Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 2/1/17

HEADLINES

Mild spells hold the key to winter success
49 lb matchwinning bream catch before frosts returned
Lure anglers getting action with jelly patterns
Roach to specimen size on Milton Lake and carp action on Bonds

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

Picking the right day to fish is proving the key to success in a winter of yo-yo temperatures that has switched from rain to frost in 24 hours.
Species that feed one day are then difficult to tempt the next as the thermometer and barometer swing between high and low from one day to the next.
A weekend match on the Old Lake was won with 49 lb of bream, but then frosts made them reluctant to feed.
But carp anglers have been catching occasional fish to high doubles, and lure anglers have been landing medium-sized zander and jack pike, especially when adopting roving tactics to search swims.
Even on Temple Lake, where the fish seem to all switch on and switch off together, leading to multiple catches followed by lulls, fish have been showing in mild conditions and there have been reports of fish hooked and lost.
Bonds Lake is always a good bet for a run or two from a carp, even in difficult conditions, and Milton Lake has a good head of specimen roach that are most active at this time of year, when they don’t have to compete with crucian carp and tench.
The changeable weather looks set to continue, with frosts giving way to milder and wetter conditions as highs and lows compete for dominance but struggle to stay in charge for more than a couple of days.
The first part of this week looks set to be bright and cold, with a top daytime temperature of 5 degrees C, and overnight values below zero. But then there’s a change on Friday and into the weekend, with milder, more-overcast conditions, giving 8 degrees by day and 4 at night, before the ‘pendulum’ swings back again and Saturday night into Sunday produces another frost. But then there should be two mild days on Sunday and Monday, reaching 10 degrees and no lower than 5 at night, before it’s back to 5 by day on Tuesday and zero at night into Wednesday. Winds have a northerly direction to them for the start of the week, swinging round to south-westerlies on Friday for the changeover to mild conditions, but then back to northerlies on Saturday, before more south-westerlies for the mild spell on Sunday and Monday, and then back to northerlies for the cold again on Tuesday. But the winds should be generally very light for the whole week ahead. So Saturday during the daytime and Sunday afternoon into Monday look to be best for mini windows of mild weather opportunity.

• The predator fishing season begins on October 1 and continues until March 14.

• Anyone who fancies being part of the night syndicate of anglers who are allowed to fish Temple and the Old Lake after dark for a £50 joining fee will be interested to hear that there are places available. To apply, get in touch with the office on 01306 883621.

• 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

Once again the variable weather has dictated the quality of sport, and it has swung from very mild to frosty as one day has lead into the next.
Those anglers who have succeeded have picked the conditions to suit, or adapted their fishing to the species most likely to respond.
Chris Bull, from Plaistow, who caught a 9 lb 4 oz zander at the end of November while fishing from a boat in the Jungle, had a 10 lb 8 oz pike at the start of his session in the same area, on a hair-rigged small whole roach bait, and also added a 4 lb fish later.
He sent us a picture of his double, which is posted below.
Exploring the lake with artificials is proving popular with pike and zander anglers, who are enjoying a more active approach, locating concentrations of predators and getting action from smaller fish while also having a chance of a specimen.
Dark lures in particular have proved effective, dark green and black accounting for a good number of fish.
Chris Webb and Jack Webb-Olley had some predator success, between them landing some good zander to 5 lb 10 oz and Jack also had a 6 lb pike (see photos below).
On the carp front, Sam Godwin, from Fetcham, had a 17 lb fish from peg 24 late in the day on 16 mm Mainline Cell boilies, when the sun had managed to warm the water a little.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

Difficult conditions made it a quiet week on Temple, but milder weather could bring an upturn in sport.

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, as well as offering some prime roach fishing, having produced fish to 3 lb in recent seasons.

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.