Pike anglers continue to catch! - 7 02 2010

Saturday 27^th February will see 80 predator anglers battle it out for £3000 worth of Fox tackle vouchers. With over £8000 worth of raffle prizes already donated and some very special auction prizes up for grabs giving you the opportunity to fish with some of the stars of angling, check out www.haitianglingappeal.co.uk

The fishery currently opens around 7.00am both weekdays and weekends. Current closing time is approximately 4.30pm. Boats in by 4.00pm sharp.

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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 as well as a good number of skimmers, whilst Milton Lake will see most of the carp removed (this has now been done) which will be replaced with tench and crucian 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 (this stocking has now taken place with 400 fish being stocked) as well as a few roach and skimmers.

Despite a slightly warmer week, water temperatures remained at a pretty cold 4.1 degree’s whilst oxygen levels increased further to 80%.

Outlook for the week ahead is possibly getting colder with - dare I say it, the possibility of further snow.

Another great week for the predators with plenty of pike showing from all areas on the Old Lake as well as the odd zander, with anglers catching up to 5 fish a session which includes fish to sub twenty. As many of you will know, zander are not lovers of cold clear water conditions and as such have been few and far between since the cold snap. However, as soon as warmer conditions return, expect to see zander catches start to increase.

On the general fishing front, the Old Lake has seen some reasonable numbers of bream and skimmers caught as well as the odd hybrid this week, although small baits and hooks are essential.

Our premier winter water, Milton Lake has started to see some reasonable bags of silver fish caught, although anglers are having to fish around the dredger, which is currently working on the water. Alternatively, Bonds lake is also worth a go with anglers bagging a few carp.

Another really good week for the pike which are showing in good numbers with many anglers reporting a fish or two and the odd angler bagging 4 or 5 fish a session!

The week saw fish to 18lb caught with sea and freshwater baits both working equally well with small sections of bait seemingly working best particularly when fished with single hooks and light ledger rigs.

Bury Hill regular Colin Allchin had another excellent day's fishing in the week catching a total of five pike weighing 7lb, 8lb 12oz, 9lb 8oz, 9lb 14oz and 10lb 8oz from peg 19. Baits as usual were small and on this occasion lamprey, which Colin fished on a single hook set up and light ledger.

Fletcher Hodgins from Essex managed two pike during his visit weighing 14lb 8oz and 8lb 13oz. Fishing peg 40, Fletcher fished roach tail baits on a light ledger set up.

Southern Pike Anglers also had a good day last week with 4 anglers catching 9 fish. Steven Mable won the day with just short of 30lb which included pike weighing 14lb and 12lb. All the fish were caught on ledgered roach dead baits from pegs 39 - 42.



Another Bury Hill regular, Kevin Oldcorn managed 4 pike during his recent session topped by a pretty 11lb 10oz fish, Kevins other fish weighed 9lb, 6lb 8oz and 4lb 6oz. All of Kevins fish were caught on small sea baits and small ledgers.

Although he only managed a small five/six pound pike, Rod Parker found the fish very finicky and had to resort to fishing hair rigged sprats tail on a single hook rig which he fished to the deep water from peg 24.

With water temperatures creeping up slightly, this was enough to see a few bream and skimmers caught this week with one or two anglers catching up to a dozen fish. Whilst all methods are working, the pole and feeder seem to be the best tactics for the cold water conditions with single red maggot and small pellet both working on the hook.

Bury Hill regular Stephen Mills had a good day early week catching 4 bream all around the 3lb mark and 10 or so skimmers. Fishing peg 28, Steve fished a long pole catching on a single red maggot.

Another quite week for the carpers, although this week we did see a few anglers starting to brave the conditions on both the Old Lake and Temple Lake.

Whilst Temple Lake remains “rock hard”, history tells us that the fish will start to show as soon as the weather breaks with a good chance of a thirty coming out. The Old Lake is definitely a better bet with all the usual areas worth a try, although accurate feeding and small baits are definitely the way to go with boilies still accounting for most of the fish caught, although pellet is also worth a go! As is normal at this time of year, the island margins are always worth a try as are the mid and deep water sections.

Just one report off the Old Lake this week from Paul Taylor who fished a midweek session catching a pretty mirror weighing 18lb. Paul fished peg 36 fishing his Icelandic Red baits tight to the island.

A little quite on Bonds this week with only a handful of anglers fishing the lake. Whilst the fishing has been hard, the odd carp has been caught with small groundbait and maggot feeder to the island seemingly being the best method with mini boilies and pellet also catching.

Whilst we are currently dredging Milton Lake, it is definitely worth a go and particularly where the dredger has been working as this kicks up the bloodworm whilst also providing much more water in the areas which have been completed.

With a few roach, rudd and perch showing and even the odd tench, float and pole tactics seem to be the best method with both the pole line and margins producing bags to 15/20lb plus. Bait wise, things are now a lot finer with single red maggot and caster the best baits, although pellet and even corn are still catching. Chopped worm and Predator Plus additive is also worth a look at.

Following the dredging which will take a further two weeks, we will be stocking 600/800 small tench, a 1000 or so crucian and simply loads of quality roach and rudd as well as quite a few perch and lots of skimmers.