Grafham set to open for extra month

A huge day-ticket reservoir with record-breaking potential is to extend its predator fishing season for the first time ever.

Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire, is popular with predator anglers across the nation as it’s produced massive pike to just under the 40lb mark, perch well over 4lb and is arguably the best stillwater zander venue in the UK with the fishery record standing at 22lb.

The traditional predator fishing season used to finish in late December, but now venue chiefs are offering day-ticket anglers the chance to book 10 boats per-day throughout January.

This not only gives visitors the chance to fish for the resident pike, zander and perch when they are at their optimum weight, but also continues the on-going quest to fully explore the potential of large trout reservoirs for these species.

“Grafham is a very special venue and every year there are not only huge predators caught, but also stories of catches that don’t even get publicised and are even kept secret from myself and the fisheries staff,” said John Marshall, Fisheries manager for Anglian Water.

“We want to give day-ticket anglers the chance to fish for predators for as long as we possibly can because we are well aware of how much potential there is here.
“There’s no complicated procedures to get a place, as all you have to do is call us and book your place or just turn up on the day and take a boat out.”

The headlines in recent weeks have been dominated by huge pike caught from trout reservoirs including Somerset’s Chew Valley reservoir that has already produced two different specimens over 40lb and over 25 fish over the 30lb-mark.

Having fished many of the major UK trout waters, Angling Times columnist Paul Garner is one of many that will be booking their place on Grafham in January 2014.
He said: “I’ll definitaley be there because there is every chance that this vast expanse of water could throw up a real giant. The fact that it’s going to be open in January for the first time just adds to the excitement.”

To enquire about the pike fishing at Grafham Water call the lodge on: 01480 810531 or e-mail: fishing@anglianwater.co.uk