Wingham Coarse Lake has just produced a near-record bream of 17-14. What's more the fish won't be 12 years old until next month!

I believe the record is 18-09 (can someone please confirm?), and I'm told bream typically grow for 15 years. It's frightening to think what weight they could top out at!

I stocked 3 year old bream up to approx 1-04 in the Coarse Lake in 1995, and Steve Randles caught our first double at 10-01 on an Angler's Net Fish-In in Sept. 2000.

I've long dreamed of a bream record at Wingham, and have managed the water accordingly. Both Bruno Broughton and Ken Crow thought it probable, but no one expected Wingham to get so close so soon! This fish could break the record by as early as the autumn. That is of course if it gets caught again - with so few members it won't be easy.

It was caught about 11.30 this morning by Jon Weir, who was after carp at the time using a boilie. Jon, who also fishes deliberately for the bream at Wingham, saw the fish roll and chose the swim accordingly. Good opportunistic angling. Well done, Jon!

To put icing on the cake, I've just heard my Carp Lake has produced a 32lb common, a short fish that apparently is different to the 30lb+ common we had last year. What a cracking start to the season!

[ 17. April 2004, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

Hmmmm ... near-record bream of 17 lb 14 oz .. nice! It must be the relatively warmer climes down there in Kent

DG

Wow, thats a serious snotty! Really looking forward to the fish-in now


Looks like the record may now be 18-15,

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/saa/tenlist.htm

What a fantastic achievement, both by the fishery and by Steve. When he took on this project, Steve was determined to succeed in his dream of developing an attractive, well-managed complex of lakes where good angling standards, rapid fish growth and uncrowded surroundings were of the highest priority.

The doggedness with which he has pursued this dream is admirable, especially in view of the financial consequences. Others would have been tempted to increase angling activity in return for greater short-term gain. Not Steve... and he can be justifiably proud that the dream is becoming reality.

The relatively low degree of angling pressure must be one of the reasons for the exceptional growth rate of the fish. Make no mistake - the fish are growing VERY fast, and on natural food to boot. Most species have not yet reached maturity, so there are more headlines to come.

Forgive me if I take some personal satisfaction from the capture of this bream. When Wingham produced its first 10lb bream, at the A.N. fish-in in 2000, I wrote to Steve: "An eight year-old bream at over 10lbs means that Wingham could beat the record in the years to come - possibly by some margin". That quote - and a few others - are still on the Wingham website.

The wait won't be long now!

[ 17. April 2004, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Bruno Broughton ]

Bruno, you must take some of the credit too!

Granted I manage Wingham differently to most other fisheries. However I outlined my plans to Bruno before I started, and his detailed advice has helped me get this far. This has proved really excellent value for money, and I'd recommend every fishery manager engages Bruno in a professional capacity. In fact, it probably won't cost anything in the long run as it'll save you making expensive mistakes!

Steve!

Congratulations! What a fantastic achievement for you and Wingham. But lets hope the bream don't overshadow the tench and carp!

Really looking forward to coming down later in the spring! (I finish my degree at the end of May, so will ring you then to discuss!)

Any chance of piccies on AN?

Speak soon

Fred

nice one steve well done.
fingers crossed for the record!

Congratulations Steve! It just shows what can be achieved in the right hands and the right management. To Jon fill your boots my son!

Excellent news Steve!

If I remember correctly, the scale from the fish I caught showed in its growth rings a marked increase in growth, after its introduction from Honeycroft.

Wingham is so full of natural food as I recall from the midges that feasted on me whilst I was there.. It seems that everything at Wingham eats well!!

Hope you do one day get the record.

I am a bit peed off at the moment.
My club has let a water go where I caught my pb bream of just over ten and eleven pounds within five mins of each other then loas a bigger one!
A 16lb er was caught there las year by a 16 year old, he was well chuffed.