Well, what can we say about Lac du Premiere? Absolutely Awesome! We had the best time ever, the lake and surroundings are utterly breathtaking and with Keith and Tony’s future plans it can only get better.
The original fish, and those we helped stock when we were at the venue, are all of exceptional condition and awesome looking, stunners! The lake and grounds were so clean and very well laid out, the swims large and carefully thought about in all aspects with no casting hazards, plenty of room and good drainage so as not to get too muddy.
You can park your vehicle next to your swim, but out of sight from the lake through a corridor of grass and trees that almost circles the whole lake. Each swim is connected by a similar grass and tree corridor, which runs parallel around the lake separate from the road so each swim is beautifully secluded from each other.
There is also a large parking area near the main restaurant area. The toilets and hot showers are located near the restaurant looking down the length of the lake, all in all it is brilliant…But enough of the venue, what about our trip?
Only confirming the trip six days before we left it was a real rush to get everything organised in between work but once bait was ordered and delivered and the ferry booked we knew we were on our way.
The whole point of the trip was to help Keith stock the lake – which is sponsored by Taska – but he had kindly offered us the opportunity to stay on and fish – an offer which we couldn’t turn down.
Saturday and Sunday were busy, we had a lot to sort out and get ready and I couldn’t wait to be part of something special, something that I may only get one opportunity to help with. I was beaming from ear to ear all weekend and I didn’t sleep much Sunday night through excitement and planning.
I was up for work early on Monday and we went to work counting the hours down until we got home at 6pm to pack the gear in the van and catch the ferry at 11pm. I was so excited at work I had to keep grounding myself, trying so hard to concentrate on work so I got as much done as I could. I felt like the Cheshire Cat grinning, luckily my work colleagues know how passionate (mad!) I am about fishing.
Rushing home from work we took forever to pack everything, time was running out fast and it got to a point where we just had to get in the van and go or risk missing the ferry My heart was pounding, customs would have to let us on the ferry otherwise I felt a ‘Dukes of Hazard’ moment coming on and my van would be taking off to land on the top deck to get there…
Luckily customs waved us through with just minutes to spare.
We hadn’t eaten since lunch, and not slept since Saturday and were knackered, but the adrenaline was keeping us going. I hoped to get my head down for a few hours on the crossing but as it happened I was just too excited to sleep.
Rolling off the ferry at 4am we hit the road for the three and a half hour drive to Lac du Premiere; it was slow going as the weather was foggy but we would rather get there safely. When we finally drove into the lake car park I was shattered but we couldn’t actually see the lake because the fog was so thick, I remember thinking it was perhaps nature’s way of keeping the lake secret from us for a few hours before it revealed its beauty.
Keith and the other guys turned up not long after us and we all sat and chatted while waiting for the fish to arrive on the lorry. I was lagging badly at this point; a lack of sleep over the last 48 hours plus and the fact I had hardly eaten was getting the better of me. Debbie had managed to contain her excitement better than me and had slept better Sunday night and grabbed a couple of hours on the ferry. But I was struggling and had to go grab a cat nap for half hour just to keep on my feet so I reluctantly went back the van – making sure I would be woken when the fish arrived!
The lorry duly arrived, grabbing our waders and getting kitted up we headed back to the group to start the stocking with each fish being accurately weighed and photographed before we released them into their new home.
The fog was gradually lifting and by the time we finished stocking we could finally see the expanse of the 35 acre lake. Wow! Standing there looking out over the lake was just breathtaking! Soaked, numb and cold – but exhilarated – we went off to get dry and changed before we all sat down to a lovely meal in the restaurant. The food was great and the hospitality second to none and we all sat there chatting, eating and soaking up what we had just been a part of.
After lunch we all went for a walk round the lake chatting to Keith and his wife, Lorraine and, listening intensely to his advice about the swims, we picked the areas we wanted to fish and made our way back to the car park to get our gear and get fishing.
By the time I was finally setting up in the swim it was getting late and tiredness was creeping in again but not one to miss a night of fishing I got set up and cast the rods out just before dark. Debbie had the bay side of our swim where the wind was steadily blowing, I had the open water side looking across the lake.
First night and I had my first meeting with a Lac du Premiere carp in the shape of a beautiful mirror weighing in at 35lb 9oz. I was happy with that! On the second night I added a 29lb 13lb mirror and a 37lb 6oz fish and lost one at the net in early morning. Debbie got off the mark with mirrors 31lb 9oz, 32lb 6oz and 31lb 6oz.
The third night went quiet for me, making me want to move, but Debbie was still catching from the bay with fish of 37lb 6oz and 26lb 15oz. I was working hard to find that ‘spot’ but it was Debbie who caught again on the fourth and final night, adding a fish of 39lb 14oz to our tally.
Tackle-wise we both used my adapted version of the ‘original’ hair rig in conjunction with Taska Line Aligners with square swivel leads, which have plenty of weight for their compact size. We also used the Taska Marker Elastic for the first time, they are great – gripping the line tightly but easily moved without damage to the line. Tactic-wise we fished a little differently; Debbie casting randomly into the bay, whereas I tried to concentrate the fish in one area.
The whole trip was amazing and everyone we had the pleasure of meeting were fantastic and we cannot wait to get back out there, it is a very magical lake and will definitely keep pulling us back in the future.
