Hard going across Cherry Lakes..........

I have to say with the exception of Tom Hughes and possibly Oscar Taylor, all anglers across the complex have found it hard going this week. The Carp it appears, even on Cherry Mere and Cherry Pool, are fed up with this weather. Continued cold nights, not much sun, and even when the sun does come out we have heavy hailstone down pours to rapidly cool the surface layers. I bet the Carp are also looking forwards to 'Travel Restrictions' being lifted from 17 May so they can get some warmth!

Several people have been asking me when will the Carp spawn? Normally I would say they start (as they often have 2-3 spawning sessions) towards the end of May and early June. With the coldest Spring I can recollect, and certainly the coldest one during our 10 years here at Cherry Lakes, and with the water at a cold 11C, It is hard to see the Carp spawning until well into June and even July. I guess a couple of hot weeks later this month (not currently forecast), could accelerate matters?

All this preamble is to spare my embarrassment! A few months ago when it became clear that our French carping trip would be cancelled due to Covid, I booked my good buddy Chris and myself into Osprey Lodge as an alternative. I have been looking forward to this for weeks, not least because the last few anglers have done well from this Lodge, including Eddie Szyczak had caught 12 Carp last weekend. I did write in my last update that Cherry Lake is not easy.......unfortunately I did not realise that this 'prophetic statement' would apply to Chris and myself!

Chris is recovering from a replacement knee surgery and in truth should not have fished this week............but you cannot keep a good Carp fisherman down! The deal was that we would only fish days (I would largely be with him and his lovely wife Linn during the day), and that it would not be safe for him or the Carp if he was to have a run during the night. I did apologise to Linn for spending all day in the Lodge with them (it was too cold to sit outside for 95% of the week) and said I felt like a 'Gooseberry'! Linn's response was that it was she who felt like a Gooseberry!

Apart from a one hour spell on Wednesday when Chis caught this 30-04 heavily scaled Mirror (he could not hold the Carp due to his knee, hence the reason why I am posing again) and I landed a 28lb Common, we had nothing else during our 4 days fishing. Embarrassing given I supposedly know the lake! This Carp was last caught by Charlie England and features in our 20220 catalogue at a similar weight.

All the other anglers on the lake struggled with blanks for those in Grebe and the Cottage. Indeed Tom Hughes in Heron was also blanking until Wednesday when I encouraged him to try a couple of different spots. He went on to catch 8 Carp to 36-06 over the next 36 hours. As they say 'those who can't.....teach'!

First timer Tom Hughes, caught all of his Carp on small pink barrel pop-ups over pellet, using a bait boat to keep feeding the same spots. The 36-06 (which funnily enough was one in my catalogue from last year which I caught at 35-12), was not quite a PB for Tom, but a comfortable second biggest. He is now the 203rd member of the 30+ club and was happy with his 35+ hoody. Well done Tom

Thee catch returns were also very disappointing from the other lakes. The carp in all lakes have not really wanted to play ball.

The Taylor family are long term regular guests and principally stay in Pochard Lodge on Cherry Mere, where they normally catch a good few Carp. This time they only managed one each. Not that Oscar was worried, as he set a new PB, when he landed this lovely 'half-linear' Cherry Mere Carp at 32-08. The second Cherry Mere 30 in a couple of weeks (see last but one post showing lee Clarke's 33-04 Mirror). Oscar is our 202nd club member.

Oscar's previous PB, a 29lb Mirror was caught from Cherry Mere in May 19. On comparing photos, Oscar is clearly older, but the fish is the same....just a bit bigger. A nice acquaintance to renew for Oscar!