Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 25/3/18

Headlines:

Big catches of carp from Bonds Lake
Up to 24 fish per angler as lake switches on
24-bream pleasure catch and 39 lb bream bag wins Old Lake contest
Bait-boated boilies provide a four-carp shared overnighter
Local photographer’s Bury Hill wildlife photos

THIS WEEK’S FISHING! (In brief)

Sport has been recovering from the double Beasts from the East, and it has been Bonds Lake in particular that has shaken off the winter chill.
Several good catches of carp topped by a 24-fish haul by lake regular Paul Benefield show why this lake has a reputation for being the first to warm up after winter.
The Old Lake bream are also hungry after the cold snap, and a 24-fish pleasure catch and a 39 lb match weight demonstrate how willing they are to welcome the arrival of spring by feeding in numbers.
And it won’t be long before the Old Lake’s carp are getting caught in good numbers, too, a shared four-carp catch on bait-boated boilies showing how every day there is an increase in activity.
Although there has been talk of a cool Easter, temperatures into double figures are expected for the Bank Holiday weekend, albeit with some cool nights, offering a fair bit of sunshine, mixed with traditional April showers.
The weather looks a lot more spring-like this week, with double-figure values for at least the first half of the week, Monday reaching a high of 11 degrees C with some good sunny spells and 5 at night into Tuesday, which is likely to be showery but 13 degrees, and 5 overnight into Wednesday, which should bring a mixture of sunshine and showers and a high of 9, but dropping to 2 into Thursday, and more sunshine and showers and a high of 8 degrees, and staying that way on into the weekend but with 10 for Saturday and 12 for Sunday. Winds are expected to be light to moderate and from a north-westerly or south-westerly direction, strongest on Tuesday and Wednesday, but developing a south-easterly direction on Thursday night and into the weekend, though becoming lighter and turning to north-easterlies after the Full Moon on Saturday lunchtime.
After a recent appeal for wildlife photos to be taken around the lakes, local photographer Chrissie Wiggins, of Brista Photography, has sent in a selection of recent images from the fishery, a few of which are shown here.

• The predator fishing season begins on October 1 and finishes on 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 are positive signs that the bream and carp are both getting more interested in feeding, as shown by a 24-bream pleasure catch and a shared four-carp and five-bream overnighter haul.
Dan Mason had the 24 bream from peg 38, while Alan Adams and Ken Hulf had nine bream each from pegs 35 and 37 on Method feeder tactics.
Brian Spiking won the latest Old Lake contest with 39 lb of bream from peg 8, on pole or feeder and maggots.
And Bradley Bennett and his pal Lee Miles, from Reigate, shared four carp in an overnighter at pegs 74 and 75, the biggest a 17 lb 8 oz mirror, along with five bream, on double 18 mm Mainline Cell boilies over bait-boated free offerings and corn fished a rod length off the island.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

Last week we reported that Jason Ostler, from Woking, had a 21 lb common and a 19 lb fully scaled from peg 13, on a 15 mm Solar Top Banana boilie over freebies and crumb and a small bed of Dynamite Hempseed & Snails.
As well as last week’s photo of the 21-pounder, here is a picture of his fully scaled 19 lb mirror.

BONDS LAKE

Bonds is the place to head for as the weather warms, as it is usually the first lake to produce big catches of carp, as lake regular Paul Benefield showed this week.
He managed 24 fish to 12 lb on Friday, including six doubles, all on banded 8 mm pellets and Method feeder.
And father and son Gary and James Smith, from Shirley, shared seven carp from peg 13, including two doubles to 11 lb, also on Method feeder and 8 mm pellets, theirs being Mainline ones.

MILTON LAKE

The Milton tench are already being caught in numbers, along with a few crucians, but it is the roach that are attracting attention.
Tom Phillips had them to 1 lb 7 oz along with tench to 4 lb, despite very cold conditions, on double maggot at peg 30.