ANGLING HEAVEN

I’m guessing that I’m no different to many anglers by having my favourite places to fish and one of these is certainly the Wimborne and District Angling Clubs' Pinnock Lakes at Edmondsham … but why?

If peace and tranquility in beautiful countryside is what floats your boat, then this is the ideal place to while away a few hours … and when the fish are those most desirable tench and crucians, heaven is close by.

Arrive at dawn and the only sound is bird song and the clucking of moorhens, along with the muffled curses of our Hon Sec. Stuart Hitchman whose tackle has just been trashed by a fiesty tench ... but he still loves the place too.

The crystal clear water is weedy, so the ideal home for this summer bounty and I find a little rake on the end of a landing net pole is sufficient to clear a narrow channel close to the edge into which to drop a tiny float.

A smattering of fine groundbait, a few small pellets and a trickle of maggots and it’s a bite a chuck because the tench and crucians have bred profusely in the rich water and there’s lots of them. 

Most of these bars of gold are like small jewels but if you hook a proper one you are in trouble as they have taken lessons from Popeye and fight like stink.

If you like bigger fish then the club recently stocked over thirty good ‘uns which will test your tackle to the max. The crucians are growing on well too, one lucky member catching two of a pound and a half last year. I’ve found bits of worm or small banded pellets sort out the bigger ones but when fishing in such idyllic surroundings, size hardly matters.

Since it’s creation a couple of years back, the top lake called Medleys is developing very nicely and the club also have plans to carry out a complete refurbishment of the bottom lake, called Julia’s in honour of the owner. If it ends up mimicking the top lake plus more species for variety such as roach and perch, then we’re in for a real treat.

Many of my friends have enjoyed splendid fishing up there and I think their smiles suggest that they too think they’ve discovered a little bit of heaven.

The club will always be grateful to the Angling Trust through the Angling Development Fund and the Environment Agency for making the creation of this lake possible .

PURE GOLD

                                                 
                                                  

 

Once upon a time there was a large gloopy hole in the ground and our club turned the mud into gold – crucian gold.

Those who bother to read our excellent newsletters will know that with the help of the EA, the Angling Trust and the Angling Development Fund, along with much extraordinary hard work from a core of volunteers, we now have a beautiful lake that is full of tench and tricky crucians, all of which are growing on at an impressive rate.

an EA tench fom Culverton which has grown very rapidly and become FAT!

the larger lake provides a welcome home to lots of carp to 20lbs

Both of the WDAC lakes at Edmondsham are full of fish and for those who think the cormorants and otters have eaten them all, you’re wrong. Only yesterday evening I counted 28 good carp and saw a shoal of big bream sunning themselves so where are you all? These are beautiful lakes to fish and as peaceful as they come, so I hope to share the waterside with you all soon.

friend Chris with a beautiful common caught stalking along the edge

a delighted Phil with a good un - what a fighter

Yesterday the club had the good fortune to be walked through some significant habitat improvements by our committee member Phil Turnbull, a freshwater scientist who worked for the Dorset Wildlife Trust and who sadly is now leaving the area to take up a post with the West Country Rivers Trust. But he came up with lots of ideas to enhance the lakes for fish and wildlife, so we have exciting times ahead and lots of hard work.

another special from the EA's Culverton Fish Farm - such a delightful creature and growing so fast

In the meantime I shall continue to try to winkle out a crucian or two from our new lake and the fact that they are difficult adds to the enjoyment. Having caught four now, I’d suggest you fish as close to the bank as possible with a tiny float and small hook, using either bits of sweetcorn or a 4mm banded pellet.

a top section of pole with the tiny float close to the edge - or you need a short rod

not long before this is a two pounder - maybe

 

tench don't come any cuter than this and proof that the lake is already producing ideal breeding conditions

Use maggots and you’ll be catching tench all day, though that isn’t such a trial is it! We’ve caught at least 50 tench in a session several times and though many are cute little baby ones, there are more than enough ‘proper ones’ to keep you on the edge of your seat. Good fishing by any standards and there’s lots of wildlife to enjoy as well.

 four pounds of elastic stretching muscle

our star club secretary Stu with a good un

I love it because it’s such a delight to be there, a perfect world of peace and tranquillity, until you hook one of the four pound tench and then you have a real battle on your hands … and if you get even luckier, you’ll fill your eyes with bars of gold – crucian gold.

few fish come close to matching the beauty of a pure strain crucian

For further info please visit our website _ www.wimborneanddistrictanglingclub.co.uk