We are a team of four; husband and fanatical fisherman Will. Wife, full time mum and general dogs body Nadina. Daughter and soon to be fanatical about fishing, Grace who’s just 16 months old and not forgetting Myson, the ever so daft dog.
After more than 2 years of talking and dreaming about setting up a fishing business and new life in France, and another two years searching for our dream fishing lake and home, in 2006 we found Lake Mirabelle. It ticked all of our boxes and in March 2007 we moved here to start our new lives ‘fishing the dream’. Since then we have been working hard to create the idyllic, tranquil setting to host the perfect fishing holiday and it gives us great pleasure to be able to share it with like-minded anglers. We are very excited to be opening our doors to you in Spring 2008.
About the lake
Lake Mirabelle is a 2.7 acre wild carp lake. It was originally dug out by the first owners of Epran for their own pleasure in 1960. Back then it wasn’t unheard of to breed pike and carp to eat, a supposed delicacy in France.
The lake has been landscaped to perfection. Weeping willows overhang the water to provide shady corners. Wide grass pathways surround the perimeter. The island is a perfect distance from every angle of the bank to cast to.
Prior to restocking numerous catches have been had at Lake Mirabelle since we purchased the lake in March 2007. Some of the best were 7lb tench, 3lb perch, 30lb mirror and common carps, as well as a 23lb pike, all in pristine condition and excellent fighting fish. Having spent a season with friends and family fishing our lake we thought it was necessary to carry out a re-stocking exercise to maximise our results. So in November 2007 over 650lbs of large specimen carp (up to 30lb) were added. Then in December, 15 beautiful Chinese Grass carp were introduced. These are renowned for their quick growth and excellent fight.
Lake Mirabelle has never before been commercially fished, and with the new head of quality carp added to the unknown existing stock, 2008 promises to be a very exciting year.
A Guests Review of Lake Mirabelle
'Fabulous' - a word I would not use lightly or often, but it certainly applies to the Lake Mirabelle fishing venue in the Poitou-Charentes, France. Although I am 67 years young I do not and never have considered myself a top notch fisherman, rather more of an individual who dreams of catching huge fish but in reality always catches the tiddlers! All of this changed when I recently spent the most unforgettable week under the keen and watchful eye of Will, an Englishman who owns the gite and fishing complex with his wife Nadina. The two bedroom gite is very comfortable and wihin two minutes (if you stroll) of the lake and fishing lodge. I, together with my wife and sister-in-law were made to feel most welcome. Useful tips and guidance were readily on hand from Will together with all necessary fishing tackle which meant that I was very quickly set up on an excellent purpose-built 'swim'. Within no time at all personal bests were being achieved with Common and Mirror Carp and Tench. The setting has to be seen to be believed; it is well managed and maintained and having almost 3 acres of lake to myself for virtually the whole week was, I suppose, what most fishermen sit and dream about. The venue, which is a six hour drive from Calais or thirty minutes from Poitiers Airport cannot be recomended enough - the ambience, friendliness and serenity makes it a venue that should appear in all fisherman's diaries in the future. The family have not owned the property for long but are certainly making a real success of it to date.
Bob Hinder.
Catch Report
