We have a significant number of regular returning visitors to our venues, but if you have booked for the first time, the following might help with your planning for the trip. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Etang Bertie is by French standards relatively small waters, so all your normal carp rods and reels will cope perfectly well. Rods in the 2.5 tc to 3.5 tc are perfectly adequate. Nowhere will you need to cast long distances so again reels do not need to be of the huge big pit type. You could well encounter one of the larger cats so we would recommend you look at lines around the 15lbs breaking strain.
The bottom is light clay, and fine silt, with very little weed, so you don’t need specialist rigs etc. We would recommend a lead clip or basic inline system. Leads do not need to be more than 3 ounces in any of the swims. At times you might want to fish the margin slopes so have some flat sided leads in your tackle box. You could encounter some of the larger cats during your stay so abrasion resistant hook-lengths can be a good idea. In most of the swims you can get a bank-stick in but the ground can get hard in the drier summer months so a pod can be a good idea.
It is always difficult to advise on bait quantities to bring but when the carp go on the feed they can certainly scoff, so if you do hit it right you do need to allow for regular topping up of your swim. Having said that of course at other times it pays to be a bit more cautious with your feed rates.
Boilies are usually the first choice bait, and a mix of shelf life and freezer baits works well. This is often backed up with pellets. If it helps to give you a starting point perhaps 2 kilo of boilies and 3 kilo of pellets per day will give you the option to feed regularly, and keep the fish active in your swim. If you need to use it all you will have had a brilliant week, and if the fishing has been a bit slower, you can always take it home with you. Regular feeding, and occasional resting of the swim can pay dividends.