Wicked Weather,Wellies & Whales
Posted: 18th May 2014
What a week we have just had, highs and lows, ups & downs but a very magical ending to the week. I already commented on the weather midweek and it didn't get any better until the final few days. The cold N/E wind was biting, along with the hail, rain and lack of Sunshine the temps felt more like late Autumn and we all prayed for the sunshine.
Ray in Peg 1 was catching slow & steady throughout the week with a lot of fish holding up in front of him behind the cold wind leaving the other 3 lads stuggling to be honest.
I word of warning to future bookings and I keep stessing this point because I do want you to catch and enjoy you week, no other reason. You have to play the long game, the fish are never far away but clued-up and you have to build confidence with your baiting. Single baits and bags do pick up odd fish but nothing more, I have never seen a big hit yet from this method alone and I do think after Rich catching two good fish early in the session he started to realise that the shoal had moved on. You have to imagine how 200 fish in 7 acres of water behave, and the only way to get them returning to your spots and increasing your chances of a pick up is to get them feeding confidently. 30 baits put out first thing in the morning will not feed a double, so when you could have a dozen 40lb+ fish milling around your baited area you need them competing like a pack of dogs, this way greed gets the better of them, thus a mistake is made & the rest of the shoal still return even if one of the group has been hooked. I'm not advocating sticking in kilos of bait at a time, but a steady build-up each day if your catching is vital. If the fish are feeding well you will use 10-15kg of pellet + 15kg of boilie. If they are not feeding well, 12 kg of pellet and boilie will sufice, but please take this as honest & good advice. All of the big fish at the end of the week came to a spot that been built up throughout the week without exception. We all need a little luck when booking 12 months in advance, each & every angler is hoping for a cracking week and the weather combined with time of the year and swim choice all play a huge role in the outcome. If all falls into place and a good angler makes the most of what's in front of him, the best fishing of your life could unfold!!!
The Wendy house in Peg 2 was abandoned with Neil and Nick returning to their baited spots. I don't think Nick in Peg 5 could have fished any harder but the fish just would not play ball and the cold weather was the main factor. Well, the sun started to warm everyone up including the fish on Thursday, with 24 hrs of warm sunshine and no wind on the lake, Neil was out of the blocks with a 54lb Mirror from Peg 4!!! This was around midday followed by Ray taking a 52lb 8oz around tea time. Nick was out of the blocks in the evening with a 49lb 14oz Mirror & then Rich took his second 50lb of the week with a fish of 50lb 8oz. That was 3 fish over 50lb+ in that short window of time along with Nicks being 2 oz off, it just shows sometimes it's never to late!!
The week ended on 16 fish, not a huge total by far but 4 fish over 50lb+, 49lb 14oz, 48lb 12oz, with a total of 6 over 40lb+. 4 x 30lb+ (including 37,2 x 38lb+) and a couple of 20lb. Average weight is the best we have had at 42lb+ and makes all the winter work worth while!!!
On the Wildlife front, the lakes are bursting with life. A myriad of Butterflies & Dragon flies abound the lakes, Redback Shrike have just returned to their nesting ground. The Turtle Dove which is on the endangered list in the UK right now is calling from every hedgerow and Blackthorn bush and is such a beautiful bird when viewed up close. I had a glimpse of a Goshawk today while walking through the forest overlooking the lakes, the list goes on!! I will post lots of pics on FB of the lakes and surroundings so you can get a true feel for the venue, it's a very special place down in the valley, a tranquil haven of natural beauty that's very hard to find in this busy world and makes for a special holiday indeed.
The chaps arrived yesterday with Guy taking a couple of small 20lb fish first thing this morning from Peg 3. All the lads commented on liners all night along with the fish kicking off Spawning this morning explaining why. They have been thrashing it out on the near margin for the first time, and you could have walked across them today down in Peg 5 directly infront of the Peg!! With the weather set to stay warm I hope they try and complete the task in one hit without any disturbances.
I will keep you informed & hopefully take some picks of the ritual this week.
Over & Out
Team Sanctuary
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