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Juniors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Bridge Lake
Crammed with mirrors and commons to 20lbs-plus, perch to 2lbs 8oz, a large head of tough fighting crucians to 1lb 8oz, some bream and tench to 3lbs and roach and rudd to 1lb 8oz, Bridge Lake is classed as an 'easy' water to fish with summer bags of 200lbs not being unusual. Indeed, in April 2005 two young anglers aged 12 and 13 took over 300lbs between them in one sitting!
Deepest at the end furthest from the entrance where about six feet of water can be found, the lake shallows gradually to about five feet near the island and to four feet just off the right hand bank as you enter the fishery. The island gives a feature to fish to, as in summer does the large bed of lily pads in the centre of the lake.
Offering a total of 19 pegs, Bridge Lake has a few carp to over 20lbs but masses in the 10lbs to 20lbs range and even more up to 10lbs. These, combined with the large head of crucians and a smattering of tench mean there is plenty for anglers who like fishing on the bottom to go for.
Add in the decent number of roach and rudd and a small head of bream and both waggler and pole anglers in search of silver fish should be rewarded with decent catches.
Whilst the fishing is generally good any time of year and any time of day because of the large numbers of fish in the lake, the last couple of hours before sunset can be particularly productive. As one would expect, the deeper water is best in winter whilst in summer it pays to fish the shallower end of the lake and stalk the carp in the margins, by the island and next to the lily pads.
Anglers going after the carp are advised to use hair-rigged luncheon or flavoured meats or pellets hair-rigged to a Size 10 or 12s hook and 8lb to 10lb line. Whilst in summer big baits work well - with some anglers getting only six to eight baits from a tin of meat - in winter it pays to go much smaller, say eighth or quarter inch cubes.
For the smaller carp, tench, bream, and roach, sweetcorn, bread and paste baits all work well whilst sweetcorn is particularly popular for those targeting the crucian carp. Indeed, even in winter, bags of between 40 and 70lbs of fish were taken in matches.
When going for the crucians, anglers are advised to use a 14s or 16s hook to a 2lb or 3lb line and to fish the pegs along the bank opposite the entrance.
Sweetcorn is again a popular bait for the tench, when it should be fished in the margins, whilst smaller cubes of meat can also prove equally effective. Although there are not a large number of bream, these are usually taken by anglers fishing for the crucians.
About a quarter of the fish in Bridge Lake are roach and rudd and these are best tackled by fishing maggots or casters and feeding little but often. Taken on either pole or waggler, it pays to fish light and to vary the depth until you find where the fish are feeding.
As a general rule on Bridge Lake it pays to put out a bed of feeder pellets rather than use groundbait, although packing a method feeder with groundbait can be effective for the carp.
How to get there...
From the M40 travelling north or south, leave the motorway at Junction 11 and take the first exit from the roundabout onto the A361 signed for Daventry. After only a quarter of a mile, take the turning to the right signed for Chacombe and after about a mile-and-a-half as you come into the village take the road to the left signed Wardington. The entrance to Bridge Lake Fishery is signed 200 yards on the right.
Follow the gravel track straight on past the buildings on the left and after about 400 yards you will come to a gate on the left. Go through the gate, up the track and turn right onto the disused railway embankment. Bridge Lake is about 300 yards along here on the left. Park you car on the embankment and walk down to the fishery.
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Bridge Lake Fishery
Approached down a narrow lane off Wardington Road in Chacombe, anglers should drive through the gate at the entrance to the fishery and along the former railway embankment. The pool can be found down to the left after about 400 yards.
With few rules, Bridge Lake is an informal fishery. Anglers are simply asked to fish from the designated pegs to help protect the bankside, use only barbless hooks up to Size 8, not to use floating baits and to dip their landing nets before fishing. In common with most other fisheries these days, keepnets are not allowed.
Another interesting feature of Bridge Lake is the brick and timber office which is constructed in a disused former railway arch immediately next to the lake. Colin plans to revitalise this so that facilities for anglers can be further impoved.