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Barnes Lake 8.6.15

The Flying Tench

Entry posted by The Flying Tench

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I last went to this large and attractive lake about 8 years ago. It is mainly a tench lake, but also used to have some quality rudd. The first time I went there were small rudd everywhere, but I also lost a couple of good ones. Then the next year I went it seemed dead and no-one was fishing. Maybe it was too early in the year? For better or worse I didn't go back, and today was intended as an exploratory visit.

 

3.30 - 6.30pm. The lake was full of weed, more so than I remember it. I started with float fished maggot just above the weed, and got not a touch. So I decided to try ledgering sweetcorn for the tench in the middle of the weed. Still nothing. I was almost ready to give up, and chucked my spare sweetcorn onto a patch of gravel in shallow water at my feet, before a final cast or two with the float.

 

I shallowed up a bit, and had one bite - a 12 oz rudd! Apart from one mega rudd 7 years ago after a tip-off from a friend, this is my best rudd. So of course I was very pleased, specially after a blank session so far.

 

Then some swans arrived with their offspring and proceeded to hoover up the sweetcorn I had foolishly thrown in, so I couldn't cast a float for nearly half an hour, and didn't think it wise to feed maggots either. I must admit the little swans were cute. Then in slight frustration I said to them 'buzz off'. And to my astonishment they immediately ............. buzzed off! I had a few more casts, but there were no bites, and then the swans returned and I .......... buzzed off.

 

There were no other anglers there, and I can't say I found out much about the current potential of the lake vis a vis rudd. It is puzzling there were no small ones, but it was good to catch one nice fish.

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Paulg

Sounds like it still has some quality rudd John :)

 

I would guess a weed-rake might be a very good option for this lake, perhaps doing that the evening before a visit, and bait the cleared area with whatever you have got available, just make sure it is deeper than the swans can reach !

 

Paul

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The Flying Tench

Thanks, Paul. I'm sure you're right with regards the tench. I'll have to have a tench campaign one year soon, though not I think this year as my priority will be the Thames weir-pools.

 

But what about the rudd? I remember reading that some rudd specimen hunter targeted them by ledgering, possibly late autumn. Not an approach I've ever used for rudd, I must admit.

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