willesley lake

[choddy_b]

Hi there.

I Know willesley has been frozen over of late but has anyone had much out of there recently?

I recently fish a cupple of consec weekends during the day and blaked on both.

I fished the road side up against the island and kinda roved a rod around abit but dint even get a nudge and then on the scout side again one by the island and the other in the margins but it was a litte frozen which restricted me abit.

Iv never done that well there in the past and i know that this time of the year aint the best anyware but i do realy like it there and intend to hammer it abit when the weather gets abit better and could realy do with some tips.

 

PLEASE i need help! [/b]

[courtz]

Have to say i prefer the woods bank anywhere between the back of the island and the tap, but this is the only area i have caught from in the few times i've been down. Are you using a marker rod? The old stream bed is a fairly nice spot but a pain to find droping about 6 inches - 1 foot from the surrounding silt. This is really the main feature in this part of the lake and runs almost parralel to the bank at 70ish yards range. The edge of the mussel beds can also be hit from these pegs, but that is a fair old chuck and much better if you can wade out slightly to try and get the range. Last winter when i did a few day sessions on there this is where a few of the locals were hooking fish from. Margins are always worth a go during the warmer months, when i was down in september my mate had two big commons from pretty close in, it's worth wading your rigs out to the edge of the overhanging branches and making sure everything is spot on, as there are a fair few brick and branches around here!

 

I was using a bolie orientated approach when i went, but one of the locals who was friendly swears by large beds of hemp and a scattering of chops over the top, and who would i be to argue after he landed 18 carp in the weekend i was there

 

Last winter the majority of fish i saw where on bright days and towards the centre of the lake on the field bank, with a fair few patrolling along the end of the mussel beds from the island along further up towards the shallows. Finding the deeper spots within the mussel beds is said to produce well during winter, but again requires a fair amount of effort with the marker preferably on a quiet day. I've never fished the island much as it seems to be where everyone battles for which isn't good in the way that stretch of bank curves around so everyone is pointing at it, saying that one or two do get caught from it.

 

Most of all just keep walking around and keep on the fish. They don't show much at all keeping on them is vital.

 

I've not done much down in the bay near the car park, but apparently they do often get in here in numbers into the snags especially in summer, seems a bit tight though with one of the swims having a long pipe stretching out, and the snags look savage so it's be a definate locked up job.

 

Good luck, and hopefully you'll bag one or two before the crowds descend.

 

Courtney

[choddy_b]

Thanks alot dude, looks like im going this weeknd so il have a good trawl about with the marker.

Any idea what sort of bait works well. i usaly have gluggd frooty pop up on one and some Mainline wonder bait on the other.

[ianson75]

Choddy

 

Did you go down to Willesley last weekend? how you get on.

[choddy_b]

Yes mate went Sat for the day dint catch owt think there was only 2 out over the weekend.

It was proper bizzy most of the pegs were taken up on the scout camp side must have been a good 13 or so people there but i supose it was the first weekend back after all that crap weather.

Went on Monday to for the day and blanked again But the was a few crusing around the island so there defanatly out and about. Was proper nice to there was no one elts there.

[courtz]

They love to cruise around on the mussle beds close to the islande, great to see in winter, apparently zigs do alright.

 

As for baits, any decent quality bait should produce

[welder]

Yes mate went Sat for the day dint catch owt think there was only 2 out over the weekend.

It was proper bizzy most of the pegs were taken up on the scout camp side must have been a good 13 or so people there but i supose it was the first weekend back after all that [censored] weather.

Went on Monday to for the day and blanked again But the was a few crusing around the island so there defanatly out and about. Was proper nice to there was no one elts there.

 

You and Courtz are right about the crowds. When quiet, Willesley is a lovely place to be. It's not quite so pleasant when the crowds descend. Still beautiful, though.

 

Also agree with Courtz on the fact that a marker rod really is a useful tool on this water.

 

Oh, and if fishing overnight, don't ignore the margin

 

Ian