5 x 40lb+ On The Last day!
Posted: 22nd May 2016
As they say in France Ooh lala.....it's been another week of great company with 3 regular chaps and to say I was pleased with the number of 40s this week is an understatement!! The lads did the usual split opting for swims 1,3 & 5, with Kevin making the choice of Peg 1 with so many fish moving down on a fresh wind from the week before and plenty of fish showing and bubbling while we looked around on the Saturday. Joe had had good results in Peg 3 in the past so after asking a few questions about where the fish have been coming from and if anyone has been fishing at range into 4s water from Peg 3, Joe went with his gut instinct and dropped in 3. Giles was keen to fish 5 for the first time & with this swim fishing so well this season it was the perfect choice.
The one thing I would say about this weeks fishing was the chaps really did stick with a plan of baiting and resting......no panicking at all and happy to rest the swim throughout the day or night depending on which swim they were fishing.....did it make a difference? you bet-ya because the average size was special, showing once again the key to a good weeks fishing here is to get those better fish feeding confidently and they will make a mistake. The first night was a bit tasty because Kevin broke his pb with a fish of 45lb+ and Joe did the same with the largest fish of the week at 54lb 10oz...beast! It took a few days more for Giles to get moving but when he did braces of 40s on the bounce came thick and fast.
No set method with rigs was needed, with fish falling to a standard bottom bait fished over the freebies or a single pop-up...either way if the fish had come over the bait for a few hours without lines in the water, a pick-up could come within 10 minutes of casting out, and twice Giles landed a brace of 40s by recasting while the first was in the net, no sooner than weighing and photgraphing the first and the rod would pull up tight and into a second 40lb+.
The lads managed 30 fish this week with a futher 3 x 18lb stockies not included. 14 fish over 40lb+ so half of this weeks catch over this mark!!! including a 49lb+,48lb+, 2 x47lb+,45lb+ and a huge grassie anywhere between 45-50lb. 7 fish over 30lb+ including 2 x 39lb and 8 x 20lb+ including 2 x 29lb+ all three anglers breaking their pbs which has been the norm so far this season for many anglers.
The weather is still very changeable so the fish have not spawned yet, the females are looking full and ripe so I feel are very close and it's all down to the weather now. Extra care needs to be taken at this time of the year so any big loaded females are being quickly weighed and photograghed in the water.....also the weighing cradles need to be filled with fresh water "EVERYTIME" from the lake before dealing with a fish on the bank, then emptied completely for the next fish, flotation weigh slings used to lift the fish out of the lake while making sure pectoral fins are lying flush with the body of the fish before folding the landing net mesh into the sling before lifting....it's general fish care but extra steps need to be taken to prevent any damage/loss of a big female at this time of the year and we all play a part in this.
As I type this we have had another storm roll in and it's been raining all night and day so far....this hasn't prevented the new group of 4 from catching because I called down with their breakfast while Scott in Peg 1 was photgraphing his new pb at 50lb 8oz so what a great start for this group!!!
LATE CANCELLATION
We have had a late cancellation for the last week of july due to work commitments. This week is available if anyone is interested in a last minute booking, which will be offered at a discount.....it's a good week with the spawning normally well out of the way and the fish starting to feed hard for the second half of the year. Just to confirm its the 23rd July-30th July 2016 (exclusive lake booking 4 anglers max), so please get in touch if interested.
Back soon with another update
Team Sanctuary