Jerry Hammond’s party - Friday 04/09/2009
by Jerry Hammond

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Fridays party’s week began off the back of a big storm and some quite heavy rain which cleared on the afternoon of the anglers’ arrival. Spirits were high and the lads split into 6 pairs, they were quick to chose swims and were keen to get out onto the lake and get fishing. The nights are beginning to close in so time was short to get the rods out with most of the anglers fishing for a bite at a time over light baiting.

Saturday morning came and Brett from the Channel swim was the 1st off the mark with an impressive common of 44lb falling to Mach 1 fished directly opposite to a dip in the pads at 8:30am, other swims had produced a few runs but no other fish were landed.

That afternoon it was a pleasure to see that the lake was hive of activity with all anglers taking to there boats and spending the afternoon spot hunting and baiting them for the week ahead

Sunday breakfast time came and from the Lodge we could see that Peter from the Boards was well bent into something that was not giving up too easily, we watched on for what must have been 20 minutes and it finally went into the net. A punch into the air and a little dance pointed at it being a good fish but nothing prepared us for what was to come, It was Single Scale and she was big (in fact 6lb bigger than when she was last caught earlier in the year) at a massive 68lb a new lake record, we quickly confirmed this with another set of scales and it was true 68lb on the button and totally immaculate.

Mach1 had again done the business a 20mm bait tipped with a piece of fake corn fished over a small amount of particles and a light scattering of freebies, this was fished to a cut out in the main island of pads out in the middle. The photo’s were taken and she was so well behaved posing like a pro to nearly all the anglers and staff who came to the swim for this special moment in Cavagnac’s history. She swam away quietly with no fuss leaving us all shell shocked, there were hand shakes all round and of coarse a few buckets of water for lucky Peter. The remainder of the day turned out to be very quiet with no further fish being caught.

Monday morning arrived and there were reports of fish being caught from the channel and from chateau. Jon and Brett from the channel had taken 3 fish over night Brett had taken a 29lb common on Mach 1 24mm boilies in the early hours and Jon had a common himself a few hours later of 29lb again also falling to Mach 1 24mm baits. They were doing some photo’s at 8:00am when Jon’s right hand rod which was half way down the far margin towards the boathouse burst into life, a short time later a 31lb mirror visited the mat, it was the first fish this week that had chose a 24mm Banana bait. The boys set out a game plan at the start and were sticking to it which seemed to work well for them.

Steve who was fishing from Chateau had got off the mark after losing a good fish the night before. 2:00am produced a 35lb common for Steve who was fishing to the far corner of the Chateau bay towards the Kingfisher swim. Steve had baited quite heavily 2 days before and was fishing a 20mm Mach 1 snowman. Again Mach 1 doing the business and seems to have been a great addition to our bait range here at Cavagnac. There were more reports of fish being lost in the night from around the lake.

Tuesday. With the sun rising on what has turned out to be a glorious day here at Cavagnac the fish had seemed to have taken the night off with only 3 fish being caught. The Channel swim continued its good form with Jon landing a cracking 44lber falling for a 20mm Banana bottom bait. Brett was not too far behind him also landing a fish in the night, a 28lb common was the result of a good scrap which he had tempted on 24mm Mach 1. Steve got himself into a 40lb mirror from the same spot as his last fish, he stuck to Mach 1 boilies fished over a huge bed of particles. The channel boys were really on form and are top rod at this point in the week and looking hard to beat if they keep on catching.

Wednesday. A cold misty morning arrived and reports of a few fish being caught around the lake, Steve from Chateau had got back on the action landing a 22lber in the night. The Chateau seemed to be making a come back at the Channel. Keith from the field got himself in the action landing a 44.8lb mirror tempted on a Banana snowman fished to the far margin. Pete of the boards had out witted a 34lb common from the same spot he took Single scale and Jamie of the Boards had got amongst the fish landing a 29lb common from the pumps on a double Banana bottom bait. to beat if they keep on catching.

Barry from Trees had got off the mark after a lot of hard work and had been rewarded with a 30lb common which felt like a B2 breakfast “sucker” . Last but not least for Wednesdays report the Channel boys were on a roll, these boys are riding on high they had landed a 34lb common taken on Banana and 38lb common taken on Mach 1, looking unstoppable at this point and most definitely doing themselves proud.

Thursdays report was unfortunately less fruitful than the night before. The Channel produced a stocky of 15lb (they all start small.)

James from the field had got off the mark Landing a 20lb+ mirror on a 15mm Banana popup. Steve went stalking with Dan round the back of the dead tree swim which proved worth while both landing 20lb commons, I wish more would follow suit instead of sitting behind buzzers.

Friday morning was all very quite because no one really fished, the lads had opted to have a few drinks together on Thursday night and suck up the ambient of Chateau Cavagnac sharing stories long into the night and reminiscing about what they all agreed had been a great weeks holiday.

Thanks a lot boys that’s why were here.

All the best from the Chateau crew