Bake Fishing Lakes.
Cross the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall and the first
Trout Lake you will come to is Bake Fishery. A
couple of years ago Bake underwent a major re-
construction and enlargement of its premier trout
lake – Mirage Lake. At the time I went down and
took a look at what was going on.
I was amazed at the concept that owner Tony Lister
had in mind. I remember what he said to me at the
time “lots of nooks and crannies, little islands that
you can fish from will make it much more interesting
than the square sided pond that seems to be the
standard these days!”
Two years on, Mirage has returned to nature,
maturing into a lovely and really interesting trout
fishery. The island idea is one I have never seen on
any other fishery, no matter which way the wind is
blowing, the ability to fish almost 360 degrees around always means that
there are fish within reach somewhere. If the fish are on a downwind shore,
the islands have been
placed so that a
reasonable caster
can get a fly across
the area. It is a
clever concept and
one that works well.
Besides which,
especially mid week,
you can fish on your
own little island,
fishing how you
want, casting in your
own sweet way, in
glorious, silent
solitude. Maybe not
everyone’s cup of
tea…. but I loved it!
These small Westcountry fisheries have a life of their own, they are perhaps a
hundred miles further South and a long way West from the midlands. There is
a different feel to the fishing and the seasons. It is not unusual to fish in
nothing more than a waistcoat and fleece in December and January, it is not
unusual to fish dry black gnat, when we get a few warm winter days when the
fish can be sipping microscopic black flies from the top. Buzzer fishing on
such days can give a superb days sport if you fish a four pound point and
black buzzers in 14’s and 16’s.
But it would be wrong of me to say it was always like that, because it isn’t.
Sunk line and lures are ever present essentials for when the icy raw winds
whistle down off the moor and go through you rather than around.
But today was something different. I arrived early and enjoyed a relaxed pot of
tea with owner Tony Lister, catching up on the seasons happenings, mutual
friends, and his retirement project of making a deliciously distinctive apple
juice from many of the local and frequently disused orchards in South East
Cornwall. His apple juice(not Cider unfortunately!) is stimulating some of the
old, almost forgotten orchards back into production. Try some whilst you are
there and help keep some of these old orchards going.
I had arranged to meet Bob Tetley at the fishery. I first met Bob when we did
our Instructors Certificate together a few years ago. Bob is a retired Pilot who
is now the
resident
instructor at
Bake, fishing
and instructing
there several
days each
week, so he
understands
and knows
better than
most, the
whyfores and
wherefores of
the lakes
fishing.
“You are going
to enjoy this” he said “they are on the beetle!” ….now remember this is seven
weeks before Xmas and the fish were “on the beetle”…. this is a strange
Westcountry phenomena. For the life of me I cannot figure what species of
beetle this is. October through till December, occasionally through to the New
Year, you can catch trout in Cornwall that feel as if they have a handful of
gravel inside them where they have been gorging on these little black beetles.
On a warm day the beetles will be high in the water, when it gets cold they go
down to just off the bottom…. rafts of them… and the fish well…. they love
them!!
This is the time of year when that old Westcountry favourite the Black and
Peacock Spider will take fish after fish. In modern times the foam backed
beetle tied on a size 14 with a peacock herl body with a small black hen
hackle fished right in the surface can give some explosive top of the water
sport.
Bob and I walked up to the lake where we stood and watched for a few
moments and sure enough there was one and then another smooth slurping
take off the top or very close to it. Bob said “there is a bite to the wind, I
expect most of them will
have gone down” so he put
on a floating line whilst I
fished my favourite neutral
density to get my flies down
a foot or so. Side casting to
get under the wind Bob put a
line slightly across and down
the wind to avoid his line
skating across the top, which
would have kept his flies to
high in the water. Within a
minute he was playing his
first fish. Local knowledge
scores again!
One thing to say was that
these Bake fish were fat and
fully finned fish that fought
like the devil. We enjoyed an
exciting mornings fishing,
catching and releasing
probably seven or eight fish
between us. Bake is a
reasonably priced fishery
and it also has a catch and
release ticket, which for
£11’s is a great ticket for
those of us with a freezer
which is already full to
overflowing.
Putting Bob to the question was not difficult because he loves talking about
fish and fishing. To fish Bake the year through he recommends a seven
weight to be able to cope when the wind whistles down the Tamar Valley, but
during the quiet times in the warmer parts of the year, a six weight is a good
all rounder. However, if you can use a five weight to get a reasonable
distance, then a weight forward five line and a three or four pound point will
give maximum enjoyment, allowing small flies to be fished with some finesse.
Consistent flies through the season are buzzers, PTN, Coch y Bondhu, Black
and Peacock Spider and Damsel nymph. Skinny Montana with lime green or
magenta thorax and Gramps Green Arse, which to the uninitiated is a Viva
tied with a peacock herl body, originated by an angler(Gramps) who fished
Siblyback Reservoir with this fly at the very least ten years before the Viva hit
the headlines.
Bake is a great little fishery……. Enjoy.
Bake Fishing Lakes.
Since I wrote this piece Tony Lister has retired and the fishery is now
in the capable hands of Ian Spencer and his son Robert. They are
about to open a new lodge and tackle shop. So will update when I
next visit. Russ.
