Old Lake Latest Catches week ending 26/2/17

HEADLINES

Prime time for big zander as three doubles banked
11 lb 2 oz fish in a catch of seven
Three Temple 30s as milder weather brings lakes to life
70 lb of carp wins Bonds match
Old Lake pleasure catch of 60 lb of bream

THIS WEEKS FISHING (IN BRIEF!)

This is the time for anyone who wants to catch a big zander to achieve their ambition, with the season’s end just two weeks away and three double-figure fish caught in the past week.
Bury Hill regular Janusz Kansik had seven in just a few hours, including five sizeable fish, the best 11 lb 2 oz. And Harefield Tackle manager Jason Evans boated four, the biggest 10 lb 11 oz.
Temple Lake is coming back to life after the chilly winter and netting operation, producing three 30s in the past few days, the biggest 32 lb 8 oz to Joshua Knight.
Bonds is also back with a bang after being netted to move its specimen roach to Milton Lake. A Three Kings Saturday match produced a 70 lb 6 oz winning weight, on feeder tight to the island.
The Old Lake bream are also on the feed, a pleasure session producing a 60 lb catch of fish to 4 lb for Robert Perdoni. And a midweek Open was won with 37 lb 15 oz, followed by two other 30 lb weights.
It looks like more of the same on the weather front this week, with a mixture of sunshine and showers, temperatures reaching double figures at times, moderate winds and the chance of some chilly nights, but staying just above freezing. After a very mild night from Sunday into Monday, and sunshine and showers on Monday and 8 degrees C, it should be drier on Tuesday with sunshine and 7, followed by a mainly dry Wednesday and 8, dry with some sunshine and 10 degrees on Thursday, cloudier and 9 on Friday with a few showers, with similar for the weekend. Winds look to be moderate and mainly south-westerly or southerly, though Friday could produce some stronger winds and the chance of an electric storm, before things settle down again for the weekend.

• 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

There are just two weeks to go of the predator season at Bury Hill, and with fish due to spawn soon, they are at their heaviest weight of the year.
Bury Hill regular and Polish Anglers Association member Janusz Kansik made the most of his latest session by landing seven fish in a few hours (see photos below), the biggest 11 lb 2 oz, measuring 74 cm long and giving him “an amazing fight.”
Janusz fished his usual small roach halves, landing fish on float and leger.

Harefield Tackle manager Jason Evans had his best ever day afloat, catching four zander, including a new PB of 10 lb 11 oz, and a double-figure pike (see photos below).
Jason fished the Jungle close to the overhanging bushes on the right-hand side with float fished five-inch roach deadbaits slightly overdepth.

Another fishery regular, Phil Ellis, had a nice brace of zander, the biggest weighing 7 lb, from peg 16 (see photos below).
Phil hair-rigged deadbaits without success, but a switch to lures brought the two fish, his first zander on a lure.

Steve Green landed a 7 lb 8 oz zander from peg 38 (see photo below) on a small roach deadbait legered mid-way to the island, on a hair-rig.

Another angler had two zander of around 6 lb and a 16 lb 8 oz pike, while yet another angler had three zander and two pike from the top end of the Long Bank, the biggest zander 11 lb 9 oz and the biggest pike 14 lb 5 oz (more details to follow soon).
Best reported bream catch was a pleasure session that produced 60 lb of fish to 4 lb for Robert Perdoni, from Egham, who fished peg 15 with 14-metre and 16-metre pole and double red maggot, loosefeeding maggots and casters over the top.
The midweek Open attracted 24 anglers to the Front and Long Banks, and it was won with 37 lb 15 oz by Tommy Hiller, who quivertipped an orange wafter at peg 14 to open water, to beat Don Garnish, at peg 6, with 36 lb 8 oz on pole and maggots.
Tony Parnell was third from peg 21 with 30 lb on pole and maggots.
There were 13 weights of over 19 lb, and with the bream more spread out now that the weather has turned milder, it was a fairer contest.
In terms of carp catches, Dean Jackson had a nicely scaled 16 lb 4 oz mirror carp (see photo below) from peg 3 on a NashBait Tangerine Dream pop-up over six free offerings.

TEMPLE LAKE – CARP

Three ‘thirties’ in the past few days show that it didn’t take long for the Temple carp to start feeding after the netting operation.
New Temple member Joshua Knight led the way with a 32 lb 8 oz mirror carp (see photos below), his first ‘thirty’ from the lake, and on his first trip.
Joshua fished peg 2 with an 18 mm Dynamite The Source boilie cast towards the island point over four or five freebies.

Brian Nicholls had a 30 lb 2 oz common carp (see photo below) on a one-day visit, on an 18 mm Mainline Cell bottom bait fished in open water, and Joe Concanon, aka Joe Hendry, from Leatherhead, landed a 30 lb scaly mirror at the start of his session (more details and pic to follow).

New member Stephen Hayes had three fish on his first session on Temple, at first from peg 4 with a common of 20 lb 8 oz and a ghost common of 20 lb, and then a plated mirror carp of 16 lb 8 oz after a move to peg 2 (see photos below).
Stephen was fishing 16 mm A2 Baits Mum’s Specials dumbbell wafters and 18 mm Richworth Tutti Frutti dumbbell wafters cast just short of the island into a small bay, and then he moved for his third fish, casting to the corner of the island.

Brian ‘Harry’ Krishnan had a lovely, fully scaled mirror carp of 19 lb 7 oz (see photo below) from peg 6 on a Cell bottom bait and pop-up in a snowman presentation, while his friend, Steve, landed a 20 lb common from the next peg.

And Richard Lock had a 19 lb mirror (see photo below) from peg 6 on an 18 mm Mainline Cell bait.

BONDS LAKE

Bonds has bounced straight back from the netting, producing a 70 lb 6 oz matchwinning weight in the Three Kings Open on Saturday.
Steve Ellis, from Sutton, won from peg 3 fishing a small feeder cast tight to the island and down the side, with corn and pellets.
His travelling partner, John Wilding, was second on the same tactic with 69 lb 2 oz from peg 7, ahead of Michael White with 47 lb from peg 9, followed by two 25 lb weights.

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.

Michael Costello showed that there are also specimen perch to be caught, landing one of 2 lb 8 oz with over 20 fish, including roach and rudd to over 1 lb.
Michael, from Sutton, fished peg 19 with a maggot feeder and double red maggot on the hook for a new PB.
Milton Lake regular Alan Derbyshire had 25 crucians, three tench and some silver fish from peg 24, on 13m pole and 2 mm and 4 mm expander pellets over cupped-in groundbait and pellets.
Charlie Wyatt caught roach to over 1 lb steadily from the off at peg 3, along with a few crucians, on a light waggler and soft pellets, switching to corn to land more crucians to 2 lb.
And Nick Sandstrom had “a wonderful time” as a newcomer to coarse fishing, landing a dozen fish from peg 19, including crucians, tench and roach on waggler and double red maggot, his first of all three species.