kevtaylor

I'd ring Tony before setting off - the lakes could all be frozen solid, they were at the beginning of the week. The Lakes are not quick to get started each year coz the depth keeps the lakes colder for longer. Whilst I have fished the odd winter night and early spring session, I wouldn't recommend going until May tbh! Good luck!

You tried asking at Bennets tackle shop, Mountsorrel?

like you wouldn't put a rod next to the boathouse - happy days!

Ditto 1st venues to enter my head Doesn't western park have accomodation too?

Beedles Lake, Leics is the only place I've come accross that allows caravans. The fishing isn't easy - but its a lovely looking water and pretty big too. Personally I dont like anything like that at the side of the lake - an eyesore IMO Good luck in your search

i think you may be asking of a bit too much there mate. midlands is a bit of a blackspot for carp fishing, big carp fishing anyway. finding a water that size with hardly any weed, 30's and loads of 20's is next to impossible in this part of the country. if thats the fishing you want you need to be down south , good luck finding somewhere though, let me know if you do, iv been looking for one touching 7 year Bluebell Lakes Fishery - Sandmartin Lake and Bluebell Lake have the stock your looking for. Sandmartin is also lightly fished - depends on what your prepared to pay? Stacks of waters in Northants, Cambs and Notts you've not got to go down south at all

Havn't they put just a few whackers in the new pit - guess thats why its been so pressured. I wanted to start on the old carp syndicate lake then progressively move onto the others as I get to know the venue. Probably never get a ticket anyway, dont even know if I can get a recommendation anymore

I was told the new pit was the most difficult even though its only small. Would like to join myself - seems good, got a mate who's a member but he doesn't fish it, ticket collector for the future!

Keep at it mate you can take fish from the really weedy swims on there, the carp will be in and around the weed afterall. Dont follow the crowds on there doing the obvious spots at range - find fish and go for them where they are regardless of weed - theres always little spots. When people stop because they are scared of fishing in weed you get lots of choice on pegs its much better. No-one fished peg 1 last autumn - I fished a small channel in the weed close in during a short overnighter (only session last year) and had 5 takes landing 4. Will be going there overnight for the first time this year on saturday - would be nice to have a fish or 2

a stiff bristle like material like IQ pushed through the line aligner The theory seems OK but i'm not won over on the prospect of the stiff bristle damaging the fish's mouth once hooked? Is there really any need to be going down the silly named super rig route? unless you have a specific reason to do so?

Think you've misread - what the guy put. (4 fish in approx 96 nights thats 3 nights per week 4 weeks a month, for 8 months) - still think its a good average? Thought not! - like I said its poor. Average would be about 1 fish every 24 nights at that rate - now the fishing aint that difficult. A member had 3 out in his first night opposite me last autumn 2 x 30's and a 40 (only one appeared in the catch list - crafty!) - surely you should be looking at 15 odd fish a year as being OK.

Thats poor! - not going to be top rod is he

Have you fished any of the other lakes or is it straight on kingy? Are you only doing one night coz you say the 25th? I'll asume the above is right and therefore you need to pick your place carefully - if you can get a decent area like half way along any bank then take it. If not a quiet corner might be a winner! Some pegs are pretty prolific but people catch all over - dont ignore the margins either! You wanna get there early just to watch the water if poss - any show should tell you whether they are at the back of the wind or opposite and so take it from there. I like to put about 30 - 90 baits (few spods) out in say a 5yd area and fish 2 rods on that - on the edges, then a 3rd rod on a small pva bag only. If I was staying longer then I would top up the bait every evening if I was confident that they had had some - then again the small bream have become a bloody nightmare - so you might not have any bait in the spot anyway! At the end of the day fish well, try hard and enjoy it! Speak to people who seem to know what they are doing - but dont push for info, be cool and people will often open up and give up some info. My mate has caught absolutely loads of fish, usually on just tiny pvas - me I like a small spread of baits - do your own thing, get some quality bait - get that wrong you might as well give up before you've started. Keep it simple - forget your (insert whatever stupid named rig you wanna), simple bottom bait, simple rig, putty, heavy flat leads - for good hooking, sharp strong hooks, anti tangle rigs. Keep your line down! Do the basics well and have confidence - look for fish and dont be lazy - 10 mins in the right place and all that! Tight lines! and good old luck Enjoy I'm probably not going till sept/oct. not that it isnt a good time of year though - just a long wait

Beedles is a lovely lake - hit and miss, like anywhere I suppose! The stock numbers say that it is more difficult than Willesley. People seem to get it wrong on Beedles by going for known swims playing waiting games rather than being observant and letting that dictate your movements. Willesley - was put off when I read the stock but will be giving it a go this year - I say that every year! Does seem a good venue overall I have to say. I'm voting for Beedles simply because you havn't fished it!

Theres Jelsons club which has waters in syston and frisby, one of theirs (Meynell) has done 2 x 30's I think - and one of the Frisby ones has a good number of 20's in so I'm told. Melton club runs the big pit at Frisby and some other waters - again I think Frisby has done a 30. Birstall Gravel pits has club lakes and a syndicate - dont know about the stock on them, worth checking out. Theres a lake near Loughborough Tommy Teds or something like that - big fish and pricey - so I'm told. Murphy's is a syndi in syston/thurmaston - over the canal from King Lear's lake on Watermead Park - dont know whats in there anymore. Saddington Res is syndi - had big fish, re-stocked with simmos - no idea what sizes they are. Broome AS has some lakes both sides of the city - worth checking out, dont think theres too much in the way of sizeable fish though. There is a club known as 'The MAL ticket' - Leics Amalgamation of Anglers - or sommat! Only thought on that club is that it has a lake on the Ringstead Complex Northants or did have - that had decent fish or still does. Cant say that any info above is accurate - just what I used to know or have heard locally, dont fish in Leics hardly ever any more - bit out of touch. There is another couple of clubs that I cant remember at the minute and probably a few more syndicates that I'm sure will come to me or someone else will recall. Plenty of day ticket places and council run waters that are cheap to fish. Some even have a few whackers in Hope this is of some use? I've only mentioned Leics Waters.

Did 2 separate 24 hour sessions last year - last one was in Sept I think, blanked on the first, had 4 and lost one in the other. Visited 3 mates fishing it on a day session a couple of weeks ago - no one caught, but lake looked lovely as always, saying that the road was really muddy as they are doing some works. Fished it a lot in the past - up until I joined a club water, didn't renew in the end - just do very occasional overnighters now.

No it can be tied to a swivel with the coating still on - a palomar knot tightened with a bit of spit.

Surely joining 'the pride of derby' would be a good choice - quite a few nice, decent sized lakes, cheap tickets and good fish so i'm told.

Are there not 50`s in there anyway? Dont think so - there are 6 40's in Kingy no 50's The 'Z' fish in Swan Lake is usually 49 but was caught last year at 52 though the people I have spoken to say that it was definately mis-weighed - I think it even came out later that year at 49 To me the lakes at Bluebell seem to be super rich in natural food - they always have been. The record fish in each species tells you thats the case. The small stockies that were flooded into Swan have gone 30+ in a short period of time and all of the lakes hold 30's so I cant see it being long until we see another huge fish. Plus theres always the chance of a previously uncaught whacker coming from Sandmartin or Mallard as some have been seen. Coops: Yes I'm sure the business will be OK too - afterall it is a very decent venue in peaceful surroundings. I tried Elsons for the first time on Jan 1st but it didnt thaw quick enough so I ended up on Kingy instead - just my luck ! You could see the fish moving about in the small un-frozen bit right in the middle - teasing me Next time eh

Mate loads and loads (many thousands) of people came to catch Benson and Creature full stop! The Don and Frank Warwick did a fair amount of time on Swan no doubt hoping for the creature. People seem to travel absolutely miles to fish the place - but with the big 2 gone (60's) theres probably somewhere nearer to them with 30's and the odd 40 in to keep them happy? It was the lure of a UK 60 that drew a good portion of customers in - surely a large enough percentage to seriously damage income. Worrying enough for Tony to immediately consider trying to find replacements! Hopefully though he will not panic and choose to leave the stock alone and just wait a couple more years for existing fish to take their place - which I'm sure they will. Afterall one of the 40's is borderline 50 now.

I went for 5 days in Sept mate - there were only 4 of us on Kingy, about the same on Swan and a fair few on Bluebell dont know about the others. By the Friday when I was packing up about 8 were on Kingy for the weekend - considering it was supposed to be big feed time I was amazed how few were down there. Went again Jan 1st - only 3 of us on Kingy - none on Swan couple on the others. Tony said it had been really quiet all winter. Fact is if he doesn't get 2 new 60's he's gonna loose loads of money as so many were only there for a chance of the big 2 - sad but true At least now you have a much better chance of getting a prime spot and the opportunity to move onto fish. When I arrived Sunday for my Sept session I had the choice of all my favoured swims as only 2 were on it Considering I've counted 17 bivvies on Swan Lake mid week during a cold late March session in the past it seems deserted by comparison now! - a good time to go catch some whackers I say.

Another good water. and again busy but thats the price you pay for a good session on a decent dayticket water. Mate - its been very quiet since the big 2 died - as you now have the lakes almost to yourself there cant be a better time to fish there!

Kingfisher Lake - Bluebell Lakes One fish out of every two is 30+ and 6 x 40's - not bad for a day ticket water!

Dont think its quite that expensive - maybe 750 - 850 for the Gold Membership could have gone up in price since then? Can also get a cheaper mid week ticket I think ringstead / crackers meadow and RH fisheries are probably more expensive - You might find that Bluebell is pretty well priced considering its stock when compared to other waters. I'll just stick to doing odd sessions - it suits me

By better I take it you mean easier? Kingy alone has 6 40's and absolutely loads of 30's its not easy coz they've seen it all before but who wants it easy anyway? For a day ticket water the stock is amazing and therefore it justifies the price - I'd rather it was cheaper, but when 1 in 2 fish is a 30 you know its worth the price - well worth the odd visit anyway. You could be waiting many years for a Roman ticket and is the stock similar? My names been down for ages as it looks a decent enough venue but I cant recall the stock being nearly as good from what I've read, and I dont expect to be offered a ticket for years, by which time Bluebell will probably have done 60's again Kingy is being netted to remove silvers this winter that would be fantastic to witness and could throw up a few surprises - wish I could go