There are 4 lakes on the site, although I think only 3 are fishable, the biggest lake named "Kingfisher" was certainly the busiest, and I was quite surprised to see a number of bivvy's and several carp rods. Apparently there are Carp to 40lbs in the lake, with plenty of 20's. For the time being all I could see was shoals and shoals and shoals of Roach and Rudd cruising through the top layers. I found a quiet corner with and island feature and a reasonable margin and decided to set up camp. The point of the island was 12.5 meters and the margin feature was 2 + 2. I would also trial an open water swim at 6 meters, although after throwing in a handful of maggots and seeing the water boil with feeding silver fish, I may end up being plagued by little fish rather trying to get through to the bigger ones.
My plan off attack would be simple, fish to the island with meat, fish the
margins with pellet and open water with maggots and caster. The rigs I would be
using were as follows;
1 x 4.12lb Reflo straight through a 0.3g Rizov float to a size 14 PR 456 -
For Meat
1 x 4.12lb Reflo straight through a 0.3g Rizov float to a size 16 QM1 with
a band - For Pellet
1 x 3.2lb Matrix Micron Power straight through to a 0.4g Rizov float to a
size 16 Kamasan B911 - For Maggots and Casters.
I had a plumb around and found 2 slight ledges - this is where I would aim
to fish. Also if fished any closer to the island there could be potential bush
interference (tangles). As I started on single red maggot, a chap to my right
hooked a carp from the margins on pellet, a fish of around 5lbs graced his net.
My bait had touched the surface which a roach darted out and grabbed the bait,
all before I shipped out or my float had cocked. Instead of shipping out to mid
distance I stayed on the top 3 for 20 minutes. Catching Roach and Rudd, one
after another. It was unbelievable how many fish were in this lake, some of
which would even take bare hooks! In-between catching these fish I would ping
some pellets across to the island, as well as balling in a few dampened micros
into the margin.
30 minutes and 102 fish later (I lost count after 102) I decided that was
enough silver fish, I swapped topkits, hooked on a cube of meat and shipped
over to the island. The bites instant stopped. Hopefully the meat would
dissuade the smaller fish, although they were moving over there as well. After
4 or 5 minutes and only a few indications, I moved my rig to the island point
almost underneath a bush and after 30 seconds the float slipped away. I was
into a carp of around 5lbs, which after and attempted surge around the island I
managed to get it into the net. I pinged a few more pellets over and shipped
out another meat cube. That was almost that really, apart from a quick foray
into the margins which yielded a nice Roach I stayed out on the island point
all day. I managed 6 carp on the 14 topkit before “crunch”. I couldn’t see any
damage externally but holding it and given it a gentle squeeze I could hear
something crunching around on the inside. I believe my though was “Bugger!” Now
I have to fix that, it’s an old pole, and the only sections you come by are
second hand. This may be a slow beginning of the end for my warrior of a pole.
Anyway, that topkit went back on the roost and I swapped over to the 16
elastic. Shipping back out I was into a fish within minutes, but on shipping
the fish in I noticed the bush moving very oddly.
On closer inspection someone had lost their rig and hook in the bush and
somehow the hook had fouled into the back of a carp. The rig was well a truly
lodged and the carp was pulling the bush every which way, in all honesty is was
a bit distressing. I swapped rigs to a very short and very strong hooklength
and shipped out. After a bit of jiggery pokery I managed to tangle my line
around the snared rig and after a bit of a heave, the snared rig snapped, and I
was pulling in my elastic, a tangled hooklength and a foul hooked fish.
Fortunately the damage wasn’t great but the fish was knackered, and needed a
good few minutes in the landing net the calm down. I let him go and continued
fishing. The lake seemed to be alive with fish, and an angler down the bank
gave a shout of “Pike!” Something I later observed under my own feet.
I scaled down the size of meat cube from a 10mm to 8mm and before long was
landing the biggest Rudd of the day. So scaling up from 10mm to 12mm cubes I
continued to catch a few more carp, but after another 5 I set up a plain lead
rod with haired meat. Despite casting to within 1ft of the island I couldn’t
get under the bush I had been previously targeting and despite several liners
on the feeder rod I saw the day out catching a few Rudd. I called it a day at
around 3pm after 4 and bit hours of fishing and couldn’t believe the few hours
I had. I chucked my maggots and casters in to one box and lobbed them out a few
feet from the bank. Watching the fish gobble up the loose bait I saw a black
shape shoot out from the reeds on the right snap up an unsuspecting rudd,
scattering the other fish in the process!
 |
| One of the resident Rudd the evaded the Pike. |
Lyon’s Gate seems to be a great fishery, and I only sampled one lake. After
catching 12 carp, the biggest being around 9lbs (not a 20 in sight) I left
feeling very pleased (but also slightly sad about my topkit), and when I
remembered the cost of the day ticket (£5) I felt even better. It really is a
great place, and if I had a caravan on that site I don’t think you’d get me off
the lake! I spoke to the owner who told me there are a good head of bream and
tench in the lake, but they come on the feed later in the season. There’s a tap
where you can get fresh water drinking water, or ‘fill the kettle’ as the owner
told me, and towards the start of the site there are also toilets. I would say
that the lake is fished primarily by carp anglers, but you could very easily
bag up on silvers if you wanted too. Access with a wheelchair might prove a bit
difficult as some of the banks were waterlogged as I walked around, but there
are one or 2 pegs which could be accessed with a chair and some assistance.
As a rating I would say:
Fishability - **** Lots of options whether you silver fish bash, or after
some specimens.
Accessibility - **** - Clearly signed from both directions as you enters
Lyons Gate village
Value for Money - **** - A bargain at £5
Disabled Access - ** - Unless we’d had a prolonged dry spell where the
ground gets quite hard, pushing a chair around would be very difficult.
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