Return to Angling 2 - Guest post from Mike

Returning to our Club lake after a few years away....

Ahh parking by the gate and walking down I have missed this place...

Its had a load of work, all of the swims are now proper solid safe pegs . Some are quite high off the water on the far bank and an extending landing net handle will be essential as will a longer front rod rest - or maybe one of my old camera tripods adapted.

On the near bank a folding shovel to clear away the goose poo is an idea too!

The two floating islands and the work on the inflow are so good for wildlife and fish breeding its really excellent to see and there is useful expansion of the lilies   Does it look a bit more commercial?... yes, but I am sure it will soften and the basic nature of the lake is unchanged.

I had long chat with the vice chairman and the feeding campaign is definitely helping the quality of the fish stocks. The truth is that in many commercial waters that are heavily fished, the bait going in is probably providing at least 50% of the biomass these fish are taking on.

So fishing I chose the second peg from the end on the road bank fishing to my left and about a rod length out in 5ft of water.

All of the fish I had came from an area 2m x 1m and reflect the diverse nature of the lake.

Tackle was an 8ft TFG feeder, 8lb main to a 30g middy flatbed with a size 14 short feeder hook.

Bait was one full mix of method mix with added 4mm pellet. A couple of handfuls of squid boilies went in alongside a bed of sweetcorn and then feeder over the top with a catapult of corn every 10 mins or so.

I started with octopus 10mm boilie -  nothing.

A change to sweetcorn and a bite as it hit bottom. First fish a 6lb common followed by a very fine looking 3lb tench.

A short while later a very different fight and a crucian of a pound. There was then a bit of a lull followed by a terrific scrap with an 8lb ghost carp.

Next, a 3lb bream - a nice fish but from 5ft of water a bit of a surprise.

Then a half pound roach followed by a tiny roach foul hooked . Obviously small fish were in in force and a move away from corn was called for and just before changing bait a 4lb carp which looked like a common mirror cross turned up.

As a change of bait, a krill based light coloured boilie with a small corn floater to make a wafter was tried. As I was packing up, the tip slammed around and the clutch screamed - a really magnificent 9.5lb common - fully scaled, orange tail fin - exactly as one would want!

It was real throw back to early days in Newton Abbot, just bigger fish. Even the bait (a big tin of sweetcorn) was the same . A great day and my two recent trips have been a fine welcome back to the coarse fishing world.