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Time to get back on the specimen lake at Beaver to have a go at the Catfish. I went with Martin for a 48 hour session looking to get among the big moggies that reside in Snipe Lake.
I couldn't get there until after 6.30 in the evening as I was coaching during the day with a group of lads in Essex. Expecting the worse when I hit the road at 5.40 in the evening I was pleasantly surprised to find the roads quiet and my 50 mile drive was over in no time at all.
Martin was at the lake ahead of me and was setting up his rods when I arrived. A quick look around the lake left us feeling very confident with fish crashing about all over the place, we counted at least 4 Cats and several Carp moving about. What made it even better was the fact we were the only 2 people on the lake.
We got ourselves set up and bivvies sorted, baits in good places and kettle on for a cuppa. Settling down for the evening, chatting and watching the water, the weather conditions were perfect.
We had some food and yet more tea while waiting, the breeze moved to the North East and it turned a bit cooler. I thought this might kill the fishing but the fish were still crashing about the lake.
I was just having a mouthful of tea and my left rod shot off. I hit into a solid resistance and immediately it started shaking it's head in that familiar way a Cat does. It headed up a cut through between 2 islands and I thought I was going to lose it in the snags.
It turned easily though and I started pumping it back towards me, it then woke up and headed for the lily pads to the left of the swim. I realised this wasn't a large Cat and applied plenty of pressure to get it away from the pads and heading back in the right direction.
It then decided to take up knitting!!! it wrapped itself around my other line making a hell of a mess.
Martin netted it first time and we got it unhooked, weighed and photo's done quick time to get it back in the water as fast as possible. Only 12lb but it was a promising start.
I had to cut off the rig to try and untangle the mess the moggy had made!
Bait was placed back in the same spot and another cuppa was made. Half hour later it was off again! A similar fight to the first one took place and another Cat of 12lb 8oz was in the net. Still small but heading in the right direction.
No more fish that night but it had been a good start and there were fish still crashing about all over the place.
We spent the next day messing about with rigs and baits, chatting overthe previous nights events and working out a plan of action for the night.
Around 5.00pm 6 other people turned up on the lake and so the fish switched off as people moved about and leads were cast out, peace was ruined and the lake seemed to go very quiet.
We sat there for a couple of hours waiting for everyone to settle in and get themselves sorted, then the wind picked up and that was it for the night...or so we thought! 11.00 pm and my left rod roared off again. This time when I struck this fish tried to strike back. A solid feeling fish started heading towards the cut through and lots of pressure was applied to try and turn its head around.
This one was taking line off me under a lot of pressure on a regular basis so I knew this one was a bit bigger than the previous 2 I had caught.
After about 5 minutes I had the Cat in front of me and Martin did a great job on the net, getting it first time. Still not the big fish we were after but heading in the right direction at 24lb 8oz.
Unfortunately this was the last fish we got.
Next morning it was a lot cooler and it looked like rain was well on its way, we decided to pack it in and go get some much needed rest.
All the fish came to Spiced Liver and Lamprey boilies made by Teme Severn, not the cheapest bait on the market but certainly one of the best I have used.
Still can't get the lumps out so I will be back...................SOON!!!!
1st September 2008
I went with Martin Porter to Beaver Fishery at Newchapel, Surrey, for a couple of days fishing for Catfish as Martin had never caught a Cat and wanted to break his duck.
Beaver is set in some 72 acres and has 7 lakes and 2 ponds catering for all aspects of Coarse Angling, but it was the specimen lakes which were attracting us as this is where the Catfish reside. Biggest caught this season is 69lb 8oz backed with several 50's and 40's so there's plenty to aim at.
We set up on the South Bank of Snipe Lake, Martin on the left side fishing into a bay and with the island in front of him while I set up to his right, fishing under a canopy of trees with loads of lilies in front of me.
After going over rigs and rig materials Martin set up and baited a couple of spots well proven for Catfish with a mix of Fishmeal Groundbait, maggots, pellets, boilies and worms.
It was a slow grind, as expected at this time of year, and we spent most of the time looking & listening for Cats on the move. The weather wasn't exactly a great help either as it poured with rain for most of the trip, not exactly good for moggies.
I forgot how claustrophobic it was looking at the inside of a bivvy for a few days! At least it gave me a chance to catch up on my sleep ;)
Martin worked hard to get a result and it eventually paid off when he called me to say he was in. After a rather frantic battle trying to get it out of the marginal reed beds and the lilies which adorn Snipe Lake I slid the net under Martins first Cat. Not a monster at 11lb 13oz but it was the result that counted not the size, especially as Martin caught it on a 2lb Test rod with a Centrepin on popped up worm!
4th to 5th September 2008
When Martin left I was joined on the lake by Jeff, who was after a Carp to beat his pb, a modest 10lb 5oz.
I moved from the swim I was in to put Jeff there, as it was just starting to show signs of life after the 2 days baiting I had done, and I moved into the swim vacated by Martin.
We baited up tight to a set of pads on the end of the island with pellets and liver boilies fished on a blowback rig. Now all we could do was watch and wait.
The weather was still very poor and I didn't expect to catch anything to be honest. We sat with a curry watching the lake to see if we could spot signs of fish, but it was looking bleak. Bed beckoned and a good nights sleep was had unfortunately.
We got up early to a much better looking day, the rain had stopped at last and it was overcast with a light breeze. I popped to the Cafe to get some bacon sarnies and when I got back Jeff's wife had turned up to see how we were getting on.
As Jeff took a bite from his sandwhich one of hte rods shot off straight into the lily pads. A hectic tug of war took place and after 10 minutes the fish finally came out of the lilies and into open water. This was a very tight swim with lots of features, so the battle was far from won and Jeff was made to work very hard, but, after 15 minutes, a very nice looking Mirror slid over the net cord.
Jeff had wanted to break his pb but i'm sure he didn't think he would beat it so comprehensively. 33lb 4oz and a fantastic result.
Martin Porter with his first Catfish of 11lb13oz from Beaver Fishery in Surrey
The end result. 33lb4oz Mirror
I took Nathan to Beaver on Sunday the 30th November for a 24 hour session on Snipe Lake, when we got there the lake was deserted apart from the bailiff perched around the back of the island.
We took a walk around looking for any signs of fish but there was nothing to be seen, so we decided to fish the West Bank, one to the island and one in the bay to our right.
Nathan was to my left fishing an open water mark and tight to the island using small bags of pellets and crumbled boilies on stiff rigs. I fished tight to some pads in the margins to my right with a coated braid rig on a heavy inline lead with 2x12mm boilies with a handful of pellets and boilies scattered around it, my other rod was out towards the island, fishing just off the end near another set of pads, this had about half a pound of pellets and 12mm boilies scattered around it with 2x12mm boilies on a long shank blowback rig on a combi rig to a 4oz inline.
Soon after setting up it decided to rain with the wind coming in from the north east, straight into the doorways of our bivvies!! It rained for 12 hours unabated and the temperature dropped significantly but at least it didn't freeze.
As it was getting dark my right rod got a twitchy take, I watched the rod tip to see if anything was happening and I saw it quiver slightly so I struck to find there was something rather large on the end, unfortunately the hook pulled, but it gave us hope that we had found the fish and they might come on the feed.
I had several knocks during the night but nothing was developing, until 4.00 when I got another twitchy take, this time I was into a small carp of around 7lb, not a big fish but in the weather conditions I was happy to catch anything.
An hour later my other rod went off but I missed the fish on the strike. Unfortunately Nathan didn't get anything but it goes to show that watercraft and good rigs with good bait application can still produce even in adverse conditions.
We will be back down soon after Christmas to have another go for the elusive "lumps" in the lake, providing it isn't frozen over!
