Etang Marolles, An oasis with true pearls

It is late September and the time is uncertain because of Covid-19. The coronavirus is worth around and many areas in Europe are turning orange. We had planned a trip to Lake Katlov in the Czech Republic, which was still yellow on Tuesday, but on Wednesday the whole Czech Republic turned orange. Bummer but one thing was for sure. There was going to be fished. After contacting Reclin of Angling Escapes there was room on Etang Marolles in the department Mayenne in France. This lake was mostly fished by the English but because of Covid-19 they had to cancel. However, for us this was still yellow area.
Plans completely changed and towards this complex. Had already heard that this was a nice complex with different waters and were naturally very curious. With 6 people we were going to fish this beautiful etang exclusively.

Route

We had rented an extended bus to take 4 of us to Lake Katlov but since this did not happen we continued by Sprinter to Etang Marolles. This complex is located between Normandy and Brittany near the town of Ernée in the department of Mayenne. There were 3 options to drive and since there would be 6 of us and 2 buses we chose different routes. All are from Noord-Brabant so we drove via Antwerp.
1. Without toll roads (676km) you drive from Lille via the east side to the south. Disadvantage is that this takes at least 9 hours. Advantage is the 75 euros toll you save
2. Toll roads via Paris you drive to Le Mans (731km). This is the fastest route and goes over mostly good highways. Advantage is that you arrive at the water after 7 hours of driving. Disadvantage is 75 euros toll cost.
3. Toll roads via Amiens and Rouen (707km). This route gives advantage only if traffic around Paris is jammed. Route takes about 7.5 hours. Disadvantage is 75 euros toll cost and last 100km are on D-roads with very many villages and traffic circles. This route is a good alternative if problems near Paris and you drive early via Amiens.
Upon arrival, be careful to take the right exit. The navigation sends you after the village Ernée right at a beautiful church on a hill but then you come to the back of the water. You must take the exit at the La Rabine roadhouse.

Once you have turned in at this roadside restaurant continue driving and after a kilometer you will see the etang appear on the right. You now continue until you reach the small bridge below which is the entrance to the complex.

The complex

On arrival we were welcomed by David and Caroline. These former owners of this complex took the honors for the new owners Georgie and Darren who could not be in France due to travel restrictions.
There are currently 2 waters which are fished namely Bellevue lodge and Etang Marolles. Both waters are available for exclusive hire. Between these two waters is their beautiful lodge.

Bellevue lodge

At this water is a beautiful cottage with all amenities including hot tub and large aquarium and are also 2 bivvy sites should you want to move.

Etang Marolles

Etang Marolles is a bivvy lake with 11 spacious swims. Because you rent this lake exclusively, you can choose which swims you take. Each swim has electricity but the plugs are English so it is advisable to bring a connector to use a European plug.

Plumbing

Centrally between the 2 etangs are the sanitary facilities. This is a very neat toilet building containing very spacious luxury shower with neat european toilet including seat and sink. This is all very spacious and is maintained by the administrators during your stay. You can also get water here but if you want to drink it you have to boil it first. As drinking water you better just use bottled water.

Impression

The overall complex is very neat and well maintained. Waste can be left at the plumbing. Here are bins to deposit this. Make sure you separate the waste because this is mandatory in France but there are plenty of bins. Owners are English-speaking which makes communication a lot easier.

Etang Marolles

This 5.5-acre water has 11 spacious swims, all with power points. All swims are equipped with pebbles so you won’t be bothered by mud. Each swim is equipped with a cradle and sling so you can leave them at home. You have to bring your landing nets and they will be disinfected by the manager upon arrival. A tip is to load them last. You can then hand them over to the manager immediately upon arrival so he can disinfect them. You can drive with the car / bus to the cuttings to unload and build up everything. After unloading, you have to park your car in the central parking lot.

All cuttings are on the north and east sides of the water. Since you can rent the water from 4 to 6 people you have plenty of room to fish per person. We had divided the water into 3 sectors and assigned 2 people per sector. East section are 3 swims (9 to 11) and you have the eastern part which is also the deepest part with 1.5m for swim 9. From swim 11 you can fish left into an angle with a central island around which the fish migrate. You also have several small islands in this sector.

The middle section with swim 4 to 8 was also fished by 2 people. Here you have against the other side many overhanging forests which are good to fish from these cuttings. In this sector the bottom is relatively soft but there are still quite a few hard spots to be found. On all these swims there is a hard strip between 40 and 55 meters from the shore. Behind this strip to the other side was much more productive than swims on own side. The bottom on the bank is also significantly softer compared to the bottom on the other side.
The western section with swims 1 to 3 is closest to the managers’ house. Here there are small islands surrounded by hard stretches. The bottom here is also generally slightly harder than the swims in the middle section. Again, the own side was the least productive and most of the fish came from the hard boards around the islets and from the middle to the other side.
Across the entire lake the depth immediately below the shore is about 80 cm and runs quickly to 130 cm. Most of the etang is around this depth. Because the lake is continuously fed by natural swells, this lake has a constant water level. Fish also respond very well to this and are all in very good condition.

Fisheries

Because of the shallow depth, the fish respond very much to weather conditions. We arrived and the fish showed themselves in abundance. Soon the first fish was landed, but the temperature dropped very quickly, which virtually stopped the fish. Also constantly blowing wind was not conducive to catching. We knew that halfway through the week the wind would come constantly from the south and would increase significantly. Also, the temperature would start to rise again. This might well be the trigger.

What we expected did happen. The fish gradually began to show up again which soon led to full runs. There were nice fish from all the swims. The swim closest to the house produced the most fish, but fish came from all the swims.
We were lucky to experience a real autumn storm. Standing there in my boxer shorts, polo shirt and bare legs with a tent as a kite in my hands. Wind force 8 won and in the end the tent lost to the wind. Next time more pegs into the ground was a wise lesson. The weather can suddenly change a lot because you have influences from the Atlantic Ocean.
In general, the fishing is not very difficult and all rigs can be used. Tube fishing is mandatory and the lead must be lost in case of line breakage. As rigs we used hinged stiff rigs for pop-up and combination or flexible rigs with snowman presentation. Do keep in mind the length of your rig when fishing in a softer area. Since the average size of the fish is on the large side I would keep in mind to use strong hooks.
The fish know the obstacles and will go here after a bite. Make sure you are close to your rods at all times because they are fast and strong.
As bait we used Oriental Krill, Instant Project and Robin red garlic fish from Holland Baits with diameters of 16mm and 20mm. All yielded fish and there was no outlier. Particles and tiger nuts were prohibited. Only pellets, groundbait and boillies were allowed as bait.
Impression is that placement in the right spot is the most important aspect to consider. Obviously good bait, sharp rigs and more variables are important but placement of your bait proved to be the most important.

File

Stock of etang Marolles is between 230 and 250 fish. Mirrors and pangolins of all kinds. The good shape and condition of the fish really stood out. True pearls passed by on the mats. We had 20+ fish where it was noticeable that only 2 fish were under 12kg. There were around 10 fish between 12 and 14kg, the same number between 16 and 18kg. Largest pangolin we had caught was 19kg and largest mirror carp 21kg. We ended up with a respectable average weight of 15kg. Half of the fish caught were over 15kg.

Overall impression

Beautiful hilly surroundings. You enjoy the tranquility and in the evening hear only nature. No cars or other noise. Falcons hunting the thousands of swallows that come every evening to hunt and chase the insects of the magnificent etang. While lying on your stretcher hearing another bucket plop into the water also makes it very exciting. The fantasizing can begin. That such a tank can get on your line is very realistic here. Actual pearls of fish pass by on the mat. Also, the friendliness and helpfulness of the managers was truly phenomenal. Groceries can be purchased from a few large supermarkets of your choice in the town of Ernée These are 5 kilometers from etang Marolles.
Highly recommended in a beautiful setting to completely unwind with a beautiful stock of fish.

Stein Verheggen
Niels Sprangers

Would you also like to go to Etang Marolles? Then click here to go to the page.

• Big carp
• Carp fishing in France
• Mayenne Department
• Promotion session Team Angling Escapes
• Team Angling Escapes
• trip report