Saturday 22 September 2012

A letter and a rod for Miss Holly Washington

Dear Miss Holly Washington,

I hope you don't mind be posting this on the blog, but it's quite a good story!

Perhaps 18 months ago you came on holiday with your family, and you were lucky enough to have a rather nice home-made first fishing rod. It had started life as a telescopic pen rod, but was later adapted using a section of an older rod to improve it.
Unfortunately a big fish grabbed hold of the end of your line, and wary of being pulled in yourself you wisely decided to surrender you first fishing rod to the deep.

I am happy to report that in a chance discovery we recently fished your rod from the water of Lonsdale!
It was very mucky, and a little worse for wear but after our initial investigations and atttentions we found the reel still works after a fashion.
I hope you don't mind but I felt that I ought to test the rod before announcing it's recovery - it's actually very very nice! My compliments to your personal rod builder!
With a delicate float (one of my own home made creations, using a quill from Lonsdale's mallards) I had tremendous fun catching alot of our Gudgeon and Roach as you can see below:

I hope you don't mind my borrowing it!

Anyway we have it safe and sound, and it's had a bit of a clean and an oil so it's ready waiting for you when you return!

Best fishes!

Emma 
(and all at Lonsdale)

PS We would love to hear from you!



Holly's reply:

Dear Emma

How wonderful that you have found my rod,I am so pleased as My Daddy made me that rod with the help of my Uncle Paul Dodd who was on holiday with us,they finely tuned it
 so that it would stay together, it looks like it worked wonderfully, i am so made up.

your daddy gave me a telescopic rod to replace the one I had lost, it was one that both you and your daddy had used and I won a junior fishing match with it, my daddy also won the adults fishing match on the same day... you have a photo of me on your blog under July 2010 double act and there is a photo of me and my Daddy but i caught my fish with your daddy's rod.

I am still using that rod when i go fishing as i like it so much, i also have a Pink rod and Orange rod but I haven't used them yet.

I am so happy that you had a good day fishing with the rod, and I hope that you have many more really good days fishing with it before i come on my holidays next year and pick it up.

I look forward to seeing you Emma.

all my love and lots of kisses 

Holly xx




Autumn is just around the corner so don't forget:
Come and stay with us for at least 3 nights anytime between the 1st of November 2012 and the 28th of Feburary 2013, and you could catch yourself a free 3 day break!

All you have to do is fish between the hours of 8am to 8pm, and catch anyone of our:
Pike 20lb+
Carp 20lb+
Roach 2lb 4oz+
Perch 3lb+
or Tench 5lb+

The first angler to land our mystery fish - "the Golden Carp" wins a week in the 3 bedroomed lakeside lodge for 2 adults and 2 children, during the main season subject to availability. 
You can find out more about the Lodge at http://www.lonsdalepark.co.uk/lodges.htm
Details of our mystery "Golden Carp" will be given on guests arrival!

We will adjudicate the competition, so all anglers wishing to enter the challenge need do is phone Paul on his mobile once they land the fish and we will attend to verify.

Qualifying anglers will not only have caught a lovely specimen but also a free 3 day break!

(we think this is going to be a widely uptaken and successfully completed challenge so in order to be able to run it for all guests, the won breaks will be organised at our discretion regarding dates etc and are for a maximum of 4 guests.
Won holidays will not include electric where accomodation is metered.)

To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Linda and Andy's Pics





We were glad to hear back from Linda and Andy after their recent stay with us, their highlights included:

Mrs TiggyWinkle the friendly hedgehog
A 1lb Perch
Plenty of lovely Carp
A robin nick named George Clooney (going grey at the front)
And an interesting background in the shot of Linda's night time common - ghostly silhouettes or watermarks on the lens? You decide!


To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk

Friday 14 September 2012

A note from John Preskey

 "I have attached a photo of one of the many landing net roach that I caught, this was about 1 1/2 lb and I must say that even though the weather was a bit unkind, the roach fishing was the best I have ever had and hopefully if I can manage a few days next year the weather may be a little kinder as well.
Best regards

John"

One of John's 1lb 8oz Silvers

Another happy Roach angler! It never get's old being told it's the best in a lifetime!


To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk

Thursday 13 September 2012

60 years to the day

We all have dates that we remember.
Days when we wake up in the morning and the numbers on the calendar recall some life changing event, for better or worse.

For us today is one those days, but what we recall isn't something we did, some event from our lives.
Today marks an event in the history of angling.
Today it is 60 years since Dick Walker caught and landed Clarissa (also called Ravioli by Dick) at 44lb, from Redmire, smashing the record 26lb at the time. 60 years ago he caught the impossible. His record stood for another 30 years.

Dick Walker with Clarrissa

Although most of us never met him, Dick shaped angling and anglers in ways often unknown to the modern piscator.
Not just the lucky and skilled hand on the rod that landed a record fish, Dick invented the Arsley bomb, developed the electronic bite alarm, was a prolific and quality author, and his reknown as a rod maker has some of his split cane Mk IV's changing hands for thousands of pounds even today.
He inspired the inclusion of a scientific approach to fishing, and inspired a generation of specimen anglers.


Dick Walker and Redmire hold a special place in the heart of Lonsdale.
Not only were Dick's acheivements a fan to flame a passion for angling that eventually led to Paul developing his own unique fishery, but years ago we were lucky enough to stock 8 fish, from a secret location, who share the same heritage as Clarissa and her contemporaries. The water haunted by these fish is named in their honour and in tribute - Reedmere.

We could talk and write about this man and this catch, and all the stories surrounding him for a long time.
(Like Dick's gentlemanly insistence that Chris Yates' eventual new record carp be instated and recognised)

Although a dedicated and phenomenal speciemen hunter, Dick served a long apprenticeship fishing from 4 years old with his Gradfather to gain the skills and unearth the knowledge that no one else did.

I believe many modern anglers would benefit from learning a little more about this man, his methods and philosophy.

In a world of commericial waters, all in one Carp kits from Argos, and "Instant Carp Anglers" demanding a 20-30lb fish for their first ever cast, it's not just today we need to remember Dick and his contempories.
We need to share the stories and lessons of such great anglers, to learn from them, tomorrow as well.

Dad as ever emulating Dick, with a lovely Mirror caught on his own stepped up MK IV, coupled to a Crown Royal Jecta centre pin. His weapon of choice for our bigger Carp.


To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk

Wednesday 5 September 2012

The Colonel's Diary



Colonel’s Diary – Stardate 4th September 2012-09-05

Apologies in advance to my one regular reader, but this has to be a short ( well, shortish!!) one as I know Paul is anxious to receive my report on the ‘new bait’.

Another visit to my favourite pool; you know, the one named ‘Willow’, where my nemesis, the leviathan, Walter, resides. This time my intention was to try out two new things. A new bait, in the form of a Chilli Garlic Sausage boilie by Cotswold Bait Creations and my new rod, a ‘Merlin’ by The Edward Barder Rod Company, eleven feet of the most delightful built cane you could ever wish to hold. The bait was from Paul’s shop and in the form of a ‘session bucket’ and amazing value, in my view. The rod, pristine and ‘pre-owned’, was the result of some hard bidding on a well known auction site. Well, I am a pensioner, and never able to afford the £1600 price tag on a new one.

No omens on the journey this time, unless you count being hounded by ‘white van man’ on the final leg, down the windy, unmade track to Lonsdale Park, that is. However, whilst tackling up, I was treated to a fine display of aerobatics by a large, dark buzzard, against a backdrop of fluffy, cotton wool clouds in a watery blue sky. He even did a spot of ‘wind-hovering’, for me. Must have thought he was a Kestrel; first time I’ve seen that flight pattern in a buzzard.

I attached one of the Sausage boilies onto a simple hair rig with running lead stopped 6” up the line with a split shot and heaved the lot, with a small PVA bag, out towards the middle of the pool, where intermittent bubbling was to be seen. I’d made up some bags at home with a mixture of the chilli sausage pellets that came with the session bucket, plus some chilli stick mix and mixed pellets. My reasoning was the fish would have a penchant for the hot ‘n spicy stuff, just like their owner!!!! And, sure enough, within the half hour, Delkim screamed for attention and I lifted Merlin into a pleasing hoop. Result, a two and a half pound Chub. Chub?????? Do they not understand what species boiles are designed to attract ? Nonetheless, a delightful little scrapper, I was glad I’d set up a balanced tackle arrangement, matching 6lb line to my willowy Merlin. A reassuring start, but before I can classify it as ‘an instant bait’, I needed to set my hook in a ‘golden scaley one’.

No sooner said than done. Next to fall to the seductions of Mistress Chilli Garlic was a hard scrapping Ghost Carp, testing Merlin’s metal to a greater degree. I probably bullied him a tad, as he was still tussling in the folds of my net when I raised him into an alien environment, and he indignantly gave me a good spraying of lake water for my trouble. Very promising; the classification of ‘instant’ was on the horizon. But I needed to set my steel into something larger before making it a ‘definite’.

Sure enough, the strike from the next screaming run was altogether something different. You know, that almost ponderous, cement sack but moving, feel on the end of your line. Of course, it didn’t last long. The fish decided it ought to be going in the opposite direction to the one I intended. It turned, quite violently, and the inevitable happened with a single shake of it’s head, aided by the creature’s sheer bulk. ‘Son of Walter’ had just got the better of me, I think.
It’s highly likely the next muncher of a deep red Chilli Garlic Sausage ball bait was probably Walter himself. I know lost fish always grow in the mind’s eye, ‘the one that got away’ and all that, but this latest hooked fish really did have little regard for me or Merlin. If I’d been using line capable of giving him a fair fight, then Merlin would no longer be with me in one piece, of that I am sure. I was well and truly undergunned and, although I had him on for longer than the previous ‘big ‘un’, after a couple of minutes of the Colonel’s softly softly approach he decided enough was enough, and ploughed off towards the reeds. It was then that and we parted company.

I, like most anglers, do not enjoy losing fish, but I’m comfortable in the knowledge the barbless hook and lead will be quickly shed. Even so, I called it a day with Merlin and the golden scaley ones and went back to float fishing for Roach, vowing to bring ‘The Bishop’ and 12lb line with me next time. One thing, though, I reckon this Chilli Garlic Sausage stuff is a bit of a winner………but, keep it to yourself, eh?



To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk

Monday 3 September 2012

Alister Bags Up!

Local angler Alister, who is staying with us for a short break this weekend, has been making the most of our beautiful Lonsdale Roach!

His catch for a few hours in the middle of the day yesterday looked like this:


I'll come back with more on this story once I've caught up with Dad for the details!


As promised here's the story:

Alister is a friend of Dad's who is known as one of the top anglers for the local match circuit.
Unfortunately the weather was absoloutely stunning for us, but Alister found the roach a little shy in the bright (and glorious) sunshine. Despite this, even in just a few hours in the middle of the day, he has been so impressed he's desperate to get another go on a more favourable day! I'm sure Dad will welcome him back soon.
Most of the fish fell to Alister's pole set up, fishing chopped worm on the hook, and feeding maggot and casters. He also switched to use a waggler once the sun got really high to help counteract the conditions by getting a bit further out, and used it to great effect.

I'm certainly looking forwards to seeing Alister again and his bag in better conditions - it seems like this young man has the potential to improve on even our excellent standards! 

In other news I have friends of my own visiting this week so I've been showing them local sites - The Wetheral Priory Gatehouse and Eden Gorge is a lovely 2 mile walk from the site and are truly beautiful, today we tried to catch some flatties from the beach at Allonby (but somewhat missed the tide this morning). They can't believe how lucky we are to live here (and coming from Essex and Kent how cheap everything is!).

They are also enjoying the beginnings of the promised Indian Summer, we've spent the day at the beach and on the Park wandering about in shorts and tee shirts and the predictions say it will continue to October - Hurrah!

We've got some last minute availability for september, so if you fancy a holiday now the kids have gone back to school with some lovely but still very much fish friendly weather, now's your chance!

You can book online or over the phone.
Give us a ring on 07770825896 or 01228 562655 for a quote for a short break or last minute (same or next week) deal!

To return home click: www.lonsdalepark.co.uk