The annual Brooks family visit
by Cliff Brooks

The annual Brooks family trip to DreamLake 4 had 2 new members this year, Ben Woods (18), a friend of Harry's (my eldest son, also 18) and Gemma (Harry's long suffering girl-friend - non fishing). The final member was Matty my youngest son (age 8). To introduce a bit of fun we decide to split into 2 teams, Harry/Ben verses me (Cliff) and Matt.

Harry had already decided he wanted to fish swim 1 (where I had caught loads from last year) and Ben dropped into swim 4. Both end swims are natural holding areas, especially the corners. That left Matt and me to set-up in swim 2, with Matt's 2 rods fishing into swim 3.

The fish in DL4 will generally move to the quietest part of the lake, so that's why we always fish from one side towards the far bank with no-one on it. Harry & Ben were feeling very confident with fish showing in their respective swims and not much in front of swims 2 & 3, lots of discussion about which one of them was going to get the first take, when away goes Matt's rod and he landed a 35.14 mirror.

A very nice start considering we hadn't been there 2 hours and first blood to the 'good guys'. The first night produced a 29.12 mirror & 35.00 cat for Harry, Ben got off the mark with a 22.00 mirror.

The next morning, with me still 'blanking' there was a lot of general good banter directed at Matt and me. I had decided on a baiting strategy on a line at about 75-80 yards, where I know the fish will patrol up and down the lake, with one rod fishing a little bit further across 90-100 yards to pick up the far margin fish.

This was a good decision and during Sunday I landed a couple of fish (best 31.08). Monday the fish started to come regularly and I had about 8 fish including a Grass of 43.04 on popped-up plastic corn and a mirror at 30.06.

Ben had never caught a cat so he had been feeding pellet since the off and sure enough he picked up cats of 42, 44 and 46 lbs in quick succession (job done). Harry also had a good spell landing 3 carp, best 29.04.

Monday & Tuesday had all swims producing runs regularly and a quick check on the scores had the 'good guys' on 30 fish with Harry/Ben on 16. We had landed 4 x 40's, 8 x 30 between us. Wednesday continued with fish coming to all rods. Paul Richardson popped in for a chat and a couple of beers.

He was fishing DL2 and doing rather well but had stopped to get some info and pictures of the swims on DL4 for his online DreamLake Swim Guides. Matt (the fishery manager) came up for a social on Wednesday night and while there little Matty landed a nice 30.04 common with big Matt providing plenty of encouragement along the lines of "go on son show 'em how it's done!"

Now Thursday turned out to be a very good day (apart from the weather which had turned very nasty), Matty landed a magnificent 41.12 mirror and after a bit of persuading got into the water with it for a picture.

As luck would have it the very next fish on my rods was a 40.08 mirror - typical!... you wait all week for a really good'un and 2 come along at once. Matty, now wanted to see his Dad in the water but I claimed 'old age' and managed to get away without getting wet, apart from the weather!!

Thursday evening Ben decided to pop to the main lodge, Matty offered to 'mind' his rods, with Gemma sitting in the bivvy behind him making sure he didn't come to any harm. Ben hadn't been gone more than a minute, when away went his right hand rod, I arrived just in time to put the net under a very distinctive mirror with a vertical 'stripe ' down one side at 39lbs.

I am sure this is a fish Harry caught last year at 34lbs. Shortly after putting it back Ben returned and couldn't believe it as this fish would have beaten his previous best French fish by 10lbs. Friday, the sun came out again and we dried every thing out, the fish by now were really on the bait and plenty more were landed with Ben finally landing a 30+ with a 34.10 mirror.

The final tally for the week was 77 fish landed (with quite a few being lost, especially by Harry & Ben), Cliff on 37, Matty had 17, Harry 12 & Ben 11. If Ben & Harry had spent a bit more time fishing instead of socialising I am sure it would have been a lot closer 'match'. Anyway the 'good guys' won the match 54 - 23. Hard luck lads, beaten by an 8 year old and his 'old' man.

There were 6 x 40, 15 x 30 and 41 x 20 & 15 doubles.

The majority of these fish were caught on boilie's made by Mark Hopper at Freebies Bait in Hastings. A few caught on popped-up plastic corn (including the 43 grass) and DL Halibut pellets. We didn't quite manage to beat last years tally of 94 fish, but a fantastic weeks fishing by any standards!

I have already booked the lake for 2006.

Cliff Brooks
20th August - 27th August 2005

Top