Pike Waters - Cambridge/ St Ives?

[Julian]

Can anybody help this visitor to the site?

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I'm a bit of a seasoned hack, pike fishing wise, but have not fished for a number of years due to that old chestnut, kids! I'm back now, and keen to get amongst big fish again, despite time being tight.

 

What I'm lacking is information on some of the waters local to me, do you (or do you know anyone who does) know anything about the following waters around the Cambridge/ St Ives area?

 

Swavesey Lake (my local, I have a ticket)Ferry Lagoon (Also part of the swavesey/ Fen Drayton complex. Who controls this one?) St Ives complex

Meadow Lane, Ouse around Hollywell/ St Ives.

 

I'd be really grateful if you know ANYTHING about any of these venues. Is there anywhere else reasonably local to Swavesey Cambs where I have a good chance of decent fish without building a house there!?

 

Many Thanks

Graham

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Cheers, Julian

[Alan Pearce]

The St Ives complex is run by Trevor who owns and runs St Ives angling centre. Don't believe half of what he will tell you as he prfers match fishing. However most of the pits have in the past done some big pike. That is until a few years ago when the cormorants set about eating and killing 99% of all the smaller fodder fish. The main Lagoon can and does still produce the odd big double and scraper 20 pounder and some good zander to low doubles. The Ski Pit is probably the best bet for some doubles and a chance of a mid 20. Here the coloured water seems to have protected some of the pikes fodder. The smaller pits like Ivo and Lowry are stocked with silvers and therefore have the potential for a good fish. Shallow Lagoon, Meadow Lake and the Fiords were well hit by cormies and save pleny of eels, not a lot for pike to feed on. The LAA lake at Marsh Lane could turn up a surprise or two plus a long wait?

 

Alan.

[myketyke]

The St Ives complex is run by Trevor who owns and runs St Ives angling centre. Don't believe half of what he will tell you as he prefers match fishing. However most of the pits have in the past done some big pike. That is until a few years ago when the cormorants set about eating and killing 99% of all the smaller fodder fish. The main Lagoon can and does still produce the odd big double and scraper 20 pounder and some good zander to low doubles. The Ski Pit is probably the best bet for some doubles and a chance of a mid 20. Here the coloured water seems to have protected some of the pikes fodder. The smaller pits like Ivo and Lowry are stocked with silvers and therefore have the potential for a good fish. Shallow Lagoon, Meadow Lake and the Fiords were well hit by cormies and save pleny of eels, not a lot for pike to feed on. The LAA lake at Marsh Lane could turn up a surprise or two plus a long wait?

 

Alan.

The St Ives pit complex is no longer run by Trevor he has retired and the tackle shop has unfortunately closed, i fished this complex for some years the season ticket as i remember it which included some river fishing cost (£65).The pits had suffered from some serious predation problems (the usual suspects)although preventative measures were taken then, the situation became worse.The larger pits had attracted carp fishermen and the small ones we fished for the tench,bream etc.At least one of the shallow smaller pits was weed choked another had few fishable swims,without some hard work with a rake you did not have a lot of choice.Roach,Rudd,perch numbers took a hard hammering from the predators, not once during the years i fished it until our last season 2006/7 was i aware of any restocking, the fishing became progressively harder.The pit nearest the heronry did produce some large tench but by midday these and the bream went off the feed i never caught any small bream or tench.I cannot comment on the carp pit fishing the St Ives fish preservation society may be able to help.Lastly there were seals spotted in the river then, not a healthy prospect for the fish population!...... As for the LAA lake at marsh lane again do some in-depth investigating before committing your hard earned pennies.

[myketyke]

Can anybody help this visitor to the site?

------------------------------------------

 

I'm a bit of a seasoned hack, pike fishing wise, but have not fished for a number of years due to that old chestnut, kids! I'm back now, and keen to get amongst big fish again, despite time being tight.

 

What I'm lacking is information on some of the waters local to me, do you (or do you know anyone who does) know anything about the following waters around the Cambridge/ St Ives area?

 

Swavesey Lake (my local, I have a ticket)Ferry Lagoon (Also part of the swavesey/ Fen Drayton complex. Who controls this one?) St Ives complex

Meadow Lane, Ouse around Hollywell/ St Ives.

 

I'd be really grateful if you know ANYTHING about any of these venues. Is there anywhere else reasonably local to Swavesey Cambs where I have a good chance of decent fish without building a house there!?

 

Many Thanks

Graham

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cheers, Julian

[myketyke]

The St Ives pit complex is no longer run by Trevor he has retired and the tackle shop has unfortunately closed, i fished this complex for some years the season ticket as i remember it which included some river fishing cost (£65).The pits had suffered from some serious predation problems (the usual suspects)although preventative measures were taken then, the situation became worse.The larger pits had attracted carp fishermen and the small ones we fished for the tench,bream etc.At least one of the shallow smaller pits was weed choked another had few fish-able swims,without some hard work with a rake you did not have a lot of choice.Roach,Rudd,perch numbers took a hard hammering from the predators, not once during the years i fished it until our last season 2006/7 was i aware of any restocking, the fishing became progressively harder.The pit nearest the heronry did produce some large tench but by midday these and the bream went off the feed i never caught any small bream or tench.I cannot comment on the carp pit fishing the St Ives fish preservation society may be able to help.Lastly there were seals spotted in the river then, not a healthy prospect for the fish population!...... As for the LAA lake at marsh lane again do some in-depth investigating before committing your hard earned pennies.

Since my last post a fishing friend has contacted me it seems that the St Ives pit complex fishing rights have been taken over by new people he has not bothered to fish it,Largly due to the huge price hike.An increase to £200! for certain lakes and £400! for the full complex I would hope for that kind of money the Pits have been restocked,the weed problem resolved in certain pits,the predation situation controlled.It was also pointed out that one of the large carp pits by mid summer had a exstensive weed problem back in 2007. I belive you should again invetsigate in depth this fishery before commiting large sums of Money!.

[myketyke]

The St Ives pit complex is no longer run by Trevor he has retired and the tackle shop has unfortunately closed, i fished this complex for some years the season ticket as i remember it which included some river fishing cost (£65).The pits had suffered from some serious predation problems (the usual suspects)although preventative measures were taken then, the situation became worse.The larger pits had attracted carp fishermen and the small ones we fished for the tench,bream etc.At least one of the shallow smaller pits was weed choked another had few fishable swims,without some hard work with a rake you did not have a lot of choice.Roach,Rudd,perch numbers took a hard hammering from the predators, not once during the years i fished it until our last season 2006/7 was i aware of any restocking, the fishing became progressively harder.The pit nearest the heronry did produce some large tench but by midday these and the bream went off the feed i never caught any small bream or tench.I cannot comment on the carp pit fishing the St Ives fish preservation society may be able to help.Lastly there were seals spotted in the river then, not a healthy prospect for the fish population!...... As for the LAA lake at marsh lane again do some in-depth investigating before committing your hard earned pennies.

[loggerhead]

We used to fish these pits in the late nineties right up to they changed hands at that time you could also fish part of the river for your ticket money but i think it was about £45.00 or so. They had put those floating islands in at least one of them to help protect against the influx of Cormorants it did not seem to make a lot of difference.The carp boys fished mainly the Big Pits before they Weeded over in the summer we concentrated on the smaller pits that were not to badly weeded up mainly for the tench and bream,i did catch some big Rudd.We were told that there were Mink or Otters about, but never saw any we did see some large chewed Tench and a few Carp.The fishing was very hard you had to know your way around that large pit complex, never bothered with the speedboat ski lake it could be noisy.Had a problem with our cars being broken into on a few occasions.