F.A.Qs

We have put together a list of questions most frequently asked by anglers travelling to Genets carp lake but if you need any other help or information please feel free to contact us at any time, we always aim to reply within 24 hours. For information on availability & booking click here. Our booking terms & conditions can be found here.

Preparing for your journey to Genets Lake.

BREXIT Important Info.

Some changes now apply since the 1st January 2021 for travel to EU Countries. For example:

1. You will need at least 6 months validity left on your passport.
2. You may need to carry a Green Card for your vehicle insurance.
3. Your EHIC "European Health Insurance Card" should still be valid but you should also consider taking out a holiday insurance policy to include sickness/health/repatriation cover & cancellation cover.
4. Some mobile phone providers may not carry on providing free roaming, please check with your provider.
5. There are new custom rules, please check what you can/cannot bring & take back with you, most importantly for anglers there are restrictions on bringing bait & food in to France from the UK.

For up to date info on all changes please check the official UK government website HERE & for EHIC medical emergency cover HERE

Question: Do I need to bring any insect repellent etc?
Answer: Yes please make sure to bring ant-powder to put around the edge of your bivvy & mosquito repellent especially during warmer months.

Question: Do I need holiday insurance & medical cover?
Answer: We strongly advise taking out a suitable holiday insurance policy including cancellation cover & sickness/health cover.

Question: What documents do I need to drive in France?
Answer: It is compulsory to carry your original vehicle registration & insurance documents with you also your driving licence. They do love to issue on the spot fines here!! Here is a useful link telling you of legal requirements when driving abroad The AA driving in Europe

Question: Can I find Genets lake by putting your postcode in my Sat-Nav?
Answer: Postcodes in France for Sat-Navs do not work in the same way as the UK, for instance the postcode for Genets carp lake covers 4 villages!! Once your booking has been confirmed & paid in full we will send you the lake latitude & longitude co-ordinates to put in your Sat-Nav, these will bring you to our gates. Once we know your ferry arrival port we will also send you detailed directions if you require them.

Question: Can I bring my dog?
Answer: No, sorry we don’t allow pets.

Local shopping.

Question: How far to the nearest shops?
Answer: The nearest town is Ernee which is just a 10 minute drive.

Question: Are most shops open on Sundays?
Answer: Sorry no, Sunday shopping laws in France are totally different to the UK, most shops are closed but some small supermarkets open on Sunday mornings as do some bars/tabacs, most bakeries are open on Sunday mornings.

Question: Where can I buy cigarettes & tobacco?
Answer: You will need to go to a Bar/Tabac as they are not sold in supermarkets.

Question: When buying fresh milk in French supermarkets are the tops the same colour as in UK supermarkets?
Answer: No, people often get caught out on this one so do be careful!! Green Top milk in France is Buttermilk!! Blue Top is Semi-skimmed, Red Top is full cream.

At Genets Carp Fishing Lake.

Question: Can I get on to the lake before 1pm?
Answer: We really do appreciate that you may have had a long journey & are eager to get on to the lake but we are sure you understand that we have quite a lot of work to do once the departing group have left before we can welcome newly arriving guests, we do try to be ready before 1pm & will open the gates as soon as possible. On your drive to us once you come off the A84 at Fougeres there are shops/cafes there that you can stop at (just follow the sign for Carrefour supermarket) Alternatively further on in the small town of Ernee just 10 mins from us there are a couple of cafes & a Super-U supermarket with a café . This can be useful if you have an overnight ferry crossing.

Question: What time do I need to leave the lake when going home?
Answer: Please leave Genets no later than 10am on the Saturday at the end of your week.

Question: Can I drink the tap water?
Answer: Our water supply is from a well which is perfectly clean & fine for cooking, showers etc however we do recommend using bottled water for drinking & tea/coffee making.

Question: Is bedding supplied in the mobile-home?
Answer: Bedding can be provided if requested prior to arrival at a cost of 10€ for the double bed & 10€ for the 2 single beds, or 15€ for both. If bedding is not booked there will just be the mattresses, no quilts or pillows.

Question: What is the lake bed made up of?
Answer: The lake bed is a light brown silt over clay

Question: Do I need a spod / spomb / baitboat to get bait out to most hot spots or is a catapult / stick good enough?
Answer: A baitboat does tend to be an advantage for accurate baiting but you can also walk round to bait-up, we don’t recommend using a spod or spomb as it tends to spook the fish.

Question: What is the maximum distance you would need to cast?
Answer: The casting distance is between 70 & 110 yards depending which swim you are in.

Question: What colour tubing should I bring?
Answer: Best to bring grey tubing as the lake bed is a light brown silt over clay.

Question: Do you supply mats, weigh-slings & landing-nets or should I bring my own?
Answer: We supply carp cradles, weigh-slings & weighing-tripods free of charge BUT you need to bring your own landing-net which must be a minimum of 42 inches.

Question: Is there vehicle access around the lake?
Answer: There is no vehicle access around the lake but we do take your tackle round for you in our trailer if you wish.

Question: Can I bivvy-up elsewhere around the lake?
Answer: No, only at the designated swims along one side of the lake.

Question: Can I use artificial baits such as plastic corn to create a balanced snow man rig?
Answer: Yes that’s fine.

Question: Can I use maggots?
Answer: No.

Question: Can I bring tinned sweetcorn to use?
Answer: Yes tinned sweetcorn is fine.

Question: Can I bring shelf-life boilies to use?
Answer: No, shelf-life boilies are not allowed. Boilies must be fresh/frozen, there is a bait freezer in the anglers lodge for you to store your boilies.

Question: Can I bring nuts & particles?
Answer: No. As per our lake rules No nuts of any description, No particles, except maize which is prepared & supplied by us, Pre-prepared Hemp in sealed jars is allowed from reputable suppliers ie Dynamite.(use of hemp is limited to 5kg per angler per week)

Question: What are the best tactics, rigs & hook sizes?
Answer: Tactics, much the same as the UK & really whatever you’re confident with, would recommend size 6 to 4 hooks, hooklinks about 6 to 8 inches. Normally fished here are inline leads semi-fixed or lead-clips. If you’re on a silty area a snowman is ideal, if you find a clear hard spot try bottom baits. Best way is to try different on all 3 rods & see what works best fishing to the far margins. The majority of the fish are caught on bottom baits.

Question: What line is best to use?
Answer: We recommend a good 15lb fluorocarbon line.

Question: Do I need to back-lead?
Answer: We do recommend it for here.

Question: Will the fish take off the top?
Answer: This has been tried many times at Genets lake & to the best of our knowledge they do not.

Question: How much bait do I need?
Answer: Anglers normally have 5/10 kg boilies each which should be plenty for the week, if you want to use maize & pellet (which needs to be purchased from us) we would recommend 5kg of each. We always keep plenty of pellet in stock should you need more through the week. For bait available onsite please click here.