Brian SKoyles' Dreams Come True

Daiwa consultant Brian Skoyles has recently returned from a tricky session on Etang du Bois. The water holds some huge fish but would Brian land “The Fish of his Dreams”?

Etang du Bois is a water where dreams can be made, as it contains some huge fish, but it’s not an easy water, so as I set up in my swim I didn’t expect lots of runs but it was fingers crossed for a fish or two.

It’s a lovely water and I was looking forward to the week ahead. One thing I hadn’t really counted on was the quantities of mosquitoes. It’s fair to say they were a pain! According to the resident bailiff it’s normally not too bad but for some reason there had been an explosion of the little pests and they were soon having a snack courtesy of my blood supply.

Anyhow having sprayed everywhere I could reach, I got set up and got the baits out. There is always something a bit special about fishing a water where you know that at any time you could be attached to a fish of a lifetime and it’s a waiting game I can enjoy.

Night one passed without incident but I did have topping in my swim and bubbling early morning, not where I had put my baits but that was rectified for night two, and just after midnight it paid off, as a steady take produced some very hairy moments and a lovely mirror of just over 50lbs.

Night three again produced a take to the same tactic, a White Spice pop-up/ Trigga Ice snowman and just a light scattering of Trigga Ice boilies, this time a one toner and another nice fish 47/12.

I thought I was on a roll, and was confident of more takes, but that’s when the fish decided otherwise and the action dried up. There were three of us on for the week, and by midweek we had all caught, Les two, and Mel one, but from Wednesday we never had another take. Apparently the Etang du Bois fish can be a bit difficult at times, but that’s what makes the challenge that bit special.

At the start of the week I had my fingers crossed for a fish or two, so in many ways I was happy with my result but “The fish of my dreams” is still in there and here’s hoping I get another chance to make the dream reality, but even if I don’t I can think of no nicer place to keep trying.