Bluebells lakes

[youngcarper94]

Hi guys im off to bluebells friday for a 48 hour and in wondering if you lot could give me as much advice as posdible about any of the main carp lakes. Kingfisher. Swan. Bluebell. Sandamadtin etc

[matt_89]

Not been there myself but I know korda have featured the complex on a couple of thinking tackle episodes. May be worth a search on you tube if you haven't already.

 

Good luck for the trip as well.

[snoozer]

Fished there 20 odd years ago and blanked, Never went back for some reason or other

 

Good luck..

[youngcarper94]

Looked at some videos and it looks gin clear. Weedy with a lot of gravel features and i know mainline cell works well im just wondering if any other members are likely to fish there often

[kevtaylor]

I always do a few days each year - fantastic complex, might be able to answer a few of your questions.

[stoogi]

I always do a few days each year - fantastic complex, might be able to answer a few of your questions.

 

Listen to this man. Many years ago, he was kind enough to give me a lot of advice about this venue. Thanks to him I have some great memories of the place 

[youngcarper94]

I always do a few days each year - fantastic complex, might be able to answer a few of your questions.

 hi mate, i've kinda gathered some information myself by ringing up and looking on photos and videos i can see its gin clear water, quite deep in parts, lots of gravel and lots of weed and silt and they love cell alot . what do you know about fish movements? do they seem to follow the wind or hang around the back of it? any pegs on certain lakes i should be on the look out for? how do they respond to big beds of bait? so many questions i could ask so i'm just going to say fire away with anything you feel i should really know or even want to give away that is.

[kevtaylor]

OK lets get an idea of what lake you are thinking of trying.  Mainly what level of difficulty are you upto trying and what/how many do you expect/hope to catch.

 

Basically Kingfisher and Swan are pretty tough at the best of times, very highly pressured fish that have seen it all before - are you experienced enough to handle fish over 40lb and realistic enough to know what your chances of a bite really are?  Would you see a blank as failure or the first piece of the jigsaw.

 

Based on what I have said already I assume you are likely to be considering Mallard, Sandmartin or Bluebell.

 

On all lakes there will be times when the majority of fish will follow the wind and times when they will be happier on the back of it, like anywhere else.

 

My first tip would be travel light - you are not camping!  Make sure you have floaters and a floater set-up ready to go, likewise with stalking.

 

At this time of year (on any lake) I would expect to be fishing over a little bait through the night on spots in the usual way, then reeling in late morning/lunchtime and going off to locate the fish again to try stalking/floaters through the afternoon.

 

All lakes are busy so you may have to choose the quietest for your stalking.

 

Unless you have an extreme low pressure system come in at this time of year I would say heavy baiting would be a big mistake.

 

Come back to me with a little bit more as I said initially and I can decide what is relevant without rambling on.

 

Cheers

[youngcarper94]

Id like to fish kingfisher or swan im not bothered about a blank but in open to fish any of the other waters. I like a challenge and if i only get one out ill be happy im not after a big hit if anything id like to catcg my first 30. Im pretty confident in my ability and my gear to handle some serious lumps. Ill be travelling as light as possible but my mrs is going to be with me so to much moving will end up in a hissy fit but in happy to take myself off for a few hours. I do have a floater set up to do some stalking and i plan on fishing with sticks mixes.splid pva bags and stringers with most likely using glugged cell wafters. Im planning on using a bit of hemp and maize and corn to keep them grubbing and in my swim as much as possible but ill spod small and every now and then say 2-3 midi spombs every 4 hours. I also have chod and zig set ups to fish over weed and find them in the upper layers if it gets a little warm im covered for anything to be honest

[kevtaylor]

Whilst I'm not trying to be the Swan and Kingfisher police - I think that the fact that you say 'if I only get one I'll be happy' possibly suggests that you are a little unrealistic in your choices.  You are possibly fishing for the fish of a lifetime on those lakes so jumping in at the deep end could be a bit daunting and counter productive on your first visit.  I prefer to think that you work your way up to it if you like but then people will try and get lucky so who knows.  Fishing Kingfisher is mega exciting and if you are lucky to have them showing it fuels that fire like nothing else, what a buzz.

 

Mallard holds good numbers of cracking scaley fish that go 30+, it is busy but lots of swims with lots of water to go at. Halfway along the road bank is a fair bet and when I fished it there was a lovely line of weed at around 40 yards that was good to drop just over.  Sandmartin is smaller and deeper, the deepest water on the complex, nice corners and margins for stalking, less fish than Mallard but a good introduction to gravel pit fishing - again fish over 30 and possibly a surprise or two.  The least pressured lake on the complex but slightly busier than it used to be as people are starting to realise what a decent water it is.

 

Bluebell is the most circus like through summer, it is a mixed lake plenty of good tench and bream and of course carp to 30+  possibly the best looking lake on the complex.

 

My best tip would be not to rush in, check all the lakes out and give yourself an hour or so to consider your options.  Park at the shop and tell them that you want to check the lakes out before deciding and they will let you do it.  Focus on finding fish or likely areas given the conditions first and foremost  and let that decide which lake gives you the best situation.  Study the weather before you go as well as pictures of the lakes so you arrive knowing where the wind is going to be blowing on each lake and when it may swing to over the course of your session - that way you can read situations and be first to move into the right areas.

 

I focus on this and getting the basics right such as anti tangle rigs, tried and tested rig styles and components that you trust, stick to what works for you elsewhere, this is not the time to be trying the latest wonder rig.  I find clean spots so don't use chods or such like but you have to use what you have complete confidence in.

 

If you choose the hardest 2 lakes don't be surprised if they turn up in a corner out of the way of the lines and pressure - they are not stupid but if you are stealthy you can have one in no time at all.  

 

Overall I go back to finding the best situation i.e. free swims where you expect them to be or move to over the course of your session, rather than choosing a lake from the outset.  Most of all enjoy the experience and learn from it - you are paying good money for the fishing but it is worth it.

[kevtaylor]

Forgot to mention Swan Lake  - only done 2  nights on there, cracking lake - loved every minute.  What I noticed is that they spend a lot of time in the centre of the widest bit - also the deepest end as the lake used to join Sandmartin.   3 x 50's in this one - what a water!!!

 

Whichever  lake you choose fish it well, try real hard to be the best you can, accurate, new sharp hooks - do all the basics well and you have a good chance.  Know what you are fishing on - check and double check, measure the distances and clip up etc.  My only concern is bait, you could be better off just using the small pva stick you mention - put it in the right place and it is all you need - bait up and you could blow it - it is not really munching weather is it, July and August can be difficult everywhere, if you get a freak low pressure system - fill it in lol.

[youngcarper94]

thank you kev, you've been a real eye opener. i think ill get there early friday morning and have a good walk around. i never like to fish to clean of a spot because well everyone else does so the fish seem to just expect a bait there. i love fishing in silt with a pva bag and wafters as hook baits. spod a bit of particles over to get the grubbing even more then they would on naturals and its just something that works for me. (i regularly fish a very high pressured lake) just going to give it my all and even if i blank i know ill enjoy my time there and will end up going back. might even just keep it very light in the day time and just walk round with some tackle and a two rod set up fishing empty pegs for an hour then moving on to any showing fish then settle down and stick a 3rd rod on the evening. 

[kevtaylor]

Spots a smooth as glass are so because they are fed on, however they were chasing naturals in the low Canadian when I was there last.  Food for thought - but no not a pop-up on a choddy - think it through.

 

Good luck hope you enjoy it.

[youngcarper94]

If i use a choddy if try a wafter or bottom bait with balanced corn to mimminc the spread of boilies and particals ill put over it. Gonna try what ever i can and fish for a bite at a time

[yonny]

Just to second everything Kev said, and to illustrate how hard Kingy can be:

 

I've fished Bluebell a couple of times a year for the past 10 years or so. I started off with Bluebell lake and it took me a good couple of sessions to get to grips with that properly. Don't get me wrong it can be hectic on Bluebell but most people still blank all the time. Those fish have seen everything.

 

Anyway, Kingy; I have fished the lake twice. On my fist visit I had an upper double mirror and thought hey-ho this is gonna be easy, just fish it like the other waters. How wrong I was. The second session, earlier this year, I spent a blank night on the lock bank and saw loads of fish topping in the far corner. First thing in the morning I moved round there and set up as quietly as possible. The fish stayed in front of me and I thought I was in for a cracker.

 

To cut a long story short, I spent 2 days and nights with fish all over me trying everything I could (and failing) to get a bite. At one point I had a group of 12 fish visiting a tiny gravel spot in the margins every half hour. I managed to get 6 chops (i.e. 3 boilies, halved) on the spot and sat back to see if they would be taken, no rig on the spot at this point. Twenty mins later there they are, they were straight over to the spot. As soon as they saw those chops they spooked, and I mean spooked properly. Turned, did the off, and didn't come back.

 

How do you go about catching fish that react to 3 boiles like that?

 

I've been fishing for carp for 15 years and like to think I know a thing or two about catching them, but those fish in Kingy did me up like a kipper.

 

One thing I will say is it must be the most exciting blank I've ever had, and I can't wait to get back there at some point. All the same, if it's your first visit to the complex I would start with one of the easier waters and even then don't count on having a red letter day. Unless you're bang on numbers of fish even Bluebell, Mallard etc can be tricky.

[youngcarper94]

Well im currently on mallard in a peg next to entrance. The wind is banging in my face and i saw plenty of fish swirling and crusing in front of me. There was about 10 or 15 fish just crusing around not having any of it and i ive been done by a few fish but still days to go

[youngcarper94]

Got the zigs and chods out. Thet are having non of it still. Far to weedy and silty in my peg for bottom baits but still another 24 hours to go

[youngcarper94]

Got the zigs and chods out. Thet are having non of it still. Far to weedy and silty in my peg for bottom baits but still another 24 hours to go

[androoooo]

Got the zigs and chods out. Thet are having non of it still. Far to weedy and silty in my peg for bottom baits but still another 24 hours to go

Yesterday was an easterly and this morning it was due to swing to a South Westerly? Have a number of weekend anglers turned up and there's a lot of pressure one end? Are you still seeing fish where you are? Have you walked around, are there more elsewhere?

 

I'm asking as if the weather's changed/angling pressure changed, the fish could easily be elsewhere.

[youngcarper94]

My end of the lake is quiet to be honest. I have a whole body of water and a corner to myself. Found a bit of gravel and not long put a pva bag on it. Fish are still crashing but not as much showing as yesterday. No one is catching to be honest

[snoozer]

How did you get on in the end ?

 

Despite a statement in another thread i didn't actually fish this venue in the past for some reason i got right mixed up with another one so i intend to have a go on Mallard Lake Sunday 13th see if i can drown some boilies