Welcome to my September blog about our Tackle Company on tour trip to France 🇫🇷
The four in the group was the budgie brothers, Pepsi and myself.
We set off Friday morning to catch the tunnel at around 2pm
This would then get us to our hotel we booked at around 6pm, it's then a 50mins drive to the lake in the morning
The hotel was very nice, but unfortunately there were some noisy kids next to my room so didn’t get a good sleep 
Food was cracking and easy to read by using google translate just take a picture and it changes to English 🏴 - although don’t trust some of the translations!!
Anyway few beers, early night and up fresh on route to the lake.
We were allowed onto Sky Lakes at 11am, so stopped at a shop only 5 mins away from the lake to grab last bit of essentials - French beer, milk and grab a bite to eat.
All sorted ✔️ got everything we needed in the vans for our 5 minute drive
So after 2 1/2 hours of driving around and around the same bloody area, ending up in fields and back across the river Marne about 4 times and seeing the same houses and bus stops, we finally found the road to the lake which has a sign dead end!!
Hence why my google maps could not find a way there using the address.
Use ( three words ) or drop a pin via google then it worked ...
So arrived eventually at 1:30 pm to meet Andy the owner all frustrated at this time but we have bloody found it!!
So it was our first look at Sky lakes and as time was not on our side because dinner was at 5pm we walked the lake, which was very nice looking ,with many swims taking peoples fancy.
It was very clear a lot of fish was present in swim 2 a small bay as I was first out the hat, I did not really fancy this swim for the whole week as I expected the fish to move.
It was the deeper part of the lake and the owner said they liked the far end bay when the sun comes out which was due Monday onwards so I did choose like most would where the fish was at this time.
Thinking I could move if the fish moved, next up was junior budgie who choose swim 10 the budgie in 12 and Pepsi right next to me in peg one ( lodge end )
Peg 12 had two swims on a bay one on the entrance (with a rope across) then another swim right in the bay like a stalking swim.
One and ten fished straight out open water.
Big rush to set everything up and get your rods ready to cast after tea.
After rig checks and knot checks after dinner we was eventually allowed to cast out - pulling knots and snapping (re tie) cutting lead clips back etc. Bit over the top but no point in arguing before we even cast a rod.
Never agreed with knots he suggested and cutting lead clips back as we could just put the tail rubber on softly but hay ho his lake his rules.
Eventually start fishing at around 7pm, everyone had the rods out and baited for the night ahead.
Well it was 1:30am and Pepsi was off the mark with a 30 which he woke me for pics and from then on I was awake.
2:30am another one for Pepsi and OMG the fish was crashing like hell to my right and in front of Pepsi.
He did have a rod to his left a bit on my entrance to the bay so think interception before they got to me!🥲
Next fish 3am for Pepsi he is on a roll and still out there crashing like mad all over him.
Then a liner on my right hand rod at 4:30am signalled fish starting to come right in the bay
Then I could hear them in front of me and I'm like where are my takes!?
To be fair I was half way across (never cut a bay off) even though I had advice to fish the far bank.
These fish sounded a bit further back to where I placed my rods all in a line with boilies over the top.
7am first take for me LOST would say over stretching the line by someone but can't be proved (not happy)
So morning came; only Pepsi caught 3 that night.
Then the bay kicked off, obviously the fish have definitely moved in.
10:30,11,11:45,12pm four fish boom
Up to mid 40s and an absolute cracker at that for me.
That was the final action of the day for me but budgie junior started catching later in the day and Pepsi.
I sat there pondering all ready about a move maybe tomorrow as fish started to not bubble up and show so much later in the bay that day.
So the night started and fish for Pepsi n budgie J again and nothing for me or budgie through the night.
Same as the morning before liners started in my bay early morning and around 7am first fish then another at 8am .
Then stop 🛑 nothing showing no bubbles and budgie senior was off the mark it was now around 2pm I said to Pepsi I'm moving as think everyone was happy where they was and fish was showing in the point swim 13/14.
I did have a named fish Quasimodo!!!
All moved now to the point swim, which is absolutely massive so I look like a little gnome on this huge swim
Andy the owner said the hot spot is 15 1/2 wraps so thought I would clip two rods to that and fish one short on the bubblers ( which now I not confident of getting a bite over them just confident the fish are present.
A very nice dinner at 5pm, and then back to my new swim to wet my first line in there.
First rod 15 1/2 wraps deployed and then I noticed I was low on pva mesh bags of boilies so tied up probably 2 (seconds) and the rod was away!!!
Lifted into the fish and straight away it was snagged on something, so rod back down on the rest, clutch loose and proceeded to cast the other two rods out and wait.
After 20 mins or so you can tell the fish was no longer attached so I went to try and pull from the snag , which started to slightly move and then oh no the line snapped . Not good I did let Andy know as asked if anyone else hit a snag out there if it is the HOT SPOT !!!
No bites occurred after that and I was up early watching the water and to my left in close a fish showed no more than 8 wraps out.
I tried all day fishing tight to my left on snags and in close to no avail.
Then it was dinner time at 5pm and back in the swim, I decided on one rod at 8 wraps, stick the rod back on 15.5 wraps and the other casted to my bay to my right but would use as a roamer.
So Wednesday night a take arrived on the 15.5 wrap spot at 1am and welcomed a 43lb common not snagged so result.
And at 7am the 8 wrap spot was away with a cracking 50lb plus common.
So happy the next day with two last night we moved into Thursday.
The days was slow and nothing happened so after dinner I decided to move two rods on the 15.5 wrap spot and keep one at 8 wraps in close.
First rod away was the 15.5 normal spot but yet again hit a snag , now I'm annoyed as Andy the owner said nothing out there !!
This time all tackle back no fish and snapped hook !!!
All RODS bar the close one needed a change now so I decided on going 3 wraps longer at 3am.
Sorted and two fish later up to 43lb mirror by first light.
Last day Saloon ....
Friday at 10am started with a festival of some kind with some banging tunes.
Nothing came out all day long even had an afternoon nap!
Dinner at 5pm and back to a last hopeful evening.
Now confident at 18.5 wraps two rods deployed and keeping the close rod in as done a 38lb last night too.
Boom midnight first one 28lb then two hours later a 31lb. I decided to move my margin rod to my bay to the left as heard a big crash out.
Which resulted in a 35lb mirror at 5am.
Then another take at 7:59am (pack up at 8am) was away with another mid 30.
So eventual last night on the right spots at last ( maybe my mistake listening to the owner ) but fair play it was around that range they was showing.
So the week ended on a high between the group we had 70 fish up to 53 plus.
Myself with 15 fish to over 50, good well stocked venue and one for the future as a lot of doubles n 20s.
Boilie approach, no bait boats and around 10kg used for the week.