Trips 2025
France - Domaine de Goncourt
This year we went all out.
New venue. Bigger fish. Bigger price.
For me, it turned into: new venue, bigger fish, a lot of money spent… and a full-on blank.
We headed over to Domaine de Goncourt, a fantastic complex with everything you could want for a successful trip. We were fishing Wood Lake, which looks absolutely spot on. The swims are well laid out, the lake is clean, and the facilities are excellent. On paper, it had all the ingredients for something special.
The only problem?
It was summer – and one of the hottest weeks of the year.
The extreme heat made fishing incredibly difficult. The carp were clearly feeling it and simply weren’t in the mood to feed. I tried zigs at different depths across multiple areas of the lake with no success. Plenty of bait went out, including lots of corn and local bait, but nothing was interested.
Bottom baits were no better. The only fish I managed to hook all week was a 2lb catfish… which, let’s be honest, doesn’t count. It was a blank.
We spent time properly scouting the lake using drones and Deeper sonar. The lakebed was clean with just a small amount of weed near the fronts of the swims. We could see the carp and not just any carp, the big ones – cruising and basking just under the surface. They were clearly happy in the heat and had absolutely no intention of eating.
On the social side, the trip was spot on. The central cabin was a great setup, with all the amenities needed for group cooking and more than enough fridge space to store the beer. It made for a really good social week, even if the fishing didn’t go to plan.
While out at a local supermarket, we spoke to anglers fishing other lakes outside the complex, and they were experiencing exactly the same problems. The heat was so bad that some had been asked to help with fish safety and were even given vouchers to return the following year for free.
I was really hoping this would be the trip where I finally cracked a 50lb carp, having already ticked off 30s and 40s on previous foreign trips. It would have been the perfect way to finish my overseas fishing adventures.
It feels like a failed mission in terms of results, but not in experience. Domaine de Goncourt is a quality venue, and it’s definitely somewhere I’d return to – just at a better time of year, when the carp are actually willing to eat.
Year of the Bank..Nearly
This year’s investment in fishing has been huge but unfortunately, the results didn’t reflect the effort for most of the season. Up until October, it was shaping up to be a year of the blank. Thankfully, things turned around late on, with four fish landed across two venues, giving me something positive to take away from the year.
Swanborough Lakes
Swanborough Lakes is a nice, quiet venue and being dog friendly is a big bonus. The facilities are good, with clean toilets and a peaceful atmosphere that makes for a relaxed session.
The only downside wasn’t the fishery itself, but some of the visitors. After they left, I took the dog for a walk around the lake and was disappointed to see rubbish left behind in the swims, empty corn tins and used tissues scattered around. What made it worse was that there are large bins on the way out, making it easy to dispose of rubbish properly. This was pure laziness and not something you want to see at a venue, especially one that welcomes dogs. That said, this reflects on the behaviour of individuals, not the fishery, which otherwise was well run.
Fishing-wise, Swanborough delivered. I managed three fish, all of which were in great condition. Proper, scaley commons, with one turning out to be my UK PB at 25lb - something I didn’t even realise until I got home and updated my fishing log.
Sandwich Lakes Fishery
Sandwich Lakes Fishery is another really nice venue. The swims are well laid out and all have their own character, but choosing the right one is important. We took two swims close together, which turned out to be a solid decision for the weekend.
The weather was brutal, with heavy rain throughout, but it gave me the chance to properly test my AXS-V2, which held up perfectly. I only managed one fish from Sandwich Lakes, which I didn’t weigh, but I’d comfortably put it into double figures.
The Rest of the Year
Most of my other trips were either on guest tickets or at venues I can’t mention due to privacy. They were all good places to fish, but blanks have a habit of overshadowing the memories.
It’s been a tough season, full of lessons and frustration, but finishing the year with a few fish on the bank made it all feel worthwhile — and sets the tone for pushing harder next year.