Hi every one and apologies for not updating the web site sooner with news of the massive undertaking of engineering works I’ve had carried out at “THE MEAD” the new name for the main lake. Well here’s the update and I hope you’re all as excited as me with the outcome.
“THE MEAD” has gone from a 3 acre bowl shaped clay pit with a ridiculous average depth of 23ft to a NOW, 3 acre gravel/clay pit with an average depth of 5-7ft with a very pleasing new shape without losing its charm. A few of the marginal bushes and some small trees fell into the lake when I drained down but these have been replaced with new young trees around the site which will mature and blend in perfectly. The mead has 5 purpose built swims, which protrude out into the lake, + the luxury cabin with its decking and its swim making 7 swims in total. Each angler will command a little under ½ an acre of water each to fish but the most important part of the engineering works have occurred beneath the water. I have had a central Island constructed which has already been grassed and planted with cherry trees and rhododendrons which will look stunning when in blossom. Beneath the water I have had installed around 8 substantial features comprising of gravel bars, humps and troughs. As you know underwater features make for fantastic fish holding and catching areas and as soon as half the carp were re-introduced into The Mead on the 16 November 2009 they were seen topping over the features within 2 days after some OM1’s and Trout pellets were introduced. Like people, I believe that carp enjoy congregating around features and objects which is why so many get caught around Islands and off or close to features. I have left one area in front of the luxury cabin completely untouched, it ranges from around 6-9ft in depth and has a huge blood worm bed with a huge bar going around it with a couple of light snags left in so this swim, for those who book the cabin, will become THE HOT SPOT on the lake.
“THE ENGLISH FISH” which will reside in The Mead are absolutely stunning old English carp and will consist of the following:
7 x 30lb+ Carp
70-85 x 20lb+ Carp
75-90 x 12lb -19lb carp
50 x 4-7lb carp (to grow on)
50 x 5lb-11lb+ Tench
32 x 9lb-25lb Pike
+ only a small amount of silver fish as I had over 1500lb of silvers removed along with all smaller Tench and Carp.
There should be around 220-240 original, stunning ENGLISH mirror and common carp introduced back into The Mead which for a 3 acre lake should make for some memorable fishing and if you do the math you should always be within reach of at least 1 x 30lb+ and 10-12 x 20lb+ carp in your swim, catching them however is a different matter, which brings me onto feeding and the ongoing feeding programme which I have, again, resumed from the 2007/2008 season.
OM1 boilies and High Protein/low oil Trout pellets are the order of the day and are now being fed into The Mead. I have moved away from the carp pellets this season with their low oil and low protein content due to the fact that the fish haven’t been fed any unnatural food sources for 8 months so now is the time to get them feeding and banging on the weight sensibly and healthily. My own recipe OM1’s (Olivemead one) are being fed in at the rate of around 20 kilos per week along with my trout pellets every day. Incidentally, anglers who purchased OM1’s from me have reported excellent catches and some new P.B’s from other waters as well as at The Mead so it just goes to show that a good quality food source bait works well anywhere! The carp are definitely on the munch as baited areas are being cleaned out when checked each time. The reason for the ongoing feeding programme is 2 fold, 1- the carp need to put a bit of weight back on and 2 – there isn’t hardly any natural food in the lake at the moment so I want to introduce anglers baits so that the carp will be used to eating my boilies and pellets with confidence and without fear of getting caught, well for a while anyway.
WATER QUALITY is a major factor at the moment, obviously, and I am constantly testing it to make sure everything is on the money and the carp are happy. Providing everything goes to schedule I am looking at RE-OPENING “THE MEAD” on the 16th JUNE 2010, and if this is the case what a year 2010 will be for The Mead, you will be, pretty much, fishing a totally new virgin water and for a massive head of carp which won’t have seen a hook bait or a rig for almost 2 years so if you haven’t yet caught a 20lber or a 30lber this year could be your chance.
INVESTMENT into “THE MEAD” as a “big” carp holiday venue has been substantial and scary but I wouldn’t have invested it all if I didn’t absolutely, whole heartedly and 110% believe that this venue will, within 3 years, become one of the country’s BEST English carp fishing holiday venues not only for the fishing but also for the environment, M4 aside, accommodation and hospitality and I predict that we will be seeing a new ENGLISH 40lb+ carp within 3 years if current growth rates are anything to go by. SEE YOU AT “THE MEAD” soon!
Scott
Archive Page 2009
