A Rushes tale
Well it’s about midnight and despite being nearly unconscious I’m still buzzing. This is me last Saturday night after a week’s fishing at Rushes and a 12 hour journey home and this is my tale about my first continental carping experience based at Rushes Lake.
After the 450 mile journey over in a battered old Volvo with my passenger and two sets of kit we were greeted by Kim and Iain on the patio of an old French hunting lodge which they had transformed into their home and a Mecca of carp fishing.
Only one other person was there for the week so swim choice was not an issue so me and Tim settled into the double swim of Blue camp and set about getting ready.
The swims were nicely set out with a bark chipped area and plenty of room for the bivvies and other assorted gear that only a carper to take away with them (although I wish I’d have not lent Tim my pod as the ground didn’t like bank sticks!) but after a couple of hours we were away, just in time for dinner.
The dinner bell goes everyday at around 1800, so we made our way over (after taking the rods out) and awaited the legendary food that’s raved about on all reports from this place. I not sure what I can say about the food that hasn’t already been said but if you like pot noodles and processed ‘food’ then take your own! You’ll get nothing like that at Rushes, over the week we had meatballs, Sunday roast, burgers, chicken and pork, all cooked fresh and butchered the proper way (with all the little bits left in) I doubt very much that the produce Kim and Iain used has ever seen a polythene wrapper or a carrier bag. Food as it should be fresh, tasty and prepared to perfection. Following this a homemade desert comes out every day to the same standards (although, the chocolate fondant doesn’t appear as often as I’d liked!!) Fresh French bread accompanies the meals and bread has never tasted so good. No rubbish pumped into it, just like your granny used to buy!
So back to the fishing and apart from a couple of stockies by Tuesday I’d had nothing where as Tim had had a 25.5lb carp, 20lb catfish and more than few doubles so a change in tactics was needed as I was getting increasingly frustrated and wanted to get some fish out, so I made up some stick mix and cast them out with each rod.
Once this was done, the fish rolled in and I started to catch, Tim carried on catching and the other guest (now having moved swims) was pulling out big catfish like a madman. By the end of the week myself and Tim had new PB’s and had caught that many fish when the fish were feeding we stopped fishing at night to get some rest! Like a lot of lakes, Rushes has periods when it’s really quiet (we found this to be between 1100 and 1600) but it’s busy times can, and were, manic. At times it’s like you’re match fishing, they come that quick and fast!
The last night was the most eventful for me, we’d already decided not to fish over night so we cast our lines out for the last session of the holiday. We brewed up a coffee and I started a nice Cuban cigar ready to catch the last fish of the week when the left hand rod had the weirdest bite I’ve ever witnessed. The indicator lifted and stopped, dropped and stayed still. 5 minutes later the same again but when a little line left the spool I picked the rod up and hit what I was a lump of weed. Dragging the weed back in, the rod tip felt like I was dragging over pea gravel. About 2 rod lengths out the weed had had enough and took off. Now I’ve never had weed do this so fish on!
Little by little, it came in and then went off again taking more line on each run but now the right hand rod goes off. Tim grabs that and starts playing it, and then one of his goes off! Bloody hell, three rods on the go, and two pairs of hands WTF! Tim puts a loose clutch on my rod and goes for his which is then promptly dropped (nothing on it) and he grabs mine again. I eventually get mine ready for the net and the net separates from the block in the water (new net now with a stripped thread on the spreader), bugger me two fish on, one net. I grab Tim’s net and get my fish on the bank and in the safety of the unhooking cradle and throw the net to Tim as he’s about ready.
My fish is weighed (a 28lb common my new PB), treated, photo taken and put back and Tim lands the other (a 25.5lb Mirror) what a last couple fish.
The Cuban is re-lit and the coffee brewed again and my middle rod screams off again, after an easier fight a 26lb mirror is landed. Three doubles in the space of 15 minutes no one will believe this!
One more fish which came off just at the net and that’s it I’m ready for some sleep and my first French carping adventure is over. Early on Saturday we’re packing up ready for the journey home.
After a long and smelly, what with the fishing kit and the Camembert bought at Boulogne stinking the car out, and I’m home. After getting mugged by the dog and showing the pics to the wife I’m back to the start of this tale looking back at a fantastic weeks holiday.
Kim and Iain are perfect hosts, giving you as better attention and service as I’ve had in any 5 star hotel. They are both there when needed with advice or basically anything you need (thanks for fetching me some cigars Iain!!) and the facilities (which include clean showers with hot water, toilet, chill out room and freezers for bait) are better than needed or expected.
So would we do Rushes again? Well we both would and will next year after booking up already for a week in June 2011. This time we’re taking the wives over, with them sleeping in the room on site and explore France whilst me and Tim settle back in for another weeks fishing.
Oh, before I forget. A fresh bacon and egg stick is delivered, along with a pot of coffee, every morning to your bivvy. This was most days accompanied by Buster, Archie and Harvey (the Rushes really well behaved and cute pets) who hang around until you’re finished or you give them some bread or bacon (or in Harvey’s case some Halibut pellets!). I’m reliably informed, by the Oscar winning performances given by both dogs and the cat that Kim and Iain do not feed them so don’t scoff it all and give em some brekkie!!!
Well it’s about midnight and despite being nearly unconscious I’m still buzzing. This is me last Saturday night after a week’s fishing at Rushes and a 12 hour journey home and this is my tale about my first continental carping experience based at Rushes Lake.
After the 450 mile journey over in a battered old Volvo with my passenger and two sets of kit we were greeted by Kim and Iain on the patio of an old French hunting lodge which they had transformed into their home and a Mecca of carp fishing.
Only one other person was there for the week so swim choice was not an issue so me and Tim settled into the double swim of Blue camp and set about getting ready.
The swims were nicely set out with a bark chipped area and plenty of room for the bivvies and other assorted gear that only a carper to take away with them (although I wish I’d have not lent Tim my pod as the ground didn’t like bank sticks!) but after a couple of hours we were away, just in time for dinner.
The dinner bell goes everyday at around 1800, so we made our way over (after taking the rods out) and awaited the legendary food that’s raved about on all reports from this place. I not sure what I can say about the food that hasn’t already been said but if you like pot noodles and processed ‘food’ then take your own! You’ll get nothing like that at Rushes, over the week we had meatballs, Sunday roast, burgers, chicken and pork, all cooked fresh and butchered the proper way (with all the little bits left in) I doubt very much that the produce Kim and Iain used has ever seen a polythene wrapper or a carrier bag. Food as it should be fresh, tasty and prepared to perfection. Following this a homemade desert comes out every day to the same standards (although, the chocolate fondant doesn’t appear as often as I’d liked!!) Fresh French bread accompanies the meals and bread has never tasted so good. No rubbish pumped into it, just like your granny used to buy!
So back to the fishing and apart from a couple of stockies by Tuesday I’d had nothing where as Tim had had a 25.5lb carp, 20lb catfish and more than few doubles so a change in tactics was needed as I was getting increasingly frustrated and wanted to get some fish out, so I made up some stick mix and cast them out with each rod.
Once this was done, the fish rolled in and I started to catch, Tim carried on catching and the other guest (now having moved swims) was pulling out big catfish like a madman. By the end of the week myself and Tim had new PB’s and had caught that many fish when the fish were feeding we stopped fishing at night to get some rest! Like a lot of lakes, Rushes has periods when it’s really quiet (we found this to be between 1100 and 1600) but it’s busy times can, and were, manic. At times it’s like you’re match fishing, they come that quick and fast!
The last night was the most eventful for me, we’d already decided not to fish over night so we cast our lines out for the last session of the holiday. We brewed up a coffee and I started a nice Cuban cigar ready to catch the last fish of the week when the left hand rod had the weirdest bite I’ve ever witnessed. The indicator lifted and stopped, dropped and stayed still. 5 minutes later the same again but when a little line left the spool I picked the rod up and hit what I was a lump of weed. Dragging the weed back in, the rod tip felt like I was dragging over pea gravel. About 2 rod lengths out the weed had had enough and took off. Now I’ve never had weed do this so fish on!
Little by little, it came in and then went off again taking more line on each run but now the right hand rod goes off. Tim grabs that and starts playing it, and then one of his goes off! Bloody hell, three rods on the go, and two pairs of hands WTF! Tim puts a loose clutch on my rod and goes for his which is then promptly dropped (nothing on it) and he grabs mine again. I eventually get mine ready for the net and the net separates from the block in the water (new net now with a stripped thread on the spreader), bugger me two fish on, one net. I grab Tim’s net and get my fish on the bank and in the safety of the unhooking cradle and throw the net to Tim as he’s about ready.
My fish is weighed (a 28lb common my new PB), treated, photo taken and put back and Tim lands the other (a 25.5lb Mirror) what a last couple fish.
The Cuban is re-lit and the coffee brewed again and my middle rod screams off again, after an easier fight a 26lb mirror is landed. Three doubles in the space of 15 minutes no one will believe this!
One more fish which came off just at the net and that’s it I’m ready for some sleep and my first French carping adventure is over. Early on Saturday we’re packing up ready for the journey home.
After a long and smelly, what with the fishing kit and the Camembert bought at Boulogne stinking the car out, and I’m home. After getting mugged by the dog and showing the pics to the wife I’m back to the start of this tale looking back at a fantastic weeks holiday.
Kim and Iain are perfect hosts, giving you as better attention and service as I’ve had in any 5 star hotel. They are both there when needed with advice or basically anything you need (thanks for fetching me some cigars Iain!!) and the facilities (which include clean showers with hot water, toilet, chill out room and freezers for bait) are better than needed or expected.
So would we do Rushes again? Well we both would and will next year after booking up already for a week in June 2011. This time we’re taking the wives over, with them sleeping in the room on site and explore France whilst me and Tim settle back in for another weeks fishing.
Oh, before I forget. A fresh bacon and egg stick is delivered, along with a pot of coffee, every morning to your bivvy. This was most days accompanied by Buster, Archie and Harvey (the Rushes really well behaved and cute pets) who hang around until you’re finished or you give them some bread or bacon (or in Harvey’s case some Halibut pellets!). I’m reliably informed, by the Oscar winning performances given by both dogs and the cat that Kim and Iain do not feed them so don’t scoff it all and give em some brekkie!!!
Rob May 2010.