Shhhhh! It’s a Secret Estate Lake

Every now and then I get an invite to fish somewhere very special and this was one such invite. I’d been given the chance to fish a couple of nights on an old estate lake in the middle of nowhere. And it’s only 90 miles from my home this time! Result right?

The day started with work, well a half day before setting off to the lake. I’m pretty sure they were please to see me in the office. Some even remembered who I am. OK, so I might have spent more days on the bank than at work this months.. oops

Meeting my buddy at his house we load the 4×4 and it’s off down country roads and through fields. After about 20 minutes of gate opening and shutting we get a first view of the lake from the brow of a hill. Wow! There it was in all its beauty below us.

A quick walk round and I drop into a swim that has produced last week. I have a few fish showing to my right in the deeper water, but with temperatures good they should move across. I also have access to the end of an island in this swim with open water, so I’m going for the options approach as I’ve never fishing the lake before. A number of swims on here need waders due to the marginal area being about 2ft deep and less, so I’m glad I packed mine. First rod goes to an overhanging tree at the end of the island and it lands perfect. It’s then back out in the waders with the throwing stick to put about 40 baits over the area. I get about 20 out and hear the sound of a screaming alarm behind me! Get in, fish on, well for about 3 or 4 minutes that is till a swan muscle cuts me off. GUTTED.

I regroup and with it getting dark I put the island rod into open water just off a sandbar, into some light silt. The other is placed some 30 yards to my left on a nice firm spot I found just off the marginal shelf. Darkness falls and with the sound of calling foxes and deer it’s a little surreal that’s all I can hear. Then in the silence I hear something that sounded like a bulldozer going through the bushes. Head torch goes on and nothing! A call to my buddy and he tells me it’s the “Hypo Mice”. I laugh and think what the hell is he on about! Again the noises start and this time I switch the red light on the head torch. After a few minutes the smallest mouse I’ve ever seen pops out into the swim! It can’t be that making all the noise can it? Surely not! The penny drops and I realise why he calls them “Hypo Mice”. I’m still not sure how something so small can make so much noise.

10:30pm and its time for a recast and top up of bait. I’m using MAD Baits Wicked Whites for this session and my ever-trusted Dispersion Pop ups snowman style. 18mm boilie and a 14mm pop up this time with a size 4 longshank hook and PB Products kicker. I’ve been warned that there are some brutal carp in here. They will quiet happily show you the other end of the lake given half a chance. So I’m rigged up and ready for them (I hope). I walk out the 20 plus yards to the location of the Wychwood Net Station.

I’m using this as a marker to cast from, so when clipped up I hit the same spot just off the sand bar. It also means when I get a fish and walk out to play it my landing net is there ready for me. Well 20 minutes later and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Land the fish and place the landing net in the Net Station, unhook the fish in the net and back to the HD Brolly System. New bait on and back out, clipped up on the same spot all in a matter of minutes. Simple when you know how and it must work as before I even had chance to sort the first fish the rods away again. The first common was around 15lbs and second 17lbs. What a great start to my session and a bag of confidence in the approach I’ve taken.

Rods back out and I’m standing out by the Net Station in the early hours of the morning, no light pollution and clear sky’s. The temperature is falling and the fish have moved off to find warmer waters. I look up and its like I’ve drop a pot of glitter on black card, who knew there were so many stars? Moments like this are always cherished, as I could be tucked up at home in a warm bed, but I’m not I’m enjoying the little things in life that are free. Anyway that was me done for the night and on daybreak still no more fish. Standing back out in the lake fish were still moving to my right in deeper water, so its Plan B a slow pack down ready for a move. After a quick lead around the new swim and I’ve found a couple of good spots. I give the swim a good scattering of bait, sit down and put the kettle on. As darkness falls all hell brakes loss as the margin rod to my right under a tree just off the ledge ripped off, then again, and again, yep and again. 3 mid size double commons and a lovely Tench. When you are wading out for every fish to place rigs, bait up and land fish in the pitch black you feel you have earned every single one of them! Not sure I earned the wet foot after getting a little to close to the top of my thigh waders, but it was worth it that’s for sure.

Time for a cuppa coffee and some much needed sleep, till the early hours and yep the same rods off again. This one was an upper double and gave me a guided tour of every small amount of weed it could find. It’s so easy to unhooking fish in the Net Station at night and enjoy the sight as you slip them back into the darkness.

Then on first light the open water rod springs into action. Although not one of the big ones we were after it’s a fish and in mint condition. With Breakfast at Willow Park Fishery calling me I pack up. My buddy turns up with the 4×4 and we reflect on my great session on a beautiful unspoilt lake. His final words to me were “ you are always welcome back mate” That’s an offer I simply can’t refuse and maybe next time we can find one of the big old originals.