Wingham conundrum

[Steve Burke]

I fished at Wingham last weekend, immediately after the heatwave. The wind was a fresh north-easterly and I expected it to nicely cool the water. I was wrong! Just below the surface, the water temperature facing the wind was 75F; behind the wind at the other end of the lake it was only 73F.

 

The question was, should I fish facing the new and cooling wind, go behind it, or somewhere in between?

 

Well, I don’t know what you’ve had done, but it certainly threw me!

 

I arrived at 1.30, walked completely around the entire 40 acre lake not once but twice, talked to the few lads on the Carp Lake (no one was fishing the Coarse Lake) and finally saw a fish roll at 9pm! That decided me, and (absolutely shattered) I set up camp in the by now deepening gloom.

 

Where do you think the fish rolled? Yes, behind the wind! And in a favourite swim to boot.

 

The night was uneventful, which was probably just as well as I was so tired I almost hoped that nothing would happen!

 

Just before breakfast though I had line bite after line bite. Bream! However, not a single take did I get in just over an hour. Then at last the bobbin finally stayed up – and promptly came down just as I struck! Another liner! And that was that apart from a final liner on the other rod as the spooked fish disappeared from the swim!

 

At quarter past midday though I had a bite out of the blue. This one certainly wasn’t a liner and, whatever it was, it just didn’t want to come to the net. I caught a glimpse of it and was convinced it was a big male tench, perhaps bigger than my previous best male of 7-08, that had come from the same swim.

 

Eventually, after the best scrap from a tench I’d ever had, it was finally beaten. Surprisingly, given the fabulous fight, it was a female. At first I though it was my first double, but, despite having tremendous shoulders and a huge tail, it didn’t have the length. At 9-06 though it was a new PB and also a Wingham record!

[Norfolkdan]

Excellent Mr. Burke! Very well done mate All that hard work and you were rewarded

 

Can't wait to see some pics??

[seph]

Nice one Steve

[Andrew Burgess]

Well done mate any chance of a picture of the fish?

 

[ 29. June 2005, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Burgess ]

[Dick Dastardly]

Well done Steve.A fascinating water.Those bream really intrigue me it is certainly a water I would love to put a lot of time in on in different circumstances.First water to have captured my imagination in many a year.

 

Not only the chance of a PB bream but some cracking tench and perch to keep you interested on the way!

 

Good luck to you mate hope the big one comes out!

[Vagabond]

Nice fish Steve

[Steve Burke]

 

Excuse the 2 finger salute!

 

I also had a 17-12 common, my first carp from the Coarse Lake for many years, plus umpteen small perch, with only 1 decent one of about a pound and a half. In fact the small perch became so much of a nuisance that I had to stop feeding maggots and rely just on corn. Having said that the tench took a dendra/maggot cocktail.

 

Like many of the big tench at Wingham, this one came out of the blue. I think that most of the tench are in small "families" that are highly territorial. Additionally though, I reckon that are a few loners that are big enough not to be muscled out by the family members. These seem to feed outside the normally productive times, with many coming late morning.

 

Has anyone found this on other waters?

 

[ 29. June 2005, 10:05 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Norfolkdan]

Lovely looking fish Steve. Did you get a pic of the carp? What bait was that taken on?

[Steve Burke]

Yes, but a pretty poor one as I got some reflection. I'll post it if I can edit this out. Bait was corn and maggot cocktail, as always laced with an Archie Braddock flavouring.

[Will Wilkinson]

Well done Steve, a cracking fish and I'm sure you'll manage the double sooner or later, they've got to be in there somewhere

 

Will