Big Temple mirror tops this weeks catches. - 1 02 2009

FISHERY REPORTS
WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, 1st February 2009
 
PREDATOR & TENCH STOCKING
The planned predator and tench stocking started this week with around 50 plus small pike and 100 odd tench between 2lb and 5lb being stocked in the Old Lake with a further 100 tench between 1lb and 2lb stocked into Milton Lake. Hopefully we a second stocking of larger fish will arrive next week.
 
NEW LARGER TACKLE & BAIT SHOP NOW OPEN
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Check out Bury Hill’s tackle and bait shop here and our Christmas/New Year specials:
http://www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk/fishing-tackle.phtml
Also our online shop here:
http://www.buryhilltackleandbait.co.uk/

WATER TEMPERATURES
As I write this weeks report, water temperatures are dropping as we head into yet another arctic blast with heavy snow forecast for later today. As such water temperatures were 4.1 degrees this morning, which is a big drop from 6.4 degree’s last week whilst oxygen levels were steady at 30%.


THIS WEEKS FISHING!
Another pretty cold week with all lakes seeing some ice although surprisingly the fishing has been reasonably good despite falling water temperatures as we headed into the weekend.
However despite the grim weather, all the lakes have produced a few fish this week with some good reports of pike and zander from the Old Lake as well as one or two reasonable catches of bream with the odd better fish topping 5lb. Both Bonds and Milton Lakes have also seen some reasonable sport with 30lb bags of carp being reported on Bonds whilst Milton has continued its run of big roach and perch. However the great news is that Temple has thrown up the first fish of 2009, one of the big ‘Italians’ weighing in at a record 36lb 2oz.
 
OLD BURY HILL LAKE – PREDATOR FISHING
Generally a pretty good week for the predator anglers with quite a few pike reported to early doubles as well as the odd zander to 9lb. With a number of anglers reporting bags of 2 between 4 fish, both the front and long banks have produced fish whilst boat anglers have also found some action from the jungle and island margins.
Whilst tactics remain much the same as in previous weeks, small baits are definitely working better than larger baits with diagonal head and tail sections of both sea and freshwater baits working particularly well. Single hook rigs are also taking a few more fish with hair rigs also making hooking easier and safer. These tactics, will not only catch pike and zander, but will improve takes and moreover help to avoid a deep hooked fish.
Ian Welch’s pages in the Anglers Mail recently featured Zander fishing at Bury Hill, see link below.
http://www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk/press/
This weeks catches
Don Evans had a good day early week catching 3 pike to 12lb and a pretty 9lb zed. Fishing peg 32, Don fished a roach head on a single hook hair rig catching on a light link ledger 30’ out.
Nick Atkin also managed a lively 12lb pike last weekend; Nick fished the long bank catching on roach dead bait fished to the open water. Another angler to bag a fish or two was Mo Brown from Dagenham who managed a 10lb pike on popped up smelt from peg 22.



Bury Hill tutor Eric Bailey had a half days one to one this weekend with David Hatton. Despite freezing conditions, Eric managed to catch David a 7lb pike and 8lb zander, which was a real result with the dropping temperatures. The pair fished pegs 42 and 43 and caught the zander on light ledger tactics 25m out on a small half roach whilst the pike fell to float fished roach to the margins.



OLD BURY HILL LAKE – GENERAL & BOAT FISHING
A Surprisingly good week for general sport with the Old Lake fishing very well for winter conditions with good numbers of bream showing along with the odd skimmer from both the front and long bank pegs. Whilst both float, pole and feeder tactics have been working, small open end feeder tactics have been taking a good number of fish with some anglers reporting up to a dozen or so fish a sitting to 6lb. Whilst smaller baits such as maggot, caster and worm are catching, surprisingly larger baits such as corn are also working, particularly for the bigger fish.
This weeks catches
Hayden Woods fished peg 26 along the long bank catching 12 bream between 3lb and 6lb. Haydon fished a small open-end feeder with Lake 3000 ground bait catching on double maggot with the bigger fish being caught on corn.
Steve Richards from Worcester Park also found the bream catching 15 fish to 3lb 8oz. Also fishing an open-end feeder, Steve caught on double maggot.

OLD BURY HILL & TEMPLE LAKE - CARP
Hooray!!!! Temple threw up its first fish of the year today in biting cold conditions, one of the ‘Italians’ weighing a record 36lb 2oz, see catch details below. The Old Lake has also producing a few fish, although the fishing has certainly got harder as we headed into this weekend and the forecast of heavy snow.
Bait wise, much the same as previous weeks with most good baits working but certainly Icelandic Red, Fusion, KG1 and Cell, white and yellow pop ups are also worth a go at this time of year over a few PVA bagged pellet.
This weeks catches
The man to beat this week was Bury Hill regular Mark Savage who despite freezing conditions managed to bag not only a new PB but also Temple’s first fish of the year, a stonking 36lb 2oz mirror known as Italian 1.

Fishing peg 4, Mark who had been on the water since Friday fished a number of different methods and baits before settling on a light running rig and a balanced Questbait RahJa Spice boilie tipped with a fake corn which had been glugged for 3 months in a trick glug. Fishing a size 10 long shank blow back, Mark decided to try something different by using a 12” of Korda super natural hook length which he pinned down. With tag number 138134, the big ‘Italian’ is a new PB for Mark beating his previous fish, Temple’s Ghost which Mark caught last year.



Please Note!
Temple Lake can only be fished by Specimen Carp Members who are also able to night fish the Old Lake. With membership numbers strictly limited to anglers with some experience of catching bigger fish, membership includes Old Bury Hill Lake and Temple Lake, our new specimen carp lake. Following recent stockings, Temple currently holds just under a 100 fish to upper thirties, which now includes 35 known thirties, the average size is close to 29lb. To date there has been a waiting list to join, however there is a small number of places available for 2009 which will be available on a first come first served basis, anyone interested should contact David or Jane on 01306 877540, or download an application form from our website.
To view the latest carp catches and pictures click the following link:
http://www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk/carp-catches/
 
BONDS LAKE
Despite the cold conditions, Bonds Lake fished pretty well this week with anglers catching up to ten fish with the odd fish topping double figures. Whilst most methods and smaller baits such as maggot and caster have been working, larger baits such as corn have also been catching, particularly when hair rigged over little feed to the island margins. Fishing with dead red maggots also accounted for some good fish again on the tip or a small loaded waggler cast over to the island.

MILTON LAKE
Generally a pretty good week on Milton with a number of anglers reporting bags of roach and perch to over 30lb which has included individual fish to over 2lb. With both the open water and margins producing, now is the time to get on Milton for the chance of a big roach or stripey. Single red maggot and small hooks over a small offering of chopped up worms are irrestible to these big-mouthed predators whilst single maggot, caster and worm will wheedle out the better roach.