Pleasure Day Grendon Lakes Ellies 28.06.2019

One of the reasons I go fishing is to fish different venues, venues I would never normally fish. Sometimes they are large expanses of water like Meadowlands or Black Horse, other times smaller lakes like Tofts or the strip lakes at Linford. Mick chose today's venue, Ellie's Lake at Grendon Fishery in Northamptonshire. We had fished the complex of seven lakes about 5 years ago and we both suffered a blank in winter. Mick has been back a couple of times since and revealed a lake with a good head of Bream and Tench, and they grew big. Bream to 12lb and Tench 8lb plus.
Meeting Mick at his house we travelled in our own cars to the venue.Mick had already obtained the padlock number from the bailiff and we were there. Ellie's lake is the first lake you reach on the left hand side before the main gates. It is a dog legged lake which has approximately 6 or 7 pegs on it, a mixture of hard standing and natural pegs. Reed lined and with a good depth. Fishing is only from one bank.
We settled into the second and third pegs and parked behind them. unloading the car I could see how clear the water was. Looking out to top three, not only could you see the bottom, you could see where the drop off was.Although my main line of attack would be the pole I also set up a feeder rod, just to kick start the session.

At the start I went out on the feeder approximately 2/3rds of the way across the lake, A couple of small indications but nothing after 20 minutes. Mick had started on the pole and was in straight away after scattering his feed pellets in a rather large area, his first fish being a bream of 6.5lb.

I had fed 4 balls of groundbait onto a line line at 9m. I had a good depth, just under a top kit and with a light right to left breeze, I could hold it still quite easily by going 3 inches over depth. Arming the hook with a grain of corn, I got my first bite after 5 minutes. Unfortunately this came off, checked my hook and looked good. Back out and my float went again, a good solid bite, this time I made no mistake and my first Ellie's Bream was in the net. Another fish of 6.5lb to match Mick's earlier fish.

After an hour I had that single Bream and a Tench around 4lb and lost another couple of Bream.
Mick was catching odd fish and catching on an 8mm Robin Red pellet over his 4mm sinking feed pellet,  neither of us were in bagging mode, fishing of this type rarely is. We are talking big fish, gin clear conditions and foul hooked fish definitely spook any remaining fish in your peg.A couple of hours followed where all I could muster was a few Rudd.
I had all of my fish over my groundbait whereas Mick's fish were coming from a large area of his peg. I started another line at 11m and started feeding pellets, it was working for Mick and was worth a go.

The difference in depth was quite large so I added a length of line allowing for some to be spare and keeping the pole tip away from the float. Due to the clear water it was possible the fish could see the pole tip.
After 10 minutes of feeding and fishing I had my second Bream on a 6mm banded pellet. By chopping and changing baits I managed another couple of Bream, all of them between 6 and 7lb. Another Tench around 5lb finished my day.

As I said earlier bites were at a premium yet worth it as you always felt there was a proper fish on the end of it. My total of 5 Bream, Two Tench and a few Rudd, could have been more as I lost 5 Bream. Mick ended up with 8 Bream, a small Tench and a micro Perch.
I will definitely be going back, as apart from there being a little noise from strimming the grass and mowing the lawns on the caravan/campsite it was peaceful and no-one else around. Peace and Quiet Reign.