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Wingham Fish-In Catch Report


Steve Burke

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Please post all your catch reports here. Mods, I'd be grateful if you'd kindly move any other such posts. Cheers.

 

Despite the unseasonably cool weather and NE winds the Coarse Lake has been fishing its head off for some!

 

Few guests started fishing before the lunchtime BBQ. Poor Peggy got soaked preparing this as the gazebo we'd just had delivery of from Tesco had a piece missing meaning that it couldn't be put up!

 

Before then Russ McCully had had a perch of about 1½lbs, whilst Medway Green (Richard Morcombe) had a PB perch of 3-07. Congratulations, Richard!

 

Sharkbyte (Wayne McCully) has got some amazing underwater footage of feeding tench, including his bait being taken - but he missed the bite! More on this later.

 

This afternoon has seen a number of guests get their heads down for some shut-eye and so I've no idea what, if anything, they've caught. This included one angler on the Carp Lake I couldn't get within 20 yards of without ear defenders. It must have been all that sauce he had at the BBQ!

 

Miroku (Steve Blackburn) has been bitten off by 2 pike, including one at the net, whilst Kevin Leggat landed one of about 3lbs.

 

Budgie and Will Wilkinson have both had eels, 2-00 and 3-08 respectively.

 

Turning to tench, Andrew Burgess was tickled pink with a new PB of 7-13. Well done, Andrew!

 

Deputy Head Bailiff Glyn has added a further 4 to his total of 20 prior to the fish-in. These were all females and weighed in at 7-02, 8-07, 8-12 & 9-00.

 

Poledark (Den Darkin) is fishing "Meatballs", the swim renamed after the late Alan Campbell. Alan must be having an influence as he's aleady had 8 tench: a male of 6-12, plus females of 7-05, 7-07, 8-01, 8-08, 8-08, 8-09 and 9-06.

 

On the Carp Lake the only fish have fallen to Comus (Andy Bloomfield), but unfortunately they're not carp. Andy's had a pike of 11-01 & an eel of about 1½lbs.

 

This is by far the best start we've had to a fish-in. Let's hope it continues!

 

BTW, everything is way behind this year, with the perch spawning just a few days ago. The vast majority of the tench contain very little spawn and so are going to be a lot bigger in July, meaning that there's a good chance of at least one double then!

Edited by Steve Burke

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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Steve its all quiet here I have just safely let Leon out and locked the gates after him, he had a Perch of 2lb 10oz just before Sue and I packed up as she was getting cold.

We are about to turn in the caravan and do not envy those bivvied up for the night

 

Tony

Edited by Tony U

Tony

 

After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

 

 

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When I set out from Rainham, the cloud was chucking it down in bucketfuls.

 

The M2 was nothing but spray with not a lot of visibility.

 

But the nearer I got to Wingham, the less rain there was, more like a bit of mist by the time I arrived.

 

I set off for a walk towards the lake, entertained by Wingham's wildlife at every step.

 

Two pairs of hobbies were chasing insects over the tall trees on the right as you go down towards the lake.

 

Had a wander around whilst waiting for the barbecue, and people were already catching.

 

I was glad to see that peg 5 was unallocated as I'd had a couple of nice perch from there last year, the best 3lb 04oz.

 

But a couple of swims down Medway Green was already breaking his Wingham duck and hauled in a 3lb 7oz monster.

 

Grrrr! That was supposed to be my fish!

 

I made my way back to the smell of Peggy's BBQ, wolfed down the food, now eager to get started.

 

(Strange that the rain only really started to pelt down for about an hour when the food was served - poor peggy valiantly cooking to the sound of hissing rain on the coals - but then it seemed to taste even better eaten off a soggy plate with rain dripping down my face!)

 

But plans to get going were put on hold as I ended up enjoying chatting to everyone and stayed longer before finally pulling myself away to get my gear.

 

Set up and with two float rods out, it was about an hour after when the furthest out float slid under.

 

Struck expecting to feel the solid weight of a fish, but I only got my worm back :(

 

Around 6pm I went for a roving session as Tony & Suzie arrived to set up next door, but there was little space this year and I tried the 'bramble' swim downwind for a while. But with no action there I headed back to no 5 (and a chat with people on the way - news had reached me that Den was pulling in tench like mackerel)

 

Some time after, again the furthest out float slid under and this time I was into a big fish.

 

It stripped line off my reel, taking it across Suzie's line and setting her buzzer off.

 

For a while I thought I'd hooked into a carp, but I was more than happy to finally bring in a large stripey, amazed that it was only 2lb 10oz (only! Well this IS Wingham)

 

A really handsome fish.

 

As darkness descended, it became impossible to see the floats, so I changed to a single rod with a bomb, touch legering.

 

It wasn't long before I felt a jagged bite, waited, then another touch, then nothing.

 

Reeled in and found the worm still in good health, so cast out again.

 

A short while later, it happened again.

 

Was the reistance of the set-up too much?

 

I changed to just a small piec of worm, thinking maybe eels were picking up the end without the hook.

 

Again, and again the same thing happened.

 

(I was puzzled that I was feeling the snatching bites through the rod and not where I was gently holding the line).

 

Then in the dim moonlight through the cloud, I saw a bat flit across my rod tip as I felt another jagged 'bite'.

 

Two or three more time it happened, but now I was looking out for bats hitting the line as they swooped over the water's surface, and sure enough each take was as a bat flitted across my swim.

 

(Before the light went swifts and martins were swooping low over the water, and whizzing past my head, I guess that the bats had started the night shift)

 

I wonder how many others were getting such 'bites' around the lake?

 

Anyway, I left very happy, missing the sound of the reed warbler chattering away almost in my ear.

 

Excellent Barbecue, achieved the perch I was after, enjoyed meeting old friends and new people, and the magic of the special place that is Wingham.

 

2500816151_40d5e7f9e4.jpg

 

2501647320_92d93f71fc.jpg

 

2500820143_700a17b1a0.jpg

 

2501643552_e574a0b6be.jpg

Edited by Leon Roskilly

RNLI Shoreline Member

Member of the Angling Trust

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Its amazing the excitement that Wingham produces in us all, this year Steve kindly open the venue from 7am, 9am in the past.

I arrived at 6.30am not having a great distance to travel only to find that i was not the first by a long way. I'm sure that if Steve opened at 3am we would still get there early. :)

 

I arrived at my swim number 6 at 7.15am and started to set up, only to realise that i had left my lob worms in the club house fridge, after the return walk to fetch them i was fishing from 8.30am.

 

I set up two 2.25TC Nash outlaws coupled with Okuma interceptors set up on a pod with alarms, with 10lbs .20mm mono completed with in-line method feeders with a 4 inch hook length of 8lbs .16mm shogun mono and size 6 barbed hooks one with a hair and one without.

 

I fished one rod with three all fruits flavoured sweetcorn on the hair with a lob hooked and top with two red maggots, the other a lob and top with two red maggots. My method mix was liquidised white bread, hemp and sweetcorn.

 

I fished at an angle of 45 degrees to the fishing platform at the entrance to a gully created by a gravel bar no more than four rod lengths out at any time, sometimes within 12 feet of the bank. Later in the day adding a thrid rod which was not productive.

 

I had during the day four positive runs all ending in different ways the first at 10.30am was a positive Take starting with two bleeps and then a strong run i lifted into the fish and had contact for maybe three seconds to then have the line go slack on retrieve the bait was gone, that was on the lob cocktail. The second was a classic two bleeps to warn me a short run and then a long take on lifting into the fish there was strong resistance, when i caught the first sight of the Perch that is when i began to shake, the fight was over within a short space of time with the Perch fighting very hard, but my set up had him at a disadvantage.

 

On weighing him he tips the scales at 3lbs 7ozs and is just a fraction over 19 inches long, he is in great condition and so long and sleek.

 

Wingham3lbs7ozs.jpg

 

After several hours the third opportunity came with a easy hit run that connected to a monster, i had the fish on for at least one and a half minutes and it was a Tench that felt like a huge fish, only to have a hook pull before any sighting.

 

Finally i only have myself to blame, the last classic run with plenty of time to prepare for the strike resulting in me losing my head and lifting into the fish one handed with the bait runner still on this as you all know resulted in a huge birds nest 15mins of resetting and no fish.

 

Although we had rain in the afternoon if the temperature had been a little higher the condition would have not been far of prefect for all day fishing with fish feeding across the whole lake.

 

Now the most important part, my sincere thanks to Steve, Peggy, Terry, Glynn and Tom for the most wonderful time in the most wonderful of venues.

Fishing seems to be my favorite form of loafing.

 

"Even a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work."

 

I know the joy of fishes in the river through my own joy, as I go walking along the same river.

 

What do you think if the float does not dip, try again I think.

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For the 3rd time in 3 years the Fish-In has produced a new lake record tench, and this time it's a double!

 

The fish went 10-04 and was caught in the middle of the night by Tigger. I've seen the pics on the camera and am eagerly looking forward to seeing what the impressive specimen looks like on full screen. Many congratulations indeed, Tigger!

 

Talking of impressive, Den has added to his tally of tench and is now on 13. He's realised he's misreported the weights of his fish due to deducting 11ozs too much for his sling, and had this confirmed by 3 Doors Down (Nic Horne) who was in the next swim. I'll amend my earlier post in a few minutes.

 

The correct weights are a new PB of 9-06, 9-00, 8-09, 8-08, 8-08, 8-01, 7-11, 7-07, 7-05, 7-01, 6-08, 5-13, plus a male of 6-12. He also had 3 eels last night, and rather than re-tackling had a few hours' well-deserved sleep from 3am.

 

Bailiff Glyn has added 2 more tench to his bag with a female of 7-14 this morning and a male of 7-02 this evening.

 

3 Doors Down (Nic Horne) is another with a PB tench, this time one of 7-14. He also lost another this morning.

 

Other tench that I know about are a 7-08 to Will Wilkinson, a 6lb+ male to Tincatinca (Paul Westcott), a 5-04 to Russ McCully, a 5-02 male to Matt Hillman and a 6lber to Andy Commons.

 

The bright light has almost certainly ruined the chances of a big perch during the day, although Tony U (Tony Urwin) had one of about 1¼lbs, plus Dant (Dan Tungate) and Mat Hillman both had small ones.

 

The odd pike was recorded, plus a lot of eels. I won't list all the eels but will mention young Jack White's 4lber, plus Budgie's catch of 8 averaging about 2½lbs. Like Den, Budgie gave up at about 3am!

 

JK (Joel Kempson) and LJK (Len Kempson) - sorry I missed you today. You'd left before I had a chance to sit with you and have a proper chat. Unfortunately I couldn't stop yesterday as each time I got to your swim I'd just had a call for a taxi!

 

The weather has certainly put the mockers on the Carp Lake with just a couple of pike recorded. I bet the lads there wish they were on the Coarse Lake. However more than half the fish caught there this season have been 30lbs+ so don't feel too sorry for them!

 

The fish were just beginning to feed as I left in the fading light. It's been cold and sunny all day long with a force 5 north easterly. Hopefully the reduced light will trigger a major feeding spell. Still more hopefully we'll get a bream tonight; Tincatinca (Paul Westcott) had several big line bites at breakfast so he's perhaps in with the best chance.

Edited by Steve Burke

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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Well done Tigger !

 

It shows how deaf I am, I chatted to Tigger, who told me about his eel, but when he talked about the ten-pound tench I thought he was referring to the one caught the other day (and misweighed).

 

Three deaf old boys in train

Pulls up at station

1st D.O.B "Is this Wembley?"

2nd D.O.B "No, its Thursday"

3rd D.O.B "So am I, lets get off and go for a drink"

Well, at least they finished up in a pub.

 

Sorry I did not show appropriate enthusiasm Tigger.

...and to think that once I could hear bats squeak....

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Well done to everyone who was catching. Sadly for us it was not to be and we could only manage an eel 1lb 11oz and a small perch of around 8oz which both fell to my dad fishing half a lobworm. Still it was great fun and we will be back. With any luck the fish will be in front of us this time :lol:

 

Now we have been once, next time we can go better prepared in the hope of catching a few of those lovely tench.

 

Thank you to all those who made the open day possible and cant wait for to get down there again.

 

Here are a few pictures I managed to take

 

WinghamEelSig2.jpg

 

WinghamEelSig.jpg

 

WinghamSwimDawnSig.jpg

 

WinghamSwimDaySig.jpg

 

Winghamrushessig.jpg

2PhJuly2013sig_zps25c667b8.jpg


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Got back from Wingham early evening yesterday and can't say enough good things about the venue, organisation and whole atmosphere of the place.

 

Jack and I had a great time.

 

I have some thankyous to make:

 

1st and foremost Steve and of course Peggy for organising a faultless event and making sure everybody was happy and taken care of. Also thanks Steve for the loan of several bits and bobs and bivvy organisation. Peggy's bbq comes highly recomended.

 

Will Wilkinson - for loan of the bivvy and setting it up for us, and the lift in the land rover!

 

The Bailifs - for advice on the fishing, general help, putting a can of John Smiths in my hand on arrival, and the transport.

 

Rich Capper and Anderoo - for loans of the bobbins and also good company, and also reminding me how to tie a knotless knot properly!

 

Leon - for watching over Jack whilst I ran around trying to find some matches for the stove before it started raining again.

 

Medway Green (forget proper name, sorry) - for said matches.

 

Plus - everybody for being so welcoming to Jack. He was the only kid there and he had a great time, loved the water and asked already about next year!

 

Great to put names to faces and meet AN people too.

 

The water was extremely clear, and the fishing was tough as expected. Jack caught a nice, well I say nice, I mean slimey and aggressive, eel that I would guess by weight and size (usually a good indication) was a 4lber. It came to 2 bits of corn.

 

Apart from the odd line bite, and Jack and I bumping into the rods through not being used to them at that height, there was only 1 other piece of excitement, which was a pristine 2lb jack pike that decided the (you guessed it) two bits of corn I was reeling in was a superb lure.

 

Fingers crossed we will be back next year and get stuck in to the tench and perch.

 

Again, I can't say enough good things about the fishery or the organisation and our enjoyment of the whole event.

 

Cheers,

 

Simon

 

PS - pics to follow when I remember!

Edited by BoozleBear

www.myspace.com/boozlebear

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Sounds like everyone has a had a wonderful time, wished I had been there, maybe next time who knows, looking forward to seeing some more pictures from the event

Alan

 

I must be doing something right, I'm still alive

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Well been home for a few hours now (Wingham is only 30-40 minutes from my Ashford house) and the two Andy's have headed off up North. Thought I best let you know how I got on-

 

As usual the organisation and preperation for this annual event was spot on.Nice for once to see that more people had taken up Steve and the syndicates generous offer to fish a top specimen water for a weekend. I have found all the AN fish ins to be good events but Wingham has always been special.

 

Good to see familiar faces and some new ones.Bit dissapointed I didnt get the chance to meet and chat to some of the longer members on here that Ive not had the chance to yet but my health prevented me from having a wander.

 

On the subject of my health many thanks to all who kept checking on me and the offers of assistance all well apreciated.

 

It was also nice to be able to meet some of the other syndicate members who allthough not fishing came down to help and meet people from AN.Dont often get the chance to do this as there are very few people on the lake normally and when they are they are to engrossed in fishing.

 

The BBQ was even better than previous years! (and thats saying something) if it carrys on at this rate we will be having to dress for it in future years! It was that filling I didnt feel the need to cook all the time I was there.Big thanks to Peggy especially as on Saturday it rained all the time she was cooking.

 

The tribute to "Meatballs" was also very moving and during the minutes silence it gave us the chance to remember other friends from AN who have passed.

 

Well all very good you say but what did I catch? Erm Ive been trying to avoid this bit! but see if you can guess-

 

After my post bivvy erecting kip I woke f"eel"ing extremely "eel"lated.Despite my kip my "eel"y start meant that I was all set up and ready to go by miday. I had been briefed on the swim by Steve and his crew but r"eel"isticly its a lot of info to take in so after a quick confirmation of the features with my marker rod and a few "dry" casts the length of line on my r"eel"s was marked and banded to ensure accuracy at night. All my marks were baited and the rods cast. Quite "eel"y in the "eel"vening I had my first run on my favoured worm and corn cocktail.As I struck there was only slight resistance untill I put some pressure on...I was totally "eel"ated to feel the familiar wiggle of a Wingham Anguilla Anguilla.As some may remember a species I had had consid"eel"able sucsess with on last years fish in. As most of the Wingham eels it was a good size ("eel"nourmous?) I didnt weigh it but by comparing to previous weighed ones around 2lb-3lb.Ah well things could have been worse it could have d"eel"ved deep under the rod tip and tangled me with one of my other rods.Maybe Iszak was looking down favorabley on me?Shortly after I had another one! just as Sue U popped around.I amazed her by showing how to put one to "sleep" not that it stayed so whilst being unhooked! got to work on that bit! I have r"eel"y got these wrigglers sorted now! When it comes to snigs I am the r"eel" d"eel"by 3 in the morning I had taken 8 all in the same size range and even for me enough was enough! Off came the worms,in come the maggot feeder and it was straight corn on all rods!

 

I had reported my catchs to my family back home and even they started to take the pi$$! One of my daughters text me "Hope you are having a good time and not feeling to "eel"! No loyalty teen age girls you know!

 

So come night two I was taking no chances and it was corn only on the hook and no dead maggots put out I wanted to catch proper shaped fish and not these "eel"ongated monsters! But as the moon came up behind me and I saw it was a full one I knew that r"eel"isticly a record bream and huge tench would have to wait till another time. Not a single movement of the bobbins, not even a visit from my slimy friends but I know that isnt the last time mine and Anguilla Anguilla's paths will cross on this years bream campaign, that old Vera Lynn song is in the back of my mind "Eel meet again......................"

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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