Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 23/11/2013

Water Temp - 9 degrees

Air Pressure - 1010

Just two anglers this week making the journey over from the Netherlands.  I must admit that I was a little worried that it would be a struggle this week, as the fishing is slowing down for winter and the weather is making things hard blowing in ice cold winds one day and then mild sunny days the next.  How wrong was I to be proven.

So two anglers set out to find the fish in 35 acres of water with depths of 25ft+, a very tough ask but after explaining what has been happening with the fishing over the past few weeks the anglers decided to start where last weeks anglers left off.

Harold started in Oblivion, fishing his left rod over to the euro tree line in Big Girls and the over two rods out in to open water over a light bed of bait.  But after no action for a couple of nights and a lot of fish showing close into the bank between Pole Position and Baxters, Harold decided on a move in to Baxters Hole.

Johan started off in Stock Pond fishing into kingfisher corner and along the Stock Pond margin, which has produced a few bites in past weeks and with the lake being so quiet he decided to bait up a spot in Pole Position at 21Rl then rest it for the first few nights to see if anything would give itself away over the spot.

His first night though was a success, resulting in a 24lb common on a home made washed out pink Banoffee wafter presented on the ever faithful IQ D rig with a size 4 Kurv hook from along the Stock Pond margin.  Sunday night was quiet with no fish slipping up, but as he had a bite from this spot he decided to stick with it and a small handful of Hybrid boilie was added to the spot on the Monday, then just before light he received his second bite and a nice scaly mirror of 23lb was his prize.

Wednesday with nothing occurring for both anglers Harold decided on a move in to Alcatraz where he had baited at 20RL and Johan switched to the 21RL spot in Pole Position.

Thursday night and both anglers spotted fish showing ridiculously close to the bank in front of them and noted the spots.  The last night Johan decided on a gamble rod at just 10RL, believe me casting 10RL (40 yards) is a brave move when you have so much water in front of you.

Moving into the last night a torrential downpour hit lasting all night into the early hours of the morning (and I thought English weather was wet), and just before sunrise came the calm in the storm and a 35 acre mill pond was a sight to behold.  With this it came the all so familiar sound of a Delkim alarm breaking the deathly silence at big G.

A slow heavy plodding fight was had and there was a few scary moments as the culprit tried to seek refuge in the trees to the right of the swim.  Luckily Johan kept his nerve (which was very difficult as Harlold Kept saying it’s a big fish, it’s a big fish) and the net was lifted around it, yep you guessed it a big fish it was.

Looking into the net it was clear that it was 70lb+ and after checking it wasn’t one of the definite 70+ fish (Fudgy’s, Single Scale or Drop Tail) and chatting with Dan last week about the potential 70’s it was clear it wasn’t one of these either.  Closer inspection and the colossal creature turned out to be Sparky, last out in 2010 at 51lb.  How can a fish put on this much weight without being Caught.

Now that’s why we go fishing in the winter.

Be Lucky,

Mike