Blog

The doors Are Open

Posted: 11th Apr 2017

The doors are now open and our first group of 3 anglers on the lake have enjoyed the first week after the winter draindown, and it has been a very interesting week indeed. The water is very clear now after the silver fish and tench have been removed and the abundance of natural food is quite unbelievable. The lake margins are teaming with tadpoles, sedgefly are hatching from the emerging caddis fly and the whole lake surface is covered in midge pupa....so food is not hard to find for the fish at the moment. We have been experiencing some very early warm spells so far this season and I would say we have been 2 weeks in advance at least compared to most years. We enjoyed a couple of weeks before we opened with temps in the low 20s which had the fish moving and feeding well in advance of opening so the fish seem to be in fine shape because of the early start. Despite the weather it still amazes me how the migrant birds returning to nest arrive almost to the day each season regardless of the weather, & I always look forward to the sound of the Cuckoo around the 31st of March each season, which for myself is the sound of spring personified!

The fish seem to be in tight groups with the margins holding the fish far more than open water at the present. Richard in Peg 1 had 4 fish on the first night, followed by 36hrs of nothing showing at all, but he then found his rhythm and the fish started to come steadily. Paul in Peg 3 had a lovely 48lb+ mirror but it was hard going for him with most of the fish being at both ends of the lake. Tom wanted to catch his first 30lb+ carp so he was buzzing to catch a 43lb on the Sunday so with all the guys having fish under their belt it was a case of working out what the fish were doing and trying to build the swim. I honestly think the fish were not feeding hard at all, perferring naturals when they did decide, along with the weather changing from full sun and warm, to a biting northly wind pushing temps back to 9oc in the day and a very light frost one morning.

Some stunning fish caught this week, with Richard landing a 34lb fully scaled mirror, along with a 42lb grassie, some stunning linears and two new pbs with Tom landing a 50lb 14oz near leather and Richard a 51lb 8oz solid mirror.

The total was 26 fish landed, along with 6 stockies (nearly all 19lb) which I have not included. 2 over 50lb+, 9 fish over 40lb+ (including 48lb,46lb) 9 x 30lb+ to 39lb and 7 x 20lb+ to 29lb.

I think the quality of the fish coming out was the highlight for myself and the anglers, within the coming weeks I think some very special fish should grace the banks. The chaps worked hard, I would say the fishing was a little on the toughside for the time of the year but with the biomass reduced massively the fish can now pick and choose what, and when they are going to eat so you all need to keep that in mind.

We have 4 regulars on this week, the water is like gin once again and the fish have been crashing all over the lake on the peak of this full moon....let's see how they fare!

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