BAS at Hall Lane (Match Lake)

Now there were a few doubting-Thomases who said this place needed filling-in when we were there the other week and I must admit I wasn't too inspired with the results of our match on the new canal lake.  I said at the time that I wouldn't mind having a chuck on the more mature lake under match conditions to see how it performed and I got my chance today.

Our match was up the top end of the lake and we were looking up the hill if that makes any sense (rather than having the hill behind us).  The lake is more mature than the newer ones, but there's still a lot of growing to be done to provide far bank features.  The general consensus was that the big weights would come from the pegs which had the gaps in the islands in front of them and that's how it worked out.  Aggo & Picky were at the end of the end island and Aggo took the honours on the day with an impressive 31lb and Picky wasn't far behind with 29lb.

All through the match I had Porky giving it large about me winning the match, but every time I looked up, Aggo was dragging another fish in.  I caught plenty of fish, but they were all small by comparison.  I had virtually no features to fish to apart from a few tufts of grass on the far side., but devised a bit of a plan before the start and it paid-off almost straight away.  With the other two swims I'd fed not really producing, I just kept to the one producing the bites - even though it was nearly 14m in the grass on the far side.  There were plenty of roach and golden orfe as well as the odd chub and skimmer.  Switching to the line down the track I'd fed, I managed a few fish on corn and maggot including a couple of small carp and several tiny tench.

At the weigh-in I was reasonably happy that I hadn't done badly, but the weights at the top end put things into perspective.  As others who have fished the lake have previously  suggested, you need a peg at the top end and/or one with a gap in the islands to frame.  I finished with 17lb 10oz, which was the same as big Chris, so we shared 3rd place on the day.  Interestingly, Chris was the end peg (midway down an island) and Cliffy was the other end peg (not quite with a gap in front of him) and they were within ounces of each other.

Give this lake a couple more years (and a few more fish) and it should be a really great match venue.  It isn't a typical commercial lake because theres a very good mix of species - carp don't dominate like other places so tactics have to be revised accordingly.  SDAA are having an 'away day' on there next Saturday so it'll be another chance to figure the place out a bit.

All in all, a good day's fishing, despite getting a thorough drenching in the last hour.