Winter Ticket 2026 (Bluebell Lakes)

[kevtaylor]

Bought the Bluebell Lakes winter ticket which runs 9th Nov - 12th March for £299, setting this up to encourage me to document the trips and see if I end up getting value for money.  Not sure when the first trip will be as I'm still giving it a go down the syndicate.

[kevtaylor]

Going Sunday to Tues for the first trip, been getting bait ready.  Moved over to the Live System range for winter.

Pics:

Bag mix bucket: crumb, bag mix, 2ml pellet, 6ml pellet and 21 bags ready to go!

Glugged boilies bucket

Mix bucket: crumb, mixed pellets, boilies

Everything is glugged in a few liquids lol:  Corn steep liquor, Amino Blend 365, Bait Booster, Feed Stim XP, Hemp Oil

Kits been moved into the barrow luggage so I'm quicker to move. Oh and the dog has a new Merino wool jacket and fleece, to say we're ready is an understatement.

Weather looks to be changing perfectly for the 1st trip, rise in temps, southerly winds, rain and a pressure drop - fingers crossed 🤞 

Edited Tuesday at 20:00 by kevtaylor

[yonny]

Best of luck @kevtaylor.

[framey]

Good luck 🤞 

[OldBoy]

Good luck 🤞

Sadly can no longer do colder sessions, keep us posted how you get on mate

[kevtaylor]

First trip got here just after 10am Sunday 15th Nov.

Speaking to Trev in the shop not been fishing for 2 weeks, nothing out apparently.

First lap Kingfisher and it's quiet, few on but most are packing up.  My favourite swim is free 1st Point so I put the water bucket down and continue round.

Speaking to the two guys in DVD corner they haven't had anything, I ask if they've seen any and both say they heard them boshing in the winter deeps corner.  Interesting!

Then round the corner onto the Nene bank I ask the same of the pair packing up, after a chat both said the same they heard them in the deep corner last night.

I walk past those on the final bank without stopping coz my mind is made up, start in the deeps and take it from there.

Collected the car, loaded the barrow and parked up in the centre of the 3 swims that you'd say cover the deep corner. Although after an hour moved it to the third one up as it covered those 2 anyway and gave more range in front should I want it.

I see some fizzing close in just round the corner and a splash in the opposite corner so go for another walk along the causeway bank, sitting down in the willow peg beside 1st point where the splash was.  There's a small fizzer 5 wraps out in front and another right in the corner where my mate caught from in May.  I stayed 20 mins and went back, passing the guy nearest to me round the corner in Rats he points one out 3 ft out in 2ft of water - it's dorsal just breaking the surface - weird but good! Rain cuts the chat and we went and ate MY sandwiches in the car.

Once the rain slows I go set up camp, then return to the car for the dog.

Having not fished this area at all I used the cheatcraft for a look at the bottom.  At around 5 rod lengths the fairly steep drop levelled off at 15ft before dropping down again to 17/18 at maybe 8 wraps.  I thought it was gonna be a bit deeper tbh, maybe it is further out but I was happy with 3 areas to start with.

Rods went out identical, 5 inch wafter rigs - slip D style with the Korda hookclip and Gardner XL Tungsten kicker, size 6 widegape - with funnel web threaded down the hooklink and a palmful of the crumb mix.

The rods went out left and right on diagonals to the 15ft ledge with the middle further to the 17/18ft level.

Not long after getting them out I see a fizzer very close the the right rod looking to be on the 15ft ledge which moves accross me to the centre of the swim.  Then more further out near the middle rod - this is looking promising.

Standing by the rods as it was getting dark a fish sticks it's head out right over the right rod then soon after again just to the left.  Then two more show a bit further out - game on surely!

The rain starts again so I go back inside to make dinner.  Oh no I realise no coal for the cobb cooker, I forgot to fill a little bag up from the garage and all my meals need it! Disaster

So I decided sausage bagels will do for tonight and tomorrow I'll try the local garage or go home for it if I must.

That's it for today's report, still raining but I'm warm and dry coz of the Fortis clobber as is Jack in his new outfit and sleeping bag lol.

More 2moz in the noddy files... 😄

Edited 2 hours ago by kevtaylor