Hints and tips

[Les Hart]

If anybody requires any information on any of the GAPS waters then please do not hesitate to ask. It may take me a couple of days to reply but eventually I promise I will do so. For those of you who are unaware I am currently the chairman and have been a member for over 30 years so probably know a little about each of the waters !! - Les

[carpindan]

hi i was thinking about fishing Causeway lake just wonted to no any info about it. when was it dug and stocket n stuff thanks

[Les Hart]

Causeway lake is a mixed fishery with a good head of bream and roach. there are also tench and carp but not as many numbers. A few of the more dedicated carp fraternity do fish this lake and have had good success. Not many of our members tend fish this lake for the carp but those that do can get amongst them. As I have said numbers wise I do not know how many are in there especially as I am not carp orientated. Take a look most weekends and the few dedicated ones will be around the lake. The swims occupied by these anglers tend to be the last few pegs on the A14 side of the lake (36+). Weight wise I definately know there are 20lb + specmens in there as I have witnessed a 24lb one about this time last year. This was taken in the margins at 09:30 one sunday morning just before a group of us were starting a match. Please also remember that there is no night fishing on this lake and also beware that although you can drive around the lake to the bottom car park near the A14 please do so with care. You may get stuck if wet and also will cut up the roadway which will mean the owner shutting off this facility to us.

Good Luck - Les

[Les Hart]

What I did fail to say also is it is very dependant on water colour. Earlier this week 2 members had a good day fishing for roach etc and managed 20lb. The down side of things this weekend when the colour had dropped out of the water and during a match there I blanked!!!.
Also if you do not know there is an inlet and outlet from the river adjacent which keeps the lake topped up and if lucky add colour to the water.

[carpindan]

thanks for the info mate ill be down there soon. i heard it gets very weedy down there at times but i spose it dies down this time of year?

[Les Hart]

Weed is still about at this time of the year but as you have said it is dying down. If you are after the carp no doubt a bit of plumbing up will be the norm anyway before you fire out any bait. In the latter pegs which I have seen most of the carp boys fish there is a bank out straight in front of you at 30 yards or so which may be productive in the right conditions. Not being a carp angler I will let you decide when this is!!!

[itfcfish]

Hi there,

After fishing for just about every week between the ages of 10 and 17, for one reason or another (drinks, girls, footie etc!!) I packed up for 10 years.

I have now re-joined GAPS for the upcoming season and visited Alderson Lake to see if i still had the old knack, and it turns out a big NO, and blanked!!

Has anyone got any tips for me in relation to good pegs at Alderson or Barham so that i can get good some good practice in, i'm not looking for monster fish, just a little something to show in my keep net at the end of the day??

Just to add, the work whick has been done at Alderson over years is great, i hardly recognised the place. Good job all round.

cheers

ITFC FISH

[Les Hart]

Hi there- firstly thanks for the comments regarding the state of Alderson. It is an ongoing work in progress and is now starting to take shape. More work is planned to make the place more secure and stop anybody from wandering around the lakes.

On to the question, try the small lake at Alderson near the workshop, This lake has a reasonably good head of carp and tench and has just been restocked again with more smaller pastie size carp. As yet these have not shown since they wee introduced but the warmer weather will surely see them get their heads down. I personally would fish the two pegs nearest the workshop and these are shallower than the rest. If it remains warm over the next few days there is every chance of catching a few. The larger lake tends to become hit and miss at this time of year as the water starts to become clearer and the cormorants are still about. if you want to fish this lake then try the early pegs or maybe in the point on the far side facing the island.
As for Barham, if you do not mind a walk then try the late twenties for bream and tench. Alternatively you could park next to the "beach" mid 80's and again maybe catch a few there. With the weather warming up the fish will move out of the car park bay into the shallower water so tend not to be shoaled up. Most of the GAPS waters are natural and therefore tend to need a little bit more finesse than the carp puddles around. Maybe start on an 18's to 2-3lb line, which will give you the best chance of getting more bites.

Hope this helps

Les

[KSG]

Recently joined, only fished both of Alderson Lakes so far, noticed the above about finesse, and am already changing hooklengths/main lain, but was wondering if that was the main problem, been fishing mostly Meat, tried worm on small lake did get a carp rather alot of perch on it, but didn't even touch meat/corn.

already plotting to use 18's to Fluorocarbon line(aka pretty much invisible in water, was using 14's to 5lb nylon), to get to the point does Meat/Corn work on Alderson? or was it down to my presentation/swim ? thanks alot in advance.

P.s is there anyway to find out when match dates change? turning up to barham on the 20th only to find the carp match is on for the 20th(and with best pegs reserved.) and not 21st as stated in the membership book/website.

[Les Hart]

Sorry for the time it has taken to reply to your question. Work and 3 weeks away have pretty much kept me out of having the chance to keep on top of things.

Anyway, back to your questions.
Regarding baits and whether meat and corn work, to be honest I have never tried meat there, and only corn in the smaller lake for the carp. On the main lake my approach tends to be a maggott, worm and caster approach, trying to catch anything that swims. As I am more of a match person rather than a specimen type I prefer to get bites rather than wait for the bigger ones. This lake as I have previously said needs a bit more finesse due to the clarity of the water although those prepared to sit it out can score with bigger baits. THere are a small number of very big bream and lots of tench plus the smaller skimmers we have been putting inover the last few years should start showing now. Last year for example for the first time in ages skimmers started showing up around the 1lb - 1 1/2lb size after not having been seen for ages, strange that one......
On the smaller lake, again maggot worm and caster will tempt anything that swims in the lake. If wanting to catch some of the bigger carp then floating baits early or late score pretty well in the shallower corners. Corn will work here and even though I do not fish this lake very often I have caught on corn. I think I would start off on double red maggott on either feeder or pole and take it from there, feeding and changing baits depending on bires. My own preference is to leave out the groundbait though - just loose feed and build up the swim.

As you are no doubt aware Alderson is very much a natural water and not stuffed with fish in the same level as the commercials around. To be honest oiver the last few ears the largr lake has been some what an enigma with the amount of fish we have put in not turning into those caught by anglers. Water clarity and predetors have not helped this. By introducing various measure we are now starting to see results improve and over the next couple of years I can say it will improve quite a lot by what has happened and what is planned
Hope this helps

Les