THE LOVE AFFAIR WITH CAVAGNAC - PAUL HAYWARD

"May 2006 was the first time I visited Cavagnac with a woman who would become my wife and the mother of my children, when you arrive you cant help but notice the natural beauty that surrounds the lake, there is wildlife in every inch of the terrain, birds, deer and a few French people standing naked in the fields milking the cows (not naked really).

My first fish from Cavagnac was a very memorable fish that would later be named by David I believe as "STUNNING" she tipped my scales at 51lb 4oz from that minute I was hooked...I just caught my first 50lb French carp...........I had a few more trips to Cavagnac after this but none as memorable as what was about to happen to me in the next chapter I will tell you all about.

Fast forward 14 years to April 2019

The anticipation and the build up to travelling to the hotel the night before you're due to fly out to Toulouse is the start of your carp fishing holiday, we arrived at the Hilton at Stanstead, parked the car and got to the bar to sit and talk about the rigs, tactics, baiting strategies, which boilie, how much particle and whos round it was next.

Saturday morning, wake up, coffee, breakfast and a couple of headache tablets lololol and off to the airport we go, right lads lets get rid of these bags and get through to departures for a couple more pints at the wetherspoons where we meet up with 2 lads Shaun and Andy who we had met at Cavagnac 2 years previous..... 2 good lads but one is useless in a boat......after a good catch up, off to the plane we go, couple of hours in the air and we landed at Toulouse to be met by David, after the normal formalities and a kiss or 2 its all aboard the mini bus to interrogate David regarding the current fishing and have a good laugh until we reach the lake an hour and half later.

As you get closer to the lake you get your first glimpse of the vast body of water and the natural beauty that you're about to be apart of for a week of ultimate carp fishing.

The gates are open out we all get to be greeted by Arnie and Dan, after a couple of beers and a good catch up its time for the serious stuff whether you've been to the lake 1 time or a 100 times you get a welcome meeting from the lads which is important for the safety and welfare of the anglers and the fish, this is where you meet all other anglers and find out who is from where and whats swims they are in, while this is all going on the guys are getting the boats ready to take you to the swims, after the final handshakes and the good lucks, we are off across the water to our swim the Sanctuary, it's a swim in the main bowl of the lake that produces a few surprises and the occasional big fish, but what was about to happen in this next week is something I could never of  imagined, if I told you the weights now youll stop reading so I'll save it for later lololol

I was fishing with my oldest boy so I pulled rank and chose the left side of the swim as we are looking at it.

Main thing was to unpack then get the rods out, I sorted the boy 3 rods out first then I wanted to fish a little different, so out I went in the boat down the margin with the landing net handle, start prodding about silt silt silt silt silt silt crunch, that's what I was looking for, a cleaned area and a little bit of gravel that's the SPOT ......bottom bait hooklink lowered with Proline Mango Fish single bottom bait 70-80 freebies and half a bucket of maize 3ft away from hooklink and 15 freebies over the hooklink...... first trap set now for the other 3 rods I fished at 100 120 yards in the pads in the silt.

WHOS THAT ON THE HORIZON it's Dan with the dinner and pudding and our case of beer.

We sat there after dinner and decided after a long day it's time for the scratcher.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sunday morning and we had a good night sleep no fish, but now we are refreshed and ready to take on the Home of Legends.

Fresh rigs tied and I can see breakfast coming (full English) this is delivered to your swim if you want it there and I must say its lovely.

The second day passes, no fish.

I decide to do 3 of the rods but to leave the margin rod as I like the SPOT and don't want to disturb it............

What happens next blew me out the water and its a memory that will stay with me forever.

I was sat there having a chat with the boy and the margin rod on the SPOT gives me a one toner and my delkim is in meltdown.......  that's it IM INN, YOU REMEMBER THE PHRASE FROM JAWS "I THINK WE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT", well I THINK IM GOING TO NEED A BIGGER NET

After an immense 25 minute battle in the boat and only just getting the tail in, I slip the net under a fish that looked like it needed a saddle, that's me back to the swim and I'm sat there baby sitting the fish while on the phone, David, I've got a huge fish in the net....... I think its a high 50 as soon as David hears that he is on his way.

The needle on the scales soon decided what was about to be the greatest moment of my carp fishing adventure at cavagnac A MIRROR 68LB 20Z WOWWWWWWWWWWWW what a moment, I got the boy with me and I've just smashed my PB by 17lb after a few tears and hugs and the photos it was time to tell the boys .... Sid, James, Shaun and Andy.

I needed to get this rod back on the SPOT. The next day passes and then the boy gets a take out of the blue fish is on, unfortunately hook pulls. 2 days pass no fish then again the delkim on the Spot is in melt down, after what I would call the worst battle in high winds, I slip the net a under another fish that should have the same saddle on as the 68lb, David it's a chunk, the needle on the scales hit the magic number of 62lb, a fish that had been on the missing list for 2 years, then reality hits me I've had 2 60s... what has just happened??! my average is massive with these 2 fish.

The next day we decide to reel in and rest the swim we meet the lads round the lodge and have a bit of a social and a freshen up in the showers.

Back to the swim and set the traps again. The boy loses another 2 fish and time is running out for him to catch.

Siting there having a chat and my middle rod melts off I just sit there and tell the boy hit it............fortunately the fish comes out the pads into open water, 30 minutes later his first ever carp slips over the spreader bar and its a lump....David it's a 50 easy, 51lb of French muscle it's another moment of brilliance and a moment that I have no words for...................."Morgan you just had a 50lb Cavagnac beast."    SPEECHLESS springs to mind

Paul - 62lb

Paul - 68lb

Morgan -51lb

For the rest of the holiday we had no more fish, but as carp anglers I'm sure you'll all agree, a 68lb 62lb and a 51lb is more than any of us could want in a weeks fishing. 

The facilities at cavagnac are the best I've come across, the baliffs, Dan, Ross, Arnie you lads make cavagnac what it is.

The food is brilliant and only thing I'd say is I'd like more lol

If you want a hassle free carp fishing holiday don't delay book cavagnac today"

Paul hayward on Instagram @paulhayward1979