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Sparrowhawks & Bloodworm

Posted: 11th Aug 2013

Well it's another week over, and a few more stories to tell!! First of all we just wanted to say what a cracking group we have just had, newcomers here and not just good anglers but good people to boot, which makes the job so worth while. Kev & Alex booked the lake along with Clare joining the group for a week of rest and sunshine, along with my new mate "Willow". She was a Big, black labrador who was the easiest dog in the world to win over with a piece of freshly cooked bacon each morning waiting for her!!!

Talk about fish feeding hard and showing was an understatement, I think this was the first week after the major spawning this year I have seen them start feeding with gusto again, the problem being they were hard on the naturals. It made it a little more tricky with only the two lads fishing, allowing the fish more room to move around and feed without being under any pressure. I would say that stopping the baitboats a season ago has helped in the fact the fish are not hiding under the trees on the far bank anymore, allowing them to feed and move around the lake in a more relaxed manner, giving them once again chance to tap into the natural food larder in all the near margin features, which was very evident this week. The lads stayed in Pegs 1 & 5, with Kev moving from 5 into peg 3 midweek, and the lads also had a few days in the empty pegs which did produce a 32lb mirror for Alex in Peg 4, just close in next to the weed on a pva bag.

Down in Peg 1 Alex was picking 1" long Bloodworm up on the rigs and lead when reeling in, which seemed to be the answer as to why the fish could be seen bubbling over all areas of the lake, along with fish crashing, rolling and that lovely sight when they just pop there heads out for a glup of air without making a sound, just leaving a gentle ripple if you're looking in the right direction!!! The fish seemed to be feeding in Pegs 1 & 2 through the night and early morning, moving up to Pegs 3 & 4 through midday and then up to Peg 5 each evening. Kev in Peg 5 was pulling his hair out with around 50 "Shows" each evening all over his rods, with the fish so preoccupied on Bloodworm nothing else would suffice. He took a 32lb Mirror on the Tuesday but could not bare to watch so many fish feeding and clouding the bottom up right over his rods without even a couple of fish picking his baits up, it was time for a move that did pay off. After moving into Peg 3 with a few hours he had hooked and lost a fish but then followed it up with a 34lb Mirror and 3 Grassies to just under 30lb.

Alex took 2 fish from the base of the slope about 3/4 of the way over in Peg 1 on the Tuesday with the best fish of the week going 42lb 8oz. It was very patchy fishing indeed with no real pattern or spot developing all week and the fish could be seen just randomly foraging in any area and finding the beds of naturals they wanted. With spawning becoming such a major player through the months of June & July this year the fish have not been feeding hard at all, I think this has allowed the natural larder to build up giving them extra food availablity. This month has been one of our best from past history over the last 6 years and I dont doubt it will be another good one once the fish have exhausted the Bloodworm, and with the season being around one month behind lets hope some good fishing continues late into the year.

I think over the next month a baited patch built up each day over the course of your week, fished halfway out to 3/4 in the gully at the base of the far bank slope will be the main tactic for producing a good hit. There are always excepctions to the rule, with fish coming out to PVA bags and singles but with so many fish showing in all areas other than the far bank, feeding signs in the middle areas of the lake and some good hits through the season in those areas, I do believe that they will switch anytime soon onto the bait with a well baited swim becoming the winning method.

The week ended on only 9 fish and a couple lost, but with the lads enjoying their week so much, along with watching feeding carp and some good fish at that, crashing out over their spots, the lads are back next year to settle the score!!!

Cell boilies, Vitalin and I think Engage and Pellet being used. The lads thought by the back end of the week that "The Sanctuary Pellet" was having pulling power over just boilies, and all their fish came to a bottom bait with a white topper.

A regular group of ours are on this week pitting their wits,and it seems to have started off on a good foot with 2 30lb+ fish out on their first night along with an 18lb Fully Scaled to boot. Fish showing again all through the night, and the water this morning looked like an Atomic Bomb had gone off with them ripping the bottom up so hard, it looks set for another week of fish displays like the "Sea Life Centre"

A strange incident took place last week while I was working on the far bay on the 15 acre lake. When I started the machine up in the morning a female Mallard took off from the lake bed, only for a Female Sparrowhawk to take flight from a nearby Willow tree and take a stup at the Mallard and glancing off its back at the last second. This is far too large a prey for a "Spar" and was a real eye opener to observe at close quarters, but it gets better. Kev & Clare were sat in Peg 3 having a quiet brew in the late evening while Kev was watching the lake and Clare sat in full green camo clothing in a low down stealth chair with a cup of tea in her hand. In the blink of an eye a Sparrowhawk came flying like a stealth bomber just off the floor straight down the path towards Claire, literally flying into Clare without seeing her until the last moment. It almost hit the air breaks flapping around at her head glancing her with its wings/talons only to swing back round and turn the opposite way over the lake, leaving them both bewildered as to what had just happened. This is a sight that will never be repeated and one of those rare moments that make it so special sat by the waters edge.

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