Wingham Fish-In Catch Reports

[Newt]

Now if the weather will just cooperate.

 

Nice to see so many PB for long-time anglers though. Wingham continues to be a big fish venue and credit to you and your staff Steve.

[lyn]

Firstly, we would like to thank all for making it such a great weekend. Steve, for inviting us, Peggy for 'slaving over a hot stove' and providing us with a fantastic BBQ and Terry, Glynn and Tom for all the hard work getting the swims ready and for transporting our gear to and from our swim. Thank you very much. lyn & Liam

 

I had 2 jacks in the end, the 1st as Steve reported was about 5/6lb, this was dedicated to Gerry Castle (Argyll) as when I went to see a few days before he died one of our conversations was about Wingham. He was so chuffed that Steve let him lure fish there. Then I was going to swop baits and reeled in, decided to leave my bait by the reeds in the hope that a perch may be sat there. I tried to put the line in the clip and it kept pulling out again, so I picked up my rod pulled my line gently and as soon as I felt the tension, struck, and yes another jack, this one about 3lb. Both caught on popped up lob worm.

 

This is the first time I have caught at Wingham so have broken my blank even though it was the perch & tench I was after.

 

I would like to thank the nightingale that kept me awake most of Saturday night

 

Nice to see so many familiar faces and to meet some new AN members.

 

Thanks again to all involved, congrats to Elton, he went back to his swim so quick at lunchtime I didn't get chance to talk to him! Now for the next AN gathering.

 

 

lyn

[Errrm]

Congratulations to everyone who caughts and thanks to Steve, the bailiffs, Richard Capper for lending me some reels and everyone else who gave me advice. I struggled but learnt a lot and finally managed to avoid a blank by loose feeding chopped worms and recasting to try to find some perch and managed to catch a pike of about 1.5lb and a perch of about 1lb.

 

So I caught some fish, meet some people, learnt loads and found out about some club waters in the area I've just moved to so it was a great weekend, thanks Steve!

 

Errrm

[Tony U]

Errm

Well done I told you just as Sue and I left you would catch and you did.

Thanks Steve for another great weekend I enjoy the Wingham experience; whether I catch or not and the joy of being sung to sleep by a Nightingale in the bush behind me is a moment I treasure. In retrospect I wish I has not changed baits to avoid the Eels; I had two and the biggest was a fine fish around three foot long an a girth like mountain bike inner tube, If I carried on with the Lob and maggot approach I might have got something really special.

Sue blanked but enjoyed every minute I think she needs to be more accurate with her casting as she was spraying them all around the place; but she would not let me cast for her and she can only improve, with more practice someday she will probably empty the place.

 

 

Tony

Edited May 18, 2009 by Tony U

[Guest tigger]

I've just got back in from a horrible journey home and before I start sorting out the fishing gear etc I must say a big thank's to Steve Burke and Peggy Burk (although I didn't indulge myself to Peggys barbecue due to me dieting), also thank's to the Bailiffs...Terry, Glyn and Tom for their hard work preparing the lake etc. Unfortunatly the weather was against everyone again this year with strong wind and heavy rain making the fishing quite uncomfortable. I managed to catch a roach, and a small perch which in turn was taken by a pike of approx 6lb that finnished up cutting through my hooklength. I also had a lovely looking pike of around 15lb upwards take a bunch of ledgerd maggots but unfortunatly it also chomped through my hooklength and swam away triumphantly. Last night I was totally plagued by eels and decided to wind in and have a rest till today. This morning I had a cast in for an hour or so but we decided to pack up due to the weather conditions making fishing uncomfortable. I only managed to speak to a few members but it was good to see them and have a chat.

Well done to everyone who caught and better luck next time to those who didn't !

[KAYC]

Just got back and to repeat what everyone else has said a big thank you to Steve, Peggy ,Terry, Glyn,and Tom for their fabulous efforts and generosity in allowing us to share their water for a weekend, After a chat with Steve today I can only begin. to appreciate how much effort and planning they all put in, as for Terry and Glyn I am sure if they were in a paid position they would have thrown a sickie, truly a labor of love. THANKS

Thanks also to Tony / sue for the Bivvie and Den for the feeders.

[jedibond]

Well what can I say, another fantastic trip to the wonderful place that is Wingham. A massive, massive thanks to Steve, Peggy, Glynn, Terry and Tom for all their efforts leading up to and during the weekend.

 

It was great to see every one again, and even though the fishing wasn't fantastic, the craic, the place and the atmosphere more than made up for it.

 

Thanks again to all, here's some pics from my mobile :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[poledark]

Once again a big thanks to all the "staff" ay Wingham

 

I asked Steve for a swim giving acces to one of the deep channels, and he came up trumps:) 85/90 yard chuck out to the deep water, approx 16ft. That airial shot from Google saves an awful lot of plumbing

 

Maggot feeder as per last year and after lunch had the first bite, a perch a pb for wingham, about 1lb 120z. 3 more bite over the next few hours which did not get hooked, I now suspect big roach.......short violent snatches.

 

The wind died away in the evening and we had a beautiful sunset..

 

 

Biteless night so got some sleep.

 

Worked my socks off Sunday, still biteless, so about 10pm I gave in and fished one rod in some shallower water, and had 2 Tench, both about 6lbs (one weighed) At midnight I reeled in and went to bed. I lay there listening to the rain, thinking, "glad I wont have to get out in that"

 

So, I had a plan, stuck to it, and it didn't work..but I only wanted one Bream

 

Thanks for the opportunity Steve.

 

Den

[Steve Walker]

Got home about 8:30 and unloaded the car - I think I can still feel the wind! Hot bath and large scotch next priority. Thanks again to Steve and Peggy and the bailiffs, for their help and hospitality and for letting us share Wingham for a few days; what an achievement that place is, everyone involved should be hugely proud. As Steve said, it was a wee bit windy at the end of the lake Anderoo and I were fishing. "Challenging" would be a good word for it, and I'm really glad I took plenty of warm wind and waterproof clothing.

 

I blanked on the first day, and didn't really take advantage of the calm evening - I was too tired and brought the rods in and got some sleep. In the morning, there was planty of evidence of tench about, but I couldn't get a bite. By the evening of the second day, I was getting a bit desperate. I knew I was in an excellent swim, and felt almost as if I would be letting Steve down if I didn't catch something. Steve had told us at lunchtime that if we weren't catching we should change something. Anderoo was catching at range over gravel in about 6 feet of water. There was some water like that at the far end of the bar running perpendicular to the bank, so I spodded some groundbait out to it in the afternoon. In the evening, Steve came round and pointed out that only two areas in the swim eve produced fish, and both were close in. Hmm... In the end, I put both rods close in, in the channel Steve had indicated as the optimal spot. I was just re-rigging one of them when the rod with fake red maggot on a semi fixed inline blockend feeder went off, resulting in a 7-08 tench, beating my PB by half a pound. That was a relief!

 

Unfortunately, the previous night's evening calm did not return. It was cold and wet, and when an eel snaffled my bait at about 11 I decided I'd had enough and brought the rods in. I set the alarm for half three. When it went off, the wind was whipping the tent about and the rain was hammering on the canvas. I went back to sleep until 6. I fished two rods in the channel again, but nothing seemed to be doing. I was getting single bleeps on the worm rod, with the lobworm taken, and I thought this was probably perch, so I set a waggler up. This resulted in a 2lb perch and another of Cthulu's little helpers. And that was it, final tally one PB tench, one nice perch, two eels. Brilliant weekend, despite the weather and the patchy fishing, and I can't wait for another crack at it.

 

Some photos:

 

[terry t shirt]

Like everyone else i would sincerely like to thank Steve for allowing us to fish his wonderful fishery, Peggy for feeding us hungry rabble and Terry, Glynn and Tom for all there hard work getting it ready and over the weekend.

 

Unlike everyone else i found the weather this year quite comfortable compared to last year and got off to a terrific start with my first fish before the saturday BBQ tench of 8Lb 2 oz

I caught quite steadily over the weekend and got very little sleep allbut 2 fish fell to critically balanced sweetcorn on a method feeder fished at about 30 yds.

Final tally was

9 tench, 3lb 8 ,5lb 12 ,6lb 2 , 7lb 13 , 8lb 2 * 3 , 8lb 8 and 8lb 12

1 eel about 1lb 8

and 1 perch about 5oz

 

guess which fish fell to the lobworm approach

 

Got home about 7.30 straight in the bath and then treating insect bites, wasnt just the fish that ate well

 

But i aint complaing i had a great time and cant wait for my next invite.

 

Thanks again everyone.

Edited May 18, 2009 by terry t shirt