Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area - Week Ending 29th January 2023

Here is all this weeks news, information and catch reports from Luton Angling Club. 

There is not much to report due to the time of year the cold weather and our still waters being frozen solid again this week. As the weather has warmed up a bit all our waters are now ice free.

River Ouse Catch Reports
Lewis Gurnham sent in pictures of a nice Chub he had from one of our River Ouse Stretches.

Lewis Gurnham - River Ouse Chub

Lewis Gurnham - River Ouse Chub

Neville Hunt had a 1lb 3oz Chub from the River at Biddenham,

Neville Hunt - Biddenham Chub 1lb 3oz

Beckerings Reservoir
The Reservoir is now completely full with the water up to the bottom of the platforms. Please remember all bivvies have to be located on the platforms and the track must be kept clear around the reservoir.

Beckerings Water Levels - Full

North House Lake

Bailiffs and Committee members Brian Turner and Barry Emery were at North House on Sunday deploying fresh Barley Straw bundles around the lake. If you didn't know, Barley Straw is a cheap and environmentally acceptable way of controlling algae as when it decomposes a chemical is released that inhibits the growth of algae this can help to prevent algal blooms.

North House - Barley Straw

North House - Barley Straw

North House - Putting in the Barley Straw

North House - Putting in Barley Straw

North House - Putting in the Barley Straw

Thats all we have this week, Please do send in your reports if you get out fishing as we do love to receive them - you don't have to catch a monster we want to know about all your catches big or small. Send in pictures, videos, reports of your catches from our waters via the website, our social media pages or direct via Whats App to 07940 229071.

Tight Lines

Dave M

Luton AC

Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area - Week Ending 22nd January 2023

There was no report last week due to a lack of reports coming in which is not unusual for this time of year. This report covers the period from 9th January.

This week's report will also be short and sweet with the recent wet weather meaning rivers have been in flood and this week the very cold weather has resulted in our Stillwater venues becoming frozen over.

The bailiffs have reported that despite having no ice at all on Saturday, Beckerings has now frozen over with only a few small areas around pegs 1-8 just about fishable to a couple of rod lengths. North House and South Lagoon are frozen solid.

Some good news is that the rivers have returned to their normal levels and have a nice steady flow.

Beckerings Reservoir

Water Level Update:- The reservoir is now almost full with less than 6 inches to go.There are a couple of afternoon and all day closures for shoots coming up before the end of January so please check the website events calendar to avoid a wasted journey. 

Neil Cox managed to get out for a day session on Saturday at Beckerings and a cracking winter Common, A repeat capture as he had the same fish in the summer. It was very welcome on a very chilly day - weight in the low double figures, but who cares a proper winter fish, Madbaits doing the job again.

Neil Cox with a nice Winter Common

 Beckerings - Looking rather Chilly

River Ouse Biddenham

Fergal O'Kane fished on Sunday and had jack pike of about 5lb, and a couple of dropped runs.  He saw the unmistakeable blue and orange of a kingfisher darting about and had some friendly Robins trying to get into his bait box. He also saw another angler returning a chub which he estimated at 4lb plus.

South Lagoon Wyboston

Wojciech fished on the South Lagoon and had 4 Pike, The biggest was 18lb.

Wojciech 18lb South Lagoon Pike

Wojciech South Lagoon Pike

Wojciech South Lagoon Pike

Wojciech South Lagoon Pike

That is all we have for this week, Please do send in reports if you do go fishing as all catch reports are very much appreciated. They can be sent in via our social media pages, the club website or via whats app to 07940 229071.

Tight Lines,

Dave M

Luton AC

Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area - Week Ending 8th January 2023

Here is all the latest news, information and catch reports from Luton Angling Club for the week ending 8th January 2023.

Although it has been mild this week the weather has been very wet so we only have a few reports this week. If you do get out fishing please do send in your reports even if you don't bag up. You can send in reports via the website or via our social media pages or via What's App message to 07940 229071.

Beckerings Reservoir
Amer Jawad did a short but sweet 3 hour afternoon session at Beckerings on Thursday. He had 3 nice bream all just shy of 8lb and a 1lb 1oz roach.

During a 48hr session and after a very slow day having lost a fish the night before, Lee Cooke got woken up at 2.30am Tuesday morning with a beauty of a Common weighing in at 24.7lb. It was cold and everything was really frosty and then it lashed it down with rain but he couldn't care less!!! He was very happy with the first fish of 2023!! He said to excuse his dodgy camera work as he had to video and then take a screenshot afterwards get some pics so he could get the fish back in the water quickly

REMINDER:BECKERINGS CLOSED FROM 2PM TO DUSK ON TUESDAY 10th JAN

Members please note that Beckerings will be closed from 2pm on Tuesday 10th Jan for Farm related activities to take place around the Reservoir.

Wednesday Group - Day out at the Globe 4/1/23

Although the group officially is on their winter break until February, a few of the Wednesday Match Group had a day out at The Globe canal section at Leighton Buzzard on Wednesday morning. It was dark when they arrived and the weather was unusually mild for early January with a blustery and gusting wind present. Evidence of the overnight strong wind was present in the car park with twigs and branches all over the car park, along with a very large bough that had fallen but narrowly avoided causing damage to a parked Audi. As usual the banter was friendly and good humoured which just showed how please the guys were to be back out and about.

The canal was a good colour but the water was very cold and so bread punch seemed to be the initial method. This worked well for some, and not at all for others. It certainly worked well for local angler Steve Lathwell from the off. Steve fished a pole at 6 metres catching Bream all day to record exactly 30lbs of Bream.

A terrific catch considering the time of year and conditions. Richard Gibbs fished a feeder with worm hookbait to catch a few Bream and good Perch, while Dudley Frankland fished punch and pinkie on 9 metre pole to catch skimmers, perch and a few roach. Andy Norgate fished a running line using one of Tony Hickmott's home made waggler floats which helped him catch a superb Perch weighing 2lbs 6ozs. The gusting wind made presentation difficult and at times it was hard to see the float because of the low sun. The kingfisher was out again, as was the Muntjac deer seen trotting through the far bank hedgerow, despite the two guys using strimmers and brush cutters on the far bank. There was very little water movement with only four boats during the day.

Overall, it was a great days canal fishing which culminated in a welcome pint in the pub afterwards.

That's all we have for this week.

Tight Lines,

Dave M

Luton AC

Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area - Covering 19/12/22 to 2/1/2023

Here is the latest news and catch report from Luton Angling Club. This edition covers the dates between 19th December and 2nd January due to lack of reports over the last couple of weeks. With the change to the much milder weather anglers have been out over the Christmas period and we have received some nice reports.

With all the recent rain rivers are running very high, with muddy coloured water pushing through very fast and almost over the banks so we haven't had any catch reports.

Beckerings Reservoir
Refilling of the reservoir has been ongoing for some time and water levels in the reservoir are on the way back up. The water levels have risen by around half a metre since 19th December with approx 1.3m until the reservoir is completely full.

Difference in water level - Dec 19th 2022 and Jan 1st 2023

When Neil Cox arrived for a winter carping session there wasn't any fish showing when he arrived had a look around and having spent the last 4 winters blanking while fishing between Xmas and February he was determined to break his run of blanks and went on a gut feeling this paid off, He had one of the recent stockies - Number 11 at 9lb 9oz which has gained a few ounces in weight since it went in at the end of October. He also had a 20lb 14oz mirror and 16lb 13oz common. all the fish were caught on madbaits.

Neil Cox - Stockie 11 9lb 9oz

Neil Cox - Stockie 11 9lb 9oz

Neil Cox - Common 16lb 13oz

Neil Cox -  Mirror 20lb 14oz

Fishing a nice bright winters day Brett Collins had another of the stockies - Number 25 also at 9lb 9oz which is a 1lb increase on its stocking weight.

Brett Collins - Stockie 25 at 9lb 9oz

Just one cast was enough for youngster Dexter Allen, trying out his new medium baitcaster setup resulted in a little scamp of a Pike which was hooked before dad Edward had even taken the bag off his back! unfortunately the next 4 hours of the session were fruitless so they both went home early to dry out.

Dexter Allen with a small Beckerings Pike

Other anglers have reported catching the new stockies along with Roach and Bream on Maggot.

South Lagoon

Sam Vesty caught a 28lb PIke on Christmas Eve.

Sam Vesty - 28lb Pike from South Lagoon

Jordan Cooney had a 15lb 12oz Pike on 30th December just as the light was fading away.

Jordan Cooney - 28lb Pike South Lagoon

Jordan Cooney - 28lb Pike South Lagoon

North House Lake

After a tough winter session with not a lot happening, Jack Beresford had a nice colourful little Pike on a mackerel drifted in the margins.

Jack Beresford - North House Pike

Wednesday Group Christmas Match

After the Penultimate Wednesday Match was cancelled due to the freezing conditions, the Wednesday group were back on the bank again on the 21st for their final match of the year their annual "Christmas Match" the guys fished a shorter match from 10am until 2p before packing up and retiring to the Globe pub for refreshments.

It was still dark as they met at the Globe for the draw, on the shortest day of the year, a slightly warmer but drizzly morning. Weather conditions varied between bright sunshine, overcast and rain showers throughout the match. Despite the recent thaw sheet ice was still present in the canal.

We had a few boats move through during the day, anglers very often being warned of the approach by the crunching and cracking of the ice sheets as the boats approached.

With 21 anglers booked to fish we managed to fit everyone in despite there being several boats moored in the section.

Fishing the ‘Cut’ at this time of year is never easy, and at times, the low bright sun made seeing the floats very difficult for some.

The fish are shoaling up, and the roach seemed reluctant to show with Bream and Perch making up the bulk of the catches.

Most baits were tried, bread punch, pinkie and squatt all accounting for fish, as well as big maggot.

The undoubted ‘Christmas King of the Cut’ was the ever improving Les Burton one of our least experienced anglers, who fished a waggler using big maggot as bait to take a bag of bream for 8lb 11oz. Les has only been fishing just under a year and this was his first win, a great achievement.

Second was Terry Vickers with 6lb 10oz followed by Colin McBeth with 6lb 8 oz.

After this, the weights started to trail away, and several anglers either tipped back and recorded DNW or failed to catch.

Thanks are due to Roger Baker, who didn’t fish this week but came for the buffet and did the weigh-in for us.

Following the match, we retired to the pub where many friends and family joined us for our Christmas festivities, a few drinks, and our traditional present exchange.

All who came had a great day out, and many thanks to Julie and the team at the Globe for allowing us to park and providing the fantastic buffet spread for us. Tony Hickmott who couldn’t attend due to a family bereavement, donated three prizes of his homemade floats as prizes for a raffle prize. Thanks Tony.

Tony Hickmotts Hand Made Floats

The canal at the Globe

The group will now have its winter break, as they don’t fish again until early February when the venue will be Town South.

Because of the growing numbers and the popularity of the group we are having to make some changes and we will no longer be able to welcome non-Luton Club members to fish our events because of the difficulties in fitting in the numbers of pegs and the problems with parking at the venues.

We will, of course, continue to welcome new Club members to fish with us.

Results

1st Les Burton 8lb 11oz

2nd Terry Vickers 6lb 10oz

3rd Colin McBeth 6lb 7oz

4th Chris Howard 3lb 13oz

5th Dennis Hunt 2lb 10oz

6th Dave Whillock 2lb 9oz

7th Myles Tommey 2lb 7oz

8th Keith Ward 1lb 2oz

9th Sean Leatherland 10oz

10th Dave Smith 9oz

11th Dave Abbott 4oz

All others tipped back or DNW