an amazing 3 forties and 27 thirties between the three of us.

Although on my trip to France last year I caught 26 fish, which included 4 forties (including a brace of forties on the bank) and eight thirties, this year’s trip to France is my best so far and will unlikely be bettered mainly because:-
Matt the Bailiff was always on hand to help land, photograph and share the pleasure of banking some amazing fish.
The Bailiffs up at the lodge, who supplied the good homemade style cooking (although I struggled to eat the mountainous portions).
The facilities, which included scrupulously clean modern toilets and showers, well constructed swims and maintained path ways.
The hardest fighting and best looking well proportioned French fish I have ever caught. (Just take a look at the 26-00 common; I am sure this fish had not previously been caught)
The camaraderie from the rest of the lads fishing lakes Three, Four and Five which, therefore in the future, I would not hesitate to return to DL alone.

Mick Mann
DreamLake Three
Swim 14
Between 7th- 15th September 2007

Other info:-
Rods:- 3.5 Century NG
Reels:- Diawa Infinities
Hooks:- Long shank Nailers
Rig:- Snowman on a 360 rig
Bait:- Nut mix boilies
Occupation:- Design engineer
Home town:- Peterborough

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