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  • Graeme with 2 Scales, safe to say this fish made his week !!..............
  • This cracking 44lb Mirror enjoyed a cuddle with Graeme, 4 Scales it is aptly named
  • Yet another great fish from Dunkerque that 14 wrap spot doing the business.......
  • The biggest of the week for Andy with Pac-man at 42lb 12oz.........
  • Smile for the camera :D..............
  • And away she goes !!..............

Graeme with 2 Scales, safe to say this fish made his week !!..............

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Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 19/06/2021

41 not out, no this isn’t a cricket score Andy and Graeme had an awesome week!!!........

 

Ok so, where do we start???......Well its hot, dam well hot and I’m talking let’s sack off the kitchen and get the eggs and bacon frying on the bonnet of the vans hot. The previous week had seen temperatures of over 40 degrees and with the factor 1000000 sunscreen on there was time for a quick brew before the walk round. Of course it’s a brew as Andy and Graeme are true northerners just like myself so the week was already going to be a good one finally being able to understand a conversation away from the southern drawl that takes up most of the customer base :D. I had the pleasure of meeting Andy on the “Main Lake” previously last year on one of my first weeks here at the Big G and this time he was accompanied by his pal Graeme and had decided to opt for fishing “Road Lake” this time.

 

In similar fashion as last year it was clear that there were big numbers of fish congregated in front of the bund in front of “New Beach” swim, that and it also had good form of late with producing a good number of fish a few weeks before, it was the perfect starting point. Andy Kendall took up residence in “New Beach” and Graeme decided to fish Dunkerque.  Andy decided to fish out at 19 wraps towards the feature of the sunken tree root system, fishing at this distance was a clever ploy really as the usual spot is 21 wraps. By fishing slightly closer in Andy eliminated and chance of any cut offs with the fish ploughing into them and never suffered a single snag up or cut off all week. It didn’t take too long before the action started. Fishing with double maize hook baits on Combi blowback rigs was the initial approach but Andy also had some super pimped up DNA S7 bottom baits tipped with a single grain of corn. Feeding little and often over the top saw action from the start on the boilie bottom baits. 3 fish graced the bank up to 28lb on the first night and with the relief of a few fish under his belt it was time to start the tweeks to get the most out of the swim. The feed over the top comprised of Mainline Link, our lake pellet and plenty of maize. We reckon on average 5 kilo a day was deposited onto the main area fishing over towards the 3 tree markers with 2 rods and the third was moved around to try and snag a bonus fish. Over the first few days the tactic worked a treat mainly nailing the 20s and 30s but those better fish were being elusive. It wasn’t until Tuesday that something a little different took its fancy to those S7 hookbaits and may I say they are seriously prepared with love, “THEY STINK” haha. Whilst I was photographing a fish next-door Andy was sneakily playing something allot bigger than the stamp he had been catching. I was already soaked as id done water shots for Graeme so thought sod it, I may as well net it in the warm water and in slipped a lovely 42lb 12oz Mirror known as “Pacman”. A well-deserved fish and I take my hat off to you trawling through the smaller ones, the cuddle with this unit was lovely to witness and photograph. The next day the weather changed, we got wind, we got rain, it felt fresh and all of a sudden things slowed down in Beach. Andy was getting itchy feet as he had seen a lot of fish showing further down the lake in front of Tea Party 1 and 2. With only the two of them on the lake a move was on the cards and Andy moved into “Tea Party 1” within the first hour he landed a 28lb Mirror and it looked like the move was a good one. Andy fished solid for the rest of the week, tweaking hook bait choices to keep the bites coming, even switching to a fake single pellet to imitate the loose pellet feed. This brought 3 quick bites one after the other but it just wasn’t Andys week for any of the big girls but with 34 fish landed 1 x 40lber 13 x 30lbers and the rest into the high 20s it wasn’t for trying!!! Pal its been a pleasure once again and fingers crossed for the plan for the return you are always welcome!!.....

 

When it’s your first time visiting a lake that you have never fished before its always daunting, exciting and nerves can play their part especially when making decisions. It always pays to listen to advise from the bailiffs. We don’t pretend to be the best anglers in the world (were not too bad though haha) but what we do excel at is reading the lakes as we see them daily, week after week and also how all you guys approach them. We learn by watching, we then apply different aspects into our own fishing and formulate plans on what works best. Graeme Bridge’s words stuck with me on that first day when we did the walk round. I suggested Beach and “Dunkerque” and the spots to fish and his reply was “That’s good enough for me, I’d be silly to do something different from what you say” SO…..pressures on then haha……Now unlike Andy, Graeme didn’t catch on the first night!!!!!! But he did the following morning with a 24lb Mirror, fishing out at 14 wraps towards “Brambles” the feature of this area is the bar that runs along in front of “Birches” and “Brambles”, basically when you fish out at 14 wraps you fish the backside of the bar where it drops back and the fish use it as a sort of motorway. Graeme had a very similar approach to Andy in regard to the loose feed being Mainline Link, Pellet and maize but a different rig style. It’s amazing how we become confident with different setups and rigs etc and Graeme’s preferred hook bait presentation was a KD rig with Mainline boilie tipped with corn. I used to use KDs all the time years ago, maybe they need to make a return lol. After the 24lber Graeme had a beautiful fish named “Andromeda” at a great weight of 37lb and then there was nothing stopping him. He literally couldn’t keep a rod in the water the next day with more upper 20s and 30s gracing the net. It then happened very similar to Andy, he landed a chunk, “4 scales” at an equalled top weight of 44lb, cracking fish and some nice shots for you too mate. The next day the action just stopped, like I mentioned before the weather had changed and things looked grim down that end of the pond until at 12.30 at night, I got the call that Graeme had a chunk in the net. He had only gone and bagged a 50lber in the form of “2 Scales” at 51lb 8oz ohhhh we love a good night-time water shot haha. We got there in the end floodlighting the area and getting some lovely shots well done mate not quite the PB but nearly lol. The following day saw Graeme make the move and slipped into Tea Party 2 where he fished 17 wraps out towards the middle of the bowl. Although there was definitely fish in the area and he did bank a few more including one on Andys rods but we won’t talk about that one eh pal haha. All in all, a 17 fish week including a 51lb 8oz beast is nothing to be sniffed at and it’s been a blast having you for the first and hopefully not the last time mate.

 

2 cracking northern lads you are, it’s been an absolute pleasure looking after you both you both fished solid and the exact same approach on a different week could have seen some of the bigger stamp grace your nets but 41 fish between you is awesome angling.

 

Until next time guys n gals, tight lines, be lucky and bag a chunk.

 

Phil