Retreat Fishery

16/12/2024

I didn’t think it was possible, but Tom has outdone himself with this latest video, perfectly showcasing The Retreat. 🎥

What makes this video so incredible is the honesty Tom brings to it. He goes beyond just the fishing—delving into the relationships that make a week at The Retreat so special. Whether it’s the bond between partners, the camaraderie with friends, or simply sharing the ups and downs together, this video highlights just how important these connections are.

Tom has captured the heart and soul of The Retreat—its beauty, its challenges, and the magic of shared experiences. A huge thank you to Tom for creating such an authentic and inspiring masterpiece, and to Swimbooker for bringing it all together. You won’t want to miss this one—sit back and enjoy!

The Retreat, now booking Spring 2027: https://swimbooker.com/fishery/11468This is the adventure I never thought would leave the group chat.. Join the Wife an...

15/12/2024

The essence of the Retreat captured wonderfully by Carl and Tom. Join them on their journey as Carl breaks his PB at the Retreat. A great watch.. enjoy!!

We go fishing at a tiny muddy pond and end up on a journey far longer and more emotional than expected! Big love everyone! Learn more about fishing on my ...

13/12/2024

🎣 Wrapping Up an Incredible 2024 Season at The Retreat 🎣

As we close the curtain on another unforgettable year, we want to take a moment to reflect on the highs, the challenges, and the memories that have made 2024 so special. From record-breaking catches to shared moments on the bank, this season has truly been one for the books.

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible guests. You’ve brought passion, determination, and camaraderie to every session this year. Whether you were returning to familiar waters or joining us for the first time, you’ve made The Retreat a place where stories are made and personal bests are shattered. And shattered they were—this season saw countless PB's broken, with many anglers walking away with catches they’ll remember for a lifetime. From stunning mirrors to the legendary Reggie, the lake’s giants have graced the nets of so many deserving anglers.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our amazing ranger team—George, Brett, Irma, Bastien and Gareth. Their tireless work behind the scenes ensures that every visit is seamless, every swim is prepared to perfection, and every guest feels at home. Whether it’s maintaining the grounds, attending to the deer herd, or offering tips to help land those elusive carp, this team is the heartbeat of The Retreat.

This year came with its challenges, too—unpredictable weather tested even the most experienced anglers, and yet the spirit and resilience of our guests shone through. Seeing so many of you adapt, persist, and ultimately succeed has been inspiring.

We’re also proud of the continued growth of our fishery. With Reggie currently pushing towards the 80lb mark, we have high hopes she’ll hit this milestone in 2025! And with our feeding programme in full swing, we’re also optimistic about welcoming a couple of new 70lb fish into the mix next year. The future is looking bright, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

We’ve officially opened availability for the 2027 season, giving you the chance to secure your spot and be part of what promises to be another incredible chapter at The Retreat. With our fish thriving and new stock set to make their mark, the upcoming seasons are shaping up to be unforgettable. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic, create lifelong memories, and perhaps even land a new PB on the bank!

As we sign off for 2024, we want to thank each and every one of you for being part of our journey. The Retreat isn’t just a fishery; it’s a fishing paradise and it’s one we’re proud to share with you all. Here’s to the memories we’ve made and to the adventures that await us in 2025.

Stay safe, tight lines, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the bank next season!

Chef 💚

03/12/2024

🎣 Season 2024 Comes to a Spectacular Close at The Retreat! 🎣

What a way to end the season! First-timers Justin and Lee made their debut trip to France, and they couldn’t have picked a better place. Arriving in the final week of November, they were met with surprisingly warm temperatures and some seriously rewarding fishing despite the challenges. 💪

Within just a few days, both anglers smashed their PBs with stunning mid-50lb mirrors, setting the tone for an unforgettable trip. But they weren’t stopping there—these lads wanted even bigger fish, and persistence paid off when Justin landed the one and only Reggie at a jaw-dropping 77lb! 👏

Reggie, who started the season at around 77-78lb, finishes at a respectable weight after her summer spawn. With a mild winter so far, we’re pushing our feeding programme to its limits—could we see our first 80lb+ carp next year? 🤔 What do you reckon?

Altogether, the guys spent nine nights with us, working hard for their bites as the week descended into winter. Their determination paid off with a few more epic captures, making for a trip filled with incredible memories and plenty of stories to take home.

A hard but rewarding week, top angling, and two great lads—we can’t wait to welcome them back! See you in 2026! 🎯

4

18/11/2024

❄️ Winter Arrives at The Retreat! ❄️

This week, we officially welcomed winter at The Retreat as we were joined by first-timers Jack, Matt, Doug, and Cliff. The weather made it a real test, with unusually warm days and chilly nights at first—then midweek, the temperature dropped for good, and the cold set in. As you can guess, that meant bites were tougher to come by! 🎣

🎯 Doug and Cliff held strong at the dam wall end, each landing new PB’s of and taking home some unforgettable memories of epic captures. Their persistence paid off, and they’re leaving with stories of some cracking fish! 👏

Jack and Matt faced a harder week overall, battling the changing weather and trying every trick to get the fish feeding on their bait. They stayed on it all week, adjusting tactics and spots, but the fish were playing hard to get. Massive respect for their effort—sometimes, that’s just fishing!

We also received 20+ new fish up to 31lb (average 24lb) to add to our stock pond. These new arrivals will go through quarantine until January when we’ll grade and bring a few into The Retreat. Huge thanks to the lads for putting up with the extra commotion as we got these new beauties settled in.

All in all, a fantastic group to have on the bank. It was a pleasure having you, and we hope to see you all but especially Jack and Matt back for another shot at The Retreat soon—hopefully, with the carp gods on their side next time! 🌅

04/11/2024

🔥 First-Timers Arnas & Dario Hit it Big at The Retreat! 🔥

These two came to The Retreat for their first session, and WOW did they deliver! With great weather for this time of year and big fish on the move, it was an epic week on the bank! 🎣

💥 Dario’s with a new PB of 55lb 4oz!�💥 Arnas took it even further, landing four 50lb fish and then topping it off with a monster catch of Reggie at 76lb 4oz! It’s amazing to see Reggie edging back towards the 80lb mark in November!

In total, they banked an impressive 16 carp. Fantastic work, lads! We loved having you and can’t wait to see you back at The Retreat for more!

30/10/2024

🎣 Big Week for Our Good Friends Roelof & Hans at The Retreat! 🎣

It was another week of unpredictable weather, but that didn’t hold these two back! Roelof and Hans worked hard and were rewarded with some stunning catches. 👏 Each managed to land a 50lb+ beauty, adding to their total of 14 incredible fish for the week! 🎯

With a few that got away and plenty of memorable moments, it was a fantastic session overall. Always a pleasure having these two on the bank—see you next time, Roelof and Hans! You’re always welcome here at The Retreat. 🌲🎣

28/10/2024

🎣 Big Effort from Chris & Helen’s Group at The Retreat! 🎣

With fish moving all over the lake and conditions tougher than usual, this crew had their work cut out for them. But they dug deep, stayed focused, and it paid off! 💪

Despite the challenge, they managed 9 stunning fish, with a couple of 50lb beauties stealing the show! 💥 A few slipped away, but every angler still managed to land a catch, proving that persistence really does pay off. 👏

Hats off to the whole group for pushing through a tough week and making memories. Here’s to more epic sessions ahead!

24/10/2024

🎣 What a week for Carl, Andy, Jimmy, and Ethan at The Retreat! 🎣

The weather was unpredictable, but that didn’t stop these lads from smashing it on the water! Despite the tricky conditions, they dialed in their approach and were rewarded with some epic catches. 💥

✅ Jimmy landed an absolute unit—a 57lb mirror!
✅ Reggie made an appearance, tipping the scales at an impressive 73lb!
✅ Young Ethan hit a personal best with a cracking 32lb. 🎯

In total, they managed 14 fish with a few slipping away, but it was still another fantastic week on the bank! 👏 We can’t wait to see what the next visit brings!

Who’s ready for their shot at these giants? 💪

19/10/2024

We welcomed back Dean, Simon, and Azzy to The Retreat for another week of fishing. With cooler autumn temperatures setting in, the deep waters were the top choice for thier presentation.

Simon managed a stunning 48lb common, while Dean celebrated with a 53lb 3oz mirror. The highlight of the trip came when Azzy landed the lake's legendary Cluster at 61lb and then another unnamed 61lber - an incredible catch!

Though the bites slowed toward the end of the week, the group still enjoyed great fishing. We can’t wait to welcome them back to The Retreat someday for another unforgettable session!

08/09/2024

The Retreat perfectly summed up 💚

25/08/2024

💚Family.... This is what the Retreat does best... as well as big fish!! It's an ideal fishing holiday to bring your kids and let them be kids in our secure 23 acre park and woodland, even your dogs don't have to be left behind, bring them too!

Jack had an awesome week, a new PB and the whole gang got to join in the fun and witness it! Jack worked hard for his fish, most of the bites coming in the night and he stayed persistent all the way to the end and had plenty of action all the way through the week! Awesome Angling Jack, congratulations on your PB and we look forward to having you all back here next year!! Lovely family! 💚

24/08/2024

9 years since their first trip, it was lovely to welcome back familiar faces Chris, Martin and first time Ann. A PB was smashed but it was a tough week for them, July as a whole was a tough month fishing.

It seemed that the smaller fish were mostly on the feed that week but Martin still managed to land Reggie at 77lb, a Pb that’s going to be hard to beat and Chris a chunk at 57lb.

14/07/2024

We have an opportunity for a new Ranger to join us.

If you would like to work with us behind the scenes at the Retreat, we will be requiring someone to join us for 10 weeks from August to October 2024. Fishing as a passion is essential, you will need to be self motivated, hard working, be able to cook and clean to a high standard and have excellent people skills.

If this is something that you would be interested in then please drop us a message.

09/06/2024

💚Awesome Week at the Retreat 💚

Reggie has crept the lake record up and Matthews PB to 78lb 10oz this week. We've had Ranger George fishing with regulars and good friends of ours, Steve and Nick and Matthew.

The guys had a great week, enjoying the sunshine, upgraded facilities and our stunning fish.

Its was Matthews first time to the venue and he left with some great memories and a PB bigger than Steve or Nick has ever managed over the years so top angling to him this week!

George also notched his PB up a few times over the week and ended up with a Reggie at 63lb 12oz PB. Good times all around for the guys!!!!!

That's wrapped up the beginning of 2024 Season, it couldn't have gone any better with nearly everyone smashing their PB's when they've come!! Were looking forward to our guests coming back later in the year.

07/06/2024

June 7th - Today's been an momentous day with a new lake record, PB's smashed and a stunning rare white red deer calf born this morning. This weeks guests have had a week to remember already!

White Red deer are rare, with only a handful of sightings in the wild reported over the last few decades.

The white colour is explained by Leucism, a unique condition that has resulted in their hair and skin losing its natural colour. White Red deer are not albino.

The second white red deer calf to be born at the Retreat, what shall we call this majestical calf?

📸 firth

30/05/2024

We had Jeff, Kev and Tony with us and they had an awesome week during another tough week. Tony smashed his PB with Reggie at 78lb and Jeff managed a new PB too with Cluster at 62lb. Kev had a quieter week but within the last few hours managed a lovely 56lb from Egret swim.

The guys pulled up in their Motorhome and enjoyed the facilities and the fish, making some great memories. It was great to have the guys back again here at the Retreat for the 3rd time and they always leave the Retreat as they found it!!! We couldn't ask for better guests!