Foxpool France

02/01/2026

31/12/2025

Happy new year to all anglers past present & future from france where 2026 is here. Have a great year all.

31/12/2025

Got up this morning planning to stick the rods out whilst i did a bit of work around the place. But its -4° here now as the sun rises and the lakes iced over so better get the ice skates on instead.
Hopefully the sun melts it but its dropping to minus 6 later this week so i'm not optimistic . I went get the lime yesterday but there not chance of getting that in this week either I think.
Looks like i will have stay in front of the fire instead. 😁

29/12/2025

I hope you all enjoyed your Xmas with family & freinds. I was in cape Verde running up to xmas in 26° chilling with tom which was a nice break.
I just got back to the lake at dinner time today, after a long drive from Cheshire last night catching the 03.30 boat . I was booked on the 09.15 and usually split the journey staying at my brothers near London on route. but unfortunately he was on holiday, so I had to do it in one hit. P&O ripped me another £60 for getting a earlier boat the swines.
When I got off in calais at 06.10 It was freezing and as I drove further down it cooled more dropping to minus - 6° when I re fueled in dreux. As the sun rose just before 9 it was like a scene from a Xmas card with the trees all white. As I got to Orleans it started to cloud over and was quite foggy but it was a couple of degrees warmer but never rose above -1 all the way down.
I passed a few lakes that looked frozen and wondered if foxpool would have a lid on it. As i pulled in the gate it was -2 but no ice on the lake.
Thankfully gert and silve had been and switched the log burner on for me and the house was like toast. Gert had just fed the fish aswell . I was thinking I might stick a few rods out over the next few days before I lime the lake again . Gert said nothing has been showing recently, so im not too optimistic in these temperatures.
I called a bookers to stock up on the food for breakfasts and brought a new dishwasher over from curry's to fit.
The lake is full and the back lake is filling nicely, but there was some cat ice on the shallows. There's plenty of water coming in on both lakes and the pipe from foxpool is filtering water into Chad's pool nicely so it won't be long before thats full another 3 to 4 feet to go. As I walked around it seemed a lot drier than when we finished the dig and even the soft silt we dumped in between the the two lakes had a crust on it. Don't get me wrong its still soft as you can see from the deer prints in the mud.
Foxpool is about 4cm off running over the spillway so when its full it will be about 6cm tops off the top of the new swim 4 which is ideal for netting fish. So im glad I judged that right as it was low when I re did the front last year, before we completed it,so least I judged that right.
There's still a monumental amount of work to do on the new lake but ive got a few years to chip away at that. But least we can move the fish over this spring when we net the stockpond. i think the water will clear after the bottom settles aswell.
Big thanks to gert for looking after the place and feeding the fish in my absence much Apreciatted. Im off there now to sample some of silves culinary delights 😊.
Have a great new year boys and girls and hope 2026 is a good year for you all.
I look forward to welcoming some of you back next season and meeting our new anglers . Thanks Graham foxpool.

12/12/2025

Sorry its been a while, but life's been hectic to say the least with having the contractor in for the dig out, then packing down and back to the uk for my mates funeral.
I hope your all looking forward to Christmas and some time off with family & friends, I know I'm looking forward to time with Thomas.
Whilst in the uk i've stocked up on supplies for next year as we ran out of beans and tomatoes the last 2 weeks of the season and lidl beans dont cut it tbh. So sorry for those who had to make do with lidl beans but were fully re stocked now courtesy of bookers.
Just a quick one on availability for 2026 there's still some great weeks left. I know lots of you tend to book up after Xmas is out of the way . Here is what's left .
AVAILABILITY 2026
APRIL
11TH. FREE FOR minimum of 2 anglers
MAY .
2ND MAY 3 SPACES AVAILABLE
10TH MAY FREE
24TH MAY FREE
JUNE.
6TH,13TH AND 27TH FREE
JULY. FULL
AUGUST
22ND 3 PLACES AVAILABLE.
SEPTEMBER
5TH ,12TH FREE
OCTOBER
10TH,17TH & 24TH FREE.
There were some big fish not seen last year and some characters aswell.
The big plated linear, the big mirror the fully scaled and stus common didn't come out last year so hopefully they'll be out soon bigger than ever. We have upped the feed over the winter and im going to lime the deeper half of the lake in January as I think it makes a big difference especially with decreasing natural food . Im hoping to empty the stock pond late march early April and move the best fish into the new lake to grow on in there.
Im switching to solar slings next year as the new ones we got last year didn't last unfortunately. I also will have the tackle wall up and running for the start of the new season with hooks pva leads clips sleeves ect and re stock on the rig marole tubing too. So lots still to do over the winter the lakes are filling slowly.
Here a few pics of the ones that got away last year. And few of the little gems that sneeked through.
Have a great Xmas boys and girls hope Santa brings you lots of new tackle 😁.
We look forward to seeing you all soon.
Thanks for everyone who's been out ladt year and those who have booked on for next year .your continued support is much Apreciatted . Cheers Graham

02/12/2025

Its appears Ryanair has released next years flights now. Unfortunately it seems that Manchester flights are now friday and sunday not Saturday but its possible they may change at a later date, as happened previous year's. Both east Midlands and stanstead are both Saturday flights .
Also Leeds Bradford from June is a Saturday flight. And Bristol is currently a sunday flight. We will still operate Saturday til Saturday next year as usual .
Many thanks. Graham foxpool.

13/11/2025

its that time of year where everything turns from green to gold and days go shorter than nights.
A slow end too what has been a tricky season at times. It's been the driest summer in france for a long time with many lakes struggling for water .
We were lucky in that sense as we emptied Chad's pool in preparation for the dig out.
Thankfully the dig is finished now, well i say finished unfortunately the contractor had to pull a lot of earth to the side as we struggled to get everything moved due where it needed to go due to the rain . So I will drop the water next summer again to move what I need then we start to.look at getting 3 pegs on it and landscaping the banks and track . Unfortunately its far to wet to do anything with it now and its going to be 6 months before I can start working again on it.
The plan is to move the best of the stockpond fish over there next year and start to feed them over the next few years then look at buying some bigger fish i intend to put 200 fish over there as I want to grow some fish on to put another 40 fish in foxpool to create more competition for food in there as its been slow at times this year.
Im going to lime foxpool again this winter as it i think it kills a lot of the natural food chain in the lake and I think a lot of fish switched on to naturals due to angling pressure.back end of the season. Im also going to try and close every 6th week to give them a break and let them mop up the bait we also close aswell for the summer shutdown.
We had some nice little scaley mirrors come through this year and with removal of the catfish we need to get some more predators in there to keep the small fish at bay but we can now remove any that come out into next door.
With the cost of the new dig that takes my investment since taking over, to over £100,000 which is staggering but we have a lot of heavy plant now to maintain and develop the lakes. Fortunately this season we dont need much to purchase tackle wise unfortunately the slings we bought last year were not up to standard so im going to switch to solar slings next season I have new bivvys .
The cabin could do with a re fit next season but I also need to get electricity and water over to the cabin on Chad's pool and fit that out as a two bedroom chalet. So still lots of money to invest.
Well xmas is just around the corner im away next month on a much deserved holiday to cape Verde with my son .Then we start again in preparation for 2027.
We have doubled the feed going in foxpool over the winter with gert feeding the fish when im away so a big thanks to him and silve for there continued support .

31/10/2025

A big thankyou to Jason and steve for coming out last week to help me pack down . We got lots of jobs done like the roof for the lean too at the back of the house, some fencing to close access from the road ,encased the water meter that had collapsed cleaning the machinery. Unloading a ton of maize for over the winter. Big thanks for j for treating us all to the Chinese buffet in chatauroux.
Fishing was slow but steve managed a 39lb mirror from peg 1.
We're all closed up now until next April when we kick off again. Thankyou all who have been out this year its been tough at times this season. Especially the last month.

28/10/2025

Last morning on the dig out today before the low loader comes to collect the machine.
The weather has gone against us the 2nd half of the dig limiting the use of the dumper .
We have a good depth of over 7ft at the deep end and 5ft in the shallows where we left a bit of the original lake bed in.
Hopefully it fills over the winter but it needs to dry out around the banks until we begin the big job of tidying the banks .
A long way to go yet but a big step forward getting the depth required to open it as a fishery.
It will be interesting to see the water colour after it fills as it was a clear lake before but now we're back to a clay bottom it may brown up .
Im shattered now after a long season followed by the works.
Im heading home for my mates funeral on friday and a short break .
Then we go again next April.
Thanks for your continued support this year . See you all next year . Graham foxpool.

24/10/2025

Heavy rain the ladt few days has slowed us up on the did out.

21/10/2025

Got most the soft silt out now and we're building the island up in height its a messy job but the rain has held off so far bar a few drops . But rain forecast from Wednesday for the rest of the week . Im on the dumper carting out the clay to behind the cabin at the top . Making steady progress though .

18/10/2025

Well thats it for this year, just dropped the lads off for there flight home . Ive got steve & Jason coming over to do the work party week later.
A disappointing end to the season not helped by high pressure and temperatures dropping at night with a foggy start most days.
Great set of lads on this week Lewis on his 2nd trip and paul and James father and son . Trying there hand at carp fishing as there usually on the rivers barbal chasing back home. Only 6 fish out all week poor James unlikely having 2 low twentys despite moving. Paul kept James company after moving into peg 2 so just fished 3 rods between them in the day from Wednesday. The fish again were showing and fizzing plenty but the pick ups are finicky not screaming runs the lads said. there definitely feeling the angling pressure now at the end of a long season. The lads had a good old social in the day catching a few rays the last few days as the sunshine came out again. Lewis cooked last night to give me another friday night off . He cooked enough to feed a army and we were all still full when I served breakfast this morning. So big thanks for that and his generous tip at the airport much appreciated. As of the last few weeks I offered them a discounted week if they want to return in the future with it being so slow. Lewis had 3 over 35lb in peg 3 and i think thats where the majority are holding up, but they did start showing in the shallows again Thursday when the wind and sun returned. Big thanks to everyone who's been out to foxpool this year its been a difficult season compared to last year .Thanks for your support we will be adding a few more fish over the winter to create more competition. I think i will lime the lake in the winter, as I did prior to last season I think it kills off a lot of naturals that they seem to have switched onto now. We will up the feed this winter aswell hopefully get all them 38lb &39,lb into the fortys. Im looking forward to a rest from cooking especially , god knows hom many full English breakfast ive served this year. Ill keep you posted on how the new dig is going before I go into hibernation for the winter. Soon be Xmas 🤣🤣 Thanks Graham foxpool.