Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 22/1/17

HEADLINES

Six zander to 9 lb in an afternoon and evening
Matchwinning bream bag of 40 lb in mild spell
Rudd to 1 lb and perch to 2 lb with crucians and roach in mixed bags on Milton Lake
Old Lake regulars land 15 lb common and 16 lb mirror
Bonds anglers share seven carp catch to 11 lb

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

Despite difficult weather conditions, there have been some impressive catches by anglers making the most of times when the fish are willing to feed.
Member of the Polish Anglers Association and Bury Hill regular Janusz Kansik enjoyed a successful return after a few weeks absence with a catch of six zander topped by a fish of 9 lb.
A match following a short mild spell led to a winning weight of 40 lb of bream, and the runner-up had 39 lb 8 oz.
Milton Lake regular Alan Derbyshire managed a mixed bag of rudd to 1 lb and perch to 1 lb 8 oz, while Ivan Morst had Milton roach to 1 lb 7 oz and perch to just under 2 lb.
The Old Lake has produced carp to 16 lb 8 oz, and on Bonds, two anglers shared a catch of seven carp to 11 lb.
Catch the weather right and the fish are keen to make up for lost time until the next cold snap, and active in their search of food.
However, some prolonged cold weather looks likely this week as high pressure dominates, bringing a taste of the low temperatures being experienced across Europe.
Bright, sunny days and little in the way of rainfall are the bonuses, but a run of frosts, with the chance of temperatures down to minus 3 degrees C, means that things could be challenging later this week.
Monday is likely to be the last of the low pressure days, with showers and overcast skies, before bright, sunny weather on Tuesday, but no higher than 4 degrees by day and zero at night. Wednesday and Thursday should be a degree or two warmer, but things slide overnight into Friday with potentially minus 3, and Friday into Saturday could be minus 4, before minus 3 again on Saturday, one degree from Sunday into Monday and minus 2 from Monday into Tuesday of next week. Daytime temperatures during that spell could be no more than 2 degrees, with 4 at best. With winds from an easterly direction, though only light in strength, temperatures will feel even lower than they are, as winter finally tightens its icy grip on the weather.
• 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

Janusz Kansik loves his zander fishing, and when predator sport elsewhere is proving difficult, he comes back to Bury Hill to get his fix.
Braving cold and wet conditions on Saturday, he was rewarded with six fish of up to around 9 lb (67 cm) (see photos below) in an afternoon and evening, and he lost another two fish.
Most successful approach was a light float with a small piece of roach tail, and Janusz commented: “It was a cold evening but definitely worth fishing! Really, really great fun.”

An Open match on the Front and Long Banks produced a winning weight of 40 lb of bream for Mark Glynn, on cage feeder and double maggot, casting close to the island from peg 34.
Runner-up Mick Keeper was a whisker behind on 39 lb 8 oz, also casting close to the island, from peg 36, but with a Method feeder and small white pop-ups.
And Paul Taylor was third from the Front Bank, at peg 12, with 25 lb 8 oz of bream on feeder and maggots.
On the carp front, lake regular Gavin Campbell had success in difficult conditions with a plump 16 lb 8 oz mirror carp (see photo below).
Fishing peg 24 on Saturday, Gavin used a 14 mm Mainline Cell pop-up over chopped Cell baits and hemp in a three-hour session.

And another lake regular, Danny Lucas had a 15 lb common carp (see photo below) on a 24-hour visit, casting into deep water also from peg 24 with a single 15 mm Mainline Peaches & Cream boilie and a PVA bag filled with crushed baits.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

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

BONDS LAKE

As the ice thaws out, 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.