Bream fishing BONANZA on Old Lake! - 30 08 2009

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Despite only the odd shower, the autumnal weather has now started to push water temperatures down a little to 18.2 degree’s whilst oxygen levels have increased to 58%.

Outlook for the week ahead is much the same with temperatures sitting around the late teens early twenties.

A bit of a mixed week as we head into the autumn. With a distinct chill in the air at night, the fishing at this time of year can be excellent as anyone bream fishing the Old Lake found out this week, with a number of anglers reporting bags to well over 200lb, yes 200lb! With all methods working, boat anglers also found some good tench fishing from the jungle whilst the carpers on the Old Lake also managed to a few fish with a couple reporting multi bags. Staying with the carp, the fishing on Temple has struggled this past week or two with only the odd fish reported over the weekend, although this did include a 31lb common and a number of mid and upper twenties.

Turning to the two smaller lakes, Milton Lake has continued to fish well although the colder nights have affected early morning sport as temperatures dip. With good numbers of tench, crucian and silver fish showing along with the odd carp, anglers have been reporting some excellent bags to all methods. Bonds Lake has also fished a lot better this week with some good bags of small carp reported again this week with fish in the 4lb to 7lb making up some good catches.

With autumn seemingly arriving early, the general fishing on the Old Lake has been brilliant this week with ton up hauls being reported by many anglers. Boat anglers hoping to catch the last of the tench fishing before winter have also done well with a couple of boats in the week reporting up to a dozen fish per angler.

With the bream dominating sport, a number of anglers have reported some incredible fishing this week with one angler hitting the bream on three consecutive days bagging ton up hauls each time from different areas and on different methods. Whilst feeder tactics continue to work well, pole and float tactics are also catching with both the front and long banks producing fish in the 3lb to 5lb range with the odd fish topping 6lb.

A small feeder or cage feeder is the still the ‘In Method’ with hair rigged or lassoed 8mm or 10mm pellet on a size 14 or 12 barbless hook fished 30m accounting for the bulk of the catches. It is also important to remember to ping out a few pellets around your feeder little and often as this does make a very big difference to the catches. Saying that, both pole and float tactics are also catching with pellet being the best bait.

Boat anglers have also been targeting the bream from the open water, with the point of the island being one of the hot spots, a light pole float set up on a running line is one of the best methods for bagging a few fish.

Michael Head from Dorking bagged tons of bream this week when he grabbed a few days off. Fishing a range of swims around the lake, Michael started his week off on Tuesday fishing peg 14 along the front bank where he caught 78 bream averaging 2lb to 3lb. Fishing a small cage feeder packed with Swim Stim groundbait, Michael fished pellet and small boilies on the hook estimating his catch at 180lb to 200lb. The next day saw Michael switch areas targeting the bream off peg 40 along the long bank. Fishing similar tactics to the day before, the size of fish increased averaging 3lb to 4lb although overall numbers were down slightly with Michael catching 60 fish giving him a similar weight to the first day.

Thursday saw Michael change swims and tactics again, this time targeting the bream off the early pegs along the front bank where he fished peg 6. With most of his fish being taken on the pole, soft pellet was the key bait this time with Michael ending his session with over 70 bream which averaged 3lb plus giving him a good 200lb plus bag.

Another angler to do well on the Old Lake this week was Peter Sims, Fishing the jungle from a boat, Peter fished a loaded waggler to the margins catching a dozen or so tench to 6lb, a few bream and 3 carp on large soft pellet.

Another quiet’ish week for the carpers with the best of the fishing coming from the Old Lake, although Temple did produce a few mid and upper twenties and a cracking thirty-pound common.

On the Old Lake it was the front and long bank, which saw the best of the fishing with a number of anglers reporting multi catches of up to a dozen fish. Although mainly mid to upper doubles, a small number of twenties were reported in the week, the best a 25lb mirror.

Whilst tactics and baits remain much the same as in previous weeks, Icelandic Red boilies are fishing well as are KG1, Activ 8 and Maple 8, however most good quality baits will catch. It is also worth trying pop ups and popped up corn.

Whilst Temple continues to be a little quiet, a few twenties have been reported in the week as well as a cracking thirty-pound common. With all banks seeing some action, the fish remain well spread with the island margins always a popular area to try. Baits are again varied with both corn, boilies and pop up’s catching.

Stuart Mountjoy bucked the trend on Temple this week catching 3 twenties and a thirty whilst still only part way through his session. Fishing swim 10 on the back bank, Stuart a Temple regular managed mirrors weighing 27lb, 26lb 4oz and 24lb 8oz as well as a cracking 31lb common known as ‘Jelly’. Stuart caught from the mid water on a new Nash bait he was field-testing.

Jordan Parker was another angler to catch on Temple this week bagging a cracking 25lb 8oz common. Fishing swim 10, Jordan caught on corn, which he fished over pellet.

Turning to the Old Lake, Paul Benefield had a good session bagging a brace of mirrors weighing 25lb 7oz and 25lb 2oz as part of an 11 fish haul. Fishing peg 36, Paul fished homemade banana boilies to the open water.

Old Lake regular Mark Savage also had a busy session on the Old Lake catching 11 fish to just shy of twenty pound. Fishing Maple 8 baits, Mark caught steadily from the open water.

Despite the drop in water temperatures this week, Bonds fished pretty well with both pleasure and club anglers reporting bags to 50lb plus. Although no huge weights, anglers were reporting bags of up to 20 carp, which averaged 6lb to 7lb with the odd bigger bag reported.

As in previous weeks, most methods are working with feeder tactics being particularly consistent, regarding baits, pellet and mini boilies continue to account for good numbers of fish with the island margins being the best area. If you ask in the tackle shop, you can get a leaflet describing the ‘in’ method on Bonds, which will certainly increase your catches.

Last weeks South Reading AC saw a dozen anglers fishing with Dave Brent winning the day with 59lb 12oz caught on feeder and pellet from peg 13. Pat Pritchard was second with 31lb 8oz taken on similar tactics from peg 5 whilst Steve Sainsbury was third with 21lb, which was also taken on feeder and pellet.

Despite fishing well for most of the summer, Milton Lake did struggle a bit this week as the cold nights hit. Saying that, quite a few anglers did manage some good fishing with some reasonable bags of tench and crucian reported from all areas. With quality roach and rudd also included in the catches, the margins were the most productive areas with float and pole tactics both working well with hard drilled and soft pellet over small pellet catching as well as maggot, caster, worm and corn.

David Peters had a good session mid week catching 8 tench, 10 crucian and some cracking roach and rudd for a good 60lb bag. Fishing peg 3, David fished soft pellet over small pellet from the right hand reed bed.