Rules, Do's and Don'ts

Every rule below is here for the welfare of our carp and for your safety. Please read them before you arrive. You will also get a printed copy on arrival.

Rods, line and hooks

Maximum 3 rods per angler. Never leave rods unattended: if you visit another swim, reel in first.
Mainline 18 lb breaking strain minimum. No braid or fluorocarbon mainline (too thin and sharp, it damages fish).
Reels must be a suitable size, with spools filled to the lip.
Hooklinks: coated braid only, with a short stripped-back section or fluorocarbon allowed.
Barbed hooks in size 4 or 6 only. Smaller hooks tear out of our big, soft-mouthed carp.
No barbless hooks, no long-shank hooks and no bent hooks.

Rigs and leads

No lead core and no leaders of any kind. They can turn into tether rigs when snagged.
No 360 rigs and no Ronnie rigs.
No fixed leads, no inline leads and no running rigs.
Avid Carp tube gripper lead clips only (the new fold-over clips without pins are fine). No other type of lead clip is allowed.
Rig tubing of at least 70 cm (28 in) is compulsory to protect fins and scales. Tip: thread it on your line before you travel.
Fish only inside your swim markers. If you want to fish another area, move swims.

Baits

No plastic, rubber or artificial baits. Lost baits stay in the lake and can kill fish.
No nuts or particles.
No salt and no oil. Please don't bring any with you.
No Korda Goo (it stains everything it touches).
Pop-ups are fine. Boilies, pop-ups, wafters, dips and pellets are available in our shop. See the Baits page.

Looking after the carp

Always use the unhooking mat provided, and wet it first. On hot or frosty days, soak it to cool or warm it.
Lift carp from the water in the sling provided, never in the landing net. Move fish around the swim in the weighing sling only.
Never stand up while holding a carp, and never carry one to another area.
Keep the fish wet while unhooking and taking photos, and return it quickly.
Let the fish recover in the water before releasing it from the sling.
Treat every hook mark or damaged area with Klinik, Medicarp or similar. Put it on your mat before you start and leave it there all week.
No sacking of carp. Please don't bring a sack.
If you catch an eel, unhook it and return it safely. Never kill eels.
Store slings on the hooks at the weigh station and landing nets in the tubes on your peg (rats love nets).

Alcohol and behaviour

Drink in moderation only. Anyone drunk or under the influence is not allowed near the lakes.
Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs at airport pick-up will not be transported.
In either case the holiday ends immediately, with no refund, and onward travel becomes your own responsibility.
Keep phone ringtones, radios and music at low volume.

Safety and environment

A lifejacket must be worn in any boat.
No open fires.
No litter at all, including bottle tops and cigarette ends. Recycling is compulsory; we explain how on arrival.
Respect the local wildlife, plants and nature.

Deposit and responsibility

A cash deposit of £70 / €75 is payable on arrival. It is refunded in full at the end of your holiday unless equipment is damaged or rules are broken. You are responsible for the full replacement cost of anything belonging to Brittany Mill Lakes that you damage.

By booking, you and every person in your group agree to follow these rules. Breaking them can end your holiday at our discretion.

Thank you for helping us keep the carp in pristine condition and the lakes clean for everyone. We hope you have a fantastic carp fishing holiday at Brittany Mill Lakes!

Our on-site shop stocks most terminal tackle, including diamond eye threaders, pre-cut 28-inch easy-thread rig tubing, Avid Carp tube gripper lead clips and leads, Korda wide gape hooks and Klinik.