Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 12/2/17

HEADLINES

Second 63 lb matchwinning bream weight
Bi-annual netting of smaller lakes reveals specimen fish
Plans for pike to go into Old Lake
Major mild spell forecast, reaching 14 degrees on Sunday

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

Some raw February weather meant anglers venturing out had to wrap up warm against the mid-winter temperatures, but they were rewarded with good numbers of fish willing to feed.
England international Will Raison won the midweek contest with 63 lb 8 oz of feeder-caught bream, followed by 47 lb and 38 lb 2 oz.
Every two years the three smallest lakes are netted to redistribute fish that are better suited to other waters on site.
The biggest carp in Bonds get moved, along with that lake’s specimen roach, which are difficult to target on light gear without losing carp, and any specimen zander in Temple are put into the Old Lake.
This year’s work means the redistributed fish can now be fished for with more chance of them being landing, along with a ‘stocktake’ of what is in the smallest lakes.
There are also plans to boost the pike stocks in the Old Lake, to give predator anglers more to fish for, and with good numbers of bream of all year-classes, there is a good chance that they could reach specimen size.
It looks as if daytime temperatures this week are going to be double what they were last week, reaching a balmy 12 degrees C on Wednesday and Thursday, and staying in double figures into next weekend, when 14 degrees is being forecast for Sunday. Monday looks like being the start of the extended mild spell, with 8 degrees, compared to 4 on Sunday, and very bright and sunny, though this may mean a frost overnight into Tuesday, but this should be the last. Then it should be 9 on Tuesday and 7 at night into Wednesday, as cloudy but mild and dry weather takes over. The easterly wind should change after Tuesday and become a very light south-westerly on Wednesday, staying that way into the weekend. Sunshine looks like being in short supply after a bright Monday, and there is a chance of fog on Thursday and Friday, but things will be a lot more ‘fishy’ as the week progresses, and by the weekend there could be a lot of feeding going on as fish respond to the big temperature rise after the long spell of icy weather. So the outlook is better than it has been for weeks.

• 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

Match anglers showed what can be done despite the cold weather when they produced a 63 lb winning weight for the second week running.
Last week it was Steve Gardener who landed 63 lb of bream from peg 34 on the Long Bank to win, and this week another England man, Will Raison, won with 63 lb 8 oz from peg 33 (see photo below).
The 18-strong contest was won on feeder, alternating worm and corn on the hook, Will beating Tommy Hiller’s 47 lb on pole or feeder, with Ray Tingley third from peg 35 with 38 lb 2 oz on the same.

NETTING
The bi-annual netting operations on the three smallest lakes has turned up some fine specimens, which will be redistributed around the fishery (see photos below).
A large number of zander were discovered in the lakes, including double-figure fish, and these were put into the Old Lake to boost stocks further.
There are also plans afoot to bring some pike in to boost predator stocks and perhaps encourage some to reach specimen size, as has been achieved in the past, helped by the large numbers of bream and silver fish in the lake.
A few of the biggest carp were moved from Bonds, leaving over 500 averaging about 7 lb each, up to 13 lb.
The small number of bigger fish have been replaced by 200 commons and mirrors of around 1 lb 8 oz, to grow on and provide sport for the future.
All of the silver fish have been removed from Bonds, including a good number of big roach to 2 lb 8 oz, which have now gone into Milton Lake, where anglers are more geared-up to catch them with light tackle.
Temple also produced some very big silver fish and tench, which were not being fished for, so these have also gone into Milton.
The intention is to nurture Milton as a quality silver fish and true crucian fishery with a big head of tench. It now holds crucians to over 3 lb, tench to 7 lb and roach to 3 lb, the average size of roach now being well over 1 lb.
The stocktaking of Milton revealed that it now has almost a tonne of crucian carp and three-quarters of a tonne of tench, along with 600 lb of big roach.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

Recent netting, at the quietest time of year for angling and when oxygen levels are at their highest, has meant fishing has not been taking place recently, but the lake should be back to normal soon.

BONDS LAKE

Recent netting, at the quietest time of year for angling and when oxygen levels are at their highest, has meant fishing has not been taking place recently, but the lake should be back to normal soon.

MILTON LAKE

Recent netting, at the quietest time of year for angling and when oxygen levels are at their highest, has meant fishing has not been taking place recently, but the lake should be back to normal soon.