Westwood Lakes, Lincolnshire- Family Holiday

Family holidays at Westwood Lakes, Lincolnshire and this was chosen because

• Wanted holiday on the east coast
• family wanted a lodge with a hot tub
• I wanted a fishing lake on site. This place had four.
• The reviews on Trip Adviser were all great.

We set off on the Saturday 27th August for our hols and it meant I was missing my "money water," Coppell Mill Pond were I always either come first or second (Sharpy won by the way with an excellent 22lbs, well done pal).
When we arrived I must say we were impressed with the lodges, my wife loved the hot tub and I took a walk round the lakes and was well impressed.

Our Lodge

Our lodge was on Skylark Lake and it was Wednesday by the time I got to fish it. It's the main match lake and there are several opens a week on it which your welcome to fish if you fancy taken on the locals. I set up on the nearest peg 21 which is at the end of the island and looked a flyer. The lake itself is a goodsize lake and is 13 metres across to a central island and looks very fair on all pegs.

Peg 21 Skylark Lake, Westwood Lakes

I had bought two pints of maggots from the excellent on site tackle shop on the recomendation of one of the open match lads and had also bought a bag of micros (you have to use their feed pellets). I set up a pellet rig for just off the island in about 18 inches of water and a pellet rig for the margins (which was only 12 inches). I also set up a maggot rig for about six metres out which was about five foot deep. Both the pellet rigs were 0.14 line to a PR16s hook with the maggot rig 0.13 to a 18s PR36 hook. Before I wet a line though I also set up a short pole on peg 22 for my future son in law Gareth who had never been coarse fishing before.

Gareth Getting A Few!

After setting Gareth up I cupped in half a Drennan Pot of micros and went straight across with a 4mm expander on the hook. I was into fish straight away. I was getting mainly carp with a spinkling of tench and barbel. I was feeding a small toss pot of micros after every fish and the biggest problem I had was foulhooking fish due to the amount in front of me. I switched to the maggot rig to give the far line a rest and carried on catching but the fish were a lot smaller on average. I also tried the margins but could not hold the fish due to the water being so shallow and me being a numpty!
Back across and it was a fish a chuck for the rest of the day, nothing massive the biggest about 4lb and with a few largers being brought to my peg by the family it was a cracking days sport and even Gareth caught a few. I finished the day in the hot tub. Bliss!
I had a evening session two days later on the same peg and the sport was exactly the same. Another cracking session.
Westwood lakes is just on the outskirts of Boston and if you looking for a peacefull holiday with a bit of fishing and top class accommodation I can thoroughly reckomend it. Oh and on site cafe not bad too. Try the 16 ounce T bone with all the trimmings mmm.

Gary

Partridge Fisheries - Spey 21/08/11

For once the weather was going to behave itself and sunshine was promised all day. I got there in plenty of time and looked at the lake for the first time. Its was a canal type lake only 13 metres across and looked good for a few fish on all the pegs.
 I dew peg 15 and and had my mate Jeff Taylor on my right and an empty peg to my left. I set up a rig tight across for the pellet, a Hillbilly Slim Shady to 0.14 line to 16s Preston PR36 hook. I set the same Hillbilly rig up again for the margins and another Hillbilly this time a Shindig float set about 5ft deep down the track. Finally I set up a caster rig for up in the water across.

Jeff On Spey Canal, Partridge Fisheries

The Empty Peg Was My Margin Attack

On the all in I potted 4mm pellets across and in the near margin against the empty peg to my left. I started across on the pellet and it was hard going to say the least. A couple of quick bites, then a F1 carp was all I had in the first hour. I tried down the margin and only had one bite, down the track and never had a bite. I then tried the caster about 8 metres out and started getting a few roach but they weren't big enough to persevere. Jeff was struggling worse than me and had not had a fish at this stage. Nobody as far as I could see was doing much and it looked like the Trevalyon curse had struck again. After half the match I had about 3lb in the net.
 I then tried caster across and was rewarded with a ide. I didn't even know they were in the lake. I then got a roach and another ide so decided to switch up in the water across and get more ide. It was a good call and I was getting ide on a regular basis. This continued the rest of the match and I ended up 2nd with 22lb 11oz. Jeff in the meanwhile was heading for a blank but three late carp on corn gave him about 10lbs and he wish he'd done that earlier.
  Big Dave Brown had done the business again and had won with paste down the track weighing in 33lbs. He's had a cracking year and fully deserves to be our champion this year. Well done mate! His lad Dave junior was 3rd for the first time after being fourth in the previous match and it won't be too long before he's beating his old man.
After the match I sat behind Dave watching him fish the paste and like all good anglers he makes it look easy. I should really give it a more of a go instead of giving up on it after ten minutes.

Gary

Sycamore Fisheries 14/08/11

After last weeks match being the furthest away, this one was the closest, only a fifteen minute drive for me and things were going to be nice and simple for me. Pellets! My only decision being a hard pellet on the band or an expander on the hook.
I drew peg 15 and had an empty peg to my left and my mate Chris Naylor to my right. It looked ok my peg and I set myself a 20lb target which I thought would be there or there abouts. I set up two up in the water rigs, one for the expander and one on a hair rigged band. I also set a full depth rig at 11-13 metres. All were 16s hooks to 0.14 line. The carp in here average 1lb or so but there are bigger lumps. I should of set the method up as well to throw across to the island about 18 metres away but as I hardly fish the tip I left it in the holdall. I noticed Chris had set it up though and he's not bad on the tip.
I was ready in plenty of time for a change and me being a true Wiganer had a pie before the all in for my breakfast!

My Peg At Sycamore Fisheries

On the all in I shipped out to 11 metres and put half a pot of pellets in. I went straight over and.... nothing. After an hour I'd caught a roach and skimmer. I weren't breaking any records but then again as far as I could see nobody was. I decided to go up in the water on the banded pellet as I'd kept trickling pellets in and was rewarded with a small carp of about a pound. My interest picked up and so did another carp of about a pound. It didn't last of course and by the end of the match I had 10 small carp and a couple of chublets, along with my skimmer and roach for 11lb 7oz which turned out to be good enough for third.
Sharpy (Dave Walton) won with just over 20lbs on dead maggot from across the lake and Jeff Taylor bounced back to form with 15lbs on the method for second.
Must mention that our only junior angler, young Dave Brown, son of big Dave Brown got his first points in the club by finishing 4th. Well done lad it wont be too long before he's beating us all.

Gaz

Herenbrook Fisheries - Bridge Pool 07/08/11

We had heard some good things about Herenbrook so was looking forward to this, we (dad and I ) set out about 6:30am as its the furthest away of all our matches. We got there about 7:50am and most of the lads were allready there scoffing bacon butties. In all there was 21 of us including visitors) so it was the best attendance this year.
  Now good weights come out of this lake but us being the Trevalyon Anglers we can flatten any water and coupled with a cold Northerly wind I was aiming for 30lbs+ to get in the frame. I drew permanent peg 1(a good peg) and had dad for company on peg 2. Dad also had drawn the golden peg so was happy.

Bridge Pool, Herenbrook Fisheries

Now because I didn't know much about the lake I was going with my favourite caster attack, with corn and meat down the margins. On the all in I started off down the side for the first fifteen minutes but only had one quick bite. I then went on the caster and started to get small roach. I kept with it as I was putting something in the net and no one else who I could see was catching much. After an hour I hooked something much bigger. It had me all over the place and was either the biggest fish in the lake or foul hooked. After fifteen minutes I did something you shouldn't do and that was grabbing hold of the white hydro elastic and pulled it in. It was a carp of about six pounds hooked in the tail and I was amazed the 18's hook held.
After this the match was pretty much a non event as the size of the roach didn't improve. I got a few small F1s down the side on meat but was glad to hear the all out. Dad had got the golden peg curse cos he got 4 small carp in first four chucks across with the feeder then that was it. The highlight was a couple of pegs further down when Gaz Melling lost his top four sections to the island across and stripped down to his duds for a swim! Nice one Gaz.

Gaz (Mark Spitz) Melling

At the weigh in Jonny Mawdsley had easily won with 63lbs. Well done pal with Lee Gerrard 2nd with 36lbs and Alf Beckett 3rd with with 30lbs. This match was my biggest disappointment this year, I should have done miles better on a good peg and gone across with pellet at 14 and half metres and kept the casters in the bag. I didn't bother weighing in and had 10 to 12lbs. It was time to kick the dog when I got in!

Gaz