Big Fish Column

With a sustained spell of reasonably consistent weather there has been a marked improvement in catches during the past week with plenty of anglers finally beginning to enjoy the spring sport we should have been seeing weeks ago.

Starting off on the commercials and father and son team of Des and Jack Holmes enjoyed a terrific session on Maidenhead’s New Farm Fishery when they fished on the carp lake with 14-year-old Jack landing his first ever 20lb carp in the shape of a common weighing in at 21lb 8oz.

Jack presented a corn hook bait on a size 10 barbless hook to 15lb braid with a running lead on 10lb main line and hooked into the specimen shortly after casting out.

Jack went on to land a second fish of 12lb later in the day with dad, Des, netting a fish of 14lb using similar tactics.

The carp in Royal Berkshire have also been showing in numbers and venue regular Lloyd Richardson scored with a nice brace of fish scaling 16lb 8oz and 11lb from lake one.

Lloyd baited a margin spot with diced meat and carp pellets and fished a chunk of meat over the top on a size 8 barbless Raptor hook to 8lb line.

Despite the carp becoming more active I’m told the silver fish continue to feed well with some good roach and bream falling to pole tactics with maggot hook baits.

Twyford’s Andy Pearce, who made this column last week with an 8lb plus fish, made the mark again with a tench of 8lb 2oz which fell to feeder fished corn on one of his local pits.

n Any anglers wishing to report catches may contact me on 07780 755138 or ian@bigfishtrail.com