THE HISTORIC FUTURE
24th May 2022
Alex Macdonald encounters one of the up-and-coming fish from Yateley’s North Lake, Baby Arfur at over 37lb!
The Yateley complex of lakes will forever be etched into carp angling history, with the old stock dwindled to the final few survivors, it’s now up to the new breed to take on the legacy of the old generation. Many people often forget that the North Lake at Yateley was one of the most popular in the early days, being home to the famous Bazil. Since then, it has undergone significant reinnervation and turned a corner several years ago when it held some seriously big commons to over fifty pounds. Unfortunately, these fish perished and left the lake feeling a touch empty and in need of a spark. Fast forward to present day and it seems like the North Lake is getting itself back on track with some mirrors this time making their presence known. Alex Macdonald was one angler who found himself holding one of the lake’s jewels recently and it certainly seems like things are on the up at the historic venue.
Over the rods, I managed to Spomb out four loads of tigernuts and mixed Manilla and Krill boilies relatively accurately.
Alex told Sticky:
“Being pressed for time during a routine overnighter, I wanted to consciously avoid the obvious hard gravel areas and target some softer ground. A quick scoot through the memory bank and I recalled a lovely area I had found a couple of years ago in the winter, so I decided to plot up with this in mind.
“With luck on my side, the spot was somehow clean, free of weed with just a thin layer of silt. It was perfect, but just for a bit of peace of mind, I decided to fish 16mm Krill pop-ups over the area on a Combi Hinge rig, just to be on the safe side. Over the rods, I managed to Spomb out four loads of tigernuts and mixed Manilla and Krill boilies relatively accurately. With the fish being a bit cagey, I decided this was enough to entice a bite, without causing the fish to spook and so left it at that. I often go lightly with bait on overnighters, as the limited timeframe definitely benefits from the less is more approach.
“My choice was proven to be correct, as four hours after getting the rods out the bobbin hit the blank with a crack and held tight. After a mildly protracted fight, one of the lake’s named residents found its way to my net. It was Baby Arfur at 37lb 12oz, a pleasing result and a nice change to get a daytime picture.”
