FLE is slowly starting to get used to technology and now have a facebook page up and running! We will be posting news of all up and coming events on to our facebook page before the website so if you would like to be the first to hear about new events become a fan of Team FLE.

The page will also be filled with hints and tips plus pictures of all the latest captures. Please feel free to add any of your own fishing pics and we will be morte than happy to answer any questions left on our wall.

Team FLE

This year has been manic to say the least, trying to build an angling centre, hire staff, write a new website, write a masters dissertation, run tuition sessions and also look ahead for 2010 has left little time for me to be able to hit the banks.  At times i think i have actually been busier than the terminal 2 at Heathrow!

Anyway this Saturday i finished work in a right stress.  I had been working all day with the wonderful Laura, who has volunteered her time every day last week to paint the school and help me out, and we had one final thing to do before calling it a day…. head to the hell hole that is called B&Q!  Now i understand that there is a need to create a zoo made up of want to be Charlie Dimmocks and Titmarches, or possibly even Handy Andy’s, but why oh why is it such a mission to get anything from that store!  They had a ‘Massive Sale’ on which basically should have read ‘Massive Chaos’ and because of this sale they didnt have anyone on the trade till, nor would they open the trade loading bay, so yours truly, along with 15 large sheets of plasterboard, 6 bulk tubs of paint, 8 long 3 metre lengths of guttering, 10 lengths of 4 metre long fascia sheets and 4 strip lights, a massive kitchen work top and a squeaky, right turning trolley trundled / clattered our way to the ‘public’ tills.  Now try to image the largest 4 metre long trolley mingling with a mass of people trying to get through a small door with their new found pot plant and edging kit….. it was going to end in disaster and that it did.   We left the shop one bulk tub of paint lighter which now artfully decorates the exit, 15 broken sheets of plasterboard and i had a face like a baboons butt!  I needed to get to the lake!

I chucked the stuff in the landy and dashed off down the motorway to my new lake.  At 25 Acres and with 80 fish it was going to be a challenge but the nice thing was that there were only 50 invited members and all of these people were good eggs.  I arrived after dark expecting to have to tip-toe my way past anglers while finding a swim but to my surprise there wasn’t a sole on the lake, even though it was Saturday!  Heaven!.  Stock wise around 50 stockies had been put in to complement an unknown number of originals.  These originals go BIG!  I cant say for sure how big yet as the lake has only been open for a year, but lets just say that i would not be surprised if we were looking at at least half a dozen forties and a good few bigger than that!  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

The weather had been OK for the previous week but the nights had still been a little cold but this night was different, it was 8 degrees, drizzling, blowing a mother of a westerly and had ‘carp’ written all over it.  As i said it was dark when i arrived so i did a lap in the dark looking and listening for anything fishy.  The back end of the wind in a little bay know as the School bay looked good but then i wandered down to the windward end of the lake and it screamed carp.  Shallow water, fresh westerly, lapping waves and ducks diving on new weed growth… Tasty!

I got the gear and set up just before the heavens opened, i plopped two rods in the edge on Choc orange PGB baits with complimenting pellets over the top and one straight out at 40 yards in the new weed growth.  Just as i was about to jump back in the bivvy a carp popped his head out!  Not a massive fish but a sighting all the same and i was buzzing!

The night passed uneventful and come the morning the wind had changed to a north-westerly and i feared the carp had ‘done the off’.  I packed the trolley and just had a small stalking bag, mat and rods to hand and thought about a plan.  I was due to head out Perch fishing for the afternoon but the weather was warming up with the sun breaking through and looked good for a carp.  I decided that as it was a new lake i would drop all the gear off to the car and then spend the afternoon plumbing and baiting a few spots to get my head around the lake.  By the time i got the gear to the car it was 1pm.  Danny had blown the perch idea off as he too had carp on the brain and i grabbed the marker and trotted off to find bars, gullys, weedbeds etc.  I had spent two hours marking features out on the bank and generally getting a feel for the lake when i made my way to the far end to the Little corner near to where i had fished the night.  I looked in the edge and saw a dark shape, then two, then four…. next thing i knew i was running the full length of the lake in Skeetek wellies to the car to grab the rods and then marched back around to the corner.  When i got there i snuck into the trees at the very back of the swim and got the rods ready there. I was pourig with sweat, my heart was going like the bass line to a drum and bass tune and i was a mess!  I got myself together and put on my camou jacket and put the hood up.  Soon I was creeping like a lion stalking a deer down to the waters edge, I could clearly see ten fish all patrolling the shallow margins just a couple of feet out.  I plopped the baits down and with my heart in my mouth sneaked as slowly and quietly as i could back to the trees.

I had used all my free bait to bait up swims in other areas of the lake so only had pop-ups.  I started with one bloodworm and one choc orange out there.  I received liners all day and with the light starting to fade i was losing hope.  The fish were still there and had even started to top about ten feet from the bank with four fish popping their heads out and rolling. I decided a change was in order and flicked out two Spicy Squid 18 mm pop ups a little further at 10 feet from the bank. The fish were showing right on it and just as i was losing hope the liners stopped and the rod screamed!

I was on it like a flash and waded out to the edge of the reeds to play her.  With only 80 odd fish in the water i didn’t care how big it was, my legs were turning to jelly and every ping off the dorsal sent shivers down my spine. I shouldn’t have worried though as the hook held and i soon had a chunky little 17lb mirror in the net. Not the biggest fish i have ever caught but i must admit i was over the moon to get off the mark on a new lake on my first real session and on a new bait.

I cant wait to get back down to the School Pit and even though i have to work all the hours under the sun this week to get the site ready for the launch on the 16th and 17th April i think the work will go a little easier knowing i can escape to the lake once again.

Tight Lines and good Luck.

G

I went down to my friends syndicate lake with him yesterday evening.  Its only a small pond but with fish up to about 40 it is a cracking venue, especially as there are only a handful of people allowed to fish it.  Anyway i got the rods out just before dark and we sat playing cards and chatting before turning in.

When i opened my eyes in the morning the entire lake had frozen sold and my lines were stuck fast!  I knew it was cold but didn’t realise it was that cold!

Some people say that we are mad when you look at the lengths we go to in order to catch a fish and i must admit this morning i did feel a little mad for being out under  brolly in sub zero temps.  BUT…. You have to be in it to win it!

Graham