Last week at the lake

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:17 pm

Hi Just thought we would update you all ..on last weeks visit to the lake and how it went.

Here is a link to the Pictures so you can compair the summer conditions to the winter ones we just seen Very Happy

http://catfishgroup.myfreeforum.org/ftopic9-0-asc-0.php

Well it Started off realy..... a couple of weeks ago ....when I drove down to Wales to load up the mobile home before it was picked up for transportation to France.

We had purchased a plastic shed

which was placed in the mobile home with alsorts of things, Beding, pots and pans, plates, cups, cutlery etc etc.

then on Sunday the 10th of Feb , we traveled down to Dover to get the 23.30 ferry crosing to France. The car was loaded to bursting point, with tools and and other stuff we was taking over even after loading the mobile home Shocked

After traveling through the night ( which included stoping for a sleep ) we arived at the lake Monday morning and was greted by François et Benoîte, after a reviving cup of tea and a sometime spent chating about how things where ( with Trish practicing her Freanch as she had been listening to the Freanch CD's on the drive over ) we eventualy went with François down to the lake to disscuse what where the plans for the coming week. he showed us two large piles of broken up stone he had already ordered in to cover over the tracks around the lake, so that the surface would be much better for driving on and also stop the large truck that was bringing the mobile home sinking into the mud, as they had had a lot of rain out there and as we was to find out the ground was quite wet and soft.
We discused with him where the mobile home would be situated and also which areas we would like cleared to start the swims.

He had aranged for a locual farmer and his son to be there on the afternoon, with all of the relivant equipment to clear an area for the swims and mobile home ( I think with out them it would have took me all week just to clear a swim ) as the lake is totaly suronded by trees apart from the dam.

So that afternoon they arived and we set about cleaing the swims that would be infront of the mobile home.

as you can see from the pictures they did not mess about and started riping out the smaller trees .....we had already agreed with François, we would not touch the bigger older trees and leave them standing.

as you can see above.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:31 pm

Im not sure if it was the Language barrier ....but they actualy cleared a much bigger area than we was looking for, the area infront of the mobile home will end up being a double, double swim Surprised

they then set about removing any of the overhanging branches that looked suspect or week or would hinder casting .....as some where very high, the farmers son, just climed in to the bucket on the big digger and was lifted up with his chain saw to cut them down Surprised

as you can see here

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:37 pm

By the time this had been done ....the night was drawing in and I took the opertunaty ....to get a few of my first sunsets of the lake Very Happy

if you look at the bottom one you will see the stock pond just the other side of the dam Very Happy

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:51 pm

The next day which was Tuesday ....we set about making an area for the Mobile home and also graveling the paths around the lake as the modile home was due to arive on the Wednesday morning at about 10.30

We leveled an area at the back of the swim's that had just been cut out then we laid down the broken stone to have good areas to drive on ....we also leveled an area just up from the Mobile home area that can be used as a car park area Very Happy

area infront of the mobile home

the bend of the dam leading to the mobile home

and also all along the dam its self .....so once you drive down his private road from the house, you will be straight on to a good surface Very Happy

Here is a veiw looking back up the private lane to his house from the 500 year old Oak Tree

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:01 pm

Well that was another day over and that night me and Trish took both François et Benoîte out for a meal in the local town of Monty en Der.

Then the next day ( Wednesday ) we was all ready for the mobile home to be delivered ....I had been incontact with the driver by mobile phone as he had traveled through France .....and just after 10.30 I had a call to say he was just a few minuest away ....so I said I would stand out at the front enterance, so I could flag him down.

Well the lorry arived and after a few near scapes with some of the trees, which we had to trim back ...it was very slowly driven over the dam.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:12 pm

now this is where all the fun begins Surprised

As there was no way he could drop it of the back of the lorry and the turn to come back across the dam .....we had to drop it on the feild to the side, which ment would would have to tow it in to place, so we all set about running it off the back of the lorry in to the feild ...then we paid the driver his final payment and off he went to pick up another load in France for his return jorney to England Very Happy

if you look closely behind him coming across the dam ...you will see the mobile home sitting in the feild Shocked

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:54 pm

As we had no means to tow it into place ....it stoped there that night untill the farmer could bring hs tractor over the next day.

That night we had aranged to meet up with Paul-François Bachelier for a meal, he was the fish farmer that I had perchased the Carp from.
So myself, Trish, Francois & Benoite drove over to a nice restarunt by Lac Du Der and meet up with Paul. Very Happy

We speant a plesent night talking about how best to manage the lake etc.
The only down side was when I lernt of Paul that Lac De Orient will be virtualy totaly drained this year for work on the lake and the president of the lake will not alow it to be netted Evil or Very Mad

this may mean the death of its many big carp to over 70 lbs Evil or Very Mad

The next day ( Thursday ) seen the Farmer and his son return to the lake, with a monster of a tractor to tow the modile home into place ....well before we had gone six feet it was stuck in the mud ....we eventually got it to the area it was going to rest ....but it was sill down to its axels in mud Shocked

....We did not have anythink that would lift it ...so the farmer said he would come back the next day with a different machine that they used for lifting pallets and big logs.

So we just carried on cleaing the swim, sawing up wood and stacking it to one side.

the next day ( Friday ) he returned and we slowly with the add of big planks of wood to spread the load, lifted it out of the mud and set about beding it down in palce. Finaly by the end of the day, we had suported by some very large reinfoced concred blocks.
Trish could now get in and start to clean it and me and our newly made friend, a young lad called Julian ( who was stoping with his grand farther and mother who work for François at the big house ) started to paint it .....but it was actualy that cold that the pain keept runing, so we give it up as a bad job Rolling Eyes

so we just carried on clearing the swims and help Trish sort out the mobile home.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:31 pm

The next day was Saturday ....and we had been asked eairler in the week by François , if we would like to jouin in on the local hunt, it was the last one of their hunting season and François has such a big estate that he is one of the main organisers in that region.

I knew it was not Trish's cup of tea and not realy mine also, but one thing I have learned in my many years fishing abroad is ....that it pays to get in with the locauls

So I said yes I would very happy to take part.

as you can see from the pictures below ...its quite a big thing over there ....it started around mid day with a meal

Look at this for a barby

I rember saying to Trish as we sat there at the meal ....its a wonder they dont shot each other with the amount of wine they where consuming LOL LOL

after the meal, we split in to two groups ....I was in the group with the dogs ....while the others set off in the cars to position them self on the outskirts of the woods ......the idea being that we flush them out and the other group are waiting for them.

So I put on my bright orange jacket ( so they did not shout me ) and off we went

we went through several woods in line with the dogs running before us

We would stop at each breake in the forest and then all start off again, with them shouting and blowing their horns.

I actual seen a kill right in front of me ....as we was walking through one area .....the dogs picked up a sent and as they went after the prey and it broke cover the person next to me rasied there gun and a shot rang out and down went the dear

Here they are carring it away.

after we had been through severl woods ...we returned to the hunting lodge ...and they all drank somemore and talked about the one that got away ( Bit like us anglers ) then the kills for the day was hung up and shared out.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:47 pm

Well the next day was Sunday ....the day we would be returning back to England, so after a bit of lesure time in the mobile home.

we set about puting everthink away, ready for the next vist, we did not do any fishing as the lake was total frozen

We said goodby to our newly made friend ...Julian

Then went down and said our goodbuys to François Very Happy

It was a interesting week, very cold, But I think that both me and Trish would have gladly stayed there longer Very Happy

Hope you have enjoyed this small update .........Ron & Trish

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:40 pm

Absolutely fantastic review of the work carried out. Looks like alot was acheived during the week. A credit to yourself and Trish. It always pays to intrigrate within the local community and it certainly looks if you done that.