Rickets Tench and Bream??

[David Brett]

I have just joined Ricketts for a few sessions towards the end of season, mainly for tench and bream when we start (if we ever do) to get some better weather, and then hopefully for a spring ticket

Any ideas on which swims best - and close in or distance - as i undetstand it gets weedy in the summer. And best tactics? Seems that most people fish for carp so the tench and bream must be lonely??

ALso any info on depths - seems fairly uniform from what i could see - or just very deep? No signs of any fish life though, high pressure and easterly wind at moment prob the reason.

I have just been down for a look around - deserted and water seems very high, well above the prepared swim edges - but totally rubbish free which is a godsend!

thanks to anyone who answers

Dave

[kensthename]

You'll find Ricketts mere to be mainly a Carp and Pike water. There are some Tench but last summers algal bloom didn't help with locating them. Bream? I'm sure there are some, but never seen one caught. Roach and Perch are also to be found, but few target them. It's getting harder each year over there, but the fish are worth it. I did a 48 from last Thursday, and never saw any signs of fish. the lake was partly frozen on Saturday morning. As you saw the water level is quite high at the moment. If you have the ticket already dont waste it, get over there and have a go, you could be lucky.

[David Brett]

thanks Ken, is it that just no-body fishes for tench and bream or just uses slimmed down carp tackle, hence only pick up a few.

I have lived in Danbury/Chelmsford for years and used to fish the old gravel pit by Hoe Mill, that had huge shoals of good bream, i think just from winter floods as i dont beleive it was ever stocked.

Will give it a go soon, however the weather forecast for this week is cold again, will give it a go for pike first until it warms up.

[kensthename]

I have a go for the Tench in summer, and with traditional tackle. Last summer was very hard, but other years I've had quite a few Tench to just over 6lbs. Not many anglers after the silvers etc. You could be lucky with the Pike, but the weather is turning cold again so it could freeze.

[David Brett]

Although have they stocked small carp recently into ricketts? I am a member of Billericay as well and it seems that small carp when stocked are very agreesive feeders and this seems to be to the detriment of tench which i suppose are bullied out of feeding areas by young carp. This seems to be the pattern on quite a few lakes recently.

Have you tried just red maggots for tench, seems to be the best bait by far unless there are too many silvers?

[kensthename]

No really small Carp as far as I can say. The recent stocking was of fish in the 12lb to 15lb region I believe. The water isn't heavily stocked.

[Scorpion]

Hi David , as ken said not many people target the tench which is a shame as the biggest i know of was a tad over 7 lb and some big fish were seen spawning last year .
I have caught a few on carp baits and when we rake the swims the tench move in so someone targeting them may have a few nice fish . When the water was netted i know a few big bream were moved but i have only seen a small 2lb ish bream caught .
If you plumb about you will find different depths with the deepest water being off the meadow bank .
Good luck

[David Brett]

If you could let me know when you are raking that would be nice!! saw the rake in the bushes, its a bit of a beast.

I take it the meadow bank is the one opposite the car park?? What are the average depths and deepest depths, i.e. is this suitable for float fishing, always my favourite.

Hopefully a 5lb tench and bream this summer, the wierpool might be my best bet for bream, since Paper Mills has been closed for fishing (my best around 6lbs from there) and Hoe Mill seems always to be full of muppets (a friend once had a 7.5lb bream from there), a quiter wierpool may well produce, heres hoping.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. When do spring tickets come out?

[David Brett]

forgot to ask, are you OK for member to rake (smaller rake than yours tho!), as long as this does not disturb anyone else of course.

[kensthename]

Originally Posted by David Brett

forgot to ask, are you OK for member to rake (smaller rake than yours tho!), as long as this does not disturb anyone else of course.

Absolutly!! dont leave home without one in summer. Just make sure you dump the weed away from the waters edge. i.e. so it doesn't get pushed in again, you'll see lots of heaps of the stuff.