Begbie among those going Cuckoo at Upwell Townsend Lakes

Anglers fishing the Townsend Lakes open matches have enjoyed some fine sport of late on all of the pools at the complex, but it’s the Cuckoo Canal Pool that often produces the biggest weights, writes Ken Wade.

On Sunday we saw the match men lining up on this pool and the top three anglers all put three-figure weights to the scales.

Leading the way with 123lb 2oz was Colin Begbie. He started the match on the long pole line with pellet before switching to his margin line with maggot from peg 15.

Runner-up was fishery regular Steven Hillman, who drew peg 20 and concentrated on his margin lines with pellet to finish with 105lb 12oz. In third place was Andy Adams. He caught well all day, fishing down the middle with pellet from peg 17, putting 103lb 6oz to the scales.

Take a trip over to Townsend Lakes and I doubt you will be disappointed, if you are not into match fishing then get onto the other lakes at the complex, they are full of fish. Just pop into the shop on arrival at the complex and fishery boss Colin will be more than happy to put you onto the best available pegs.

It will not be long now before the match results start coming in from Buttonhole Fishery. I am told fish have already been seen right around the lake, a sure sign they are more than ready to feed now that the really cold weather looks to have gone.

Sweetcorn is a very reliable bait here, don’t go without a few tins and make sure you have meat with you, too.

Stillwaters right across the area have started to fish really well with pleasure anglers putting some huge weights together.

Tactics have been reasonably simple at the moment, a small method feeder has been very productive to start off the day, fishing small banded pellet with a mix of micro pellet and fine groundbait moulded round the feeder. If, like me, you prefer to fish the pole then start with pellet fished at full depth in the deeper water.

I like to feed 4ml pellet over the top and with the weather staying reasonable mild of late it’s not too long before you could well see fish coming up in the water to intercept the pellets.

That’s the time to switch to a shallow pole rig and it’s also a sign to start feeding the margins. Over the past week I have had lots of reports coming in of anglers catching big weights on red maggot fed on a short line, but don’t forget sweetcorn for your margins – it’s a sure fire winner throughout the year and often picks off the better fish. Double sweetcorn is undoubtedly one of the go-to approaches at stillwaters right across the country.

Float Fish Farm Fishery will be running a Spring/Summer Saturday series of matches culminating in a grand final later in the year which should see a substantial prize pot for the 30 anglers in a two-day final.

The series starts on Saturday, April 1, right through until September 2. For further details call organiser Alan Marshall on 07517 979270.