Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 12/3/17

HEADLINES

Lots of predator action as season nears its close
Estimated 12 lb zander and 18 lb 8 oz pike
Three Temple Lake ‘thirties’ as feeding begins in earnest
Two anglers share 57 carp catch from Bonds
Roach to 2 lb reported from Milton Lake
Father and son share 16 Old Lake carp

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

The final few days of the predator season are often among the most productive, and capable of producing a heavyweight fish, and this year has been no exception.
Multiple catches of zander, a huge fish estimated at 12 lb and an 18 lb 8 oz pike were among the highlights, as anglers all around the fishery, on the bank and on boats, enjoyed some great sport, with a couple of days still to go.
Temple Lake has turned the corner and the fish are a lot more active now, which has got anglers itching to be there to make the most of the opportunity.
Three ‘thirties’ were landed this week and plenty of smaller fish, and the best is yet to come as we get closer to April and the big boost in temperature and light levels that triggers a period of the hottest sport of the year.
Not to be out-done, Bonds Lake has been in blistering form, providing two anglers with no fewer than 57 carp in one session, showing what is possible at this ‘runs’ water.
Milton Lake has cemented its reputation as a place to catch specimen roach and rudd, along with big crucians, tench and perch.
Fish of over 2 lb of both ‘redfin’ species are possible, following the transfer of Bonds Lake’s big roach to Milton, where anglers can catch them without having their swims ‘gatecrashed’ by carp.
And the Old Lake is also in good form, now that the chilly weather is receding. A father and son pairing shared 16 carp to 18 lb 3 oz and a near-7 lb early season tench, while there were 80 lb and near-100 lb bags of bream, along with a 17 lb carp to a predator angler fishing a lamprey section
It looks like being a largely dry week with mild temperatures of 13 degrees C, possibly 16, for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and double-figure daytime temperatures for the rest of the week, with little sign of a frost. Monday should be the sunniest day, with high pressure in charge, in light north-westerly winds, then more cloud on Tuesday but still dry and with westerlies, back to more sunshine on Wednesday and very light south-easterlies, similar but a couple of degrees cooler on Thursday, a degree cooler and overcast for Friday after a night of 4 degrees, with slightly stronger westerlies, increasing by a degree C for Saturday but with light showers and slightly stronger winds again, as the pattern of just below double figures and showery weather with cooler nights sets in. But for the first half of the week it looks to be very pleasant to be outdoors, and one of the mildest weeks of the year so far.

• 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

This is your last chance to catch a personal best zander or pike until October, and judging by results over the past week, the fishing is as good now as it’s been all season.
The mild temperatures and often overcast weather suits zander in particular, and they have responded accordingly, providing anglers with multiple bags and potentially the biggest fish of the campaign.
Steven Brown, from Worcester, adopted match-style tactics of quivertipping hair-rigged tiny, thumbnail squares of fish using a half ounce bomb, and striking at even the slightest movement of the ‘tip.
The River Severn angler’s reward was a zander that was into double figures and could have been 12 lb, from peg 27, and the pictures that he showed justified the weight.
Up to half a dozen fish have been caught from the boats, often to lures, and fish to 8 lb have been landed from several areas of the lake, though the deepest swims, the six either side of the Boathouse, are still amongst the favourites.
Richard Evans had a fine 18 lb 8 oz pike from peg 10, along with three small zander, and Sam and Simon Dodd had zander to 7 lb and a bonus 17 lb mirror carp, which took a lamprey section.

James Byers caught four zander to 8 lb and two small pike, all on small roach sections, fishing from the Long Bank.
And Jack Webb-Olley had a 5 lb 10 oz zander (see photo below) on his last session of the season, using sprat tail, to take his total for 12 sessions to 23 zander.

Father and son Dan and Connor Lucas shared a catch of 16 carp to 18 lb 3 oz on a 36-hour session at peg 3, and also a near-7 lb tench for Connor, casting into open water towards the main island with 18 mm Mainline Peaches & Cream boilies over free offerings.

And Dean Jackson had a 17 lb 7 oz mirror carp from peg 14, on an overnighter, casting a NashBait Tangerine Dream bottom bait to the centre of the channel.

The lake’s bream have been feeding well, Barry Gusterson landing 80 lb on feeder at peg 36, using double maggot cast half way to the island.
And lake regular John Taylor landed 34 bream for close to 100 lb from peg 14 on long pole and soft pellets or maggots.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

There’s been a marked increase in activity at the Lake over the past week or two, with fish on the move and three ‘thirties’ being landed in the past week.
Adam Rogers led the way with a 36 lb 15 oz mirror (see photos below) from peg 12, on a 15 mm Mainline Cell wafter over a few freebies in the island margins. The fish is thought to be one of the original big Italian carp.

Mick Warren ended a long wait for a fish in style with a 31 lb 10 oz mirror carp from peg 5 (see photo below).
Mick fished Cell with a small pop-up in a snowman presentation to the island on a blowback rig.
Unfortunately the fish was trailing a length of line and a 3 oz fixed lead, which Mick was able to relieve it of, prompting a reminder to anglers that fixed leads are outlawed for this reason, as fish can be left towing them around or even tethered to a snag.

And Barrie Spencer had a 30 lb 8 oz mirror and a mint 18 lb common stockie (see photos below) on a 24-hour session, both to double fake corn on a KD rig over a bed of hemp and corn mix boated to the far margin, at peg 9.

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.

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.

The lake is now attracting specimen hunters who want to catch a 2 lb roach, because there is a good chance, following the redistribution of stocks, and the netting of Bonds to transfer silver fish.
Milton regular Tony Mills landed a dozen roach all around 1 lb and two fish close to 2 lb, along with six crucians to 2 lb and three tench to 5 lb.
And Guy Hughes had 15 roach and rudd, including a best roach of 2 lb 3 oz and rudd of 1 lb 11 oz, along with a 1 lb 14 oz perch, fishing light waggler to the reeds at peg 20.
Roach specialist Lucjan Sliwa had 19 fish to over 1 lb, for around 12 lb, despite breezy conditions, fishing a waggler, and also landing crucians and perch, while his friend, Kamil, had a big rudd