Top Tips & Tactics DreamLake 1

There are two 'arms' of water on DreamLake 1 runnng down a spit of land coming around halfway up the lake and the fish like to travel along the margins of this spit as the they naviagte the lake. The spit carries on through the lake underwater in the shape of a gravel bar, which again the fish use as a patrol route.

The DreamLakes fish can move to quiet areas of the lakes, which are always a good place to start looking for fish. In case the of DreamLake 1 if these areas or swims are already occupied then setting-up away from this pressure, but along one of the patrol routes mentioned earlier is a great way of intercepting fish.

A varied approach over your rods is a great way to start: perhaps a couple of rods close the far margin when casting toward the spit and one in close - near the bottom of the shelf. The same applies to the open water swims - one rod on the bar, one at the base of it and the final rod fished in close.

BAIT TIPS

The Balanced Wafters from Mainline have taken the complex by storm since they're release and are a great way of fishing the clean bottom areas. Simply thread one onto a Hair rig and the weight of the hook will balance out the slight buoyancy of the wafter, meaning it is poised for a take! 15mm Balanced Wafters combined with a size 6 hook are perfect!

'Sight' hookbait that grab the attention of the fish can also work very well: bright yellow Essential IB Balanced Wafters are excellent and tipping off bottom baits with a piece of bright plastic corn is another.

It is important on the DreamLakes to keep the free bait going - you are fishing for big, hungry carp. Although this doesn't mean the first thing you should do is 'fill-in' your swim. A steady application of bait to keep it topped-up is a far better method.

Returning to the lake and recasting after meals is one of the top bite times, so it can be a good idea to time your baiting-up just prior to reeling in and going for your breakfast or evening meal - leaving the swim a little time to rest and allow the fish to get on the bait. It's therefore also a good idea to clip-up your rods at this time, ready to recast into the feeding zone after your meal.

'WRAPS' AND THE TWO BANKSTICK TRICK

You will find reference to clipping-up and casting 'wraps' in our Swim Guide section as well as hear this from the bailiffs when on-site. Basically this is a method known commonly as 'The Two Bankstick Trick' which helps you record and set your casting distance to exactly the same range every cast, day or night. The benefits are obviously huge as this means you can spod bait precisely to the location of your rigs and return your fishing rods quickly to the same spot after catching fish. Here's how its done...

STEP-ONE: Once you have found your fishing spot with the marker cast a bare lead to the spot and place the main line under the clip on the reel spool and reel in.

STEP-TWO: Lay your fishing rod on the ground (normally a 12' rod - four-yards) and push a bankstick into the ground at each end.

STEP-THREE: Now wrap your lead, spod/Spomb or marker around one of the banksticks to secure it in place and your ready for the next step.

STEP-FOUR: Open the bail-arm of the reel and wind 'wrap' the main line between the two banksticks until you reach the line clip - couting the wraps as you go.

STEP-FIVE: Record the number of wraps so you can repeat the process at anytime (day or night), line-up with a far bank marker and cast to the same spot everytime.