Carp Lakes

The setting

 Imagine wandering through an untouched forest surrounded by big oaks and beautiful beech trees with natural trails leading you around undiscovered corners, with the bird chorus above your head and the sound of deer disappearing back deep into the woods and then that magical sound of a big carp heaving itself out of the water. As you walk along you catch a glimpse of water through a gap in the trees revealing the whereabouts of hidden lakes, this is what it is like to stroll around this carp fishery, no roads or railway lines just you and nature as it should be…

History and development
The lakes were originally created back in the early 1970’s and each lake seems to have its own unique atmosphere and character, almost like different worlds. Some of the lakes will remain untouched by anglers, used only for growing our future generations of fish but 3 of the lakes hold fish beyond your wildest fantasies and it’s on these lakes where you can experience carp fishing that is so exciting it makes you want to stay by the waterside forever.

The fishery is privately owned by Mark Beldom and Jean Noel Retailleau, the latter is a highly respected fish farmer handling around 100 tonnes of fish and emptying many lakes each winter and has the advantage over most people of seeing lakes and properties that most of us could only imagine in dreams, this is how he discovered what has become les 8 etangs and well known as Freedom lakes around Europe. 

Back in 2004 a long term plan was formulated and for 3 consecutive winters, Jean had been hand selecting some really special quality fish and keeping them in one of his big lakes in anticipation of this project. Imagine having over 10,000 pristine carp and then selecting the very best 10% of these and you can perhaps understand why the stock have such enormous potential. Jean asked Mark to became a partner during the early stages and with his fishery management and carp angling experience adding to Jean noels ability to maximise water quality and growth rates, the carp lakes continue to develop into the very best carp fishing that France has to offer.  

What will you find at Freedom Lakes?

9 acre lake
The 6 acre lake is nestling in the western edge of our property, it is bordered on all sides by dense woodland. There are lots of interesting features in the lake to fish to, there are several small islands, sand and gravel spots some lily pads and a densely reed lined far margin. The lake is stocked with around 150 carp and 8 big catfish. The lake is very shallow with depths ranging from 2ft to 6ft which means the lake fishes very well all year around, it warms up very early so the spring period can be very productive as well as being a good winter water with the fish reacting to any small change in conditions.

19 acre lake
The 19acre lake is in the centre of the fishery nearest to the clubhouse; it holds a truly fantastic stock of around 500 fish. The average has gone from 21lb to 30lb in 18months and now the fish have begun to wise up properly it has become very interesting indeed! Some of the fish in this lake are worth walking to France for and many of them avoid capture for long periods of time and then when they come out they have grown 15lb or more, some of the missing fish we know of in 2009 could well be over 40lb. We now estimate the stock at around 200×20’s and 200×30’s and 20×40’s. The lake also holds a number of big grass carp from 30lb to 45lb and a few catfish most of which are between 40lb and 100lb+. The lake bed is a mix of sand silt and stone with some small weed beds and lily pads, there are several sunken islands plus lots of overhanging trees around the lake, depths range from 2ft to 6ft and every swim is capable of producing a result.

29 acre lake
The 29acre lake is on the eastern side of the complex and is home to some very special fish, it is the biggest and deepest lake on the complex and is more suited to experienced anglers due to a lower stocking density and snaggy lake bed, it is not a runs water but with many of the carp being over 35lb it is a lake that has the potential to produce a once in a lifetime catch. With depths from 2ft to 14ft and a hard flat bottom, a good baiting strategy combined with watercraft can pay dividends. There are two islands, one of these has 4 swims cut into it and is a fantastic location to spend a week or two with a few mates.

The lake is already producing a good growth rate and currently holds around 200 fish above 30lb with a lake average in 2009 of 35lb,  the biggest fish is a mirror weighing 52.14lb in August 2009. We will be stocking some more big carp into this lake during the winter so watch this space…

Our carp lakes are now entering into their 3rd season as a fishery and as such, the fish are not stupid! Anglers that use good quality bait and think about their angling rather than just expect to catch just because you’ve paid for a carp fishing holiday will always do better, and we wouldn’t want it any other way!