On a recent trip to France, having booked the holiday the previous year, we had the chance to find out as much as we could about the lake (Valdor).

We spoke to anglers that had fished the lake, spoke to the bailiff, visited the website and found that the lake contained a lot of 20's and 30's a few 40's and three 50's.

After fishing Manor Farm for six years the 40's and 50's were the fish I was targeting.

After reaching the lake and setting up I put one rod out purely for cats knowing there was a few around the hundred pound mark in there. The other three on boilie and an Atomic 3oz dung bomb.

Watching the water the first day and moving the baits around I managed to pick up a mid twenty mirror. The next two days were the same but I was targeting the big fish.

On the Wednesday after waking early (with a hangover!) I watched the fish crash in deep water, so wanting to change my presentation I changed one rod to an Atomic 3oz inline knobbler, moulded some scalded pellet around it, drilled a pellet, mounted that on the hair and cast to where the fish were showing, boated out another kilo of pellet and two hours later I put this fine 48lb mirror on the bank which made my day.  
 
Bob Crawford