Most days have 20 degrees of sunshine and 10-12 degrees at night, air pressures into the high, so most action seems to be at night this week, with the hotter days, some of the lads have been fishing the ‘zigs’ to great effect during the hotter spells.

Again sticks and bags producing most fish. Accuracy with the marker rod, laying out the lines along the bank for range, has seen improved catches; I’ve noticed pop-ups have been producing a few grassies. A lot of the lads this week had 35mm roll film camera’s so I could not download them onto the laptop, come on guys “get with the latest techno hows yer father.”

Starting this week on lakes 3-4-5 which produced over 30x40s plus a couple of 50’s, and some monster cats.

Dave Hendrie on swim 8 took a total of 28 carp inc. 4x40’s on the Active-8. Scott Carpenter in the swim next door also had 2x40’s in his 12 fish catch, again on the Active-8.

Al Wicksted in 6 had a fair old bag up 6x30’s – 4x40’s and a 54lb common amongst his 20 fish haul on Ester-Marie. Waylon Tiley had the biggest fish of the week from DL3; fishing peg 12, on the Quench, Waylon caught a lunker of 57lbs plus a cat of the same size. The lads on DL4 all caught as ever on Dynamites bait, they all had fish over 30lbs.

Back to the other end of the complex on DL1, Top rod for the week was regular Adey Elsdon, who’s been more times than I can remember, he did himself proud this trip with a catch of 60 carp from the ‘Kingfishers’ a good mixed bag topped by a 50lb+ common, all fell to Ade’s scopex boilies.

Matty Birking, ‘Eastbar’ did well with 33 carp inc. 7x40’s and topped as ever by a superb brace of 50lbers. Garath Roberts in ‘Nelsons’ (the other end of the lake

Scott Murphy ‘Westbar’ 20 carp inc. 5x40’s on the Active-8. John O’Brian ‘Snags’ 30 carp catch with a brace of 40s on Mainline. I noted a few big cats as well all over the 70lb mark on the catch report forms.

Over to DL2 while I’ve still got some ink in my pen! Dev Cousins peg 16 took a tally of 31 carp, inc. 11x30’s a 47lb mirror his best on the DLSpecials Opal boilies. Got to mention Gary Cottom and his two young lads, Adam and Craig aged 14 and 17yrs who really appreciate the Dreamlakes for what we are, they don’t worry about setting the world alight, they just want to enjoy their holiday time together. Using Cell and DLSpecials

Rob Bares took 24 carp from peg 12 on the Maple-8. Brad Williams peg 27 took 22 carp on the Cell with top cat of 60lbs. Mark Unsworth peg 18, a 17 fish haul with a top cat of 72lbs on Crab and Oyster.

Finally thanks to Dean Lamb peg 30 15+ carp including a brace of mid 40lb commons. Dean and his mates who fished the high pegs opposite our lodge on DL2, we enjoyed your company as well mate, thanks for the kind words.

Well more to report next week!

Weather wise, this week has seen sunny days to start of mid week, then overcast and rained Thurs and Friday.

The whole complex fished well, with quality fish from all the lakes, as usual varied methods, bags, sticks spodding chopped boilies all produced.

Some of the big cats have made an appearance. Some of the lads on 3 got a rollicking for driving round the lakes; by all means lads enjoy your holiday, but remember your fellow anglers!

I’ve just come back with the lads catch report form down on lakes 3 – 4 – 5 , so I’ll start with those first. One of the guys, Matt Giles did well for himself 4 x 40’s up to 48lb, then the 1st 60lber of the season, a golden common of 62lb-10ozs, plus 4 big cats as well, between 65lbs and 80lbs, that’s what you get for using that Squid and Pepper bait, maybe it’s a bit too fishy??

Still on 3 Lee Roche in Swim 14 had a total of 27 carp inc. 3 x 40lbers of 41lb, 43lb, 46lb-15ozs and 47lb-12ozs, Lee used just 10kg of Mainline boilies for the session.

Everyone caught, 34 carp the best. Spencer Sands had the catch of 34 carp inc. 12 x 30’s, 3 x 40’s and a couple of 50lb + cats on his Nail Em baits. Paul Parker on DL5 took 17 carp.

Adam Lane 19 carp and Jason Smith took a haul of 25 carp, plus a load of chunky sized cats, just to make sure his really ached, all fell to the Nail Em baits.

John Chiddy and Roli Pentlow also had 100lb + cats, Paul Parker took 17 fish up to 51lb. Common.

Lakes 1 & 2
Fished their nuts off again with all round serious hauling here as well.
I’ll start with D.L.1. Top rod was young 20yr old Tom Ison fishing the ‘Snags’ (which fished well last week) he took a good haul of 53 or more carp, with over 15 x 30’s and 10 x 40’s all fell to his Mainline boilies.

Julian Humphreys in Ladies Lair took 15 carp and 4 monster cats on the A-8. Lee Simms 3 steps had 19 carp up to 50lbs on Scopex. Colin Gorman in West Bar had a catch of 20 fish up to 46lbs. Danny Burns in Herbies Hole his best being a 48lb Common.

Finally Lake 2, I will try to be brief:-
Ben Crowe, Top Rod in Swim 9 took a haul of 53 carp 16 x 30’s and 4 x 40’s. Steve Page Swim 16 was next with a total of 49 fish, all on Maple-8. Bens mate Chris Slater in 10 had 35 carp. Dean Conley in 24 had 30 on Trigger Ice.

Chris Young in 29 had 33 carp on the Mainline Cell, and finally, Gareth Stevens in Swim 7, laid back approach paid of with just 4 fish but 2 of those were over 50lb a 50lb Mirror and a 54lb common.

More next week.

Weather wise we had sunny days but cooler evenings.

The lads did well using the meat grinders for stick mixes and bags doing well, a light scattering of bait with a stick producing quality fish, best to err on the safe side as its only early season.

Lake 1
I’ll start on DL1 where Jon Spooner Sunset-Nutrabaits ended up with the biggest for the week with a tasty 54.10 common.

Gary Neep in the Cherries winkled out a 24 fish catch, Brian Moore Slope-A8 21 fish including 2 x 40’s of 40lb and 47.8 luckiest angler on 1 was Gary Coudrey with a haul of 53 carp including a 51lb common all fell to a blend of Cell and A-8 boilies.

James Millward tells me he regrets not going in the Snags, but still had fish to 41 and 43.8, his two lads Oliver and Harry caught a 47lb.oz again on the A-8, just to show Dad how its done!

Always a winner! On song again this week, I’ll just roll down my list for you:

• Ross Nash Swim 5 – Cell 22 fish inc 2 x 40’s
• Rael Bojko (one of the Guvnors lads) with a 21 fish haul again on the Cell, Swim 10
• Pat Giddings Swim 5 – Park Mix just 10
• Kelvin Feaver Swim 29 20 fish – 51lb-12ozs
• Matt Coombes Swim 29, using his homemade baits, landed a total of 34 fish

• Jason Moore Swim 26 using his homemade as well took 20 carp inc 5 x 40’s up to 48lb
• Mainline devotee Jamie Mann Swim 22 used the Cell to take a 18 fish haul inc a 50lb Common and 50lb-1oz mirror
• Kevin-Le-Mon Swim 7 A-8 landed just 18 carp to help make his week

Lakes 3 – 4 – 5
Fished a bit slower this week still did a 55lb-2oz Common on the Cell, for Dave Simpson in Swim 14 a 52lb Common from Lake 4 for Mark Steward on Mainline bait.

More news next week.

Well the trips have only just started, but the signs are really good for a truly brilliant season… at the time of writing this, the first week has just returned home, and the results are fairly spectacular, even at this stage. DL2, in its opening week, delivered no less than four fifties for Bruce ‘Almighty’ Chant, Oliver Holcombe, Jason Coates and Ian Tunstall, while James Becker took Top Catch with 43 fish to a 46lb 6oz mirror… well, that’s DreamLakes for you and, as you can see below, all the guys had a great time too!

Top Carp
Top Carp for the week went to Bruce ‘Almighty’ Chant with this huge 58lb specimen. Using Wichwood Rogue 3.25lb TC rods and Daiwa Emcast reels with PowerCarp line, Bruce fished at just 60 yards distance from swim 7, DL2. Baiting up with a PVA bag containing crushed Mainline Pineapple boilies, he presented a snowman toffee pop-up on a size 6 curved shank hook… just the job!

With a very impressive haul, Oliver Holcombe topped his 29 fish catch with this beautiful 56lb 10oz common from swim 20 on DL2. Oliver used Daiwa Powermesh 2.75lb TC rods, Shimano 10000 reels spooled up with 15lb Berkley line and presented 2 bait stringers with a single Activ-8 hookbait on a size 4 Korda Wide Gape hook at 90 yards distance… with maximum effect obviously!

It’s always nice to see a group shot when everyone can share in the joy of the spoils. In this case it’s thumbs up all the way for Jason Coates and another DL2 fifty plus mirror weighing in at 50lb 10oz.

Jason clearly made best use of his Armalite tracker rods, Shimano 8000 reels. Daiwa 15lb line, heli rig and size 4 Korda Wide Gape hooks to take this beauty at 60 yards range from swim 12.

Ian Tunstall, certainly looks delighted with his 50lb 8oz mirror taken from swim 25 on the opening week at DL2 this year.

Ian tempted his catch with a 10mm Activ-8 boilie, topped with a piece of fake corn presented on a gravel patch at 60 yards range using Daiwa Infinity rods, Shimano XTB reels, Korda 18lb mainline and a size 8 Armour hook.

As Ian said…“what a monster!”