Molyneux Report to 21st April 2012
The Dawson party, were packed and away fairly sharply in the morning. Helen and I busied ourselves preparing for the next group of anglers. They arrived around 10.45am, once the cup of tea was out of the way we had a good look around the lake.
The party consisted of a group of four mates, Rob, Lewis, Joe and Bill and a young lad Paul who was I believe Bills brother in law.
Bill and Paul set up in the double swim; Joe decided that as they had booked the cabin for the week he would take that swim, leaving Rob and Lewis who chose Social 1 and Stones respectively. Once loaded up with the particle they had pre-ordered they all set off to their chosen stations.
The guys had obviously asked how it had fished the previous week, and when they were told how well it had gone they were very keen to get their rods out. Helen and I were concerned that the previous week’s total of 52 carp were due in no small part to the specific conditions that week, and hoped that the guys were not already hoping for too much.
It seemed our fears were unfounded, as after a quiet Saturday afternoon and evening, Joe in the cabin landed a new pb in the shape of a gorgeous 33lb 10 mirror at 2am. An hour later Lewis, was away and landed a 23lb mirror. At 4.30am Lewis landed another at 31lb 8oz. Rob joined in as dawn broke with a mirror of 27lb 12oz.
A quiet day ensued, with fish showing over the bar behind the main island, and off the small islands where we have a large clay patch. This is without doubt an area the fish feel comfortable in.
After dinner the guys headed back to their swims, full of one of Helen’s  wonderful Roast pork dinners with all the trimmings, and of course the  anticipation of a fish or two.
Bill in the double swim was first off the mark when at 10pm he landed his first of the trip, a 32lb mirror. At 2am exactly the same time as the previous morning Joe in the cabin landed another carp and his second pb of the week with a cracking 34lb 8oz.
Rob then landed two carp within an hour of each other, both mirrors of 23lb, and 30lb 12oz.
The weather was bright and clear with none of the low pressure of the week before, and a chill North Easterly blowing hard across the lake. Not what you would consider ideal conditions.
At midnight on the Monday night, Joe landed his 3rd pb of the week with a beautiful 36lb mirror.
At first light Rob caught a 27lb mirror. Paul landed his first at 7am a 16lb common. Just as the guys were arriving at the kitchen for breakfast Joe shouted from the cabin for some help. He had a large mirror on the bank. It was duly weighed and photographed at 32lb 8oz. He cast this rod back out and within a few minutes, it roared off again. This carp did not give itself up easily, and after a tremendous tussle, Joe slowly inched another Molyneux Monster to the net. My first glimpse of this carp convinced me he had done his pb yet again. The Ruebens confirmed it at 37lb 4oz. Joes 4th pb in less than 3 days angling.
That evening Rob landed two carp within 5 mins of each other. The first at 8.15 was the common landed last week at 42lb 12oz. It looked enormous, and was hoisted up onto the Scales, and we all cheered as the needle passed the 43lb mark. We finally settled for 43lb 4oz.
A new Lake Record Common!
The second fish of the two was almost as impressive a mirror of 36lb 4oz, not a bad brace of fish to have within minutes of each other.
The following morning, three more fish were reported as being caught overnight. Rob had a 33lb mirror at around 1am, Joe had landed two more at 28lb 4oz, and 33lb 4oz
In the early afternoon, Rob had another two good fish almost simultaneously. The first a 35lb 8oz mirror, followed a few minutes later by a 31lb 12oz mirror. A little later, Paul in the double had a 22lb mirror.
At 6pm Rob pulled another thirty over the drawcord, a cracker of 35lb exactly. He followed this up at 11pm with a 25lb 12oz Mirror. A few minutes later, Lewis in Stones landed a 35lb Mirror.
Thursday morning the North Easterly wind had died, and with a Southerly now rippling the lakes surface, it felt a whole lot warmer. The guys trooped around for breakfast and reported two more fish over night.
Rob with his 12th carp of the week so far, a 28lb 4oz mirror. Whilst in the double swim, which to be fair had been relatively quiet, Bill had landed a 39lb mirror on Paul’s rods as he could not wake him when his alarm screamed off during the early hours. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!
The change of wind certainly seemed to liven the Carp up during the day, and the guys caught steadily during the course of the day.
Rob landed mirrors of 37lb 12oz, a 28lb 4oz, and 25lb 4oz. Lewis’s swim perked up as the fish moved down into the channel area following the warm breeze. He landed Mirrors of 31lb 12oz, 29lb 12oz, and 25lb 4oz.
After dinner Lewis added another to his total with a 40lb mirror. Yet another new forty for the lake…….
At 7.30pm Rob landed a 35lb 4oz common, in mint condition, absolutely gorgeous fish.
Paul then landed a 28lb mirror from the double swim. Bill also had another in the late evening a 34lb 12oz mirror.
Joe then chipped in with three overnight, a Grasscarp our first of the year, at a weight of 30lb. and a 17lb 8oz common. And a 27lb 12oz mirror. All he needed was a catfish for the full house.
Rob had also caught two more fish overnight a 30lb and a 27lb 4oz mirror, whilst Lewis had a 29lb 4oz Mirror.
Friday daytime was slow, with fish showing, but seemingly not interested in the bait being offered to them. As time for the evening meal approached, things livened up slightly with Rob landing a 20lb 8oz common.
The last evening of their stay and they were only 8 fish short of the previous weeks total, absolutely mind blowing to think that we could have two weeks on the trot where everything had clicked so right for the anglers.
That evening, there were three fish caught, Lewis had two, a 29lb 4oz mirror, and a 13lb 8oz common. Rob carried on a cracking week with a 36lb 8oz mirror.
Overnight, the boys caught another three fish Rob had a mirror of 26lb, whilst Bill in the double swim finished his week off in style, with a 37lb 4oz mirror and a 14lb common.
Another blinding week for Molyneux, with Five anglers landing fifty fish between them. The amazing thing is their total weight for the week was 1482lb’s which gives an average weight of exactly the same as the week before 29lb 10oz
I must stress that Molyneux is not a runs water, it is normally a lake where a little work has to be put in, and if all goes well some very nice fish are possible. When everything comes together though, it really can be an incredible lake throwing up some wonderful fish.
The guys fell two fish short of the record set the previous week, but I don’t think it really mattered, they had enjoyed some awesome fishing, fantastic scenery and Helen and I doing our best to keep them fed and comfortable.
Once again, I am so sorry that I have no pics yet from this party due to having no laptop at the time. I am hoping they will email them through to me as promised, and I will post as soon as this happens.
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