Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

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Tench Dreamer
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Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by Tench Dreamer »

Short afternoon session yesterday with Vole.

A forest surounded pond ( with the hum of the New Epping road behind one side of the lake, 8 ft deep on the side we fished)

Float fishing bread flake over the " Vole Mash" or a single grain of Tescos sweetcorn. A selection of Sea food for those fish that partake, and of course Vole had his trusty Hemp and Tares.


I think Alan had a few Rudd before I got there. But me.........



The float didnt move once :shocked:

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J.T
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by J.T »

Bad luck John, thats just the way it goes sometimes. :(
"piscator non solum piscatur"
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GazTheAngler

Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by GazTheAngler »

John,

Thats the joy of the ponds There are fish there but sometimes they just don't want to know

Two years ago I blanked at Highams Park and Connaught, something that didn't happen much in the 70's and 80's.

If the weather forecast holds i'll be on Baldwins next week.

Gaz

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Vole
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by Vole »

A very attractive water:
Image

But some 200m from the car-park, and it really is worth scouting out the path before lugging your kit down - access is far from obvious! (I did, for once, and the ensuing smugness has helped me survive what followed) It's also right next to a road, so traffic noise is ever-present. Raised next to Staples Corner, it doesn't really worry me, but some dislike it when they seek a spot of P.and Q.

My very first cast, on a grain of wheat, produced a sailaway bite, and I now proudly present my first Wake Valley fish:
Image

That was it for wheat; an even smaller specimen fell to bread, a bit later. And that was it.
A pinch of groundbait dropped intoabout 18" of water at my feet was hammered by fish of about 2-3" long, but no such response to that thrown further out, for bigger fish.

I was then joined/invaded by a party of pond-dipping schoolkids, which didn't help, but their catches - a couple of lesser water-boatmen in the open water, and a few hoglice in the thick leaf-litter layer on the bottom, may have thrown a useful light on subsequent events. They cleared off, and so did the fish. Plumbing revealed much deeper (~8') water just beyond the lily line, but no hint of a bite could I buy.
I'm driven to conclude that the rudd have a collective PhD in Time-to-Skedaddle-ology; and that the bottom of the lake is largely covered in leaf-litter, soured by two years drought and now under-populated by detritivores and going putrid. Nevertheless, I saw a sedge-fly hatch, and that may mean there's a better bottom somewhere. Much plumbing required, I feel, and possibly experiments with zig-rigs and on-the-drop methods.
Also spotted a Grass Snake, but only had my cheapo camera. Bother.

John must be starting to think I'm a complete Jonah!


This sign was up near the car-park:
Image
- so the Corporation is doing its bit to spread the word!
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"Write drunk, edit sober" - Hemingway.
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St.John
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by St.John »

Looks a lovely pool chaps.
"Be patient and calm-for no man can catch fish in anger."

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Mark
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by Mark »

It sure does.
Mark (Administrator)

The most precious places in the English landscape are those secretive corners,
where you find only elder trees, nettles and dreams. (BB - Denys Watkins-Pitchford).

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J.T
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by J.T »

That does look nice indeed. :)
"piscator non solum piscatur"
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GazTheAngler

Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by GazTheAngler »

Vole,

Rumours still abound of some very large carp in Wake.

Gaz

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Vole
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Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by Vole »

Best left as rumours, lest the desperadoes night-fish it and blow it for everyone else... but I heard the same from a local. If I ever see one, I have a cunning plan!
"Write drunk, edit sober" - Hemingway.
Hemingway didn't have to worry about accidentally hitting "submit" before he edited.

GazTheAngler

Re: Wake Valley Pond, Epping Forest

Post by GazTheAngler »

The Corporation of Lodon are pretty hot on the night fishing thing.

I used to night fish Connaught waters and Highams in the late 70's early 80's

They just want to try to keep the poaching down removing the larger carp and banning night fishing is a means to that end.

Those forest ponds are so pretty though.

Gaz

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