Bream on Stoclow Lagoon

I am preparing a session on a 100 acre water holding Bream up to and possibly over 19lb. I have done minimal Bream fishing in the last few years and really want to bag a double from this hard water. A double figure Bream is a great specimen and I cant wait to put my tactics into play and see if I can be productive. I plan to fish two nights this week from Saturday to Monday (morning as have work) fishing over a large bed of bait (40kg!!). My mix is a blend of Vitilin, mixed corn and molasses. The water also contains a healthy head of large carp and tench so my main approach is scaled down carp tactics.

20/07/13 - I managed to get down the lake for around 4pm, loaded up the barrow and began the long walk round to my selected area of the lake. I settled in a swim that offers a large expanse of open water to fish to and it seemed perfect to intercept Bream. I baited three rods with plastic sweetcorn and baited gravel patches at various ranges with an extreme amount of bait. As day became night my buzzers stayed silent. I managed to see two fish roll in the evening but a lot closer in and they seemed to be tench.

The next morning I moved the rods closer and fished over a bed of corn hoping to pick up a tench of the marginal shelf. The other two rods were fished at approximately 40 yards and heavily baited with my prepared mix. At 2pm my right hand rod gave a few beeps and then a drop back followed. I approached the rod and held the line softly feeling for an indication a fish was attached to the end. The line pulled slowly from my hand so I picked up the rod and bent into........... thin air!!. I really thought I had a bream hooked but put it down to liners as I had taken my back leads off. The night passed and the session drew a blank however, it was nearly 30 degrees and it was great to sit in such magnificent surroundings. I plan to return this week and fish three night session on another section of the lake. On the journey back to the car I marked out a couple of swims and found some potential bream holding areas that look promising. I am also going to change my mix as it was a bit stodgy and tune up my rigs. Until next time tight lines.

26/07/13 - I had planned a three day session for the Bream on Stoclow Lagoon before heading to the south of France on Wednesday 31st. I adapted my original mix and add a few more ingredients to create a more friendly mix to spod out and in hope that it would attract the Bream. I settled in a swim that the carp fishermen don't usually frequent and it offered a large area of open water to fish to. I had previously marked out the swim and had an idea of the topography. The water dropped from 1ft to 6ft withing 3ft then to 9ft and finally to 11 - 12ftflat in open water. The bottom was soft silk approximately an inch deep clear of weed beds.

It took me four hours to spod out the bait over an area the size of a small bungalows footprint. All rods were clipped up and cast to the baited area except one that decided to fish on the drop of for the tench.By now the wind had push out and was blowing away creating a glass effect over the bay I was fishing. Not good news for the fishing as on a water this size shoals of bream would be following undertow currents caused by the wind circulating the water.

That evening  tench rolled over my bait by no takes followed. This was the story for the whole session and I ended up with a blank after putting in a lot of effort. I was not disheartened as this has made me want to persevere and try harder for the elusive monster bream that swim in this water. I believe that by fishing regularly I will eventually find the routes the Bream generally take and identify their feeding areas. On the last nite the rain fell heavy and a thunder storm followed. I will now have to wait until after my trip to Lac St Cassien in the south of France to get back on the lake and try again. My target is now a crap from the famous French lake that I have yet to catch one from.

07/09/13 - After tempting a double figure Barbel from the Medway I am now back to targeting the elusive double figure Bream. I planned a one night trip with my mate Danny who is looking to join the club and we decided to fish one of the furthest swims on the lake where the water is flat, open and averages 14ft. After a struggle with the barrow and an extremely long walk we reached our desired destination. It looked good for a fish and the weather was ideal with the wind pushing in completed with an overcast sky. We spod out a large quantity of vitilin, molasses and pellets to our marked areas and then set up our traps at approximately 60 yards range.

Danny's ticket was only valid for daytime fishing only so come the evening he reeled in while I pursued the Bream that are confident feeders come the cover of darkness. It was a strange occurrence because I had no takes but Danny, after casting his rod at first light had a few beeps on his bite alarm and was in. He ended up pulling in a colossal Bream that weighed in at 11lb 8oz and was a truly special fish. It was a great session and to fish with a companion was pleasant, defiantly better then the long cold days in solitude. I am to continue my campaign for these large Bream and hopefully I will hit the jackpot. Well done Danny.

09/09/13 - 11/09/13 - My next session was planned in between work from the 9th September to the 11th of September. I had a post graduate skills coarse in London on both dates so could not fish during the days but managed to get down the lake before night and do two quick overnight sessions. I selected a swim that I had not previously fished before and found a quick drop of from 10 to 18ft at 40 yards. I fished two rods on method feeders fished with a small pop up boilie. I heavily baited with vitilin, molassess and groundbait. On my third rod I opted to fish for the Eels so set up a free running rig fished with a big juicy lob worm. It was pouring down whilst setting up and I got soaked.