Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 6/8/17

HEADLINES

Biggest match haul of bream for years
168 lb took five keepnets to hold
24-carp catch on Old Lake with light feeding
Three Old Lake ‘twenties’ to one angler
137 lb wins 24-hour Pairs Carp Match
Bonds angler lands 100 lb of fish to 11 lb

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

Match angler Mark Hathaway has landed the biggest catch of bream in a contest for many years, with 168 lb of fish.
The huge haul, which took five keepnets to hold, came from peg 38 on the Long Bank on feeder and pellets, during very strong winds and heavy rain.
Carp anglers have also been benefiting from the often uncomfortable but very productive weather.
Oliver Burrows had 24 carp in a 36-hour session on the Old Lake, and Steve McTigue landed three ‘twenties’ in his ten-fish overnighter catch, and a 5 lb 2 oz tench.
The 24-hour Pairs Carp Match produced a winning catch of nine fish to 20 lb 8 oz for 137 lb 14 oz, by Chris Holbrook and Jonathan Humphrey.
Bonds lake has also done a ‘ton-up’ catch, the 100 lb total by Colin Biddulph including fish to 11 lb.
And Temple Lake produced a second ‘thirty’ for Mark Savage on his latest visit, at 30 lb 4 oz, to go with the 34 lb 5 oz common that he landed earlier.
It looks like being a slightly cooler week this week, with around 18 degrees C, but warming up for next weekend to 21 degrees. Moderate south-westerlies and overcast conditions on Monday for the Full Moon look likely to become north-westerlies with a bit more sunshine but with the chance of a shower on Tuesday, before a similar but cooler Wednesday of 16 degrees with a bit more rain and wind, then a drier, sunnier Thursday of 18 degrees but still with cloud, and much the same on Friday. Next weekend looks to be more like 21 degrees, but with a likelihood of rain showers, and more of the same next week. Overnight values should stay in double figures, with a high of about 15 degrees from Friday into Saturday and continuing over the weekend.

• The predator fishing season begins this Sunday, 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

There hasn’t been a bream catch in a match like the one that Mark Hathaway achieved last week for many years.
The 168 lb haul took five nets to contain and was more than double Mark’s nearest rival in the ten-angler Deans Casuals contest last Wednesday on the Long Bank.
Mark drew peg 38, and in the heavy rain and high winds he fished a feeder and pellets to land 50 fish from 1 lb to 5 lb to set a new high for a silver fish weight.
There have been numerous good match and pleasure weights of bream over the years as the fish have thrived and multiplied, benefiting from the high-protein diet of pellets and boilies provided by anglers.
On the match side, Ray Tingley landed 121 lb 12 oz of bream in a Hackbridge AS contest in June 2015, and Nick Stunt had 111 lb 4 oz in August the same year in another of the same club’s contests.
On the pleasure side, Steve Jones recorded 200 lb of bream to 7 lb in April 2014, and in May last year, Norman Yuldoon enjoyed a practice session of 74 bream to 6 lb, while Ethan Hayes had 57 bream to 6 lb a couple of weeks later, and Keith Williams 63 in April this year.
Runner-up in the latest contest was John Swann with 80 lb from peg 35, with Norman Yuldoon third on 47 lb.
Pleasure-wise, Clive Mills, from Tolworth, landed 36 bream to 7 lb on feeder and pellets for around 120 lb from peg 12, while his friend, Joe Edwards, had 27 on similar tactics for around 90 lb, his biggest fish an impressive 8 lb 9 oz.
It’s been a good week for carp catches, too, one angler landing 24 fish in a 36-hour session on peg 2.
Oliver Burrows, from Southampton, had all of the fish, which were up to 18 lb, on single 15 mm Mainline Cell baits over free offerings of 15 mm Peaches & Cream boilies in the far margins, feeding only boilies to avoid attracting the pellet-loving bream.
Steve McTigue, from Westcott, had three ‘twenties’ in an overnighter at peg 38, all commons, at 21 lb 4 oz, 20 lb 2 oz and 20 lb, the rest of his ten-carp catch being mid-doubles, apart from a 5 lb 2 oz bonus tench, on single 18 mm Cell boilies over a scattering of free offerings.
An angler called Jose landed seven carp on an overnighter, the best a 22 lb 4 oz mirror, from peg 75 casting double Dynamite Monster Tiger Nut boilies to the corner of the island.
An angler called Matthew had six carp to mid-doubles on an overnighter on peg 20 using a snowman presentation over pellets and broken boilies.
Blake Watson, from Sunbury, had six carp to 14 lb, which was a mirror, from peg 24 on Nash Key Cray boilies over free offerings.
And Matt Gegg, from Leatherhead, landed a 19 lb 4 oz linear from peg 37 on 18 mm home-made, honey-infused boilies in snowman presentations.
Famous globetrotting angler Graeme Pullen came down to do some filming and had six fish to upper doubles from peg 50 on Cell snowmen, before lots of fish appeared on the surface late in the evening and he had two off the top in the fading light, which was a first for him. We will provide a link to his latest recording when it is available.
On the boats, Danny Butler and his six-year-old son Ollie had “another great day”, catching five tench to 5 lb 6 oz and lots of bream (see photos below) from the Jungle, as well as hooking a couple of carp.
Most of the fish were on float fished meat or worms, but some took Manilla boilies over a scattering of free offerings.

The nine teams in the 24-hour Pairs Carp Match got a bit of a soaking as a storm moved through, but the ‘fishy’ weather meant it took 137 lb 14 oz to win it, Chris Holbrook and Jonathan Humphrey banking nine carp, including the largest, a 20 lb 8 oz common for Jonathan, from pegs 2 and 51.
Runners-up were Stephen and Samuel Evenden, who had five fish for 56 lb 8 oz from pegs 20 and 32, ahead of Adam Bennet and Phil Middleton on three for 37 lb 4 oz from pegs 14 and 38.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

Last week we reported how Mark Savage had a 34 lb 5 oz common and a 22 lb 3 oz mirror during a four-day session that was still continuing, and he added a 30 lb 4 oz common (see photo below) on his final day.
A move from peg 13 to peg 1 produced his final fish 30 minutes after the change, and once again it was a 10 mm pop-up cast tight to the island over a fishmeal mix that did the trick.

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.

Colin Biddulph, from Epsom, had a busy day, landing over 100 lb of carp to 11 lb from peg 9 on pellet feeder and 8 mm banded pellets, casting to the margins close to the aerator.

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.