Andy Spreadbury's Fishing Blog

Saturday, 21st.July After I packed up at the end of the last session and loaded up the barrow, I decided to investigate the area down by the Dam to my left. The Dam encompasses the southern end of the reservoir where the Draw-Off Tower is located and Google Earth images show the effects of the aeration system. This is manifested by surface disturbance some distance out from the Draw-Off Tower. Aeration at Bough Beech. The area of disturbed water can be clearly seen in this Google image. The red line represents an eighty-yard cast. Drinking-water supply reservoirs use something called Hypolimnetic Aeration and Oxygenation . The scientific basis for this is somewhat complex and beyond the scope of my ramblings - but as far as I’m concerned it’s an Aerator to get more oxygen into the water. This is good news for both fish and anglers as it provides a significant feature to go at. One possible strategy would be to try and fish as close to the aerated water as possible ...

Friday, 13th.July When in desperate need, help often arrives un-looked for. I was in the fishing shop yesterday and ran into Ray Harris - an old mucker from the past. Ray has many contacts throughout the angling world, one of which is fishing - and catching, at Bough Beech. “Can you find out what he’s using Ray! I’d dearly love to know!” “Sure; I can tell you now. He’s using Webb Baits Squid and Octopus on a fishmeal base and he’s fishing in the car park (?) He bought a motorised barrow ‘specially for the purpose of dealing with the long walks at the res but hasn’t needed it because he’s fishing right near the car!” This is just the news I have been waiting for. It all makes sense. A really smelly bait that gives off a powerful signal through the water column (unlike the ‘Pokernut’ I’ve been using) and fishing where I imagine to be the corner of the Dam. This is one of the places I have investigated and is last on my list of locations to try. Looks like I should promo...

Tuesday, 10th.July Bough Beech, Estate Yard Bay 13.00 So I’m back down at the reservoir having another go. There is news… I had a quick look in at the Clubhouse before driving round and got talking to an ex-carp angler - now a bird-watcher, who said that a 45 pounder had been caught. If this is so it is fantastic news and well done to whoever caught it but I have to say - I’m insanely jealous and wish I could get one even half that weight! Any carp would be more than welcome! At the mouth of Estate Yard Bay fishing twenty-five yards out over a bed of 'Pokernut' boilies. I haven’t been fishing lately, apart from a short session (recounted below) to The Back Lake and the reason for this has chiefly been because of the weather. We’ve had the longest, hottest spell of dry weather in years and I just haven’t been able to summon the enthusiasm to get out. Not because I I think the hot conditions are not conducive (which actually, they aren’t) But I just simply c...

Thursday, 5th.July The Back Lake, Exit Path Swim 12 Noon Have you ever had a water that for years you’ve been meaning to have a go at - but never quite found the time to actually get around to fishing? So it is with The Back Lake. I’ve known about it for years, several friends having fished it, caught its inhabitants and moved on to pastures new. I’ve only held back because of the very bad reputation it has of being local to one of the less salubrious neighbourhoods of the town; new, modern houses, but populated by scumbags. Indeed, it’s only a year or so ago the club’s bailiff was so badly beaten up whilst confronting someone who refused to buy a day ticket, that he was put in hospital. A sad state of affairs, not to say absolutely disgusting. You can understand my reluctance to even come near the place! Lately, my interest was aroused when an acquaintance told me about the fish he had caught here during the winter months, fish that were over thirty pounds! I felt I ha...

Tuesday, 19th.June Bough Beech, White House Point 11.45 Survey, with a rapidly dropping water level: Distance: 17 wraps, depth: 34 feet, temperature: 20C Distance: 12 wraps, depth: 18 feet, temperature: 20C Temperature in the edge: 21.4C I got this castable thermometer on eBay but I think the problem with it is, is that it’s so fast reacting, that by the time you’ve reeled the thing in, you’re getting an ambient reading instead of what is at the bottom of however many wraps you are at. Fine in theory. You cast the thing out, leave it a little while, reel it back in and you can tell what the temperature is at the bottom of your spot. Wrong! It's so fast reacting, that by the time you reel the thing in, it's showing the ambient temperature in shallow water. 12.30 All rods on the dancefloor, fishing single 18mm ‘Pokernut’ boilies; no snowmen, pop-ups or anything else - just the boily out of the bucket. For an explanation as to why - read my Blo...

Moulin-de-Gassas, Part 2 Monday, 11th.June 08.00 More overnight rain (and a forecast of more to come) has forced us into fishing from directly outside the front of the cabin. One rod is short, on the lily-spot; the middle rod way over to the far corner at the entrance of the channel. This looks to be my best chance of a fish and I am quietly confident this will produce at some point. The left-hand rod is fishing at 12 + 3 wraps to one of the trees on the island. Light rain is falling and although it has put a damper on things - we’re fishing, and that’s never a bad state of affairs! 09.30 Lost fish!.. A drop-back on the long range rod cast to the far corner and a fish is on! I got it as far as the lily-pads where I had to give it a bit of ‘welly’ to get it through - and the hook fell out! The unfortunate thing about these lilies is that although it is possible to get them through it, unless the hook-hold is extremely solid, a certain number of fish are going to b...