Le Moulin de Graffeuil

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France
Cussac
Le Moulin de Graffeuil

Carp Fishery Le Moulin de Graffeuil is a magnificent 9.5 acre lake set within 81 acres of very private woodland. Food packages and equipment hire are available.

Stocked with over 280 big carp of every type from 20lb through to over 60lb it is every fisherman's dream location for a carp fishing holiday. It is located near the picturesque village of Cussac close to the border between the Haute-Vienne and the Dordogne regions of South west France. There are 6 swims all on the south bank so you do not fish opposite anyone. All of the swims are doubles so you

can fish with or without your friends and they are between 50 and 100 meters apart. Each swim has a 2 birth log cabin and each cabin is equipped with; bedchair, chair, table, landing net, unhooking cradle, scales on tripod, weigh sling, and a bucket. The Gite is stone built and is fully central heated. It has 2 twin rooms and accommodates 4 comfortably. There is a separate WC and shower, a fully fitted kitchen with open plan lounge and dining room. Combined with the cabins on each swim the accommodation is sufficient for most groups. The all-inclusive package will see you collected from Limoges airport with your luggage and Tackle Box and everything else is provided for you. Additional facilities include; a gym, a pool, a large sun-terrace, a bait and tackle shop with access to fridges and freezers. Not forgetting the miles of tracks to simply walk and relax.

07/06/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it onto my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Jon Jon Bruford, Stephen Jones, Mark Harris, Dean Wood, Garry Hopkins

07/06/2026

Second R&R Week – W/C 30th May 2026

Following on from the previous week’s Rest & Recuperation period, the lake enjoyed a second consecutive week of peace and quiet with no anglers on the bank, giving both the fish and ourselves a chance to recharge before the season gets back underway.

The week started with some lovely weather. Saturday, Sunday and Monday brought plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures, making the lake look every bit as inviting as ever. Kelly and I had some family over, with our daughter and her boyfriend Reece visiting us for the week. Fortunately, they managed to catch the best of the weather, with Monday warm enough for a dip in the pool and plenty of time spent relaxing around the grounds whenever the sun made an appearance.

As the week progressed, conditions changed considerably. By Tuesday the wind had picked up, rain moved in and temperatures dropped noticeably. Although the cooler weather made working outside a little more bearable, it wasn’t quite the sunshine-filled week our daughter had been hoping for. The remainder of the week stayed largely overcast with the occasional sunny spell breaking through, but the weather certainly felt more unsettled than it had at the start.

Whilst the main lake was resting, there was still a little fishing taking place. The pond outside the house provided some entertainment with a few silver fish keeping everyone occupied, and one evening our daughter and Reece couldn’t resist slipping a couple of rods out on the main lake for a few hours. Despite the lake being officially off duty, the carp clearly hadn’t read the memo. Our daughter landed a cracking 42lb 4oz mirror, whilst Reece managed a lovely 32lb 8oz common before the rods were packed away again and the fish were left in peace.

Even after two weeks without angling pressure, I’m still not entirely convinced the carp have finished spawning. There have been signs throughout the period that suggest there may still be a little more activity to come, so we’ll continue to keep a close eye on them over the coming days.

Away from the fishing, it has been a productive week around the fishery. The final stages of gravelling the drive and the area behind the barn were completed, requiring another 30 tonnes of stone to be spread and levelled. Concrete pads have also been laid ready for the arrival of a new shipping container which will be positioned on the drive and used for pellet storage and other fishery supplies.

Alongside that, there seemed to be an endless procession of trailer loads being moved around the grounds. The soil and grass removed from the drive and behind the barn have now been redistributed to various areas requiring attention, including sections disturbed during the cesspit installation and parts of the inlet stream that needed building back up and levelling.

It wasn’t all work though. We managed a couple of days away, enjoying trips out to St Junien and Brantôme, whilst the rest of the time was spent making the most of the peaceful surroundings here at Graffeuil.

So, although there isn’t a catch report to bring you this week, the fish have enjoyed a well-earned break, the fishery has continued to improve behind the scenes and everything is shaping up nicely for the weeks ahead.

As this update goes out, we have a group of four anglers settling in for the week. Returning visitors Kevin and his son Charlie have opted for Swim 3, whilst newcomers Mark and Darren have made themselves comfortable in Swim 5.

It’s fair to say Mark and Darren haven’t travelled light either. Between them they’ve brought just about everything bar the kitchen sink, including a huge gas barbecue that’s handling all the cooking duties and a rather impressive inflatable Fox cook tent. Funnily enough, it’s exactly the sort of setup I’ve been looking at myself for our Rainbow fishing trips.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on how the week unfolds. With the fish having enjoyed two weeks of peace and quiet, it will be interesting to see whether they switch on once the lines are back in the water.

Look out for next week’s catch report to see how the lads get on and what they manage to tempt from the lake.

Martin & Kelly
Le Moulin de Graffeuil

31/05/2026

R&R Week at Graffeuil as Summer Arrives

The week commencing 23rd May was one of our scheduled R&R weeks and, with temperatures climbing into the low 30s and peaking at around 33°C, it certainly felt like summer had arrived here at Graffeuil.

As always, an R&R week doesn’t necessarily mean much rest. At this time of year the grass grows almost as quickly as we can cut it, so there was plenty of mowing, trimming and general maintenance to keep us occupied throughout the week. The lake and grounds are looking fantastic, but it takes a fair bit of effort to keep them that way once the warm weather arrives.

We were joined for a few days by our son Carter and his partner Louise, who stayed in the spare room and were quickly put to work! Having an extra pair of hands — and someone considerably younger than me — meant we could finally tackle one of the larger jobs on the list. Following the cesspit work carried out by the previous owners, Tony and Helen, the ground around the area had gradually settled and sunk over time. Using a sizeable pile of earth that had been scraped from the driveway, Carter and I set about moving and spreading it to bring the area back up to level. What would probably have taken me the best part of a day on my own was finished in half a day with his help, and the area is now looking much tidier. All that’s left now is for the grass to grow back through.

Whilst we were busy shifting soil, Louise was helping Kelly tackle some of the never-ending weeding around the house and driveway. Like the grass, the weeds seem to thrive at this time of year, so the extra help was very much appreciated and the place is looking all the better for it.

Carter also turned his hand to the ever-growing wood pile. Despite having a perfectly good log splitter that fits on the back of the tractor, he insisted on doing it the old-fashioned way with an axe. Whether that was youthful enthusiasm or an attempt to prove a point I’m still not entirely sure, but a good pile of logs was split and stacked by the end of it.

Of course, no maintenance week would be complete without a few unexpected repairs along the way.

Whilst cutting around the swims, a hidden tree stump managed to find the blade on the small mower, resulting in a replacement blade being ordered and fitted before work could continue. Indoors, the Saniflo in the spare room decided it had finally had enough and packed up altogether, while a leak appeared on the gîte toilet. Out came the toilet, in went a new pan connector and everything was soon back together again. Running a fishery certainly teaches you a bit about every trade. As I keep telling Kelly, it’s a good job I know a decent plumber.

Thankfully, it wasn’t all work.

With the weather so good, we managed a couple of days away from the job list. One trip took us to a large public lake with a beach where we enjoyed a swim, relaxed in the sunshine and made the most of the hot weather. Another day saw us heading off to Brantôme, which is always worth a visit.

Our most memorable outing, however, was a trip to Château de Châlucet. Unfortunately, the sat nav had other ideas and sent us on something of a wild goose chase before we eventually found where we were supposed to be going. After several wrong turns and a fair bit of head scratching, we eventually arrived and were able to enjoy exploring the impressive ruins. Looking back, getting lost was probably half the adventure.

Back at Graffeuil, the swimming pool has certainly been earning its keep. After long, hot days spent working around the property, there have been few better ways to cool off than an evening dip before sitting back and enjoying the peace and quiet around the lake.

The wildlife has also been putting on a good show this week. The resident kingfishers have been particularly active and we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy several sightings of the pair that call the lake home. One of the highlights was finally getting a proper sighting of a Eurasian Golden Oriole. Alan and Kay had pointed out its distinctive song the previous week and although I’d heard it several times since, I’d never actually managed to spot it. This week I finally got my chance, making it a real highlight.

The usual cast of characters have also been keeping us company throughout the week, with robins, chaffinches, goldfinches, chiffchaffs and the various tit species all making regular appearances around the lake and gardens.

I’ve also recently downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app and have to say I’m seriously impressed. It’s amazing just how many different species are around us every day that often go unnoticed until you start paying closer attention. It’s quickly becoming one of my favourite bits of kit when walking around the lake.

As for the carp, they’re keeping us guessing.

The biggest question at the moment is whether they have already spawned or whether the main event is still to come. Fish have been active throughout the week and we’ve seen them moving all over the lake. On several occasions they’ve appeared to be paired up and following one another, behaviour that often suggests spawning may not be far away. However, we’ve not witnessed any of the usual crashing, thrashing and commotion that typically confirms it’s underway.

It’s entirely possible they chose their moment whilst Alan and Kay were here, or perhaps during one of the periods we were away from the lake. Equally, they may simply be building up to it and waiting for exactly the right conditions. Whatever the answer, they certainly look healthy, active and very much on the move.

With another long list of jobs completed, the lake looking immaculate and summer conditions now firmly established, we’re heading into another of our scheduled R&R weeks. As many of you will know, we build these maintenance weeks into the calendar throughout the season to give us time to stay on top of the endless jobs around the fishery and to give the carp a well-earned break from angling pressure. That means there won’t be a catch report next week, but we’ll be back with plenty more lake news and hopefully some updates on what the carp have been up to.

This time we’ll be welcoming our daughter Jolie and her partner Reece for a few days, although it looks as though the weather has other ideas. After a week of temperatures reaching 33°C, the forecast suggests the weather is finally due to break with some much-needed rain arriving during the coming week. Typical really — the sunshine hangs around for weeks and then decides to disappear just as family are due to visit!

In fact, when I woke up this morning there was already a light drizzle in the air, despite the rain not being forecast until Tuesday. To be fair, after the heat and humidity of the last week it’s actually made things feel much more comfortable around the lake. Looking back, I rather wish I’d left the toilet repairs until today. Wrestling with plumbing in 33-degree heat isn’t something I’d recommend to anyone.

Whatever the weather decides to do, we’re looking forward to spending some time with Jolie and Reece, tackling a few more jobs around the lake and seeing what the carp decide to do next. If they haven’t spawned already, the change in conditions could make for an interesting week on the bank.

Until next time,

Martin & Kelly

Le Moulin de Graffeuil

24/05/2026

A NEW LAKE RECORD 79.6 LB

Catch Report 5 — Lake Commencing 16th May 2026

The week commencing 16th May turned into one that will be talked about around Graffeuil for a very long time to come, as Alan and Kay stayed on in Swim 5 for their second week of a two-week session and witnessed something truly special.

After a brilliant first week already which included Alan landing a previous PB common of 64lb 8oz, the pair decided to take a far more relaxed approach this time round. They settled back into a comfortable routine and kept things simple all week, only fishing through the daytime from around 9am until early evening, with a few days planned away from the rods altogether.

It certainly didn’t take long for things to kick off though.

The session started in incredible fashion as Kay’s rod absolutely burst into life just as lunch had been prepared around 2pm. Lunch immediately went cold as Alan took control of the fish, eventually slipping the net under a lovely 43lb 4oz mirror to get the week underway in style.

After that early bite things went strangely quiet for the rest of the afternoon and by late afternoon they were just about ready to pack up for the day. Rods were nearly in, the session looked done and dusted, but something made them decide to stay another ten minutes.

That decision changed everything.

Alan had started winding rods in when one absolutely tore off. What followed was a long, heavy battle with a fish that clearly wasn’t giving itself up easily. Eventually the fish rolled over the cord and straight away both Alan and Kay knew this was something very special indeed.

Standing over the net in complete disbelief, they quickly realised this was going to need another pair of hands, so I got the call while I was in the middle of preparing some maize. Cooker off, straight onto the bike and down the lake as quickly as possible.

Even before the fish was lifted properly it was obvious this carp was enormous.

Everything was prepared carefully and after double checking, then triple checking the scales using different sets just to be certain, the needle settled on an astonishing 79lb 6oz.

A brand new lake record.

The look on Alan’s face said it all. After landing a PB common the previous week, he’d now gone and smashed it again with the biggest fish ever landed from the lake. So close to that magical 80lb barrier, but what an incredible carp all the same.

Safe to say after that capture, Alan really didn’t care what happened for the rest of the week.

The following Monday produced one final bite when Alan landed another proper Graffeuil mirror at 42lb 8oz, but after that the lake began to change completely.

From Wednesday onwards the temperatures climbed sharply with hot sunny conditions settling in across the region and the carp suddenly looked far more interested in each other than anglers’ baited spots. Fish could be seen cruising and chasing around different areas of the lake, very much behaving like they were preparing to spawn, and bites quickly fizzled out.

To be honest though, neither Alan nor Kay minded in the slightest by that point. The rods became secondary as they settled into holiday mode, with trips planned into St Junien later in the week and a much more leisurely finish to the session before packing up on Thursday afternoon.

Even with only fishing limited daytime hours and taking things at a relaxed pace, it turned into one of the most memorable weeks we’ve had here for a long while.

Week’s Catch Tally

* Mirror — 79lb 6oz (New Lake Record)
* Mirror — 43lb 4oz
* Mirror — 42lb 8oz

A massive congratulations again to Alan on the incredible new lake record at 79lb 6oz — a fish and a moment none of us will forget anytime soon.

We now have two weeks of R&R coming up so there will be no catch reports over the next couple of weeks, although we’ll still keep everyone updated if we get up to anything exciting along the way.

We have our daughter coming over towards the end of next week and before that we’ll be taking our son and his partner back to the airport this week, so it’ll be nice to slow things down a little and enjoy some family time before the busy season continues.

17/05/2026

Catch Report 4 – Week Commencing 9th May

12 Carp Caught to a Stunning 64lb 8oz During a Stormy Week

The week commencing 9th May saw Alan and Kay settle into life at Graffeuil for the first half of their two-week stay, and despite only fishing short daytime sessions, the pair managed to put together a very respectable result during what were far from straightforward conditions.

After arriving mid-afternoon on the Saturday, there was the usual excitement of getting everything sorted for a long stay. I helped them get the bags down to the gîte along with the mountain of tackle into Swim 5 before Alan managed a few hours with the rods out before calling it a night. No fish on the first evening, but there already felt like there was potential in the area.

The weather through the week never really settled. Thunderstorms rolled through most days along with spells of heavy rain, dropping temperatures and the odd brief burst of sunshine that barely lasted long enough to dry anything out. It definitely had the fish moving at times, but keeping on them consistently was proving difficult.

Sunday produced the first bites of the trip and got the pair properly off the mark with two lovely commons at 54lb and 45lb. A cracking start considering the limited hours they were fishing each day, generally from around 9am through until early evening before retreating back to the gîte and baiting for the following morning.

As the week developed, Alan and Kay slowly built momentum. Three more fish followed on Monday, with another two on Tuesday as the pair began to get a better understanding of how the fish were moving around the lake during the unsettled weather patterns.

Mid-week also included a well-earned day away from the rods with a shopping trip into Saint-Junien. Even then, they still managed a few hours fishing after getting back, while Alan quietly slipped a bit of bait into the swim ready for an early Thursday start.

And Thursday certainly didn’t disappoint.

With the weather still unstable and pressure moving about all over the place, the fish suddenly seemed to switch on properly in front of Swim 5. Alan and Kay ended up banking five carp during their best spell of the trip so far, including a pair of upper-forties and a truly special Graffeuil common of 64lb 8oz.

The big common came on Kay’s rod and turned into a proper battle. After playing the fish for around half an hour she was completely worn out and eventually had to hand the rod over to Alan to finish the job. A genuine team effort and one neither of them will forget in a hurry. When I walked round Thursday evening and saw the fish in the sling before helping get it safely back, it was obvious the carp had properly moved into the area.

I suggested to Alan that now was probably the time to really get the bait going and try to hold them there while they were feeding confidently. At that stage though, understandably perhaps, he remained a little cautious with the amount going in.

Sure enough, Friday told the story. The swim suddenly went quiet and despite Alan spending time searching around with the echo sounder on the bait boat trying to relocate showing fish, they couldn’t turn anything up and ended the day bite-less.

Saturday brought one final fish before another evening chat about baiting. This time Alan decided to increase the amount going in, hoping to pin the carp in the area for the following days of their stay. With another full week still ahead of them, it’ll be very interesting to see how things develop from here.

Alongside the carp action, the pair also slipped the net under a lovely 12lb 12oz tench during the week, which added a nice surprise to the session. Remarkably, Alan also caught the lake’s one and only known tench during last year’s trip as well, making it a bit of a running joke that he’s somehow managed to track it down again.

1. Full Catch List

64lb 8oz Common, 54lb Common, 49lb Mirror, 49lb Mirror, 45lb Common, 44lb Mirror, 43lb 4oz Mirror, 40lb Mirror, 39lb 8oz Mirror, 39lb Mirror, 32lb Mirror, 21lb Common

Bonus Capture

* Tench – 12lb 12oz

2. Weekly Totals

12 Carp Landed | 4 Commons | 8 Mirrors | 1 Tench

Weight Breakdown

1 x 60lb+ carp | 1 x 50lb+ carp | 6 x 40lb+ carp | 3 x 30lb+ carp | 1 x 20lb+ carp

3. Awards

Biggest Fish Award

Kay & Alan — 64lb 8oz Common

Top Rod Award

A proper joint effort from Alan and Kay with 12 carp landed between them during limited daytime fishing hours.

A lovely first week for the pair and with the bait now going in a little heavier, all eyes will be on what week two has in store at Graffeuil.

09/05/2026

Catch Report W/C 2nd May 2026

52 Carp Caught to 70lb 8oz as Stormy Conditions Switched the Fish On

What a week this turned out to be at Le Moulin de Graffeuil.

Sometimes everything just falls into place and this session was one of those weeks where the stars aligned perfectly. Cooler temperatures, heavy rain, thunderstorms, dropping pressure and proper carpy conditions had the fish well and truly switched on from the off.

This week we welcomed Lee “Spooner” and Mathew “Jim Shelly” to the lake, two very experienced anglers and good mates who I’ve known for years. I actually went to school with Mat and know Lee through him, and I’ve shared plenty of bankside time with both lads over the years both in the UK and over at the mighty Rainbow.

Before they’d even unpacked properly I joked that we had “Spooner and Jim Shelly” fishing the lake this week. Poor lads have had stick for years because Lee looks like Spooner and Mat resembles Jim Shelly a bit too much for his own good.

The session exploded into life almost immediately.

As soon as I’d helped get the tackle into the chosen swims Lee was straight on the stalking rod. He’d started in Swim 3 but was already watching fish drifting around the shallows in Swims 1 and 2. Within the first hour he was off the mark with a cracking 47lb 14oz mirror.

Not a bad way to start.

The lads headed back up to the gite around 7pm for a BBQ and a catch up before the evening ahead. Later that night I wandered around the lake with the dogs around 8:30pm and found Mat bent into one in Swim 5. After a proper scrap he slipped the net under a lovely 45lb 8oz common.

Back at the house I thought things might quieten down for the night… but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

At around 11:30pm my phone lit up from the WhatsApp group chat I set up for all the anglers each week. It’s become a great way of sharing photos, weights and a bit of banter while also keeping a proper record of the captures.

Lee had posted another fish.

This time it was a massive 70lb 8oz mirror.

An unbelievable start to the trip.

Things somehow got even madder during the early hours with Lee adding another two mirrors at 48lb and 44lb at 3:45am and 4am.

When I woke Sunday morning and checked the photos I already knew the week was shaping up to be special, but then another message came through at 7am from Mat.

66lb 14oz.

The fish known as “The Only One”.

A proper Graffeuil character of a fish and one I’d actually caught myself a few years ago during a double take where Kelly landed a 62lb common at the same time.

After the madness of the first 24 hours we all headed over to La Jolie Guingette around midday on Sunday for a proper full English. Christina and Guy, who own the restaurant just up the road from the lake, looked after us brilliantly as always and it gave everyone a chance to sit back for an hour and take in what had already been an unbelievable start to the week.

From there the action simply never stopped.

The more bait the lads introduced, the more the fish responded. Mat absolutely settled into Swim 5 and never moved all week. Some days he was banking five or six fish and although the fish fought incredibly hard, his swim just kept producing.

Lee approached things slightly differently. He fished hard all week and spent most days stalking around Swims 1 and 2. While he was up there he’d leave Swim 3 completely line free but kept plenty of bait going onto his spots ready for the evening. Once the light started fading he could quietly slip the rods back onto primed areas in Swim 3 while still making the most of any opportunities he spotted during the day in the shallower water.

It was proper thinking angling and it worked brilliantly.

Some days Lee matched Mat fish for fish with six carp in a day while other periods were slightly slower, but the quality of fish both lads were catching was exceptional throughout.

The conditions remained absolutely perfect for carp fishing all week. Heavy rain showers rolled through regularly along with thunderstorms, cooler nights and low pressure. One afternoon we even had hailstones the size of marbles hammering down onto the lake. Between the rain there were short sunny spells, steam rising off the water in the mornings and mist hanging low across the lake as temperatures dropped overnight.

As carpy as it gets.

The fish fed hard right through it all.

Despite the amount of action neither angler lost a single fish all week which says a lot considering how brutally hard some of the carp fought. Mat had several savage line bites that had him convinced he was away only for the alarms to fall silent again moments later.

There were also several double takes during the week. On one occasion things got so hectic I ended up grabbing hold of one rod while Mat dealt with the first fish. Some of the battles were savage with a few fish taking close to an hour to land.

By the end of the week the lads were absolutely cream crackered.

Off the bank the atmosphere was exactly what Graffeuil is all about. Every evening the lads headed back to the gite for BBQs and plenty of laughs. Lee became chief salad prep while Mat handled the cooking duties, sometimes standing in the rain trying to keep the BBQ going while storms rolled through.

By Friday the weather had finally settled with lovely sunshine for pack up day and one final BBQ before the lads slept in the gite ready for the long drive back to Calais Saturday morning.

Even right at the end the fish were still feeding.

Both anglers landed some absolute stunners through the week including several incredibly long fish over the magical one metre mark. I witnessed Lee’s stunning 66lb mirror and helped with the photos while Mat also landed several proper old Graffeuil characters including a gorgeous 62lb 2oz mirror and some serious bulldog commons in the forty pound bracket.

One particularly special fish was a little 17lb 8oz common that Mat landed. It was one of our home-grown fish that obviously hadn’t yet been tagged, so I quickly sorted that while the fish was on the bank as it was far too nice a fish not to keep proper records of.

By the time the final rods were reeled in the lads had finished on an incredible 52 carp to 70lb 8oz.

Top Rod Award

Mathew “Jim Shelly” — 31 Carp

Biggest Fish Award

Lee “Spooner” — 70lb 8oz Mirror

⸻

Full Catch Tally

Lee “Spooner” — 21 Carp

70lb 8oz Mirror, 66lb Mirror, 58lb 8oz Mirror, 57lb 8oz Mirror, 50lb 8oz Mirror, 49lb 8oz Mirror, 49lb 8oz Mirror, 48lb Mirror, 47lb 14oz Mirror, 45lb Mirror, 44lb Mirror, 40lb Mirror, 38lb Mirror, 37lb 8oz Mirror, 36lb 8oz Mirror, 36lb Common, 34lb Mirror, 33lb Common, 29lb Mirror, 29lb 8oz Mirror, 24lb Mirror

Mathew “Jim Shelly” — 31 Carp

66lb 14oz Mirror, 62lb 2oz Mirror, 59lb 7oz Mirror, 52lb 8oz Common, 52lb 8oz Common, 52lb Common, 50lb 14oz Common, 49lb 15oz Mirror, 49lb 14oz Mirror, 48lb Mirror, 47lb 12oz Mirror, 47lb Mirror, 45lb 8oz Common, 45lb 8oz Common, 45lb Common, 44lb 8oz Mirror, 44lb 4oz Common, 44lb 2oz Mirror, 42lb Mirror, 42lb Mirror, 41lb Common, 39lb 14oz Mirror, 39lb 14oz Mirror, 39lb 12oz Mirror, 38lb 8oz Common, 36lb 4oz Mirror, 33lb Mirror, 32lb Mirror, 25lb 8oz Mirror, 22lb 4oz Mirror, 17lb 8oz Common

⸻

Weekly Breakdown

1 x 70lb+, 3 x 60lb+, 8 x 50lb+, 20 x 40lb+, 13 x 30lb+, 5 x 20lb+, 1 x upper double

A truly unforgettable week at Graffeuil with two top anglers making the absolute most of perfect conditions.

Massive thanks again to Lee and Mat for the laughs, the company and for fishing the place exactly how it should be fished.

This week we have Alan and Kay on the lake who arrived Saturday afternoon.

Alan and Kay have both been before and all of their gear was soon taken down to Swim 5, their chosen area for the session.

The pair take a far more laid back approach to their fishing, spending the nights up at the gite rather than fishing through until morning, with Moulin set to be their home for the next two weeks.

Interestingly, the last two times Alan and Kay have visited the lake the fish have ended up spawning… so let’s see what happens this time around.

Watch this space… what will the fish do next?

03/05/2026

21 LARGE CARP TO 67LB

🎣 Blog 4 – Catch Report 25th April – 2nd May
Moulin de Graffeuil, Cussac, France

As you know, we had two lovely couples on the lake this week — Mark and his partner Jen, and Jon and his partner Heather.

The plan for the girls was to spend the first night down at the lake in the cabins, then head back up to the gîte for some girly time… but as it turned out, they stayed down the lake all week and absolutely loved it. Fair play to them.

It was Jen’s first time night fishing, and she fully got stuck in, ending up as Mark’s gilly — helping land fish and take photos at all hours through the night and early mornings.

Mark got off to a flying start with the first fish of the trip, a lovely 43lb mirror, and from there he just kept them coming, mainly picking fish up between 1am and 3am — proper bite time.

Jon started a little slower and had to wait until Tuesday for his first proper bite, although he did lose one the day before — hook pull — and he was gutted. His first fish was a 26lb common, but when we checked the history from the tag number, that same fish came out last year at 16.7lb… nearly 11lb of weight gain, which is phenomenal.

That same day, Jon had his second fish — a new PB at 46lb — so he was absolutely made up.

Both Mark and Jon took a fairly laid-back approach to the week. They weren’t rushing to get rods straight back out, often coming back up to the gîte for food, relaxing, and enjoying the time. Many mornings on my walk round, Mark had already had a couple during the early hours and hadn’t even put the rods back out yet — bait going in, fish gaining confidence, then rods back out at the right time.

Their approach was simple — fresh, quality boilies, a bit of sweetcorn, and plenty of it. Between them, they got through the lot… all 80kg of bait.

The weather was hot and sunny up until Thursday, perfect for sitting back, enjoying the surroundings and soaking it all in. Jon and Heather even took a day out to Limoges, visiting the market, doing a bit of shopping and taking in the cathedral — a lovely town and well worth a visit.

Back to the fishing, and by Wednesday Jon had another PB, this time a 48lb mirror — things were building.

Then Thursday… it all kicked off.

I turned up on my morning walk and had just missed absolute chaos — a triple take. Rods going, nets and slings everywhere. Jon managed to land 2 out of the 3 fish, one of which was another new PB at 53.8lb. Three PBs in a week — what a result.

Jon ended the week with 6 carp and a few lost along the way.

Mark, meanwhile, just kept it ticking over — consistent, steady, and effective. He beat his PB multiple times, starting with a 49lb common and then improving again. He’d said all week he wanted one of the big commons… and then it happened.

Just after midnight on what we’ll call “Big Fish Thursday”, Mark landed a 67lb common — an absolute lump — followed shortly after by a 51lb mirror at 12:25am. Proper hit of big fish.

Friday carried on in the same fashion, with Mark landing more fish including a 53lb mirror, a 41.8lb common, another 51lb mirror and a 32lb common. By this point the fish were well and truly on it — and as I’ve said before, if you put enough bait in and get the carp competing for it, the bigger ones make mistakes. Obviously, it’s got to be in the right situation and you’ve got to read the water and conditions.

By the end of the week, Mark and Jen were absolutely cream-crackered and decided to get some proper sleep in the gîte on the Friday night. The plan was to pack up around 7pm, I’d collect the gear, and Jon and Heather would move into swim 4 for a last chance during that prime 12–3am window.

Mark still managed to land another 4 fish on the Friday, finishing on 15 for the week — solid going.

Jon lost one at 4am — gutted, but that’s fishing.

Final tally for the week was 21 carp between Mark and Jon — a very respectable result, especially without fishing flat out. Sometimes less really is more.

Heather also got involved, catching some lovely perch on the match rod — well done Heather.

Final breakdown:
1 x 20
3 x 30s to 38.7lb (36, 32)
6 x 40s to 3 x 49lb (47, 43, 41.😎
4 x 50s (56, 54.7, 53, 51)
and 1 at the magical 60… a 67lb common

Mark has already booked for 2028, so we look forward to seeing you again then.

This week we’ve got a couple of pros on — good mates of mine who booked two years ago — Jim Shelly, who I went to school with, and Spooner. Both very capable anglers.

They’ve not even been fishing 24 hours yet and the results are already unreal… but I won’t ruin it — I’ll save that for next week’s blog 👀🎣

Adresse

Chemin Du Moulin De Graffeuil
Cussac
87150

Site Web

http://www.moulindegraf.co.uk/

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