01/10/2026
Serious Carp Socials – Dreamlakes France 🇫🇷
The one we always look forward to year after year is this big one — 54 anglers on one massive complex.
From the moment some of the lads started arriving at Dover, the icebreaker was already underway. Some anglers had never met before, while others are now long-term friends. The plan was to head to Wetherspoons for some food, a few drinks and a catch-up before getting the coach, while some made their own way over.
There were around 30–40 anglers there at one point, all sharing the excitement, which is always great to see. The vibes were mega, and the laughter echoed around as everyone got ready for the week ahead.
The coach was loaded and we were off on our journey, heading for an early-morning arrival so everyone could get settled and crack on with their chosen lakes. Once we arrived, everyone split off into their groups and headed for their swimsthey had picked.
It wasn't long after setting up before we started to see a flurry of action. Anglers were getting off the mark and the pictures started coming in behind the scenes on the group chat, with the Posh End kicking things off.
There was plenty of activity across all the lakes as fish started boshing, giving everyone some really positive signs to work with.
Each day was absolutely mega, and before the evening meal there were already several fish on the bank. Dean, Nick, Pete, Sue, Tomo, Martyn, Scott, Goldie, Michael, Fergus, Kieran and Mark were all putting fish on the bank and kicking things off for us.
After the first meal up at the lodge, everyone settled in. It was an early night for most, as we'd all been travelling since the day before and hadn't had much rest. Setting up camp takes it out of you, as does the excitement of finally getting the rods out.
Lake 2 & Maroni's
Lake 2 and Maroni's were steady to start with, with reports coming through into the evening and throughout the night. Some anglers slept right through without a bite, while others were woken by the sound of alarms going into meltdown.
By morning, we were already into double figures of carp, and everything was looking good for the week ahead.
Maroni's isn't an easy water. It's very much a wild drive-and-survive type of lake, and it took a little while for the lads to settle in and work things out. After some moving around and getting themselves sorted, anglers started getting off the mark across most parts of the lake.
There were some big fish coming out, with fish to 58lb and plenty of 40s to show for it. Adam, Simon, Andy, Sam, Matt and T all got in on the action throughout the week, although at times things did go quiet.
The conditions weren't the best, and everyone tried to make the most of what was a very hot and dry summer. It had hardly rained since April, which obviously meant water levels were lower than in previous years — something that is becoming a common situation across Europe.
The Posh End
Up the Posh End, it was a different story. It really is known as more of a runs water, with a good head of fish to target, and most anglers showed that with a very productive week.
If you put the effort in, you were rewarded on all the lakes up there. It was brilliant to see everyone's smiles throughout the week, especially Fergus and Tommo who was like a kid in a sweet shop every time we saw them at the lodge!
Over on Lake 1, the fish were mainly holding up one end around the Herbie's Hole arm, making things difficult for some anglers who struggled to get off the mark.
Eventually, things changed. The fish started moving down towards the beach and the other arm, and that's when we saw a nice amount of 40s and 50s hitting the bank and anglers reaping the rewards.
Seeing some of the newer anglers on the trip finally get off the mark was brilliant. Some were even disappearing from the lodge meet-ups because they'd rather stay in their swims and have their food delivered!
Then the next time you saw them, they were on multiple fish, with new personal bests amongst them.
The Numbers Keep Climbing
The week continued to improve across the complex, and by the halfway point we were already on over 180 carp between us.
Some anglers were catching multiple fish while others had only managed one or two, but that just pushed everyone to stay focused and keep going. Even those who hadn't caught were getting another boost of motivation, and you could see the change in them by the following morning when they were reporting two or three bites before breakfast.
There were loads of personal bests to celebrate, and you could hear the laughter, shouting and buckets being filled with water as anglers celebrated their captures.
On Wednesday, everyone reeled in for a well-earned break and a get-together before food. We sank a few beers and got the group picture, cementing another week together as always.
It also gave everyone a few hours off the rods and, importantly, gave the fish a chance to move around with no lines in the water.
Lake 2 Comes Alive
The second half of the social really started to kick off, and Lake 2 became the star of the week.
Lee put some nice fish on the bank, including Raul's Common at 70lb+, Lee landed a new personal best and, of course, got absolutely soaked as he celebrated!
There were plenty of other big fish amongst them, with Martyn taking control from the off and Matty Doosan producing a brace of 50s.
At times, we were struggling to keep up with all the reports flying into the group chat. We could only update it twice a day because things were getting so busy!
Other anglers continued to get involved, with the usual names producing good fish. Alin, Andy, James, Ste, Christian and Nick all had good weeks.
We could go on forever with the names, but there were so many highlights that it's difficult to remember everything in the blur of a total catch report of roughly 330 carp because we always miss a few with a fantastic average of over 40lb across the complex.
Everyone Gets Their Chance
Over the final few days, we saw more anglers who had been struggling finally get off the mark. You could see the weight come off their shoulders because it can be tough when you're fishing hard and haven't had a bite.
But the group stayed together. Everyone gave each other moral support and kept the vibes positive.
Out of all the anglers, we had just four who didn't catch a carp.
They still enjoyed the week, shared their bank time with the other anglers and just got on with it. Speaking with them, most knew exactly what fishing is about.
Sometimes you catch and sometimes you don't.
That's what keeps everyone going and gets you back out there. If you caught everything every time you went fishing, it probably wouldn't be half as enjoyable. Sometimes the blanks make you try even harder the next time.
The Final Day
Friday came around far too quickly.
Anglers started packing down, and many slept under the stars because of the early-morning departure. The luggage tags were on, everything was loaded and the anglers who had driven over began making their way towards Calais for the crossing.
Before we knew it, the week was done.
We were back on the Jacksons coach, heading for England and arriving back on Saturday afternoon, where everyone unloaded their gear and said their goodbyes until next time.
Watching anglers shake hands, share hugs and say goodbye to people they didn't even know a week earlier is a pretty special feeling.
There's a real sense of achievement in seeing that happen.
Everyone headed home with stories to share with friends and family, and it takes a while to properly digest another incredible trip.
A Massive Thank You to Dreamlakes
Without the bailiffs, the trip simply wouldn't be possible.
They are responsible for helping make the whole week run smoothly — from the cooking and cleaning, to making sure everyone is comfortable in their swims and even delivering food directly to your swim.
It is appreciated every single year.
Merz, Neil, Paul and the relief bailiffs were all on hand throughout the week to help with whatever was needed, and it really was appreciated.
The office team also keeps in contact throughout the year, answering questions and helping with any adjustments. Keeping 50-odd anglers up to date with changes isn't an easy job, so hats off to everyone at Dreamlakes.
It's a massive part of what makes Dreamlakes what it is and why we keep returning year after year.
And next year will be a very special one...
10 Years of Serious Carp Socials at Dreamlakes 🇫🇷
Next year will mark our 10th year of trips to Dreamlakes, and to celebrate that milestone, we're inviting anyone who has been on a France trip with us to come back and celebrate.
That's 10 years and over 500+ anglers taking part in our Dreamlakes complex takeovers.
Bookings for this very special trip will be opening very soon, with any remaining places then being opened to the public.
It's going to be one hell of a celebration!
Until Next Time...
As we now turn our attention towards the remaining trips in the UK and the nights start getting longer, we're looking forward to the next outings at Baden Hall Fisheries and finishing the year at Sandhurst Lake.
We're sure both are going to be brilliant as we continue another year of sold-out events.
We'd like to thank every single person who came to France, fished hard and, most importantly, respected each other's angling.
That's what makes these socials work.
It's what makes them hassle-free.
And it's why we keep doing them.
We can't wait to go again, especially with the inbox still filling up with messages from people already eager to return!
Serious CARP Socials
🌐 www.carpsocials.com
