Lemington Lakes Roach

A couple of weeks ago Angling Times printed an article about an interesting control of stock at Lemington Lakes. One of the pools at this commercial fishery has undergone a five year programme of netting of stunted Roach so that the remaining stock could grow on to a size that would be of interest to specimen anglers namely over the two pound mark and approaching a colossal three pounds.
I only live about thirty minutes away yet I have never fished there. i am not sure why, it is a lovely peaceful location and the complex is immaculate if not a little too manicured.

My intention was to arrive early but that was scuppered by a late night playing pool (and drinking) I eventually got there mid morning and was surprised but pleased to find I had the whole complex to myself. I popped in the on site cafe/tackle shop, which is also too clean, to get a ticket and some advice on the hot Roach pegs. The lady gave me a map, whilst pointing me in the right direction and also imparting some interesting information on some possible summer Crucians. The best pegs also happened to be the most exposed part of the Cotswolds. I needed to be and was well dressed, multiple layers, double long johns, woolly hat, snood etc and I needed it.
I plumbed up an insert waggler to float fish close in and I also set up a feeder rod with black cap feeder and helicopter rig.

There was a gale force wind blasting across from left to right and I struggled to stop the float from drifting into the edge. I gave up after an hour and changed that rod to a helicopter also.

Eventually the repeated casting of he feeders attracted fish and I had a hook up. The fight was so nondescript I thought it was a Bream but was pleasantly surprised when a nice Perch popped to the surface.

1lb 3oz

Whenever I fish for Perch I struggle or fail so maybe I need to target Roach more often to catch more stripy Sergeants!

Like buses a second fish immediately followed this time the target species but not of the size the article promised. 

I had another small one before landing one of a much more interesting size. 

1lb 4oz

Not a 'two' but it was evidence of the potential for a monster. I fished on for a bit, took one more Roach (small) before the wind managed to break through my layers and attack the bone.

I will be back for another go soon.

Still struggling

If it wasn't for Chub and Trout my Winter fishing would have been a total disaster this season. I have blanked for Pike, not been able to get near the Grayling rivers and also not seen ideal Roach conditions either. Today I hoped would be different.
With the recent slight increase in water and air temperatures and a dull overcast day forecast I naively thought that there was a good opportunity there to catch a Barbel, I was way out.
I should have known that it was going to be a bad day when I got a couple of miles down the road and realised I had forgotten my rods-idiot! The rain had started as forecast so I decided to head to a swim that I knew had great Barbel potential in these conditions, I had a 'twelve' from there in similar conditions.

Blatant excuse for posting old success photo

I started out with two rods both baited with meat and a few freebies on PVA stringers. They remained motionless, not even a Chubby twitch. An extremely tame Mallard entertained me for a while and would even let me feed her by hand.

To begin with this was mildly amusing but it became a nuisance as she followed me the whole day, begging for titbits constantly. Anyway after a couple of hours I knew plan A had failed so I tried plan B, boilies and a swim change. Plan B failed too.
Plan C. As an afterthought I had chucked some cheesepaste in my bag but my Barbel rods are too insensitive to easily detect the delicate pluckings of a Chub and although I had a couple of bites that was as much success as I was to have, I missed them both. Besides having set my heart on a Barbel a Chub would have been an anticlimax anyway.
I went home damp and feeling sorry for myself but it was better than being at work!

Best part of the day!

Struggles

I will be really glad to see the back of the longest Winter ever (or so it seems) . Rain, floods, snow, floods, rain, floods, the pattern has seemed endless but there are finally some signs of spring. The Daffodils are only days away from bursting open and giving us a splash of colour, we have planted two hundred bulbs around the wife's horse field, the show should be spectacular. It's for the kids really we shall see if they appreciate it. The sun has also been coming out and the temperatures this week have been gradually improving.
On the fishing front I managed to get out for a few hours and the river looked spot on, decent clarity and I felt confident of a fish or two. However in over four hours fishing I did not muster even a bite. I tried maggot feeder, trotting, fast water, slow water and cheese paste and not a twitch. I gave up just after lunchtime.

I still had some maggots left so on the way home I dropped in at the little brook to trot the mill pool section. A big Dace was the target but I was plagued with these..........

and Chublets so I gave up and went home. The end of the season is almost upon us, one more weekend , might try for a Barbel.