Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage with pool

With my girlfriend staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool we decided to have a night fish at Guidel last night.

High tide was at 2 am with a coefficient of just 30 and we started fishing at 8.30 and finished at 3am with 9 small Bass caught, all on ragg worm. I was hoping Eels would be around but alas was just left with catching the small Bass all around 10 - 15 cms in length.

It was a cold night and with 3 layers on our legs and 7 on our upper bodies we remained comfortable.......Just

I think from now on I'll concentrate on Etel for the fishing.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym




With just 3 weeks to go now before the competition training has come to a halt this weekend at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool and gym.
I had lost 6 lbs this week doing the carb zig zagging diet but since Wednesday have been suffering headaches and today a dodgy stomach.
Just seen the enclosed pictures of the winner and runners up of the NPA south east championships and what a hard job its going to be, but what ever happens its an achievement what I've done this year and I will walk on stage feeling proud of how much Ive changed my habits and look this year.

What has made it easier is having the gym just next door to the holiday cottage, there are simply no excuses not to train.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

What a difference a week makes, I have still been training in the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool and going out on the bike 5 times per week but the real change has been diet. I'm now zig zaging my carbs which is basically eating no carbs for 2 days then on the third eating them and have lost 6lbs this week.

Its not a normal diet and is purely a pre contest diet which should only be used for a few weeks as its not very healthy, I have had a few head aches this week but needs must, I do feel alot leaner now at just 14st 8lbs.

With just 3 weeks now before the show my goal is still to be between 13st 7lbs and 13st 10lbs.

Had some good workouts this week in the gym at the holiday cottage still managed to bench press 110 kgs, which is good bearing in mind my restricted diet.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

The market town of Baud is just 3 miles from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool and last night I popped out with a friend and ate in the Le Citron Vert for the first time since it changed ownership.

The food was always good there but its now even better, My mate and I cleaned our plates and throughout the couple of games of pool afterwards in the bar area commented on how good the food was.

We both had the steaks mine with the garlic butter and his with the Roquefort cheese and finished with a 3 cheese crepe for desert which was gorgeous.

Its the little things that make the difference and the small changes to be found with the meals were; rather than just a salad with the steak and chips you were now given a tube of asparagus rapped in bacon with the salad and one of my old gripes before the restaurant had changed management was butter was never served with the some what stale bread where as the bread is now fresh and butter is served.

For a relaxed enjoyable meal, a drink and a game of pool or darts then the Le Citron Vert is just the place being only 5 min away from La Forge the Brittany holiday cottage with private pool and gym.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 20 minutes away from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool and gym is the Napoleonic town of Pontivey where I train every now and then just to get the buzz of peoples reactions to how I'm looking with just 3 weeks to go before the show.

I'm now down to 14st 10lbs having lost 5lbs in the last week. I have started having carb free days, I do 2 off and on the third day have some for breakfast, after doing some reading I discovered I'm making a few mistakes, one of which is i'm not eating essential fats omega 3 & 6 and need to consume alot more water- both of which should promote body fat loss.

I also bought from maximuscle some thermobol this week that should arrive in the next few days, I'm doing every thing I can think of to strip as much fat as possible within the next 3 weeks.

I'll post some pictures next week with 2 weeks to go, the aim by next Friday the 25th will be to be below 14st 7lbs.

I'm still out on the bike 6 days per week there are some lovely routes to take with a bike all around the Brittany holiday cottage.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage with pool

Etel is just a 40 min drive from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool and another fish that's available to catch is Dorrade or Bream.

To give some helpful details about this wonderful fish to eat and catch:

HABITAT:

Seeks out rocky ground, patches of boulders and rubble, but especially shallow reefs that work out at angles from the shore. Can also be found close to inshore wrecks in deep water and will cross clean sandy ground on their way to new rough ground feeding areas.

DIET:

Is a catholic feeder taking mostly shellfish from the rocks, but also small sandeels, worms and even tiny crabs.

SHORE FISHING:

Bream are not a regular shore based catch in most areas, but this is more to do with anglers being preoccupied by other species, rather than the bream not being present. If the boats in your area catch bream, then a carefully selected and suitable shore venue in the same area will, sooner or later, produce a bream for you.

MARKS AND FEATURES:

Bream will move close in to the deeper beaches, from the open beaches aim to fish close to or onto shingle banks and patches of rougher ground. Take notice of any debris on the seabed within casting range such as small wrecks.

WEATHER:

The best opportunities are during calm spells with just a gentle sea swell and no wind. Rough seas keep the bream offshore. Daylight hours give fish, but peak catches occur during the dusk and dawn periods, especially if these coincide with a newly flooding tide.
Fishing in the mid day period, try to fish under an overcast sky without any sun if the water is shallowish. On steeper, deeper beaches the sun doesn't really have a major affect on the catch.

TIDES:

From open beaches, either shallow or steep to, try only the bigger spring tides fishing from dead low water through to high. Very few venues produce fish on the ebb unless the water is over 30ft deep.
Occasionally, bream can be contacted from rock stations, but the ebb and flood will both produce, though expect bites to die as the tide flow eases. neaps can fish just as well as springs in this deeper water.

TACKLE:

You'll need true 5-6oz casting rods for this fishing as the bream tend to be mostly at a longish range. Reel line though, can be reduced to 12lbs, but keep the casting leader to 50lbs minimum.

RIGS:

The best rig is a clipped up two hook type. This needs to be about 30" long with a bead trapped swivel set in the middle of the rig taking one hook length and another bead trapped swivel placed at the base close to the weight. Use a size 4 rolling swivel at the top and size 3/0 Mustad Oval Split Ring to take the weight. The bait clips are mounted on the rig upside and should be placed between the top hook length and the rolling swivel, with the lower clip placed between the two trapped swivels.
Rigged like this you'll gain a few yards on the cast, but more importantly the small baits are compressed into the bend of the hook during the cast maintaining reasonable levels of presentation.
Hook lengths need to be about 15" long and from 25lb line. The best hook pattern is again the Mustad 3261BLN Aberdeen size 2-4.

BAITS:

The same fish strips, lug, rag, cockles and crab work just as well from the shore, though crab and sandeel can often pick up the slightly bigger fish.

TECHNIQUE:

Nothing fancy! If the ground is cleanish, then allow the bait to roll and locate the holding grounds using an unwired lead. If you have other anglers near you, then stick with a wired lead, but experiment with casting distances. Fishing like this means that the bream, for once, will hook themselves.
As the tide flow eases, cast as far as you can and then retrieve the bait a foot at a time with short pauses in between. This causes the baits to flutter up an down which will help attract passing fish.

The Brittany holiday cottage with pool is in a great location for some wonderful days out fishing, either fresh water on the nearby river Blavet or around the coast for some great sea fishing marks.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage with pool


With the sun shinning at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool this morning I decided to pop down to Etel again for a try for Turbot.
Stopping off at a super market I bought 3 Mackerel and a single squid for bait and arrived at the mark at 10.30, high tide was at 14.08 with a Coeff of just 45.
I baited 1 rod with squid the other with a small mackerel fillet on an Aberdeen no 1 long shank hook on a running ledger, with a 3 foot leader from the weight. As the current was so weak today I just used a 80 gram breakaway lead.
Just as my friend reported in his last 2 fishing trips he caught his turbot during the slack water and bang on time at around 2pm I had my first and last bite of the day and caught the above small Turbot on the Mackerel.
After catching the fish I baited up both rods on the Mackerel and was only casting 20-25 meters from the shore.
All day I was hoping that elusive Bass would pick up the bait but alas not today.
Next trip will be a night fish to see if that's more productive.
I was fishing along side 3 other anglers today using beach casters and I was the only one to catch, another chap arrived at 2pm and used a spinning rod with an imitation sandeel lure but when I finished at 4pm he had yet to catch.
Etel is just a short drive from La Forge and its just one of many fishing marks scattered around the coast.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage with pool

The Brittany holiday cottage with pool is just a short drive from some lovely beaches to fish from, as an aid Ive enclosed information on the fish you may come across and give tips on how to catch them.

The first species in this series is the Bass, its great to eat and a great fighting fish.

HABITAT:

One of our most adaptable species. Found offshore over reefs, uplifting sand banks, inshore wrecks, along rough ground and surf beaches, inside harbours, and will feed to the highest reaches of an estuary and is often taken by salmon anglers fishing the junction of fresh and saltwater.

DIET:

Enjoys a varied diet and is an opportunist feeder taking advantage of what ever is easily available at the time.
Crab, prawns and small rough ground living fish like gobies and rockling are found most frequently in fish feeding over rocky ground. Estuary fish take mainly crab and sandeel, but also small flatfish. Offshore reef fish get preoccupied with sandeels or small joey mackerel. Very large adult fish are true cannibals and occasionally contain small school bass, also whiting, eels, pipefish etc.

MARKS AND FEATURE:

On the rough ground beaches, the bigger and more ill fitting the boulders are, the better the bass will work the area. Food washed down by the tide will fall in between the rocks and boulders and lodge where the bass can pick it up. Even on less rough marks where the rocks are smaller and tight fitting, if you walk the beach you will find areas where the boulders are larger than normal. These are the places to concentrate on.

Also look to weed beds, anywhere a small stream or river flows across the beach, finger like reefs that work seawards, and definite deeper gullies that come inshore from the low water line that fish will follow.
On surf beaches bass can sometimes follow a route along the slightly deeper gullies that run parallel with the beach. But they will also be side tracked by areas of boulders and weed growth, shingle banks, and again areas where a stream flows into the sea. On smaller beaches flanked by rocky cliffs it's always wise to start fishing at each end of the beach near the rocks, rather than in the middle of the beach.
Inside estuaries, bass travel as the new flood tide starts to push over the estuary bar. They will work reefy ground and the sandbanks around the bar, then use the main channel to push far up the estuary. They investigate the sides of the estuary where the weed is thick and the crabs in numbers. Also, smaller side creeks which hold sandeels and flatfish.
Harbours, piers, breakwaters and marina's all hold bass. They come in to feed on the smaller pout etc, that are feeding on the rubbish and old bait that commercial fisherman and anglers throw over the side. Also, anglers leave a trail of small pout, rockling, poor cod etc, that expire after unhooking which the bass mop up with glee.

If you would like to find out how to present Sandeel then click here.

TIDES:

Bass will work estuaries even on the smallest tides. This is because of the continued tidal run through the main channel that always displaces food items. Over the rough ground and surf beaches bass numbers will decline as the neap tides reach their lowest peak. This is because the lack of tide fails to disturb enough food forms for the bass to fill their bellies.
On the beaches the best tides are the middle sized ones and those just prior to the very biggest springs. The biggest springs themselves can be disappointing, though odd fish can still be caught.

WEATHER:

Bass like rough weather. Not full blown gales, but those days when the wind comes off the sea at a steady force 3 to 6 creating a series of rollers that push across the sand and rocks and again expose food. Winds off the land that clear the water push the bass out to deeper water where they feed on the reef sandeels etc.
The other good time is just after a strong gale when the sea has been really rough and the surf is full of weed. Bass will work within a few yards of shore in these conditions.
Bass will feed by day if the sea is coloured or carrying a good surf. Generally, the fishing is best at night, especially dusk and dawn, but bass respond more to the state of the tide than the darkness of the hour.

TECHNIQUES:

ROUGH GROUND BEACHES:

Bass show over these beaches only at set times. It's usually low water and the first two hours of the flood, then the hour either side of high water. Outside the� periods bites are few and far between.
Long casts are not necessary. Dropping a large crab bait at about 40-metres or less will usually find the fish. But you need to hold the rod at all times and feel for the bites being transmitted through the rod. Bass mostly register on the rod tip initially with a couple of gentle knocks, then pull the rod tip hard over. You need to strike as the rod is pulled away from you.

SURF BEACHES:

In rough weather and heavy surf's, use a wired lead to anchor the bait in position, but again hold the rod and feel for bites. Start by casting out to medium range, then if no bites are forthcoming shorten the casts until you're working only 40-metres out, and if this fails to produce fish do not hesitate to put a bait as far as you can. It's a mistake to believe the books and articles that suggest bass are always close to shore. The truth is that the bass are where the food is, and this may beyond even the best casters at times.
In less rough seas and steady surf's, it pays to use a plain lead and let this roll with the tidal pressure on the line in a downtide and inward arc. The bait and lead then find all the depressions and gutters that the bass are likely to be feeding in.

ESTUARIES:

These require a mix of the latter two techniques. The bar and main channel of the estuary may need to be fished with wired leads on a flooding tide, though if you pick a place just off the main current you can choose a plain lead and let the bait move across the seabed, again finding out and resting in the food holding depressions.
The creek and estuary sides need very short casts, often less than 20-metres and putting the crab bait down into the weed and rocks where the bass are hunting. Cast beyond these edges and you'll only catch flatfish.

SPINNING:

Bass working the rough ground beaches, estuary bars and creeks will just as readily hit an artificial lure. The best are the ABU Toby spoon, the Dexter Wedge and the Redgill artificial sandeel.

Simply casting and retrieving the lure over the rough ground will catch bass, though you'll find that more fish are concentrated for this type of fishing around the river mouths and streams. Also try working the lure along the small finger reefs. Plugs work well, too, especially the slimmer bodied floating ones in silver and jointed ones that give off vibrations.
Inside the estuaries, aim to fish where the main channel has a bottleneck that forces the water through a narrow gap quickly. Bass will herd up the sandeel shoals against this passing current with three or four fish making charging runs into the sandeel to feed. A white or black Redgill can be deadly at this time.

There is a spare beach caster with reel at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool which is available for guest to use. If you would like someone to fish with I'd be more than happy to join you.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

I have had a really lovely couple staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool over the last 2 weeks, popped over for a few coffee's during their stay and had a good day out fishing with Richard down at Etel earlier this week.

I was asking them how they came across the holiday cottage and what it was that appealed to them, they said; It was so hard trying to find a cottage sleeping 6 that had 2 bathrooms and 3 separate bedrooms, as initially family members were joining us. When searching Chez Nous the majority of cottages that slept 6 just had 2 bedrooms and relied on a bed settee to accommodate the other occupants, sleeping in the living area.

Margret went on to say that us women need time to get ready and if you only have 1 bathroom it would be a nightmare with 3 couples staying in accommodation like that, hence why La Forge appealed so much to us. Plus having a private pool I felt more comfortable sun bathing because as you get older you become more self aware of how you look in your swim wear.

It was lovely getting the feed back from the guest as it made me aware of the holiday cottages strengths with a view of successful marketing for the future.

So if you dont fancy sleeping on a bed settee and wish to have 3 seperate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms then La Forge is for you, we are now taking bookings for the 2010 season, book early to avoid disappointment.

Christmas and the New year weeks are still available, so if you fancy a beamed dwelling with a lovely log burner at Christmas fully decorated for the festive season then La Forge Brittany holiday cottage is just the ticket.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Training at the Brittany holiday cottage is going very well, I'm more out on the mountain bike and going for long walks than using the Gym.

With just 4 weeks left before the Mike Williams classic I just passed another barrier today getting below 15 stone.....it may just be being 14st 13lbs but its a step in the right direction.

All week the weather here in Brittany has been fantastic and its been lovely going out doing the cardio either cycling 16 miles or power walking for 6 miles.

I have spent 4 Septembers now in Brittany and it seems to be a good month for weather, hence why I guess La Forge is fully booked this year until 26th, the pool is still open and heated so if your looking for some late sun and still able to enjoy a private swimming pool then this Brittany holiday cottage provides every thing that your looking for.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage with pool

I reported yesterday that I took a guest staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool fishing at Etel. Well they say that knowledge is power and in the case of fishing it means tight lines and a fish supper. I had contacted a friend to see if he had fished the mark over the last month to determine my tactics and have received his email this morning just a day late, with the knowledge it contained my whole tactics would have changed and yesterdays blank may have been avoided.

He stated ' I did have a few results on the two days I went fishing at Etel during the end of August. Both at slack tide. On one day I caught four Turbot about 20 meters from shore and the other day I caught a mid sized Thornback ledgering some Mackerel strips of the end of the pier. Unfortunately, I lost a monster Bass - loss of which was probably not helped by the fact that I had these three or so plonkers standing right next to me demanding all kinds of questions as i was playing it in'.

If I had received that email before my trip I would not have spent the day spinning for Bass, bearing in mind he only hooked 1 in two trips and all the fish he had caught were flat fish I would have got my beach casters out and kept fishing through the change of tide rather than finishing as we did 30 min prior to high tide.

Oh well...its all part of fishing

I will go again next week and report back how I did, Etel is just 40 min away from the Brittany Holiday cottage.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage


A guest staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool was interested in going sea fishing this week during their stay so I offered to take him to one of my favorite marks.

I last fished 3 weeks ago and only caught 1 tiny Bass so was keen to try a different location to see if the fish were there. We also had a choice of either beach casting or spinning, for a change I opted to spin for the Bass and opted to fish at Etel.
We started at low water fishing beside the tower right on the mouth of the estuary in the picture above, after a couple of hours we had to retreat back onto the beach as the tide rose and I stayed right on the end of the sea wall casting into the rough water above as it entered the estuary.
It was an enjoyable days fishing even though we failed to get a bite but Richard agreed it looked and felt like a great location to fish....just that the fish are still not around yet.
There were about a dozen fisherman lining the beach, all beach casting and keeping an eye on them, no one seemed to catch anything, so it confirms its still to early.
I will try again in 2 weeks time with a beach caster to see if the colder days have a change on the fishing, the coefficient was running at just 76 today, we stopped fishing at high tide.
Anyone staying at La Forge, the Brittany holiday cottage with pool that has an interest in fishing I'm more than happy to assist or even pop along with as I enjoy a days fishing also.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym








With just 5 weeks to go before the NPA Mike Williams classic training is going flat out at the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage.
Touched 15 stone today and hit the bike for 18 miles this afternoon while enjoying the great weather, 4 miles from home really hit a wall, just felt totally drained of energy.Having a couple of days of no carbs has really left me spent of energy.
I then hit the gym this evening to train back and abbs.
Ive enclosed pictures of all the winners of this years earlier NPA shows to show the level I need to obtain..my work has really just begun.


Saturday, September 5, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Although the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool allows me a great place to work out, for motivation I enjoy going up to Pontivey and train at the public gym once every 2 weeks to see if the lads see a difference in my physic.

I went up there for a leg workout last Wednesday and was thrilled with the response of the owner and some of the lads on how lean I was looking and yesterday a friend commented on how good I was looking.

I have 5 weeks left before the show and the intention is still to get down too 13 1/2 stone meaning I need to loose 1 1/2 stone. Ive started having carb free days now, still eating 5 times per day of protein but now my daughter has returned from her holiday Ive got to really hit the bike as well.

I'll post some additional pictures once Ive reached 14 1/2 stone ideally before 20th September.

My mate down the road is going to re-start training once a week at the Brittany holiday cottage gym so I'll get some heavier workouts in.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool


Just 20 minutes away from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool is the lovely town of Hennebont. It is situated about ten miles from the mouth of the Blavet, which divides it into two parts: the Ville Close, the medieval walled town, and the 17th century Ville Neuve on the left bank and the oldest site: the Vieille Ville on the right. The old walled town (Ville Close) still has traces of its 13th-15th century ramparts as well as a large, fortified 15th century gatehouse complete with double-doors with drawbridge slots (known as the Porte du Broƫrec.)

I popped down to the town today to see how good the Thursday market was after guest of La Forge had said how good it was. I did enjoy the market but for me the best market is still at Auray and the old port of St Goustan which is so hard to beat for a location to enjoy a coffee and crepe.

The enclosed picture was of the old gatehouse at Hennebont.
There are so many great places to visit while staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool to ensure a great holiday.