Record Week for Big Carp
How an internet search for a different type of carp lake found a perfect fishing holiday
A search for a new carp venue resulted in a record breaking week at Oakview Lake. Big carp specialists Shaun Allen and Carl Carter are used to fending for themselves when they go hunting for specimen fish in France. Lake facilities and home comforts are not usually a consideration. This trip was different.
The Story Behind the Search for a Different Carp Lake
Shaun and Carl wanted their latest fishing trip to include Carl's Dad Ian. Although an accomplished carper in his own right, Ian is no longer able to rough it and this meant that he missed out on the drive and survive trips to France. The boys decided to put this right and started to look for a venue that could provide Ian with a French carping experience and the comforts he needed.
Shaun Allen writes: "We've been carp fishing in France for many years, always drive & survive. This time we needed a lake with accommodation and a full food package. After an initial search on the internet we found Oakview Lake. We made a note of the website and then spent hours looking at other venues"
Why Oakview Lake Was Chosen
It's always a bit of a worry when you book a lake you've never been to and you can never be 100% sure you've chosen the right venue until you get there. Carl didn't know any Oakview anglers, so he had no personal recommendations to go on. Carl decided to consider only websites with quality information that are kept up to date. So what made Carl and Shaun choose Oakview Lake?
Shaun Allen writes: "We couldn't find anything to match the great reviews and up to date information we found on on the Angling France website. Oakview was nearly fully booked at the time and it had just a couple of weeks still available. So the decision was made. I emailed Shirley with a couple of questions regarding the lake and the booking. Each time my emails were answered quickly with all the answers we needed. That gave us a lot of confidence"
Was it a Good Choice?
Shaun Allen writes: "On Arrival we were greeted by Shirley & Martin, who showed us around immaculate and fantastic accommodation overlooking a beautiful lake. They then took the time to walk around the lake with us, Martin pointing out various hot spots as we went"
What About the Fishing?
The objective of this fishing holiday was to give Ian the chance to catch his first ever 30lb carp. Ian smashed this within minutes on his first day when he banked a 41lb mirror. With the objective achieved, Shaun, Carl and Ian settled down to enjoy a week's fishing. Little did they know that they would go on to bag 7 forties and break two lake records.
Ian goes on to smash his personal best again with a whopping 45lb 8oz mirror carp. It is the biggest carp of the week and Ian is over the moon. Ian's son Carl, who's own PB is well into the fifties is chuffed to bits for his Dad.
Record Breaking Week
Meanwhile Shaun has banked five forties of his own, making it a double record breaking week for the lake. Shaun takes the individual record for the most forties caught during a single week and the guys take seven forties in total, which is the most forties out for a group.
The Perfect Fishing Holiday
Shaun Allen sums up a what he describes as the perfect fishing holiday. He writes: "The food package was first class and was delivered hot and on time every morning & evening. Overall we had a great week and wanted for nothing. We may find it hard now to go back to drive and survive fishing. We would totally recommend Oakview Lake to anyone. You wont be disappointed".
