News

:: 16.08.08

New member Mark Ryder from Daventry followed up his capture of a 9lb tench with a super 29lb mirror carp fishing in the factory bay at Gingerbread Lake. Another 29lb mirror was caught by 80 year old Sid Dunne from Bedford whilst fishing in the carpet swim at the far end of the lake. There were fears that some of the lake’s really big carp may have been lost among the recent spate of fish losses but Anthony Pogmore was able to allay many of these fears when he landed one of the lake’s biggest residents, the mirror carp known as Cluster. It was mid afternoon before the big fish picked up Anthony’s snowman rig boilies and it gave him one hell of a battle for more than twenty minutes. Eventually, the fish was netted and tipped the scales at 35lb, breaking Anthony’s p.b. by 8oz. It was in pristine condition and was quickly returned to the water to fight another day. Anthony Pearson landed a 17lb common carp and was unlucky to lose a couple more carp during his session. Steve Slater found that the lake’s tench had taken a liking to his baits landing several good-sized specimens up to 7lb plus a big eel around the 4lb mark. Also, Steve was unlucky to lose a big carp estimated to weigh over thirty pounds when it slipped the hook as he was about to net it Dave Holland found both quality roach and rudd feeding on his float-fished sweetcorn with the latter taking the bait high in the water and the roach feeding on the bottom. Despite the aforementioned catches, the lake is proving a hard nut to crack for many anglers with few signs of feeding activity.

Earlier in the week, Anthony Pogmore fished at New Road Lake where a single run at midday produced a fully-scaled mirror carp weighing 14lb 8oz. The scale pattern was so dense that the fish could have been easily mistaken for a ghost common. Again, the successful method was a snowman rig designed to keep the bait clear of detritus that covers much of the lake’s bottom at present. Other anglers found bream were responding well to heavy groundbaiting with bites coming promptly whenever loose feed was introduced.

:: 09.08.08

Fishing has resumed again at Gingerbread Lake and, despite the recent fish losses, there were plenty of carp seen actively feeding around the lake but few anglers were fishing for them. A new member, Mark Ryder, who made the trip from his home in Daventry was well pleased to catch a super 9lb tench carrying on the recent run of specimens. John Lincoln caught bream to over 6lbs float-fishing from the road bank and Dave Holland caught plenty of roach and rudd up to the 1lb mark.

Carp were still plentiful at McGregor Lake with sweetcorn fished over a bed of pellets accounting for a number of fish. Anglers reported spotting an enormous pike rolling on the surface which bodes well for the winter months when many anglers target the species.

Two more double figured bream were landed by Mike Hames and Lewis Feneley fishing at New Road Lake where the sport seems to improve from week to week. There have been plenty of signs of feeding activity with big carp crashing out and clouds of feeding bubbles spotted. Anthony Pearson fished the lake for two nights using Innovate Squid 2T baits. His first night produced 5 mirror carp to 11lbs but on his second visit he landed mirrors weighing 23lb 8oz and 22lbs plus a 13lb 2oz common. Alan Wilkie spotted some feeder bubbles and cast his line baited with maggots towards them and, within half an hour, he caught a 12lb 7oz common.

:: 02.08.08

Plenty of carp were being caught on a variety of different methods by anglers fishing at McGregor Lake but most fish were being taken close to the margins. Again, anglers prepared to bait heavily were catching consistently throughout the day. Winston Pogmore

Paul Wilkie accompanied his father, Alan, on an overnight session at New Road Lake where the two anglers spotted plenty of carp activity. Paul went on to catch a 26lb 12oz common carp setting a new lake record for the sub-species. Alan had to settle for numbers landing four mirror carp, the best weighing 15lb 2oz. Another angler from Sandy caught a 21lb common carp on the same day fishing at the opposite end of the lake. All the fish caught were in superb condition with the lake well on track to soon become another big carp venue. However, carp are not the only fish to be sought after as big bream abound in the lake and a 9lb 8oz specimen was caught too.

:: 28.7.08

Method feeder tactics have been doing the business for one angler fishing at McGregor Lake where he has caught carp to 19lb 12oz plus some big tench and bream. He said that he found the early mornings to be the most productive times for catching.

Anthony Pogmore was disappointed to land a 9lb 8oz bream on his latest visit to New Road Lake as he was convinced it was another double. The fish again fell to method feeder tactics with baits cast close to the margins. Alan Wilkie landed two more big bream weighing 8lb 12oz and 9lb 12oz and both anglers thought they had hooked small carp as the fish fought hard. An overnight session for another angler produced a super 4lb eel. A new member from Luton enjoyed almost non-stop action throughout the day float-fishing from small roach, bream and perch

Fraser Hayden has been trying to locate some of the big ‘whiskers’ that are known to inhabit the River Ouse at Tempsford. On a recent trip to School Meadow he caught a 4lb 6oz chub and big bream weighing 5lb 13oz and 6lb 4oz but his search for the elusive barbel continues undaunted.

:: 20.07.08

Some big bream have been caught from the island swims at McGregor Lake with specimens to
10lbs reported. Catches of the lake’s small carp have dropped off recently probably attributable to anglers not introducing sufficient feed to lure them away from their natural diet of bloodworm. Anglers using maggots were catching plenty of small roach, rudd and skimmers fishing the swims adjacent to the long island.

Membership Secretary, Anthony Pogmore, achieved a milestone when he caught a personal best bream weighing 10lb 2oz whilst fishing at New Road Lake. It was his first double-figured bream despite catching numerous specimens over the 9lb mark. He used method feeder tactics after introducing half a dozen balls of groundbait laced with sweetcorn. The fish was his only bite of the day taking his bait at 1pm in the afternoon. He returned to the same swim a couple of days later to find fish bubbling away. Within two hours of fishing, he landed an 8lb 8oz specimen using the same tactics. The carp in this lake were proving difficult to catch despite the odd fish being spotted leaping throughout the day indicating that they too were feeding on the lake’s natural food supplies.

Bailiffs patrolling Gingerbread Lake have witnessed signs of intense feeding activity which bodes well for when the lake re-opens its doors in little over a week’s time.

Alan Wilkie was fishing the River Ouse at Tempsford for perch when he spotted a good-sized carp swimming in the margins. He cast out a couple of floating dog biscuits towards the fish which were readily accepted and Alan was soon admiring a long lean 18lb mirror carp. Several anglers fishing the School Meadow stretch have reported hooking and losing very large fish on a variety of baits and catfish are thought to be the culprits. Incidentally, a seal has been spotted in the river in the area as far up the river as Kempston. What’s next – Polar Bears?

:: 11.07.08

:: 06.07.08

:: 28.06.08

:: 22.06.08

:: 15.06.08

:: 08.06.08

:: 01.06.08

:: 25.05.08

:: 18.05.08

:: 10.05.08

:: 27.04.08

It was not the recently stocked carp that were showing at BHAA’s McGregor Lake but pike that continue to feed voraciously after spawning. Winston Pogmore went spinning for predators around the lake after bottom fishing for other species produced little action. Within a couple of hours, he hooked and landed around a dozen pike as well as losing a much heavier specimen. Later in the week, Alan Wilkie caught one of the first of the newly stocked carp and lost a big bream in the same session.

Mick Day returned to New Road Lake where he caught another two pike including a 16lb 2oz fish. Another angler reportedly caught 4 carp including a 20lb mirror, one of the fish stocked into the lake in the last three years.

The warmer weather has greatly improved sport at Gingerbread Lake where big fish of several species have been caught. Nick’the Greek’ Page has had multiple bags of tench weighing between 7 and 8lbs whilst his intended quarry, carp, have proven to be more elusive for him. Large bream in the 9-10lb bracket have been landed by several anglers fishing in the factory bay which also has accounted for a number of sizeable carp to over 20lbs. Big carp are now moving all around the lake with individual specimens landed nudging 30lbs. Sport is likely to continue to improve as water temperatures rise throughout the week.

Water bailiffs have reported catching a number of anglers fishing illegally on the rivers in the closed season. This seems to be a growing trend with the offending anglers trying to claim ignorance of the law. The Environment Agency will prosecute any anglers who they catch breaking closed season regulations.

:: 20.04.08

Absolutely stunning is the only way to describe the super carp stocked into McGregor Lake by Biggleswade & Hitchin AA. Over 800 plump fish were obtained from top fish supplier David Rance of Sport Leisure Fisheries Ltd with mostly fully-scaled and heavily scaled mirrors all supplied in superb condition. David’s assistant said that the fish were capable of exceeding 10lbs within their first year and should rapidly transform the lake into one of the premier carp waters in the area. There is more good news in that there are still a few vacancies available for night permits on the Sandy Lakes complex which includes McGregor Lake for 2008/09. Anyone wishing to obtain a permit should contact the membership secretary on 01767 223147. Mick Day turned up for a day’s fishing as the carp were being introduced into the lake but mistakenly thought that the vehicles were anglers fishing the venue so opted to fish the adjacent New Road Lake instead. For Mick it ended as a red letter day as he went on to catch a new personal best pike weighing 20lbs and followed that with another stunning fish weighing 16lb 8oz on ledgered sprats. Needless to say he is now a convert to the club recognizing the quality fishing that is on offer for all species. Keen pike angler Colin Webb was another angler to catch one of the big boys that inhabit this intimate lake when he caught a 19lb specimen whilst lure fishing.

Pike are not the exclusive preserve of New Road Lake though for down at Gingerbread Lake they seem to have developed a liking for boilies. Derek Munro is the latest angler to experience this phenomenon when he landed a 20lb specimen which picked up his fish meal boily. Derek said that he had caught big pike on boilies from the lake earlier in the season. The cold conditions have kept sport from other species to a very low level though with just the odd carp, tench and bream being caught. However, despite the cold, the odd large carp has been spotted crashing out towards the end of the week and the prospect of milder conditions is likely to trigger a feeding frenzy in the coming weeks.

:: 13.04.08

Despite the cool conditions tench were continuing to show at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake where Mark Thurley landed a 7lb specimen along with a 14lb mirror carp. Tony Foster followed up his success of last week with two more cracking carp, mirrors weighing 29lb 12oz and 26lb. Polish members Slawek Figura and Michal Tyborczy just cannot stop catching pike even when they do not want to! After catching plenty of pike to over 20lbs from McGregor Lake, they decided to try their luck at Gingerbread Lake but ended up catching a super 24lb pike on maggots!

The club’s two lakes at Sandy were closed for fishing on Sunday to allow essential works to be undertaken. More than a dozen new permanent swims have been created along the length of the long island at McGregor Lake opening up a side of the lake which was previously difficult to reach.

:: 06.04.08

A magnificent trio of fish was caught by Tony Foster on his first visit of the year to BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake. During the week, Tony had introduced a small number of free offerings into several swims prior to his session. He caught his target species in the form of a 25lb 12oz common carp and followed that up with a 7lb tench. Later in his session, he missed a couple of slow bites on his boily hook bait. Eventually he struck into the culprit which he assumed to be another big carp but was surprised to land a whopping pike weighing 24lb 12oz neatly hooked in the corner of its mouth. Tony openly admits that he is no pike angler but still photographed the specimen for posterity. Nick Page started his session fishing the popular dugout swim but found he was getting ‘plagued’ by takes from early season tench so decided a move to deep bay was needed. It proved to be a wise decision as he went on to catch a 23lb mirror carp whilst another angler, Mick Usher, landed a mid double fishing in the adjacent swim.

The carp in New Road Lake have finally started to show with six fish all into double figures being caught. Alan Wilkie was one of the successful anglers landing a 12lb 12oz common carp and an 11lb 10oz fully-scaled mirror carp. Reports of another big pike, this time a 22lb specimen were also received.

Carp were beginning to show in McGregor Lake too where the odd fish has been spotted cruising the service but it has been pike that continue to be most active. Several jacks have been caught during the week taking both dead baits and worms.

:: 16.03.08

The final day of the season brought a few anglers out on to the river banks in search of a last gasp specimen to end what has been a frustrating year for many anglers. Anthony Pogmore managed to fish for a few hours on the River Ivel behind New Road Lake where, after a long wait, he caught a 4lb 7oz chub on a cocktail of worms and cheese paste. He was joined by his fishing companion, Kevin Webb, who opted to fish on boilie paste that had worked well for him on previous visits. Kevin landed two chub, both over 4lbs, before his bites dried up in the bright conditions. Winston Pogmore could not get a single bite fishing on the River Ouse at Tempsford and, eventually, moved upstream to the River Ivel on his favourite stretch at High Romper. It took him several moves of swim before he finally found a couple of feeding fish in a part of the river he had previously shunned. Using cheese paste as bait with only a small shot to provide weight, he caught chub weighing 4lb 7oz and 5lb 7oz, the latter being his second largest fish from this stretch

Reports of another big pike from BHAA’s McGregor Lake have been received. This time it was a 21lb specimen caught by two Polish members of the club. The angling club is planning a big surprise for members fishing this water in the next few weeks but they will have to wait for the development to happen.

Several reports of carp catches from Gingerbread Lake have been reported including a great 6 fish haul by Steve Lilly. All of Steve’s fish were caught during the day time. He had taken over a swim vacated by Nick (the Greek) Page who had earlier taken a 17lb fish and lost a much bigger one. Alan Grimsey caught another big carp whilst fishing in atrocious weather that weighed well over 20lbs but the exact weight is not yet known. The torrential rain over the weekend is likely to see the lake become flooded again but the flood defences are in place to minimise any fish losses.

:: 09.03.08

Fraser Hayden managed to fish for a couple of hours on a BHAA controlled stretch of the River Ivel at Langford. He fed his swim with mashed bread and some high protein cheese paste and was soon catching a steady stream of roach on bread crust. Despite loosing two good fish due to hook pulls, Fraser went on to take chub weighing 3lb14oz, 4lb 2oz and 4lb 13oz and packed up with the fish still feeding.

Big pike were still actively feeding at McGregor Lake where Colin Webb followed up his recently caught 23 pounder with another cracking fish, an 18lb specimen. Stephen Harper regularly makes the long journey from Bushey to fish with his father Ian on the Sandy Lakes complex. The previous week he was gutted to lose a big pike that snapped his new trace but his latest catches have more than made up for his disappointment. Stephen caught two big pike weighing 15lb 12oz and 20lbs adding to the growing reputation of the lake as a predator water.

News of a four carp haul from Gingerbread Lake has been reported with fish caught to upper 20s. The continuing cold conditions though has made the carp action slow for most anglers.

:: 02.03.08

The unsettled weather conditions again made sport very patchy throughout the daylight hours with bites coming few and far between. Anthony Pogmore chose to fish at Sawmills Pool on the River Ivel to gain some shelter from a strong wind that was blowing. He managed to catch a 3lb 6oz chub within the first hour but for the rest of the day suffered bite offs from pike that seemed to be active in the pool. The next day the wind abated and he visited the river behind New Road Lake but again sport was very slow. After an hour he hooked into a 4lb plus chub that managed to transfer the hook to some bankside vegetation. Despite a move of swim he struggled to get any more bites so decided to return to his original swim for the last few hours of the day. He managed to miss one suicidal bite but a couple of casts later landed a well conditioned 4lb 10oz chub. His brother Winston fished on High Romper catching three chub to 3lb 4oz but similarly struggled for bites. His next visit was spent on the River Ouse at Tempsford where he caught a nice chub weighing 4lb 10oz. Earlier in the day, he cast a roach deadbait into a large eddy which was soon picked up by a fish. He struck but nearly had his rod yanked out of his grasp by a very powerful fish which he suspects may have been a catfish. Unfortunately, the fish managed to snag his line on tubers in the middle of the river and was lost. Fraser Hayden fished a short session in School Meadow at Tempsford where a single bite produced a 4lb chub for him.

BHAA’s match team came fourth in the Bedford Winter League match fished on the River Ouse at Biddenham despite being a man short. The top individual weight of 31lb 15oz was caught by a Vauxhall AC member, Adrian Parrott, and consisted of 9 chub. Tony Gray came second with 18lbs and BHAA’s Andy Tomlinson was third with 11lb 11oz of perch and small chub. Andy commented that all the Biggleswade boys were placed in their respective sections on an otherwise difficult day when several competitors failed to weigh in. The Winter League was won by Vauxhall AC with Adrian Parrott emerging as the top individual. On Sunday, BHAA’s match men will be fishing a match against Ampthill AC away at Stoke Goldington on the Upper Ouse. Participants are asked to meet in the lay-by on the A603 outside Canvin International at 7.30am.

:: 24.02.08

:: 17.02.08

:: 10.02.08

:: 27.1.08

Pike continue to feature at BHAA’s Sandy Lakes fishery where AlanWilkie caught an 18lb specimen at New Road Lake and another angler landed a 15lb fish from McGregor Lake. There was still little or no sign of carp activity on either lake despite the milder conditions.

After flooding earlier in the week, the River Ivel started to fine down and a few of the winter stalwarts decided to wet a line. Winston Pogmore returned to the High Romper stretch at Tempsford but struggled for bites for a long time. Eventually, he found some fish feeding and went on to catch five chub, the best weighing 5lb1oz. Most, if not all, his fish fell to ledgered cheese paste. Later in the day, he was joined by Fraser Hayden who caught a 4lb 13oz chub on luncheon meat. Fraser had stacks of bites throughout the day but could not connect with them. He suspected that roach could be the culprits. Anthony Pogmore and Kevin Webb chose a little fished stretch of the river at Sandy but could only manage to catch a brace of chub each although both had fish well over 4lbs.

The inter club fixture between BHAA and Letchworth & District AC held on the club’s Dead River stretch of the River Ivel at Sandy turned out to be a comfortable win for the visitors with Letchworth anglers occupying the first three places. Malcolm Theakston caught the top weight of 9lb 3oz; Steve McSweeney came second with 8lb 2oz and Dennis Smith was third with 6lb 7oz (including a huge 2lb 12oz perch). Letchworth won the match catching 30lb 1oz to BHAA’s 13lb 0oz 8dr. However, the Biggleswade club participants used the match as the second leg of the Ivel Shield and the President’s Cup. Reg Lilly won the President’s Cup with a total weight of 4lb 4oz. On Sunday, the club will be participating in a Winter League fixture on the River Ouse at Bromham. The draw will be held in the Royal Oak PH at Kempston where the landlord will be serving cooked breakfasts from 7am.

:: 21.1.08

Few anglers have ventured out this week with the rivers in constant spate and many of the swims around the lakes flooded or waterlogged but the conditions were still not bad enough to deter Mark Everitt and his partner. Jude. The pair fished at BHAA’s McGregor Lake at Sandy and it was Jude who was get the surprise capture of the day, a huge 21lb 8oz pike that Mark described as ‘a beast of a fish’. Most of the pike anglers tend to target nearby New Road Lake but it has been known for some time that McGregor holds some big specimens too, as Jude has proven.

The planned super cup match at Harrold had to be postponed but Biggleswade & Hitchin AA’s match anglers hope to get back into action on Sunday with an inter club fixture against Letchworth & District AC. The match will be held on the club’s popular Dead River stretch of the River Ivel at Sandy provided the river has returned to some degree of normality but, if not, an alternative venue has been earmarked close by.

:: 06.01.08

There was a good turnout for the practice match held on BHAA’s stretch of the River Ouse at Priory Farm, Harrold with several anglers from other clubs boosting the numbers fishing. Although conditions were far from ideal with very low water temperatures, some super catches were weighed in. Paul Mason won the match with four bream and a roach for a total weight of 27lb 13oz. Paul’s catch included a whopping bream weighing 8lb 12oz. In second place was another BHAA angler, Dennis Smith, who weighed in 21lb 7oz made up of three bream and three roach. Third was a Milton Keynes angler, P Hamilton, who caught three bream and two roach for a total of 18lb 10oz. Another double-figure weight was recorded by a second Milton Keynes angler, S Pauly, who weighed in 13lb 12oz, his catch included a 4lb 5oz chub. On Sunday, a second practice match will be held at Harrold subject to the condition of the river vis a vis flooding.

Martin Crouch has been having some great sport with chub fishing the River Ivel behind the club’s Sandy Lakes complex catching specimens weighing up to 5lb 9oz. However, by the end of the week, low water temperatures had all but killed off sport. Martin used feeder tactics to encourage the fish to feed. Meanwhile, Fraser Hayden fished the Pylon Meadow stretch of the River Ouse at Tempsford where he landed three chub to over 4lbs despite having to contend with a strong current.

:: 31.12.08

It has been yet another week of inactivity reported by the few remaining anglers still trying to catch carp at Gingerbread Lake and New Road Lake, Sandy where the fish steadfastly refused to feed despite reasonable conditions. Pike were beginning to show though with some single-figured fish taken from the deeper water areas of the lakes.

Anthony Pogmore decided to fish the stretch of the River Ivel behind BHAA’s Sandy Lakes and was pleasantly surprised to find the river in top condition with a good flow and little debris coming down. On only his second cast of the day, he noticed his rod top trembling and, at first, thought that it might be from a crayfish. However, his fears were soon allayed when he struck and was soon landing a superbly conditioned 2lb 8oz perch. He should have caught a second but the fish decided to bite when he had a cup of coffee in one hand and a phone in the other! Later in the day, he lost a pike on spun lobworms and landed a decent chub after casting close to some overhanging vegetation. Fraser Hayden caught a 4lb 10oz chub from the same stretch but had to fish well into the dark before getting a bite.

Anglers turning up to fish the Bedford Winter League match at the Mill Pool and Dead River stretches of the River Ivel at Sandy were greeted by heavy rain and strong winds that persisted for much of the day. During the match, two anglers had to retrieve their umbrellas which had been blown into the river by the force of the wind. Despite these setbacks, several anglers were able to weigh-in some creditable catches with a top weight of 6lb 15oz and 5lb 13oz for second place. The match was won by Vauxhall AC with 22pts. In second place, were Kempston Liberals with 19pts and in third place there was a tie between Marston GP and Parson’s Barn who earned 17pts apiece. The hosts, Biggleswade & Hitchin AA, managed to accrue 16pts. On Sunday, the club will be fishing the second leg of the Ivel Cup at the same venue.

:: 07.12.07

BHAA member Fraser Hayden caught fish from four different stretches of the River Ivel during the week including four chub over 4lbs, the best weighing 4lb 10oz and an 11lb 1oz mirror carp. The river conditions are still from ideal making Fraser’s catches even more noteworthy.

Twenty anglers turned up to fish in the inter club match between Ampthill AC and their Biggleswade and Hitchin AA hosts. The match was fished at the popular Mill Pool and Dead River stretches of the River Ivel at Sandy and it turned out to be a great event. Everyone who fished weighed in with over 90lb of fish caught in total. At least, one angler caught over 100 fish during the 5-hour match and A Denton (Ampthill AC) landed a whopping perch weighing 2lb 15oz too. The match was won by the visitors with their top 7 weights totaling 44lb 2oz to Biggleswade & Hitchin’s combined weight of 31lb 13oz. The individual winner was N Rose (Ampthill AC) who weighed in 11lb 1oz with Biggy’s Reg Lilly coming second with 7lb 4oz and D Pearson third with 6lb 12oz. On Sunday, the club will be hosting the Bedford Winter League at the same venue when 6 teams of 6 will pit their skills against one another. The draw will be held in the Bell public house situated opposite Sandy railway station where cooked breakfasts will be available so don’t be late!

:: 25.11.07

Alan Davies kicked off his winter pike fishing with a nice pair of doubles caught from Gingerbread Lake. Alan caught pike weighing 14lb and 10lb from an area of the lake where he knows that much larger specimens are present and still to be caught. A change of venue for Alan took him to Pylon Meadow at Tempsford on the River Ouse from where he enjoyed another great day’s sport but this time with another species. Alan caught four zander, the best weighing over 7lbs and is keen to have another crack at this prolific predator stretch.

Fourteen hardy match anglers braved bitterly cold conditions to fish the inter club match between Biggleswade & Hitchin and Queen’s Works from Bedford. Biggleswade were the hosts on their popular Mill Pool and Dead River stretches of the River Ivel at Sandy. It was an extremely close fought match with the top four weights of each club being only ounces apart. Queen’s Works won the competition with a combined weight of 17lb 13oz to Biggleswade’s 17lb 1oz. The top individual weight was caught by S. Cooper (Queen’s Works) with 9lb 6oz of roach and dace with the second and third places both occupied by Biggleswade anglers. George Ball was second with 6lb 5oz and Reg Lilly came third with 5lb 9oz. On Sunday, the match section will be hosting a match against Ampthill AC at the same venue with the hope that some forecast mid week rain will further improve the sport.

:: October Rust

Paul James spotted a group of carp in the pump house bay during a walk around Gingerbread Lake and decided to make them his next target. He was even more enthused when he spotted a much larger fish swimming amongst them. A single run announced a take on his boily hook bait and Paul knew almost immediately that he had hooked the big one. Eventually, the fish was subdued and Paul was able to net an old acquaintance, a mirror carp nicknamed ‘Moon Scale’ weighing a hefty 35lb 8oz. Derek Munro landed another of the lake’s most sought after fish, the cut-tail common, weighing 28lbs and went on to land a huge mirror weighing 33lbs. Tony Foster was another angler to favour the road bank where he enjoyed a cracking session landing carp weighing 11lbs, 18lbs, 23lbs and 29lbs to add to his impressive tally of fish. Simon Carr of Walker’s Pitch fish overnight in torrential rain but had to venture out from his shelter to strike a run. After a good fight and a soaking, Simon landed a 19lb mirror carp on one of his shop’s home made boilies.

Fraser Hayden found the River Ouse and the lower Ivel in spate after torrential rain during the week. He decided to try his luck well upstream where he found the BHAA-controlled stretch of the River Ivel above Langford Mill fishable. He was rewarded with the capture of three chub, the best weighing an impressive 5lb 7oz and another of 4lb 12oz. Club President, Bill Chisholm reported having some good bags of quality roach from the same venue fishing only a few hundred yards from his home.

A flooded river put paid to the planned match at Lavendon. Better conditions are hoped for at this Sunday’s match being held on the Dead River stretch of the Ivel at Sandy. The prize being fished for is the Ball Cup and the draw will be held at 8.30am on the bankside.

:: A load of carp

Big carp were actively feeding throughout the week at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake with some fantastic catches reported from nearly all parts of the lake. Dave Bryant was one of the first to taste success when he caught a whopping 30lb 1oz mirror carp whilst fishing in two-bar bay. Nick ‘the Greek’ Page chose the prolific dugout swim from where he landed no fewer than three carp over 20lbs having one fish on whilst another was still in his landing net. Nick’s fish weighed 24lb 8oz, 25lb 8oz and 25lb 4oz. He returned later in the week to take another huge carp, this time a 30lb mirror carp. Martin Crouch fished an overnight session in the little fished fence swim in the factory bay landing a 20lb mirror carp. Alan Grimsey targeted the jetty swim opposite the road bank from which he landed two carp weighing 24lb and 30lb 1oz. His fishing companion, Paul James, was another angler to experience success fishing the dugout swim when he landed a cracking 33lb mirror carp late in the afternoon after experiencing little action throughout the previous night. The next morning he hooked a beast of a fish that he was unlucky to lose but said it felt even heavier than the fish he had landed. Anthony Pogmore tried out some new hooks whilst fishing in the factory bay but was gutted to lose a fish when the hook gape was opened out. Undeterred, he returned to the same swim the next day with a change of hook and in the early afternoon connected with another big carp. The fish managed to weed itself but Anthony was able to get both the weed bed and the fish into his landing net. The weight was such that he could not lift the net out of the water and had to spend a couple of minutes clearing the weed. At last he was able to weigh the fish which turned out to be a secretive fish nicknamed the ‘Cluster clone’ and weighed 34lb 8oz, a new personal best for him and the biggest fish landed for several weeks. Most anglers were enjoying success by using only boilies as freebies whilst the spod merchants tended to be plagued by big bream! However, the most unusual catch of the week was reserved for Walker’s Pitch proprietor, Simon Carr. He struck into a fish when his alarm sounded that weeded him at first. He was soon able to gain line on the ‘fish’. Imagine his surprise when he saw a large eel coming towards him partially in the jaws of a double-figured pike with the rest of the eel wrapped around the pike’s body. His mate, Bob Kitchener, managed to land the pair and both fish were returned to the water relatively unharmed.

This week’s match was held on The Drift when the club hosted Ampthill AC. Biggleswade & Hitchin’s Reg Lilly was the individual winner with two Ampthill anglers, S Wills and G Large, occupying the next two places. The host club narrowly won the match on a day when bites were hard to come by and the roach shoals had all but disappeared. On Sunday, the club will be hosting a match against Letchworth AC at the popular Manor Farm, Lavendon stretch on the upper Ouse.

:: Fish And Chips

Peter Wesley finally managed to free himself of work commitments but a couple of fishless days did little to boost his confidence on his return to BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake. His luck was to change though when he moved to a popular swim in the factory bay where he first caught a whopping bream that he returned to the water without weighing. He recast his boily hook bait together with about 50 freebies and it was not long before he experienced another take. After a gentle tussle with the fish, Peter slipped his net under a 33lb 4oz mirror carp, his best ever carp from the lake so far. Two more anglers broke the thirty barrier - Dave Bryant with a 31lb mirror caught from deep bay and Tony Foster with a 30lb 2oz mirror from the factory bay. Multiple catches were enjoyed by a number of other anglers too with Nick ‘the Greek’ Page landing two carp around the 20lb mark, Mark Thurley catching no fewer than four despite losing two others (several of Mark’s fish exceeded 20lbs0, and Simon Carr who caught three carp all over 20lbs. Simon’s fish included a 21lb common and a 24lb+ mirror carp. Bob Fairey caught a 26lb 13oz common carp fishing from the entrance promontory and Alan Grimsey landed a 25lb mirror carp whilst fishing an adjacent swim. Tench, bream, rudd and roach were also featuring in anglers’ catches particularly when fishing close to the margins on maggots, sweetcorn or worms.

Mike Hames fished at McGregor Lake and was soon getting plenty of bites from bream on worm and maggot cocktail but was gutted to lose a big perch at the net which he estimated to be around the 3lb mark. Another angler to suffer a similar fate was Andy Tomlinson when fishing the Manor Farm stretch of the River Ouse at Lavendon. Andy hooked a huge perch only to lose it at the net. Kevin Webb fished from the north bank at New Road Lake to gain some shelter from a cool northerly wind that was blowing hard but he was surprised to see fish crashing out into the teeth of the wind on the opposite side of the lake. It appeared that three anglers had fished there over the weekend and the fish had finally decided to feed on their free offerings after they had all gone home! However, just when Kevin thought he had made a poor choice of swim, a double-figure mirror carp snapped up his boily hook bait.

Unfortunately, this week’s match against Ampthill AC had to be cancelled but will be rescheduled for later in the year. On Sunday, a club match is to be held on The Drift at Eaton Socon with the draw at 8.30am.

:: Here fishy fishy!

A last few hours fishing the prolific dugout swim was enough for ‘Jess’ to catch a 26lb mirror carp after an otherwise fishless session at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake. Stuart Hiams fished his favourite swim at the mouth of the channel from where he caught three carp including a 24lb mirror. Paul James just cannot stop catching taking three more carp during his latest session including the cut-tail common weighing 26lb 6oz and a 19lb 2oz linear mirror. The weights of the fish are still low after recent spawning but are beginning to improve as the fish start to feed more avidly. Roach, rudd and skimmers were also starting to show being caught on both maggots and sweetcorn.

Some big bream and good-sized carp up to mid doubles have been taken from McGregor Lake in recent visits as the fish start to pick up anglers’ baits at long last. The lake is alive with fish but has proven to be a difficult nut to crack for many anglers. Most anglers visiting New Road Lake have witnessed many of the lake’s carp sun bathing in the weed beds and showing little interest in feeding. A few of the lake’s double-figure bream continue to show though including specimens up to the 12lb mark.

Peter Henegan caught the top weight of fish in the inter club match fished on Pylon Meadow at Tempsford when Letchworth AC were the visiting club. Peter landed 11lb 13oz that included a 3lb chub but this was not enough to prevent Letchworth from gaining a comfortable win with a total weight of 31lb 1oz to Biggleswade & Hitchin’s 17lb 13oz. Other notable weights were 11lb 6oz by Ken Kendall and 9lb 4oz by Dennis Holliday fishing for Letchworth. On Sunday, there will be a club match fished at Manor Farm, Lavendon.

:: Autumnal Fun!

Tony Foster continued his good successful run of catches from BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake with a three fish haul during a recent session. Tony’s fish were mirror carp weighing 27lb and 21lb plus a 13lb common, one of the fish that has grown from spawn in the lake. Tony was fishing one of his favourite swims along the road bank that receives little attention from other anglers. Paul James was pleased to get among the fish again too landing common carp of 22lb 14ox and 11lb fishing in two-bar bay. The odd bream and tench keeps turning up in catches but, at present, the fish still seem to be reluctant to get their heads down.

Ray Charter was fishing a club stretch at Tempsford when a good-sized dace was grabbed by a massive perch. Ray tried to land the fish but the enormous specimen spat the dace to evade capture. The dace was still alive if a little the worse for its experience. Alan Wilkie was luckier when he fished the Anchor Meadow stretch at Tempsford specifically for perch using bleak as live bait. A cast to the far bank brought an instant take that turned out to be a 2lb 14oz specimen.

The Pairs Match fished at The Drift on the River Ouse at Eaton Socon was won by Peter Henegan and Steve Green. Peter caught the top individual weight on the day with a total of 5lb 13oz well clear of Andy Tomlinson and Reg Lilly whose combined weights could not meet Peter’s. On Sunday, an inter club match will be held on Pylon Meadow
at Tempsford when Letchworth AC will be their opponents. The Biggy boys are hoping to reverse the outcome of the previous contest between the two clubs when Letchworth came out as comfortable winners. The draw will be held in the Anchor Hotel’s car park at 8am.

:: All is still busy!

Sport was slow at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake in the early part of last week as result of cool northerly winds but Colin Burge was still able to get some action. Colin chose a sheltered swim in the factory bay that had been unfishable for some time previously owing to dense weed. The weed had thinned and so he decided to fish with boilies and PVA bags of freebies cast amongst the remaining weed beds. He had three runs and managed to land a 14lb carp on one day and then returned to catch a 19lb 7oz mirror on his next visit. Anthony Pogmore found conditions to his liking and decided to cast close to some overhanging trees on the opposite bank where he had seen the odd fish crash out on a previous visit. He had four screaming runs in five hours but only managed to connect with a single fish, a pristine 12lb 8oz common carp. Two more thirties were reported caught over the weekend with Steve Lilly catching a 32lb+ carp from the factory bay and Lee Salisbury another 30lb fish from the dugout swim. Graham Bradley fished the bridge bay from where he caught a 20lb mirror and saw loads of fish clustered close to the remaining weed. Steve Slater reported catching tench and bream fishing a popular swim in the factory bay but had no action from carp.

Weights were low at the club match fished on the upstream section of The Drift at Eaton Socon where bright conditions and heavy boat traffic spoilt the day. Reg Lilly won the match with 2lb 14oz and Steve Green was second with 1lb 8oz. On Sunday, a match will be held at Manor Farm, Lavendon on the River Ouse where the conditions should be more conducive to fishing.

:: Anthony scrores one for the Pogmores! ;-)

Carp fishing at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake was back to its brilliant best with a host of great catches during the past week. Tony Foster started the ball rolling when he fished a popular swim along the road bank from which he landed four carp weighing 33lb, 28lb, 25lb 8oz and 13lb. Steve Mole fished in deep bay where he caught a single fish, a scale-perfect 20lb common carp. Jason Howard landed two carp including a 25 pounder fishing overnight along the road bank. Anthony Pogmore chose a swim in the factory bay where he had seen plenty of fish topping. Within an hour of casting out, his double boilie offering was taken and, after a short fight, he slipped his net under a 32lb 8oz mirror carp, a new personal best. Shortly afterwards, he had another run but this time it turned out to be a 7lb bream. A new member had a cracking day’s sport fishing from the wood in the factory bay. He baited his swim heavily with floaters throughout the day, more to keep the ducks and swans preoccupied, and went to land no fewer than 6 big carp. His feat was even the more remarkable as he was fishing over dense weed beds but skillfully managed to keep each fish near the surface and away from the weed. Tony Foster witnessed the activity in the factory bay and decided on another overnight session. This time he caught three carp, two over 25lbs and a 13lb fish. Tony said that he had purposely avoided putting out too many free offerings but instead opted for a small number of sample baits to get the fish interested. Bob Kitchener landed a superbly marked linear mirror weighing 21lb 8oz fishing from the north bank in the factory bay and his fishing companion, Mark Thurley, landed a 19lb fish in the adjacent swim. Mark had caught another carp and had been snagged by another fish on a previous visit.

Alan Wilkie had a 5 fish haul of carp to low doubles fishing at New Road Lake but Wesley Hayden took the honours with a 3 fish haul of carp weighing 10lb, 10lb 8oz and 25lb 2oz. Wesley had chosen a swim close to the island but had to contend with dense marginal weed to land his fish.

The 2nd Ouse Shield match fished on the upstream section of The Drift at Eaton Socon was won by Peter Henegan with 6lb 2oz of mainly quality roach. Reg Lilly came second well behind with 2lb 11oz and Andy Tomlinson was third with 2lb 3oz. On Sunday, a club match will be held at the same venue.

A cock pheasant has developed a liking for angler’s bait at Gingerbread Lake .It is now so tame that it can be practically hand fed making several visits each day to see what is on offer! He will have to keep his wits about him though as a fox is frequently seen patrolling the banks and no doubt sampling the local birdlife.

:: Big'uns Galore!

Sid Dunn, an angler now well into his seventies, broke another personal best when he caught two super carp from BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake. His fish weighed an impressive 24lb 8oz and 30lb 4oz, his first ever carp over the magical 30lb mark, and were both taken during the daytime. Sid was fishing from the road bank and had been going through a bit of a lean spell after catching carp regularly throughout the mild winter months. Paul James landed a nice 19lb carp within a couple of hours of setting up then struggled to get another take from a carp over the next 70 hours or so. Anthony Pogmore chose a popular swim in the factory bay and within five minutes of casting out netted a 7lb tench but his sport petered out after losing a carp when it left his hook in a weed bed. Martin Crouch fished an overnight session in two-bar bay after baiting heavily with ready-made boilies. The carp were soon munching them and Martin went on to hook five fish landing three that weighed 27lb, 21lb and 17lb. Martin noticed that there appeared to be little natural life remaining in the weed so it is likely that the lake will be fertilized during the coming winter to encourage invertebrates.
Mike Hames decided to fish a late afternoon and evening session at McGregor Lake and despite a few knocks was unable to connect with any fish. Mike said that he found this amazing for as the wind dropped the lake surface became a mass of cruising fish, mainly carp, in numbers that beggared belief. According to Mike, their behaviour made the surface seem that the wind was still blowing which it was not.
The match against Letchworth AC fished on their lake at Henlow was won by the host club with 86lb 10oz to Biggleswade & Hitchin’s 65lb 13oz. The top weight of 26lb 8oz was landed by Letchworth angler A Davies but four B&H anglers each recorded double-figure weights. Neil Smith weighed in 15lb 15oz, Peter Henegan – 15lb 6oz, Peter Currell Snr – 14lb 2oz and Reg Lilly – 12lb 2oz. On Sunday, a club match is being held on The Drift and will be the second point scoring match towards the Ouse Shield.

Many junior members are fishing unsupervised during the school holidays. Whilst no one wants to derive them of their sport they must follow a few simple rules to avoid the risk of a tragic accident occurring. Never enter the water to retrieve tackle. Lakes, gravel pits and rivers have uneven often deep bottoms, underwater snags and potentially dangerous weed that can drag you under. They are not swimming pools and should not be used such. If you get into difficulties, there may not be an adult on hand to help you to safety. Do not fish alone as a friend will be able to raise the alarm and get help if you should get into difficulties. Finally, do not climb trees at the side of lakes as their branches may not be able to bear your weight increasing the risk of injury.

:: Gingerbread's a busy place

Several big carp have been hooked and lost at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake where the fish are often able to gain the sanctuary of the weed beds. Evenings and early mornings seem to be the best time for takes with many of the fish feeding very close to the margins.

The bright conditions have resulted in groups of carp being seen cruising the surface at New Road Lake but once again they have chosen the thickly weeded parts of the lake to perform their antics. Towards the end of the week, more fish were prepared to venture into open water but runs remained few and far between. A report of a 26lb mirror being taken off the surface was received and Kevin Webb managed to catch an 11lb 12oz common carp on an otherwise quiet day.

It is pleasing to report that more anglers are prepared to try their luck on McGregor Lake where the prospect of an unusual capture is ever present. Dave Holland found that the fish liked large pellets and went on to catch a 9lb common carp plus bream of 7lbs and 4lbs. Dave said that he had witnessed a big carp regularly breaking the surface but it remained beyond his casting range.

Alan Wilkie went after the perch in the lower Ivel and Ouse at Tempsford and ended the day with a great catch landing four fish over a pound plus specimens weighing 2lb 14oz and 3lb 4oz.

Match Secretary Andy Tomlinson sampled the fishing on The Drift section of the Ouse ahead of the planned club match and found there to be plenty of good fish in the area catching a 3lb plus tench, bream of 4lb 7oz and 5lb 11oz and some quality roach around the 12oz mark. He thought his luck was really in when he drew a peg in the same area but, after losing a big chub, marauding pike quickly killed off his sport. Peter Henegan won the match with 2lb 5oz of silver fish comfortably beating Neil Smith and Steve Green who fished second and third respectively. Andy thought that the bright conditions and heavy boat traffic both effected sport throughout the day. On Sunday, the match men will be contesting an inter club match away against Letchworth AC on their No2 lake at Henlow. The draw will be held at 7.30am with fishing between 9.00am and 2.00pm.

:: August is approaching and all is busy

Carp continue to show at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake where Graham Bradley landed a 25lb 14oz mirror carp whilst fishing on Mistral boilies. Lake regular Paul James caught carp of 19lb and 23lb during a session in two-bar bay. Other anglers were reported to have taken the odd carp too during the week However, excessive weed growth still remains a problem in many swims but hopefully it should soon start to die back.

Some good catches were again reported from New Road Lake over the past week but location is the key to success. Michael Gross caught an 18lb 5oz mirror carp fishing at the river end of the lake during an overnight session but a change of wind direction spoilt his chances of more fish. Alan Wilkie chose a well fished swim that had received plenty of bait and caught fish throughout the day. His catch included a 10lb 10oz bream, a 7lb bream and carp of 11lb 5oz and 9lbs. Also, Alan managed to lose four carp on the trot which would have given him a super catch, if landed. Martin Crouch caught six carp up to low doubles from the same area of the lake earlier in the week. Martin said thqat the carp are definitely munching boilies at present and can be encouraged to feed with a good supply of freebies.

Members are asked to exercise extreme caution when driving vehicles around the lakes as the tracks are saturated with rain water and, in many places, the ground has softened with the risk of vehicles getting stuck. It is safer for anglers to leave their vehicles on solid ground and walk the short distances to swims until the ground dries out.

This week’s match was fished on the downstream section of The Drift on the Great Ouse at Eaton Socon. Conditions were far from ideal with heavily coloured water and a rising river swelled by overnight rain. The match was won by Peter Henegan with 3lb 14oz of roach just out catching Neil Smith who finished with 3lb 1oz of roach. In third place was Reg Lilly who landed a 2lb plus perch to finish with 2lb 12oz. On Sunday, a club match is to held on the upstream section of the Drift with the prospect of the river being in perfect condition if the rain continues to hold off.

:: Où est la mer?

Dense weed beds are still providing a haven for the carp at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake with few reports of any carp being caught although Mark Thurley managed to catch one during an overnight stay.

It was a different story at New Road Lake where both carp and big bream continue to show. Colin Burge continued his good run with a mirror carp of 16lb 6oz plus a good-sized bream. Kevin Webb managed to snatch a few hours fishing before torrential rain all but submerged his swim but not before he landed a double figured carp and a 9lb 8oz bream.

Chris Tribe tackled a club stretch of the River Ouse near Harrold where he caught a massive river tench weighing 7lb 12oz plus two chub weighing up to 4lb 8oz. Needless to say, Chris is keen to get on the bank again to catch some of the big specimen fish that are known to inhabit this stretch.

The club match due to be fished on the River Ouse had to be switched to McGregor Lake owing to the flooded state of the river. Peter Henegan won the match with an impressive weight of 15lb that included a super bream weighing 7lb 14oz. George Ball was second with 3lb 3oz whose catch included a 2lb perch and third was Neil Smith with 3lb 2oz of silver fish. On Sunday, another match is scheduled for The Drift but there is a likelihood that the continuing flood conditions will force another change of venue.

:: It is July Already?

Colin Burge from Keysoe recently celebrated his seventieth birthday but his love of angling remains undiminished. You will still find Colin tackling up at one of BHAA’s waters at the crack of dawn on three days each week throughout much of the year. On Monday he tried his luck at Gingerbread Lake, where the fishing has been far from easy in recent weeks, where he caught a big tench over 8lbs. The following Wednesday saw him down at New Road Lake and, on this occasion, he went on to catch a personal best bream weighing 10lb 7oz plus two of the stocky little mirrors that have been giving anglers some terrific sport. A second visit to the lake on Friday resulted in Colin landing another four carp up to double-figures.

Nick Page managed to catch one of Gingerbread Lake’s bigger residents when he landed a 28lb mirror carp fishing from the entrance point. Nick said that you can see carp galore in the dense weed beds but, at present, they are reluctant to leave the shelter provided. Mo Hoseason took a 22lb fish too fishing from Thorpies Point during an overnight session in the factory bay.

Alan Wilkie fished an early morning session on The Riddy stretch of the River Ivel using free lined baits and went on to catch two double-figured common carp, the best weighing over 11lbs. Anglers wishing to fish this stretch must not attempt to fish at night or to pitch any tents during their stay as it is now a designated nature reserve and any offenders risk prosecution with heavy fines.

Letchworth & District AC comfortably won the match against Biggleswade & Hitchin AA that was fished on their stretch of the River Cam at Clayhive with Letchworth anglers occupying the first three places. Chopped worm proved to be the killer bait on the day. Peter Henegan came fourth with a weight of 4lb 5oz that compared favorably with the winning weight of 6lbs. Match Secretary, Andy Tomlinson, said the result could have been different if he had not lost a big tench at the start of the match after the fish buried itself in a dense weed bed.

:: Busy Summer

:: Gingerbread's Delivering

:: Welcome Summer!

Spawning has finished for the time being at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake but the lake’s big carp have decided to seek the cover of the dense weed beds that now cover much of the lake. A few fish have been caught though including a 20lb 2oz mirror carp by Paul James when he fished from the north bank in the factory bay. Mark Snow was well pleased to catch two carp, the best weighing over 19lbs when he fished in two-bar bay on his first visit to the lake. Winston Pogmore dragged a swim in the channel on the road bank and soon had some fish bubbling in the disturbed bottom. He went on to catch a nice 6lb 12oz tench on worms.

Dennis Smith paid his first visit of the season to fish The Drift stretch of the river behind the lake. Float-fishing about 14ft deep close to the near bank, Dennis had a good day catching plenty of skimmer bream and small chub for a double-figure net of fish. Neil Smith fished the stretch too and caught bream to 5lbs plus roach and skimmers. He was unfortunate to lose a much larger bream though estimated to be in the 7lb bracket.

Plenty of carp continue to be caught at New Road Lake where the stock fish continue to munch boilies. The latest stocking introduced in the snow in February have already increased their body weight by 50% in this rich water. Kevin Webb had a good morning’s sport with them by landing 3 fish including an11lb 4oz heavily scaled mirror carp. Ian Welch visited the lake in search of the big bream that have been showing lately but, in the early part of his visit, had to settle for a number of single-figure carp.

Mikael Tybudizy decided to try his luck on McGregor Lake and had a surprise catch fishing on two grains of multi-coloured sweetcorn, a cracking perch weighing 3lb 3oz. Peter Henegan was another angler to fish the lake but could only manage a modest 5lb bream on his first visit. However, Peter was determined to crack the water and, on his second trip, he caught a whopping 7lb 12oz tench. He used pole fishing tactics to catch both of his fish and is planning some more visits.

It was Peter Henegan again who featured in both of the club’s recent matches. He won the first of the evening matches held on McGregor Lake with a winning catch of 8lbs 3oz that included a 4lb 5oz bream and a 3lb 5oz mirror carp. Peter used pellet as hook bait during the match. Alan Kealy came second with 2lbs 4oz of small silver fish. Peter caught the highest weight by a BHAA angler in the away march against Ampthill AC at Ampthill Reservoir. His catch weight was 22lbs but this was only good enough to secure him fourth place as the home team occupied the first three places with 39lbs 6oz (S Kiteley), 27lbs 11oz (T. Marshall) and 26lbs 11oz (P Scowen). On Thursday, the third

:: Last Weeks News

Continual spawning activity by the lake’s carp and monsoon-like conditions all but killed sport at BHAA’s Gingerbread Lake but a few anglers tasted success. Derek Munro landed a 22lb 2oz mirror carp and a number of bream and Paul James caught a 24lb common carp from the point swim plus a big bream. Graham Bradley was well pleased to catch a 22lb mirror carp whilst fishing in the factory bay.

It was a different picture at New Road Lake where both bream and carp were feeding avidly. Kevin Webb broke another personal best when he landed an 11lb 1oz bream and followed this up with another weighing 9lb 8oz plus a small mirror carp. Mike Hames had carp rolling in his swim for much of the day so it was no surprise when he caught an 18lb 12oz mirror plus a smaller fish. Derek Watchorn was well pleased too catching two nice carp and a 6lb bream fishing from the car park swim.

Bream, perch and rudd all featured in anglers’ catches at McGregor Lake with some of the better bream weighing around the 8lb mark. However, despite the lake being heavily stocked with small carp, few of the species are being caught by anglers, a total mystery.

Reg Lilly won the club’s first match of the season at McGregor Lake with a good winning weight of 10lbs 3oz. It was a close run thing though as Reg was trailing George Ball until well into the match but a 4lb 10oz bream made all the difference. George finished with 7lb 3oz of silver fish and Neil Smith was third with 4lb 5oz. Match Secretary, Andy Tomlinson, was well pleased with the venue with the stocks of silver fish increasing in both size and number. On Sunday, the club’s match men will be fishing away against Ampthill AC at Ampthill Reservoir followed by an evening match on Thursday at McGregor Lake.

:: No News Like Old News

The cool northerly winds brought sport at Gingerbread Lake to an abrupt halt with the exception of some large bream shoals that were feeding up on leftover bait after the anglers had long departed. Tony Foster was one angler who managed to buck the trend by catching a 25lb mirror carp fishing close to some marginal lilies.

Some fantastic sport was enjoyed by Rob Packer and Martin Crouch fishing at New Road Lake. After a slow start and a move of swim, the anglers finally found the fish and Rob went on to catch no fewer than 6 double-figure bream weighing between 10lbs 1oz and 11lbs 4oz plus 2 double-figure carp. Martin caught 3 double-figure bream weighing between 10lbs 2oz and 11lbs 6oz plus another 2 carp, the largest being a 15lb common. This small lake continues to amaze people as a non member walking around it spotted a shoal of more than 30 big bream one of which was well into double figures. Needless to say, he has since joined the club! Small carp were stocked into the lake in May 2006 and these stockies are now being caught averaging well over 10lbs, an astonishing growth rate of around 10lbs in a year.

Biggleswade & Hitchin AA’s match fishing programme kicks off