Novemeber 17th Willow lake Linch Hill

My weekly trip to Linch Hill’s Willow lake was scheduled for 36hrs starting on Wednesday 17th. I arrived on the lake at 10.30am and was greeted by the two swims that I wanted occupied by some carpers who had been fishing on the opposite bank the week before. It had been raining heavily in Bristol all morning and I wanted to set up the bivvi before it started to rain in Oxford shire. One of them had a roach over 2lbs during the previous night so at least they were feeding.
I settled on a swim where I could fish the ledge only 15ft out in 15ft of water. Out went some hemp followed by some maggots both dead and live ones, only a handful of each though. Midday it started to rain and continued for the next 8 hours.
Vince Williams came to see me for 30 mins or so where we caught up on some news and gossip. He had to shelter in my bivvi while we had chat.
Nothing had me out of my bivvi other than the casting out of the feeder on an hourly basis.
I saw nothing roll over the baits during the evening.

Early the next morning (6.15am) I was casting out again ready for that morning feeding spell. Sure enough the roach were rolling and sometimes over my baited area. Other than two small bleeps which could have been liners nothing much happened.
It rained again in the morning several times creating even more mud. It’s not the best place to fish in wet weather it does get ankle deep in mud.
Originally I was going to fish into the evening and then pack up ready for my early start on Chew Valley lake the next day. However I stopped at noon and had a chat with another roach angler who said that most people don’t fish until the new year.
Don’t let people tell you Willow lake gives up it’s prizes easily.