Chris Plumb's Blog

Ha, I fished the 6am til 2pm stint that morning so you didn't have to.

25.6.21 - Alders and Brimpton - The Newbury Blanker - Fishing Forums from Anglers' Net (anglersnet.co.uk)

Definitely carp in there. I've had two over 10lbs lately (I moved one to Willows) and saw several more thrashing in the lilies during spawning. Though I find it not as reliable as Willows, I love Alders: the bream and tench I've caught all seem to be around the 5lb mark and I'm sure it could be possible to really bag up there. I also found the bream in fighting mood (maybe it's a post-spawning thing?) and against popular wisdom, have always found them on the lily-edges rather than open water. This said, I've not targeted open areas. Hmm, now there's a project...

These were all re-homed in Willows - maybe the club should have a carp catching day there in a similar vein to their roach relocation project from Warwicks to Alders.... I used to catch a lot of bream in open water from peg 5 casting about 2/3rds across to the lillies - but never many tench from there. Whereas just off the lillies (in any peg!) seems a much more reliable tinca spot with the odd bream putting in an appearance - which is fine by me!

No dramas with the gate either - had been locked 'properly' for a change!

Ooh which is peg 5? is that on the Willows causeway working round from the carpark past the remaining tree? If it is, that's my fave swim.

I shall put your carp-catching-challenge to the committee next meeting.

I'm curious to know your definition of 'a lot of bream'. Given that they seem to be in the 5lb range now , it wouldn't take many to make quite a haul. I know you're not a winter lake angler, but I'm looking forward to taking my chances chucking a swim feeder for them over the decayed lilies, or in the western deep end when the time comes.

 

Maybe I should have been a little clearer - 4 years ago (17/18 season) I had 4 evenings in P5 and ONLY caught bream from it - plus, on one occaision, a very big surprise in the shape of a 1lb 2oz roach! Never less than 3 Bream and never more than 5 - might not count as a lot but I was pretty satisfied with the return from just short evening sessions midweek, after work. My best from Alders that summer was 4-15 - so we probably ought to be seeing 6lbers by now.

P5 is on the railway bank - P1 is the corner peg nearest the car park at the western end of the lake - just count round from there anti-clockwise....

Ah yes, I know P5 on that basis. There's a chap who fishes the pole there quite frequently. I understand the depth drops in the middle and rises towards the lilies. I've caught them there in similar numbers to you, as well as further along (8?), the swim directly opposite and the far NE corner (all 5lb - 5.8lbs), I do wonder if I've been picking at a big shoal(s) as they move around the lake, but am reluctant to chuck in a load of groundbait as per common wisdom, as it seems quite a fickle water - and I'm so tight! The platform swims look good, but I've not tried them as they are so high above the water level and landing/re-laking fish looks awkward, particularly with the tendonitis in my left elbow.

A 1ln roach: that is a fabled beast.

 

 

Yes the roach was a real surprise - and not repeated since! After the total fish kill on Alders which was around 2006 the lake bed profile was remodelled. Prior to that it was similar depth to Willows. Deeper channels were created and it was made much shallower in the middle - the original plan was to have this as an 'island' of common reed down the middle of the lake - and common reed was put in  - only to be completely eaten by geese during the first winter after planting!! So now we have the lillies instead! BTW - I quite like the platform swims - can get above the fish quicker and easier to bully them away from the lillies I find!