Meadow Lake, St Ives Fishery
Meadow Lake, St Ives Fishery
This lake is one of the biggest on site at around 50 acres. Because of the reed growth in recent years, it has been very under fished. The margins are well worth fishing, nice clean gravel slopes. There are many carp present, as mentioned in the Fjords section (found on the St Ives website). (the fish can move between Meadow, Big Fjords and Little Fjords) The bigger carp spend most of their time in this lake, and can occasionally be seen patrolling the margins. A few big shows have been witnessed. There are also very large tench to 11+ with a few multiple catches of fish from 8lb upwards, in addition to big BIG bream. The eels are also worth fishing for with fish to 8lb reported..
This suits my way of baiting with a throwing stick, spreading a big bed of bait, keeping them hunting out food in a big area with three rods on the baited area.
How To Approach Meadow
It took me a bit of time to figure out how I was going to tackle such a massive piece of water. After a few nights, I realised I had to completely change my tactics on how I normally fish with running rigs and ronnie rigs. I decided to go back to tactics I used on other big fish waters which are running chods. This suits my way of baiting with a throwing stick, spreading a big bed of bait, keeping them hunting out food in a big area with three rods on the baited area. The running chods meant if weed was present I didn’t have to worry about it and would always be fishing for a bite, also if it was silty, again, I knew I’d be fishing. I also tried to fish the same swim when I could, so the bait was on the spot every week if possible.
Any Baits You Prefer?
I use Mainlines Cell, I make my own cork ball pop-ups which I massively over apply the activator to make them mega attractive to the carp. I also wrap them in tights so again I know that I don’t have to worry how long they are out in the lake or if a bird picks me up – several times I’d get picked up and dropped by a coot only to receive a bite an hour or so later.
I know Mainlines Cell is a bait the venue has seen a bit of over the last few years, so knowing they accept it as a food source I put in as much as I could when I was fishing and after. If I lived closer I would have baited during the time I was away from the water, but that wasn’t an option.
Rig Talk
Rig wise, I used a running chod because this meant no matter what I would be fishing over, I would be presented. Plus, I’m a great believer that a chod is a big-fish rig and has worked for me many times on other waters. I used chod hooks from Ridgemonkey and Fox, finding both have given me great hook holds. Hook link material, again, has been either Fox or Ridgemonkey, I’ve not found either has made any difference, both I have mega confidence in. Leads have been from bartons leads, I have used 2oz when it’s less windy and 3-4oz when there’s more undertow etc.
Mainly because they are big fish, with a big spread of bait with a throwing stick, they come in picking up singles and with this rig it looks just how the free ones look on any type of bottom. Plus I know it’s fishing no matter what.
I’d use running chods still in the colder weather, but after November 1st you can use bait boats, which is handy because a lot of fish do show out long, around 200 + yards so a bait boat does help with being to get on them. Bait wise, I’d introduce a bit of hemp and crushed Cell with being able to use a bait boat.
Top 4 Tips
1.Barrow
2. Distance rods
3. Throwing stick
4. Chod rigs.
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