Another two Temple thirties despite colder weather - 9 11 2009

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The next few months will see major stocking taking place on all the lakes at Bury Hill. The Old Lake will receive some large tench from Temple as well as good number of skimmers, whilst Milton Lake will see most of the carp removed which will be replaced with small tench as well as quality roach, rudd, perch and skimmers, all of which will come from Temple Lake. Bonds Lake will also see a further stocking of small carp from Milton as well as a few roach and skimmers.

With a wetter week and the weather moving more towards winter temperatures, water temperatures have not surprisingly dropped. Today water temperatures were 10.1 degree’s whilst oxygen levels were 35%, which is low and clearly due to the rain we have had over the weekend as well as the colder nights.

Not surprisingly, the fishing has slowed a little this week as water temperatures drop further as we head into winter. Saying that, once water temperatures start to plateau out the fishing will bounce back.

Despite quite a lot of rain leading into the weekend, all lakes have produced a few fish with the predator fishing on the Old Lake throwing up some reasonable sport with both zander and pike showing in equal numbers. Indeed, as water temperatures continue to drop further, expect to see more pike caught as we head further into winter.

The bream fishing has also been reasonable on the Old Lake with a few anglers finding some pretty good sport from the mid and deeper water sections with bags to 40lb reported which include the odd bonus tench. Not surprisingly, feeder tactics seem to be best.

On the carp front, whilst the fishing has started to slow, the week has seen another two thirties caught from Temple as well as the odd twenty whilst the Old Lake continues to throw up some reasonable doubles along with the odd twenty.

Bonds and Milton Lakes have also fished OK, with mixed nets on Milton to 30lb being reported whilst Bonds has seen bags of carp to 40lb. 

A bit of a mixed week for the predators as we move from unseasonal mild conditions into winter. As such, the zander fishing has started to slow whilst the pike fishing has started to pick up. Despite the mixed weather, most anglers managed a fish or two this week, with zander running to 9lb and a couple of better-sized pike to 16lb showing amongst the jacks.

With all areas producing a few fish, the shallow and mid water areas appear to be the better areas to target with fish being caught on a variety of both freshwater and sea baits, although small roach dead baits do still seem to be favorite. Saying that, a few of the zander are being taken on smaller sea baits such as smelt, mackerel strip and tails, so it is always best to keep an open mind.

Regarding methods, ledger seems to be the way to go although a lot of fish have also been taken on float fished baits, particularly by boat anglers who have also enjoyed some great sport from the jungle area.

Lewis Miles had a good session early week catching 2 small zander and a cracking pike weighing 16lb 11oz. Fishing small roach deadbaits on a simple ledger rig, Lewis caught his new PB 30mts of peg 14 half way along the front bank.

Another angler to catch this week was Clive Simms. Fishing peg 40 along the long bank, Clive float fished small smelt deadbaits to the back of the old pads catching 3 zander to 9lb 2oz and a nice pike weighing 11lb 12oz.

Despite a bit of a mixed week weather wise, reasonable bags of bream were reported again this week with a couple of anglers catching 40lb plus bags. With both the front and long banks fishing best and the mid and deep water areas producing most of the sport, the fish are spread out, although with water temperatures now dropping, expect to see the fish start to shoal up.

As we head deeper into winter, small feeder and cage feeder tactics will take over from most other methods, although pole tactics are always worth a go. Whilst hair rigged or lassoed 8mm or 10mm pellet on a size 14 or 12 barbless hook have been working well, maggot, caster and worm will start to take over as water temperatures slowly drop.

Whilst most of the sport has been to bank anglers, the few boat anglers general fishing have been catching a few bream from the jungle and open water areas with the odd late season tench also showing.

Despite a bit of mixed weather, the past couple of weeks have seen Temple’s catches soar with 113 thirties now banked in 2009. Whilst a quieter week this week, there has still been a couple of thirties reported and a few twenties, although to be fair, the fishing is now starting to slow as water temperatures drop.

Whilst corn in its various forms is still accounting for a lot of the fish, recent weeks has seen a move back to boilies with all but one of this weeks fish being caught on them.

Whilst angling numbers have been down this week owing to the weather, anglers have reported OK catches on the Old Lake although all of the fish have been doubles. With tactics and baits pretty much unchanged, Icelandic Red boilies are continuing to catch, as are KG1, Activ 8, Maple 8 and Cell.

Ex BH bailiff Martin Colwell grabbed a couple of nights on Temple catching a cracking 32lb 4oz mirror. Fishing swim 15, Martin caught on Icelandic Red pop ups which he trimmed down fishing these to the inside margin using 4oz Edge Leads.

The other angler to catch a thirty this week, indeed his first Temple thirty was new member Chris Wren. Fishing swim 11, Chris from Crowborough caught a stunning 31lb common on orange popped up corn, which he fished to the margins.

Other catches this week included Temple regular Robin Ellis who bagged a 24lb mirror, Robin fished swim 4 catching on a boilie and Steve McTigue. Steve caught a 22lb 4oz mirror from swim 14 on a tutti Frutti pop up which he fished to the island margins.

Despite a chill down, Bonds has fished generally OK this past week with some anglers actually doing quite well reporting bags to 40lb.

Whilst most methods will catch, a small feeder with hair-rigged pellet still seems to still be the best method with mini boilies and maggot also catching. Indeed as water temperatures chill down further, maggot and smaller baits will become more important.

Probably our best winter water, Milton has been producing some reasonable winter sport this past week or so with the roach and other silver fish starting to show in reasonable numbers. With the odd tench and very odd crucian also showing, float and pole tactics continue to be the best method with both the pole line and margins producing bags to 30lb. Bait wise, things are now a lot finer with single red maggot and caster generally being the best baits, although pellet and even corn are still catching.

Cobham AC’s recent match was won with 24lb 6oz. Fishing swim 5, Keith Meredith won the day with a mainly carp bag caught on feeder and maggot. Second place was taken by Tony Brewer who weighed in 12lb of tench and carp from peg 28.