Child Beale Park Lake, Pangbourne

[The Flying Tench]

I have joined the small fishing club that has the rights on this lake, mainly hoping for bream, and went today for a recce. I blanked, admittedly on a hot bright afternoon, but the only angler I spoke to said that in a match on Sunday nearly everyone blanked! Didn't sound too hopeful.

 

Has anyone on AN fished it in recent years?

[Rusty]

I think JV44 is still a member, he can moor his boat on the adjacent Thames and fish the lake during the closed season. He conned me into joining a couple of years back with stories of tench but all I saw caught were bream and pike (not caught by me I might add). Certainly seems to have a big head of bream and as it's linked to the Thames by a short waterway (for the boat shows they hold) who knows what might take refuge there during high water levels. I went a couple of times, didn't really give it a proper go but the far bank was productive on one occasion when I went with Mat, Steve Walker and JV44.

[Steve Walker]

Yes, we had quite a few good bream from there, I think I remember some of them were 7-8lb.

[Matthew Simmons]

Its a tough lake but can be rewarding. There is everything in there especially decent bream and large tench. I think its been patchy this year, and most of the fish have come from the far bank next to the river inlet where the water is deeper. I can't imagine that the bright weather helped the match boys. Alan at Thames Valley Angling will give you latest updates if you go in and buy your bait there - his maggots are very good actually. There is a bar running left to right as you look at the lake from the car park and a 30/40yd cast with a feeder from the point would normally put you on the bream. The river is good there - I've had roach to 2 lbs and bream to a tad under 10 - but I get better results in the autumn.

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks everyone. Wow, good fish! May test my angling skills, though.