Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 21/5/17
HEADLINES
Another four ‘thirties’ and The Ghost at a biggest ever 40 lb 10 oz
Terry Burns ends six blanks with five carp for near-145 lb
Three anglers share 90-crucian catch
Bonds angler braves rain for over 100 lb of carp
Angler’s three Old Lake ‘twenties’ to 26 lb, nine tench and 11 bream on boilies
THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)
It’s been another impressive week for big fish on Temple, with no fewer than four more ‘thirties’, not including The Ghost at its biggest ever weight, of 40 lb 10 oz.
And captor Terry Burns landed the distinctive fish as part of a five-carp haul weighing over 145 lb that also included one of 32 lb 4 oz, ending a run of six blanks on the water.
Two Tone visited the bank again, just a week after the previous capture, 1 lb up at 36 lb 8 oz, to Alan Wright, and there was a 32 lb 2 oz mirror for Tony Sawyers, and 30 lb 8 oz for Ewan Fuller.
Angling pals Simon and Adam Campbell and Dave Matthews enjoyed a near-90-crucian catch from Milton Lake, while another trio landed roach to 1 lb 15 oz and tench to over 5 lb, pole fishing maggots and casters.
Bonds Lake provided Antony Gunn with over 100 lb of carp on only his fifth fishing session after a 25-year break from the sport.
And Barry Wilkinson showed how boilies can account for numbers of carp, tench and bream, as he landed 12 Old Lake carp, included a 26 lb 2 oz common and 25 lb and 21 lb mirrors, nine tench to 8 lb and 11 bream.
If you like warm sunshine then this week will be a pleasure to be outdoors, with temperatures climbing steadily from the high teens at the start to 25 degrees by Saturday, and with sunshine every day, some of it in cloudless skies, and with little chance of rain. The one downside is that winds will have an easterly element to them, though they should be no stronger than moderate. Overnight temperatures should stay well into double figures, with 16 degrees by next Saturday, which is warmer than some recent daytime values. The extra warmth could encourage the fish to feed even harder, but it could also trigger their urge to spawn, though the week after looks to be a lot cooler, with temperatures in the teens again from Monday week, perhaps no more than 16 by day, which could mean the fish may wait for a longer spell of warm weather. Certainly, Friday and Saturday coming look likely to be sunbathing weather, and that could trigger an electrical storm by Saturday evening and also on Sunday evening, which can also be a spur for fish to feed, leading to cooler conditions afterwards as the high is replaced by wetter weather.
• The predator fishing season begins on October 1 and continues until March 14.
• Anglers are reminded that fishing on Temple and night fishing on the Old Lake is available exclusively to members of the Bury Hill Specimen Carp Club. Membership cards must be carried at all times when on the fishery, and be available to bailiffs when they carry out checks prior to the evening lock-up.
OLD BURY HILL LAKE – GENERAL & BOAT FISHING
Whether it’s carp, tench or bream that you want, the Old Lake is producing some great catches, providing both quality and quantity, and all you need is boilies.
Barry Wilkinson, from Coulsdon, landed 12 carp during a 24-hour session at peg 70, including a 26 lb 2 oz common, a 25 lb mirror and a 21 lb mirror, along with nine tench to 8 lb and 11 bream.
Barry single 18 mm Mainline Cell bottom baits cast tight to the island over a scattering of boilies, the rest of his carp being high doubles.
Conor Cook, from Westcott, did an overnighter on the Old Lake for a change and had seven carp to 19 lb 8 oz from peg 27, casting Cell bottom baits on blowback rigs with small PVA bags tight to the island.
Andy Pitts had a PB 22 lb mirror and Stephen Spear carp to mid-doubles at pegs 74 and 75 on Essential Cell.
Colin Moore landed three carp, the best a 23 lb common, from peg 32 on Carp Company Icelandic Red 18 mm boilies cast tight to the island.
Brian Shearer, from Tunbridge Wells, targeted the bream and had 15 to 5 lb, along with three tench to 7 lb, all on float fished pellets.
And Chris from Old Woking, managing six tench to 7 lb 8 oz along with three carp to 17 lb.
TEMPLE LAKE – CARP
There’s been no let-up in the action, with another four ‘thirties’ reported in the past week, taking the total to 28 in the past nine weeks including The Ghost at its biggest ever weight of 40 lb 10 oz for a new personal best.
Terry Burns, from Littlehampton, was the successful angler, ending a run of six blanks with a 145 lb haul of five carp that also included one of 32 lb 4 oz.
Terry’s fish weighed 40 lb 10 oz, 32 lb 4 oz, 29 lb 7 oz, 26 lb 5 oz and 17 lb 3 oz, and came during a 48-hour session using single 18 mm Mainline Cell bottom baits over a scattering of free offerings.
The Ghost was last reported four weeks ago at 39 lb 1 oz to Simon Longhurst, who also had it back in May 2015 at 39 lb 4 oz, and it went 39 lb 10 oz in December that year, and 39 lb 2 oz last May, 39 lb 10 oz last October and 39 lb 1 oz in April this year.
Its previous biggest weight was at 40 lb exactly, to Barry Osbourn, in May 2010.
Among the other big fish landed was Two Tone at 36 lb 8 oz (see photos below) for Alan Wright, just a week after its previous capture at 1 lb lighter by Mark Constable.
Alan was fishing peg 3 with single 20 mm krill boilies cast tight to the island, and also had a 28 lb mirror carp on his 24-hour session to get off the mark in style on Temple.
Tony Sawyers had a 32 lb 2 oz mirror carp, along with another of 21 lb and a smaller fully scaled, on CC Moore boilies over crushed offerings at peg 9.
And Ewan Fuller landed a 30 lb 8 oz common from peg 11, along with fully scaled fish of 17 lb and 15 lb, on 18 mm CC Moore Live System boilies.
He was fishing with his brother, who was on peg 10, who had a 29 lb 8 oz common and a 16 lb mirror on single 12 mm CC Moore Live System bottom baits and Northern Special pop-ups.
Josh Knight had a brace of ‘twenties’, a 29 lb common and a 23 lb 15 oz mirror (see photos below), from peg 10 on single 18 mm Mainline Essential Cell bottom baits with PVA sticks cast into the channel between the islands.
And alongside him, at peg 11, dad Gary had four fish, all of them ‘twenties’, a 26 lb 6 oz common, a 22 lb 10 oz mirror, a 21 lb 7 oz fully scaled and a 20 lb 5 oz mirror, on the same bait as Josh, in the island margins.
Last week we reported how Conor Cook, from Westcott, had a 32 lb 12 oz common and a brace of ‘twenties’, one of the ‘twenties’ being a common of 28 lb 8 oz known as White Spot, which is up a couple of pounds on its normal weight, on single 18 mm Cell bottom baits with small PVA bags in open water at peg 12.
Last week we posted a picture of the biggest of the three fish, and he has sent us photos of the other two, which are posted below.
Last week we reported how fishing pals John Mason and Terry Baker both bagged ‘thirties’ on a shared session, John’s being a 32 lb 4 oz common, to which he added a 29 lb 15 oz common, and Terry had a 32 lb 2 oz mirror and another of 29 lb 14 oz.
They have sent pictures of their fish, which are posted below.
BONDS LAKE
Bonds regularly produces multiple catches of carp to double figures on a variety of methods, from pole to feeder and straight lead to waggler.
Antony Gunn braved a day of very wet weather, but had the pleasure of Bonds Lake all to himself, and was rewarded with a catch of over 100 lb of carp.
After a 25-year break from fishing, this was Antony’s fifth session back, and he made the most of it with mirrors and commons on waggler and double maggot on a size 14 hook, saying: “What a fantastic day it was – thank you.”
MILTON LAKE
Milton Lake is the place to try for a catch of prime roach, using a waggler on a running line or pole just a short distance out, close to the pads, where they can be lined up with a little-and-often loosefeeding approach. And in the mild spells there are crucians, tench and bream to be caught, along with occasional carp.
Milton Lake seems to attract anglers who come in threes to enjoy some quality crucian and roach action.
Jez Brown, Ray Pulford and Mark Hewer landed crucians to over 2 lb and 15 roach from 1 lb 8 oz to 1 lb 15 oz, along with tench to over 5 lb (see photos below), fishing just 5 ft out in 2 ft of water with pole and maggots or casters, feeding micro pellets and baiting two spots.
Jez commented: “A great day’s sport was had, and we will definitely be back.”
And another trio, Simon and Adam Campbell and Dave Matthews landed nearly 90 crucians between them, along with two tench, fishing pegs 22, 23 and 24 with 6 mm soft pellets over small balls of groundbait.
Meanwhile, lake regular Alan Derbyshire had 15 crucians from peg 2, along with two tench to 3 lb and roach to 1 lb 4 oz, along with a 1 lb hybrid, on pole and double pinkie or worm and pinkie or maggots while feeding groundbait, and chopped worm.
