Having had a bit of time to get out and fish locally, as the water has been pretty high and coloured on the Cam and Granta I decided to give Andersons lake a go. Saturday afternoon I got a half day ticket from the post office in Longstanton and set about a recce. The lake was a bit high, I’m not sure exactly how much, but I would say about a foot, but was definitely fishable, not much colour to it and a couple of swims which looked useful. I returned Sunday Afternoon for 2hrs to give it a go, I managed 2 nice perch to 1lb and 1.4lb 5 or 6 small roach and a lovely 1/2lb Rudd, used double red maggot, worm and castor/crushed hemp. I was encouraged so returned Monday afternoon for a 3 1/2hr session, it was much warmer on Monday so was expecting to catch. I added white sliced bread to my bag just in case.
I started off with another lb+ perch on worm then it quietened down, I had brought along cheese on toast for lunch and threw the crust in the water to my left, there was a breeze blowing toward the reeds at the head of the lake. I continued on the float swapping worm and maggot, then castor and back and adjusting the depths, there were a couple of knocks but nothing solid. Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed activity where the crusts were, there were several carp feeding off the top. I was surprised to see this in winter but quickly took off all the line weights set the float 18” from a new no.10 hook and put on a nice piece of crust and threw it amongst them I watched as the carp slowly got around to seeing the bait and then watched the bread get sucked in off the top, a little strike and a small fight I pulled out a handsome immaculate conditioned fish. Over the next 30mins I got another three before they got suitably spooked and went to the other side of the lake. I would have pursued if on a longer session but went back on the float rig and only had one more little roach on the flake this time before packing up.
The lake is lovely and peaceful and on the three occasions I visited I had the lake to myself, I was also joined briefly by two Red Kites sitting watching me from the trees and also a kingfisher.
The pictures below are off the four mirror carp caught, the scales in the pictures need to have a pound taken off for the wet net, not huge by any description but a nice indication of the quality of the fish in the lake.
Cheers – Joe Burke
