Welcome to The Take @ Genêts
In our peaceful corner of Normandy. You'll have 5 acres of spring-fed carp fishing surrounded by nature - kingfishers, red squirrels, tawny owls, buzzards and Dylan our lake cat are right here with you. Red deer, muntjac, wild boar, hares and foxes can all be spotted in the surrounding French countryside.
We're not a runs water, this is a true carper's lake, where the right tactics, persistence, timing and of course patience and nature on your side with a twist of luck will give you a great week of fishing.
Genêts Lake is 60 years old, man-made and fed by a natural spring with a silt over clay bottom. Natural features like trees and bushes overhang the water - shade for the fish and cover that keeps the angling interesting. It's peaceful, quiet and the kind of beautiful that nature does best - no show, just proper French countryside.
The lake's been running as a fishery since 2003. We made this home in August 2025 and with a solid base to work from, we're continually grafting to make serious improvements to bring the lake to its full potential.
In winter 2025 we dredged to remove excess silt, optimise fishing depths and uncover features. We're planning to net at the end of the 2026 season to remove smaller fish and make sure the biomass is spot on for our larger carp.
We'll be mapping the lake bed annually so you'll have detailed maps of the best spots - if you'd like them, or you can go stalking and find your own.
We stock mirrors and commons, with ghost koi, zander, tench and pike in the lake too. The lake average weight for carp is around 35lb, going up to 55lb+.
Genêts is yours for exclusive hire - up to 4 anglers and non-angling guests are welcome. Come and enjoy your fishing holiday with no competition for swims, no crowds, just you and your mates.
Our Vision
We're creating a specimen carp lake that will be constantly maintained and improved to give our fish the best possible environment, so we can aim for that magical 70lb mark and give you the best fishing holiday possible.
Why Fish The Take @ Genêts?
The Serious Carp Bit: James is a carper and keen angler. His training was in river and lakeside management and he's happiest working with water and fish - he's done it all his life. Fish health, water quality and biomass management is his (nerdy 😉) thing!
The Relaxed Vibes Bit: This is your holiday, your way! Need help? Got questions? Want to chat about anything fishing-related or just have a plain old chinwag? We're both here. If you want to be left alone to enjoy yourself and do your thing - totally your call. No cooking stress either, Liza's got you covered with freshly cooked food. She'll check what you don't like and she won't insist you eat all your veg 😉. We live on-site, so we're right here if you need us, but we know when to leave you to it.
We've built 3 brand new double swims, all with space for your bivvy, rod pod, cradle, weigh tripod and all your other gear. Everything's on one level to make life easy for you on the bank and to keep the fish safe.
All swims come with lighting and wifi. We supply floating cradles to keep the big fish safe in the water, weigh slings, carp care kits and foldable buckets (with a handy window to check your rigs) so you have all the essentials you need.
The Social
The two main double swims are about 30m apart, with seating and cover from rain and sun between, so you can be close together for a social. The whole lake is fishable from these two swims, if you're group wants to all be together.
The third swim is further along the bank, ideal for a day session or if you want even more peace and quiet!
House Bait
Now the lake is clear of excess silt and we have the right number of fish to give us a spot-on biomass, we want to keep the best environment for our carp so they have the best growth potential and hit that magical 70lb mark.
House bait means the carp have a consistent food source they recognize and trust. We've all seen it - new bait turns up, the carp ignore it all week, then smash it the week after you've left. They're not daft! With house bait, they know it's food from day one.
We use a quality local French supplier — freshly steam-cooked boilies, quality ingredients, no artificial preservatives. Bait that breaks down properly in the lake and gives the carp proper nutrition.
We have a range of 4 flavours, in 2 sizes, to cover all the bases — our house boilie matched to what the carp feed on naturally, one nutty, one spicy and one fruity. So whatever your preference and whatever time of year you’re fishing, you’re covered.
What We Stock
-
Boilies — 3kg Bags – 14mm or 20mm
• Bloodworm & Garlic - our own recipe
• Nutry Peanut: A peanut and tiger nut mix
• Robin Red & Spice
• Pineapple -
Matching Hook Baits and Additives — All 4 Flavours
• Pop-ups
• Wafters
• Dips
• Boosts / Glugs (limited to 500ml per angler per week)
• Sprays -
Particles
• House Pellet
• Prepared Maize
• Prepared Hemp
We'll be in touch a couple of weeks before you arrive to confirm your bait order.