The Fishing

Fishing at Les Etangs du Cerf is pretty straightforward, at least on our 2 main lakes which are clay bottomed and weed free, with standard bottom bait/pop up tactics accounting for the majority of the fish. There are woodchipped swims on Lily and Iris Lakes to fish from but you are free to roam if you like to be on the move or stalk your quarry. Fishing on the surface on Iris Lake can be successful in the warmer months for the grass carp and can be very exciting at close range from behind the reeds or under the willows! Bait boats are welcome if you like to get up to the edge of the trees or pads without risking a tangle, although most areas are easily accessible within casting range.

The fish are used to being fed on high quality pellets and boilies and we have secured a relationship with king carp baits https://www.kingcarpfishing.com/ to provide our anglers with great quality bait cheaper than you can get it in the UK.

We as owners and you as clients all have the same interest at heart, the fish. We therefore ask you to read and observe these basic fish handling and fishing rules.

Fish care:

1. Enjoy the fight. Most of the lake is snag free, away from the trees, so take your time when playing fish - there’s no need to drag them in!

2. Before lifting the fish onto the cradle have the bucket ready, full of water to wet the cradle and fish care kit ready to treat the fish. Make sure weighing scales and camera are also ready before removing the fish from the water using the weigh sling.

3. Please ensure the hook links are unclipped or main line cut before placing the fish into the weigh sling.

4. Slide the weigh sling under the collapsed landing net , then rest all fish for at least a few minutes before lifting them out to weigh and photograph using the sling. This is particularly important for the grass carp as they are a lot more fragile than they appear.

5. Return all fish ASAP.

6. Only move fish from the cradle to the water in the weigh-sling. NEVER lift fish using the landing net.

7. Do not stand up with fish for photos.

General fishing rules:

1. Only nets, unhooking mats, cradles and weigh slings provided by us to be used - you will need to bring a carp care kit to treat hook holes, lifted scales etc

2. Bait boats allowed

3. Minimum of 15lb main line and 20lbs hooklink

4. Size 4-6 hooks recommended

5. 3 rod limit per angler, 3 anglers max (although we have found that 2 anglers enjoy better fishing)

6. No fixed, bolt or tether rigs allowed: Safety lead clips ok as long as used correctly. No magic twigs.

7. No leadcore or leaders

8. No braided line or shock leaders

9. 18” tubing minimum required to ensure fish condition

10. No boillies other than hook baits to be brought on to the site - we have quality boilies from a supplier we trust at a great price. We are not looking to make profit on baits - we just want to know what our fish are eating! Talk to us in advance about our bait options.

11. No whole maize or nuts of any kind

12. No particles (except for sweetcorn) and pellet only from us - it is what we feed the fish on and is of the highest quality. If you wish to use flaked maize, we can supply it.

13. Micro barb hooks only

14. No long shank hooks

15. No sacking of fish

16. Please do not use the boats, if you need to free tackle or a fish, just give us a shout!

17. We retain the right to inspect rigs and tackle at all times