Teillattes Sept 2012. The wet week!

I hadn't wet a line since visiting Luke Moffat's Graviers in June , a long summer of work , work and a bit more work . But autumn was upon me with the prospect of a couple of weeks on Teillattes the one off lake where over 30x60 pounders live including at least 5 maybe more 70plus fish and a couple that do 80! . If you've read the blog before you will know that Steve Cowell and I have been lucky enough to catch some very big carp from the pit over the last two years , but I still get that Xmas feeling the night before a trip as it is such an exceptional lake with a stock only second to the mighty Rainbow.
My life long friend Darren Presney would accompany me on this trip as Steve has managed to bag himself a dream job working at Korda's Gigantica , catching over 50 carp over the summer  just dotting around the lake in the available swims , great angling Stevie!

All was prepared plenty of bait ,tackle but not enough food, all that lay between us and getting on the fish was the draw ! We arrived at 9am after a relatively pleasant journey overnight down to Bray on the coach , something a generally dread but it seemed fine this time . Jake the balliff was pleased to see us as we have become friends with him over the years and even look after his mutt Fred on a number of occasions. 61 fish out and well spread with the Digital common out at 74 pound , looking good . A quick walk around and the fish appear to be in the Doubles area but a big weather change is forecast to go 35km SW wind on Sunday which i'm sure will move those fish quickly . Will we get the choice?
The draw , I pull 13, last , Darren pulls 10 not a great result but the other anglers are happy ,it's not a disaster as I have at least 5 swims to choice from and can move an advantage on this lake as many don't! Darren goes in the Out of Bounds , I go in Andys to start ,i will have my eye on the Trees and the Stump ready for the weather to change.
As i set up a few fish show in my area , my luck must be holding so I flick a couple of rods out while everybody else is setting up their Bivvys for the week , maybe a quick bite can be had but to no avail . I get some bait out there and sit back . The Crescent has a 41 , the Double has a 67 ! I have a lead shaken off , very bad news! A sign the fish are getting riggy . I believe this has happened because 300 catfish have been removed giving the fish more time to eat the bait!!!
Dawn breaks , there are fish in the area but nothing as yet on my 100 yd baited area , a few show to my left short on the drop off . Worth a go I think , just as I'm preparing to move a rod the middle rod bends over and it's game on , straight in the boat to combat the weed . A lively fight and a 30 in the net , it's a start . Darren comes round he's beaming as he's had a nice 43 Mirror . Looking promising I say, he agrees ! I'm a little concerned about the weather?
The second night is quite and the weather is changing , I'm getting itchy feet and start pacing the bank thinking of my next chess move . I'm told the Stump and Reeds have been booked for a move by two anglers on the field bank so that's two options gone . The wind is pushing the Carp to the east bank and my only option is the Trees a tight swim but a productive one that gets ignored . I have no other option! I then have a take on the left hand rod that I decide to put on the drop off! I jump in the boat , half way put the hook pulls . What do I do now?
I sat down and applly a bit of logic and soon had it sorted in my head , move to the Trees , find a nice area within fishable range due to the wind and get on with it ! 3 hours later I'm set up in the Trees , three rods on a nice bed of the best mainline bait I can get my hands on , Happy Days .

There are a large amount of fish showing in a swim called New Biffos which is actually on the back of the wind and the predicted move of fish into the NE corner hasn't happened , they appear to have stopped in the middle , an area commonly known as the football pitch and there are lots of them , some huge fish have shown . Craig the angler next door has a few in front of him but a long way out so I encourage him to get a rod out there and try and catch an oppurtunistic fish or two . It works and by midnight Craig has 2x40 gracing the mat and he's as happy as a Sandboy ! The two fished were captured dead centre of the lake at 150 yds with two handfulls of bait ! "Lets hope they get on the beds of bait soon matey!" There big creatures and can't live on 50 baits for long.

Up with the crack of dawn , very nice sunrise too ! Not a bleep on all three rods , have I made a mistake?
I don't think so as a Big Un sticks its head out behind my area , then another to the left , only time will tell .
11am and a bleep on the rod a little longer than the mother load and I'm in bussiness . A strong slow fight from the bank and a lovely Common is in my new net ! Cheers Lockie it worked a treat . Looks like a 50 plus to me Craigy ! On the scales she goes 52lb a known fish , I call Split Dorsal always around 51/ 52lb . I'm relieved and Buzzing now as I know when they get on it all hell can break loose!

Evening arrives and I run around to get the dinners , my turn and it's a bit rude to rely on others ! I grab the plates a couple of drinks and walk the half mile back to the swim ! No Craig has one of my rods in his hand ! " What's occurred?" " Drop back and no lead on " he replies . Not again , I hate being caught out by carp ! I get the rod back out with a couple of kilo for luck , all is looking good for the night but the wind and rain are coming , I can smell it in the air .

I awake to vey excited Craig who has a big un in the net and it's lashing down with rain and windy . It's a bruiser of a Mirror at 52lb , " Get it in the recovery sling " lets do the shots in the morning . Back to bed , I'm awoken by a single bleep on the left hand rod then crack out of the clip ! The fish comes in easily and in the torch light looks small , however in the net it's a good 40plus. 46lb on the scales back out with the rod in the boat and now i'm soaked through , not to worry i'm catching carp. Two hours later and a take on the left hand rod . A very heavy fight and a lot of heavy head banging , after 20 minutes in the rain a good fish is in the net , could go 60 I think to myself . We weigh her up and she's 57lb on the button a beatifull mahogoney and red coloured fish , one of the best lookers I've seen from the lake.Get in ! Back out with the rods , Craig has another by the morning . A good nights angling me thinks , 2x40 2x50 to the us on the River bank . Come on! A wet night but a great night too.

The day is slow for us , although Mick in New Biffos and an angler in the Rock are getting action in the day , Darren is slowly picking a few off too ! A patern is emerging with our area producing in evening and night up to 4am. I rebait all the rods another 4/5kg goes out on the spot to attract the Scuba Pigs who certainly aren't in my swim in numbers. I plan to sit up until midnight watching and waiting to see whats occuring. 10pm and off goes the middle rod ! a slow, strong but unspectacolar fight and another big mirror is in the net . 49.14 ithoovered on 50 but who cares!Now the hard bit , both other rods have weed on them amd to get the middle rod out is going to be difficult , cast the marker to the right , spot it with the lenser as it's dark , get Craig to radio when i'm in the correct position and it's blowing force 5 . I manage it with a lot of luck and an hour later have a 42 common on the same rod ! Craig has another 50 in the night so another suucessfull nights angling.
Big Fish Thursday is here!Craig has a 59.12 , I have 2x30 ! So much for that .

The weather changes and not another fish is caught , oh well i'm back in  two weeks. Bring it on !