WINTER ON THE MATCH. Jake & Sam.

After a summer and autumn spent on 2 local club waters with a reputation for being more than a little tricky, a winter assult was planned for Yateley's famous Match Lake.

The lake has seen some of carp anglings best over the last 20 years, and following a fish kill a few years ago, the old residents from the 80's have been reduced to around 25 original carp. In the last 10 years there have been 2 stockings, one of Redmire Strain common's and one of fishers pond mirror's. These fish have not grown fast, but consistently. With a good number now into the 20lb bracket.

The bait we decided to use was PGB's Choc Orange Nut Mix and Nut Mix groundbait, with dipped pop-up hookbaits. The first session was on the 1st of November, the plan was to give them a consistent amount of bait over the first few weeks, to get the fish used to seeing it. We were baiting up in their favorite spots and safe areas to gain their confidence in the bait we were planning to give them all winter.

After only 2 nights Jake managed to take first blood of the attack, a mid double common starting off the campaign. Then Sam had 2 in a 4 night session, his first trip of the year. Following this promising start, the lake switched off for a number of weeks, the next action came just after Xmas. For a month both of us baited the carp's favoured winter spots, and Sam was the first to get them going, on a weeks session over the Xmas break, he managed 4 up to 32.08, which was one of the prized original carp "The Zit".

Jake had to wait a further week before more action, another mid double common being the culprit.

Over the next few weeks, we used 3 or 4 KG of groundbait, to give the fish some food, but no allow the birds to eat it all. This was thrown in after each session, to make sure the fish were getting bait all week.

The action seemed to come in good hits, Sam had a 3 fish hit, then a 6 fish catch all 20lb+ with a 25.08 common being the biggest. Jake had a 19lb mirror, a 26lb mirror, a 28lb original called "The Thick Wrist Fish" and a mid double common.

In total, during 4 and a half months fishing, mainly 3 days sessions at a time, we managed 35 takes, landing 30, with the best fish being 32.08, backed up by 14 fish over 20lb. During our stay on the lake, there were generally 7 or 8 anglers at weekends, and there were only 15 carp out, other than the ones we caught.

As you can see by the shots, some of these young fish will continue to grow over the next few years, so we have a few scores to settle with some of the old original fish, for the time being the club waters will be our focus, but come November, we will be going back.

Just a few of the fine match lake fish caught by Jake and Sam