JANUARY NEWS - 2011

Where to begin is the hardest thing.  The day ticket lake's been fishing really well since the thaw.  As reported last time, on the first weekend of ice free water there was a 22 and a few other fish out which was very promising.  It's always a time to worry when the lake has been frozen for weeks.  It cant be much fun for the fish and it's impossible to do much about it, except wait, worry and hope everything is all right.
 
The next weekend though it fished really well with over 20 fish coming out.  Several anglers had up to 4 fish each and nearly everyone caught.
 
We were a little worried that there wasn't any 20 pound plus fish out since the first day but now there's been a steady stream of 20's.
 
Shawn from the syndicate had a brace at 20 and 24.14 plus one or two other fish on the 3rd weekend after the thaw, brother Craig had 5 fish the same weekend.
 
My nephew did a 2 night session and had a few fish including a 20, 23 and 29.  He had a double take and ended up with an 18 and the 29 in the net at the same time.  That doesn't happen often in the summer and is a wicked result in January.
 
Steve the bailiff and his brother in law, Danny have had nearly 20 fish in 2 sessions.  On the last trip Steve had 10 fish and was rewarded with the 2nd biggest resident at 34.14.  That's a really good result for Steve, not just for catching the fish but to set his, and my minds at rest weather or not these fish have over wintered well.  At 34.14, when it was 32 the same time last year it has done well for such an heavily stocked water.  It will be interesting to see the bigger one banked.


We've got a few big fish in the lakes now.  These big fish need to be treated with special care when they are caught.  All the fish do really but the bigger they are the stronger they are and it's very different to handling smaller fish.  When I first started to fish the Essex Manor there was anglers on there that didn't have adequate uh-hooking mats or weigh slings for 35 pound plus fish.  Such fish are very special, to me and all the anglers fishing the lake.  If you do catch any of the bigger fish and you're in the slightest unsure about handling them, please leave them in the net, in the water, propping the net up with a bank stick so the frame is out of the water with the fish resting in the water and find someone to ask for help.  All the anglers on my lakes will be willing to help and if there's no one on the day ticket lake ask any one on the syndicate lake.  It's so much easier with a couple of people and you'll get better pictures with less chance of over stressing the fish any more than necessary.  All the fish in the lakes are stunners, several are caught several times a year and I am proud to see that everyone makes the effort to look after them so well, like I mentioned we've got some good members on the lake and thank you all for caring about the fish, just be extra carefull of the bigger lumps.
 
So, I reckon there was about an hundred fish out in January, Darren Spicer catching 11 on the last weekend helped us reach the 100 mark, another example of good angling.  There has already been a few out in the first few days of February so it's looking good.  The day ticket lake has always fished well in the winter.  Smaller baits, maggots, trimmed down boilies and any sensible small bait method seems to work, you just have to brave the weather and do it.
 
Gary