Marc Campion lands a 33-04 from Pochard Lodge

Fishing couple Marc and Leigh-Ann Campion returned to Pochard Lodge last week for their annual late May visit to Cherry Lakes.

The week started slow for them both as I think a combination of resting up after spawning and the high pressure seemed to knock the Cherry Springs fish off the feed.

However the fishing improved through the week culminating in Marc landing 5 on the last night including this night caught Mirror of 33-04. I am not sure if this 25-12 Ghost Common above was Leigh-Ann’s biggest of the week, but it was certainly the prettiest!

This normally stunning Carp looks a bit worn out and bruised from its spawning efforts. Whilst I cannot be 100% sure, I think the spawning has largely finished now on Cherry Springs and Cherry Pool.

Very unusually Pochard Lodge is available for 12-16 June (for example the next time it is available is 27th October). If you fancy a break (on a lake where I think the Carp have finished spawning) then please let me know. I am sure a good late deal is waiting for someone!

Adrian and Lorraine Bates also returned to Cherry Lakes last week, choosing to stay in Egret Lodge on Cherry Pool (they were not as fast as normal in booking Kingfisher Lodge on Cherry Springs). Adrian was certainly glad he did as he caught his PB, a 29-03 Common Carp.

This Carp was one of those intoduced last winter as a low thirty. Unsurprisingly, it was down a little in weight after spawning. Hopefully as it gets back on the feed through the summer, it should be back at 30+ by the autum.

Vince Hole was also a returner and was quite reluctant to leave this morning. He and his partner Karen absolutely enjoyed their week in Kingfisher Lodge. Just like Cherry Springs, the fishing picked up through the week, and in total he landed 20 Carp to 25lb. They have already re-booked for next year! Unfortunately I don’t have any photos to use.

Whilst we have heard a few Carp splashing around, the Carp are yet to properly spawn on Cherry Springs or Cherry Lake. If the weather forecast is to be believed the wind should swing around to a much warmer south-easterly by Friday with temperatures increasing to 26-27 degrees. This might be enough to get the ‘older girls going’ and hopefully they will successfully spawn from next weekend?

I mentioned in my last update that regular and good friend Paul Mitchell was staying in Grebe Lodge with his partner Debbie and he had landed 5 up to the point of my last update. Well Paul went on to land a very creditable total of 15 Carp which included 5 over 30lb. The biggest being this impressive Mirror of 37-04 above.

Cherry Lake this weekend proved to be very difficult, a fact that seemed hard to fathom. Other than the sun breaking through earlier in the morning, it was hard to discern any change in conditions and therefore understand why the Carp in Cherry Lake switched off? Even Paul Mitchell failed to catch during his last two days?

Fortunately today (Monday) the Carp seem to be more active with Oliver Wells in Osprey already landing a couple including a 31-00 Common.

As stated above fingers crossed that this high pressure warms up and holds on for long enough for all the Carp to successfully spawn.