Lakeside
On Sunday last I decided to stay local, so a visit to Lakeside was arranged and armed with 2 pints of fidgety maggots of red and white I headed to the point with the faint hope there was nobody already there. The sky was amazing, no less than three times I stopped before reaching my final destination just to take photos. The sun was just beginning to climb above the large white buildings of IBM Headquarters and eventually I pulled up in a(thankfully) very empty car park.
At first I opted for the first swim along, 52 (the year Walker caught Clarrissa),which faces the reed line.I’ve done well here in the past, the swim accounting for the majority of the good roach I’ve caught from Lakeside. I began float fishing close to the reeds, somewhere around 4 feet deep, with three red maggots on a size 14 hook, and promptly landed two carp of around 5lbs apiece. Although I was using a hook length of a little over 2lbs, I still somehow managed to avoid getting bashed up amongst the nearby reeds, which pleased me.
A couple of small skimmer bream came ashore next, I think I may have muttered something along the lines of “We’re doomed, they’ve bred!” But they were quickly followed a veritable grand pappy of a bream weighing at least 4lbs, maybe more. Rudd in the 4-6oz bracket moved in and started feeding and then, out of the blue, a roach just shy of a pound splashed its way to the net. I was thrilled, deep down I wanted this day to be all about nice roach, and this one was a corker. Regiments of perfect scales sat shoulder to shoulder in rows along its flanks, shimmering as rays of sunshine met them.
I fished on for another hour or so, but caught only bream (although some were now getting closer to 5 lbs) and some more wonderfully pretty rudd, that were getting on for 12oz, good palm sized fish with not so much as a hair out of place. Then it dawned on me that perhaps the better roach weren’t coming, perhaps I’d have to move in order to find them. So with the pitch next door unoccupied I upped sticks and carried my things into 53.
Now I was fishing into open water with the wind over my shoulder, perfect conditions. Bream were first on the scene, followed by two steam train carp that simultaneously managed to tear through the reeds resulting in the hook-links parting. With new hook-links tied I made a switch to two large white maggots as hook-bait and cast, struck into a fast bite and watched with my heart in my mouth as a massive roach skipped and swirled all the way in. I reached out with the net and in she went.
I zeroed the scales and with shaking hands watched the needle settle at 1lb 8oz, a wonderful result and a big roach in anyone’s book. I took a few self takes as best I could in the bright sunshine and as I reluctantly let go of its tail I watched as the perfect specimen swam strongly away. I fed the swim for ten minutes whilst tucking into some well-deserved lunch and resumed fishing soon afterwards.
The next fish caught was a rudd, followed by another. It was beautiful fishing, the various species would come in waves, you’d catch a couple of bream, big heavy things that were just being awkward and not really putting up too much of a struggle, then you’d catch half a dozen very eager and verypristine rudd, and then a roach would pop up. Surprisingly, and quite unusually, I caught a few hand sized roach, the roach on the whole tend to be few and far between but they are mostly of a pound or more, so these were a good sign of further year classes coming through the ranks.
Then it happened again, BAM! Another faultless roach of 1lb 6oz was posing for the camera. So sudden, I just didn’t know what would pull the float under next, and then if I wasn’t shocked enough the next bite produced a crucian of 1lb 8oz. Another red letter day in the making for sure.
One more roach of 1lb 2oz was caught, and a much different looking for than the others, this one being old and tired with battle scars. Another crucian, this timeslightly smaller than the previous one, fought deep and tried vigorously to find the sparse patches of weed, reluctant to give in. Some really small common carp also made an appearance, a sure sign that the lake inhabitant’s had the correct environment to thrive.
It really is a special water, and it needs exploring too. With all the maggot fishing sessions I’ve had around the point, and in various other spots around the lake too, I’ve never caught a perch; yet last weekend I’m told that two were caught in a session, with one going well over 2lbs! I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to Lakeside’s full potential, I’ll certainly be angling there throughout the autumn, and possibly into the colder months too.
The Wally
I spent half an hour looking at a static float tip, the bites dried up, the sun got incredibly hot and I was itching to try my new centrepin out; so I threw everything into the back of the car, stopped off at home for a dry net and headed to the Wally for the last hour of the afternoon. The pool I chose is one I call ‘The Boy’s Pool’. It isn’t much bigger than a decent sized bedroom, yet it’s enchanting, as fascinating a pool as I’ve ever fished, and it rarely sees any angling pressure.
Once in position just beyond the bridge I plummed the depth, threw a dozen maggots out (might have been 13) and watched the small Avon type quill float slide off straight away. It was a gudgeon, and a greedy little blighter, much smaller than the usual stamp caught from the pool, but it was as delightful as anything I’d caught previously on the big lake, and was the perfect way to christen my new pin.
Small roach fed well, some marvellous monster minnows too, and an eel, and as I left the line in the water whilst photographing a larger gudgeon I heard the ratchet on the reel screech as a perch made off with two half chewed red maggots. The fishing was first class, exciting and took me back to when I was a boy. The hour or so I spent at the pool was spellbinding, a robin shared the experience with me feasted well on the maggots I dropped, and although I couldn’t see them, I could hear a family of noisy kingfishers throughout the duration of my stay.
As I dismantled the rod and climbed back to the real world I looked down to where I’d been fishing and wondered how such a small slice of heaven could be so amazing. It just goes to prove that catching monsters doesn’t necessarily mean catching big fish, fishing big waters or camping out for days on end. Wish for whatever you choose, fish for whatever you choose, but remember; wish for the simple things in life, and they are far more likely to become reality.
On Sunday last I decided to stay local, so a visit to Lakeside was arranged and armed with 2 pints of fidgety maggots of red and white I headed to the point with the faint hope there was nobody already there. The sky was amazing, no less than three times I stopped before reaching my final destination just to take photos. The sun was just beginning to climb above the large white buildings of IBM Headquarters and eventually I pulled up in a(thankfully) very empty car park.
At first I opted for the first swim along, 52 (the year Walker caught Clarrissa),which faces the reed line.I’ve done well here in the past, the swim accounting for the majority of the good roach I’ve caught from Lakeside. I began float fishing close to the reeds, somewhere around 4 feet deep, with three red maggots on a size 14 hook, and promptly landed two carp of around 5lbs apiece. Although I was using a hook length of a little over 2lbs, I still somehow managed to avoid getting bashed up amongst the nearby reeds, which pleased me.
A couple of small skimmer bream came ashore next, I think I may have muttered something along the lines of “We’re doomed, they’ve bred!” But they were quickly followed a veritable grand pappy of a bream weighing at least 4lbs, maybe more. Rudd in the 4-6oz bracket moved in and started feeding and then, out of the blue, a roach just shy of a pound splashed its way to the net. I was thrilled, deep down I wanted this day to be all about nice roach, and this one was a corker. Regiments of perfect scales sat shoulder to shoulder in rows along its flanks, shimmering as rays of sunshine met them.
I fished on for another hour or so, but caught only bream (although some were now getting closer to 5 lbs) and some more wonderfully pretty rudd, that were getting on for 12oz, good palm sized fish with not so much as a hair out of place. Then it dawned on me that perhaps the better roach weren’t coming, perhaps I’d have to move in order to find them. So with the pitch next door unoccupied I upped sticks and carried my things into 53.
Now I was fishing into open water with the wind over my shoulder, perfect conditions. Bream were first on the scene, followed by two steam train carp that simultaneously managed to tear through the reeds resulting in the hook-links parting. With new hook-links tied I made a switch to two large white maggots as hook-bait and cast, struck into a fast bite and watched with my heart in my mouth as a massive roach skipped and swirled all the way in. I reached out with the net and in she went.
I zeroed the scales and with shaking hands watched the needle settle at 1lb 8oz, a wonderful result and a big roach in anyone’s book. I took a few self takes as best I could in the bright sunshine and as I reluctantly let go of its tail I watched as the perfect specimen swam strongly away. I fed the swim for ten minutes whilst tucking into some well-deserved lunch and resumed fishing soon afterwards.
The next fish caught was a rudd, followed by another. It was beautiful fishing, the various species would come in waves, you’d catch a couple of bream, big heavy things that were just being awkward and not really putting up too much of a struggle, then you’d catch half a dozen very eager and verypristine rudd, and then a roach would pop up. Surprisingly, and quite unusually, I caught a few hand sized roach, the roach on the whole tend to be few and far between but they are mostly of a pound or more, so these were a good sign of further year classes coming through the ranks.
Then it happened again, BAM! Another faultless roach of 1lb 6oz was posing for the camera. So sudden, I just didn’t know what would pull the float under next, and then if I wasn’t shocked enough the next bite produced a crucian of 1lb 8oz. Another red letter day in the making for sure.
One more roach of 1lb 2oz was caught, and a much different looking for than the others, this one being old and tired with battle scars. Another crucian, this timeslightly smaller than the previous one, fought deep and tried vigorously to find the sparse patches of weed, reluctant to give in. Some really small common carp also made an appearance, a sure sign that the lake inhabitant’s had the correct environment to thrive.
It really is a special water, and it needs exploring too. With all the maggot fishing sessions I’ve had around the point, and in various other spots around the lake too, I’ve never caught a perch; yet last weekend I’m told that two were caught in a session, with one going well over 2lbs! I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to Lakeside’s full potential, I’ll certainly be angling there throughout the autumn, and possibly into the colder months too.
The Wally
I spent half an hour looking at a static float tip, the bites dried up, the sun got incredibly hot and I was itching to try my new centrepin out; so I threw everything into the back of the car, stopped off at home for a dry net and headed to the Wally for the last hour of the afternoon. The pool I chose is one I call ‘The Boy’s Pool’. It isn’t much bigger than a decent sized bedroom, yet it’s enchanting, as fascinating a pool as I’ve ever fished, and it rarely sees any angling pressure.
Once in position just beyond the bridge I plummed the depth, threw a dozen maggots out (might have been 13) and watched the small Avon type quill float slide off straight away. It was a gudgeon, and a greedy little blighter, much smaller than the usual stamp caught from the pool, but it was as delightful as anything I’d caught previously on the big lake, and was the perfect way to christen my new pin.
Small roach fed well, some marvellous monster minnows too, and an eel, and as I left the line in the water whilst photographing a larger gudgeon I heard the ratchet on the reel screech as a perch made off with two half chewed red maggots. The fishing was first class, exciting and took me back to when I was a boy. The hour or so I spent at the pool was spellbinding, a robin shared the experience with me feasted well on the maggots I dropped, and although I couldn’t see them, I could hear a family of noisy kingfishers throughout the duration of my stay.
As I dismantled the rod and climbed back to the real world I looked down to where I’d been fishing and wondered how such a small slice of heaven could be so amazing. It just goes to prove that catching monsters doesn’t necessarily mean catching big fish, fishing big waters or camping out for days on end. Wish for whatever you choose, fish for whatever you choose, but remember; wish for the simple things in life, and they are far more likely to become reality.
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