First Carp Caught in France This Year?

Could this be the first carp caught in France this year? Fishing lakes in France were frozen but Tony Waterman got lucky at Oakview Lake.

Could this be the first carp caught in France this year? Fishing lakes had been frozen but Tony Waterman got lucky at Oakview Lake. The big freeze has been going on since the beginning of January, so Tony obviously wasn't in France on a carp fishing holiday.

Carp Lakes in France Frozen

Like most French lakes, Oakview Lake was still under a thick layer of ice just a few hours earlier. A warm front brought with it a sudden rise in temperature and the ice started to melt as soon as the sun rose above the trees. Being a carp angler, Tony didn't hesitate to accept the invitation to get his carp gear out and head for the lake.

By noon the lake was completely free of ice and the carp started to show some signs of movement in front of the island. Before making his move, Tony continued to scan the lake for other signs of activity.

Near the left margin a wide shouldered carp slid its head and a third of its body out of the water and disappeared without causing the slightest ripple. Sharp-eyed Tony didn’t need a second invitation and he got his hook bait right on the spot where the carp had shown itself.

Patience Rewarded with a new PB

After setting his trap, Tony settled down to wait and although he was fishing to a spot 60 yards away, he made sure he remained still and silent. His patience paid off when just under two hours later his bite alarm alerted him to a screaming run.

Five minutes later Tony had a beautiful 27lb mirror carp on the bank and a big beaming smile on his face. Could it have been the first carp caught this year? It was certainly caught very soon after the big thaw. Tony didn't mind either way because he had just smashed his PB!

The mirror carp was in mint condition, with no signs of having spent the last few weeks in very cool water. Tony is the first carp angler to land a fish at Oakview Lake since the stocking was completed. So Tony claims the first official lake record at this venue.

Oakview Lake Shows its Potential

So was it also the first carp caught in France this year? Chances are we'll never know but Oakview Lake has certainly shown its potential with this hint of things to come.