Winter has arrived

Boy has the weather changed......it's just like a typical January!

Well almost.......this weekend we had the highest pressure in January for over 50 years.

As you would expect the combination of several nights of sharp frosts, cold bright days and very high pressure, the Carp fishing on Cherry Lake has ground to a halt. With an empty lake last week ( unfortunately until the change in the weather on Thursday) followed by the very poor conditions for this weekends anglers, means that I have very little to write about on the Carp front!

I can though for a real change write about some lovely Roach!

Three years ago we stocked around 100 small Roach (1-4oz) into Cherry Springs. The idea being to give our guests another specie to fish for whilst they are waiting for the Carp to bite. We have previously stocked around 100 each of Tench and Crucian Carp. In truth,, whilst these fish are doing well with the Tench being caught to 3-08 and the Crucian to 2-08, they do not get caught very often. Principally I think because a different approach to normal Carp style fishing is required.

With Cherry Springs being empty this week, I thought I would see if I could catch some of the Roach to see how they are doing. Tactics was to fish a small swim feeder of maggots paternoster style, with two or three red maggots on a size 14 hook (I could not go any smaller because I could not see the hook!). Well I had a fantastic 2-3 hours.I had loads of bites, some really good ones lifting the light bobbins hard into the butt. A good angler would have caught a lot more than I managed. As well as several Perch to about 12oz, I was delighted to land 5 Roach between 1lb to 1-05.

I am not sure if you can from tell from the photo above,, they were in mint condition. Providing they do not get hammered by the Cormorants (there are more than ever this year), given all the food that we feed, I look forward to a crop of 2lb+ Roach in a couple of years time!