Wingham Fish-In Catch Report

[medwaygreen]

Steve,

I am sure there must be on this Forum an Aluminium extrusion person that can make up some 90 degree extrusions to cap the front edge of your platforms, screwed down with stainless steel screws they would outlast all of us.

And land the next lake record.

[Dick Dastardly]

I had a couple of snag ups with the net as well despite trying to make sure it didnt happen.Seriously thinking of getting a cut off of drain pipe the length of the platform,cutting it down its length on one side so that it can be just "clipped" over the front of the platform when fishing.

[Steve Burke]

Having checked with Den, his final tally was 18. These were the weights: 9-06, 9-00, 8-13, 8-09, 8-08, 8-08, 8-06, 8-01, 7-11, 7-07, 7-05, 7-04, 7-02, 7-01, 6-08, 5-13, plus males of 6-12 and 5-04.

 

Den worked hard on that peg, a notoriously difficult one. Well done indeed, Den!

Edited May 20, 2008 by Steve Burke

[Steve Burke]

One thing puzzles me about Wingham though, I've never heard a mention of roach being caught there. I know that there are plenty of preds in and Steve mentioned the cormorant invasion, but I would have thought that a few large specimens would have survived.

Have any ever been caught Steve?

 

Only about half a dozen roach have been caught in the last few years, all very small. Every year we have a lot of roach fry, so their parents must be there. Indeed, very big roach have been seen on the odd occasion, but no one targets them.

 

It's the same with the rudd, although to a lesser degree. Last year for the first time for a while small rudd started to appear again in numbers. I've seen a small shoal of monsters but none has ever been caught. Again, no one seriously fishes for them.

 

Every year I say I'm going to target the roach and rudd after dark in winter when I suspect they can feed more safely. However every year I get sidetracked by either the perch, or as last year, by the pike in the Carp Lake.

 

That was partly for fishery management purposes - well, someone has to check on them!

Edited May 20, 2008 by Steve Burke

[tincatinca]

Firstly I would like to thank Steve for giving me the opportunity along with Peggy, Terry, Glyn and everyone else involved for the hard work and organisation involved in putting on such a fantastic event.

It was great to put faces to forum members and listen to the exchanges of banter in the club house with the added bonus of obtaining a signed copy of Angling Vagabond from Dave Park. What an interesting man. Also thanks to Will Wilkinson for some very informative and enlghtning conversations.

Congratulations to Tigger on breaking the lake record and commiserations to Den on losing what would have been a new lake record and the icing on the cake to his tremendous catch.

 

What can you say about Wingham

The word magical is often misused but in the case of Wingham it is understated. I have fished in many

wonderfull places over the years but Wingham is a place which is unique as it combines wild beauty, quality fish and an ongoing challenge. It is a place where just being there gives a sense of satisfaction and catching a fish is a bonus. On the Sunday night there was a full moon which illuminated the lake and it was lovely to just sit outside and contemplate life in general. With regard to the fishing, I cannot recall anywhere where there were so many options in front of me in a relatively small area. Do I fish the bank margins or the gaps between the bars and if so which. In truth you could have put a dozen rods out and still not have covered the possibilities. In terms of margins you are looking at literally miles with the amount of bars that are present in the lake and coupled with prevailing weather conditions then the choices are inumerable. At a later stage during the fish in when I was talking to Dave Park he told a story where he was discussing Wingham with the late Fred J Taylor and asked how he would approach fishing Wingham ands the response was one word which was dizzy. Faced with these choices I decided to take the easier option and concentrate on the bank side margins using corn as hook bait mainly to avoid as far as possible the attentions of Anguilla. The evening and night produced some activity with the bobbins rising and falling but no positive takes. In the morning the hook bait was changed to lobs and at around 7-30 am there was more activity on the bobbins which eventually resulted in a take at about 8am, the culprit being a nice male Tench of about 6lb which went like stink as male Tench normally do.. Unfortunately I could not weigh the fish as despite taking a mountain of kit I had left the scales in the car. In terms of fish action that proved to be the last as it cooled down and the following cool clear night proved to be the kiss of doom. It was a privekage to be able to fish Wingham for the first time and I sincerely hope that it will not be the last.

Once again Many thanks to everyone.

 

 

[Steve Burke]

Steve,

I am sure there must be on this Forum an Aluminium extrusion person that can make up some 90 degree extrusions to cap the front edge of your platforms, screwed down with stainless steel screws they would outlast all of us.

 

There is indeed! Jigotai has just offered. Thanks very much indeed, Andy!

[Jigotai]

There is indeed! Jigotai has just offered. Thanks very much indeed, Andy!

 

You're welcome Steve, not a problem.

 

Andy.

[bingo]

I didn't go but I'm really enjoying all the reports and photos.

 

Well done to Steve Burke too. A very generous offer.

[Andrew Burgess]

Sorry not for replying quickly as I was too tired to come the the computer!

 

Anyway here we go!

 

On friday it was spent most of my time waiting for my mate Andy to come down from Bolton and he turn off at the wrong junction on the M5 and I was to fetch him as he was totally lost. So it was around 3pm by the time we loaded the car up with fishing tackle!

 

I arrived at Budgie House just after 7.30pm and was very tired but couldn't sleep much on the friday night as I am always excited about fishing at Wingham. Anyway as usual I was the first one up at Budgie and I couldn't wait to get over to Wingham.

 

We all arrived at Wingham just after 7.10am and I rush into the clubhouse to see where I be fishing from! Peg 46 near the long island (Thanks Steve ) as it was part of my ambition to fish it one day!

 

Anyway all the tackle went into the Wingham trailer and off we (me and my mate Andy) went and guess what when Glyn stop at the warehouse? Glyn motor stalled! Out came the big hammer and Glyn gave it a big whack to start the engine up!

 

By the time we reached the peg where we was fishing - Glyn had an eye on the metal tin what was in the trailer and went to know what was it! As I open it to show him his mouth drop wide open and couldn't believe it. Nice a tin of Sausage rolls as What my mum always do for me everytime when me and budgie go to Wingham. So Glyn ask if he could have a couple to take around to Elton to take the mickey out of him! ( I wondered if he did do it? )

 

When all my stuff got handed over the fence and when I saw my peg for the first time I was very happy indeed with it - a fishing platform and off course the long island in front of me!

 

 

I wanted to put the bivvy up before if it rain too much and I just made it in time as there nothing good in putting a bivvy up in the rain while getting soaking wet!

 

I spent the afternoon looking for the gully with the depth marker and it was in 9ft of water but i did find it very hard to locate a gravel area which Glyn told me unless I got mistaken for?

 

I was fishing with three rods Wychwood 1.75lb Barbel rods equip with Shimano 8010 reels on three different methods and one of the method which I have never use before was a korda extra small maggot clip on a hair rig with kamasan 50 gram black cap. The 2nd method was hair rig with a single grain of plastic corn and two real sweetcorn and the 3rd method was the worm/dendra rig.

 

As all three hookbait was out that Steve was making his duty calls to see everyone about the their swims that sat down for a few minutes and ask me questions on what I have done so far about the swim I was in. And was told that I could break a big fish here.

 

After Steve went - I went into the bivvy to tidy a few things up and all of sudden all hell break loose on one of my rod.

 

A right screamer on the maggot clip method and I hit the rod and felt a right lump on the end of the hook. On the first glimp of the fish dorsal fin made me think I hook a pike and when saw the green body of the tench. I knew straight away that I was close to beaten the tench personal best. My mate Andy Commons was behind me taking a video shot on me in landing the fish, weighing the fish and release the fish back into the water.

 

When weighing the fish - that my personal best before was 7lb 6oz*

 

 

The final weight was 7lb 13ozs and I was already into a good mood feeling!

 

As the first night was always been difficult for me as I couldn't settle down not until nearly 3am - I was getting quite a bleeps from all three rods as there was fish in the area! Nothing came through that night.

 

It was a lovely day by the time I woke up - re bait the rod and cast out again. Nothing was going through out the daytime so I managed to get a few minutes kip. I woke up to find that Steve pop in while I was asleep (sorry mate) but was talking to my mate.

 

Around nearly sun setting behind the island that my mate Andy landed his first Wingham fish - a tench of 6lb. ( will leave him to tell his own story). From 9pm to 2am in the morning that I had 6 lie bites/screamer as my bait was not in the right area despite have knot the braid line with the magic braid marker but nothing did came as it was a full moon!

 

It was all quiet until I left to unpack my things to help Budgie to pack away his stuff.

 

I would like to say a big thank to Steve Burke in putting me a good peg and the also to Peggy with her ecxcellent cooking on the BBQ which I alway enjoy and also a big thanks to Terry and Glyn the Wingham Bailiff for using their time for carting the tackle to my pegs and the transporting to the BBQ and also help my brother out.

 

* Just notice just now that My personal best tench was 6lb 14oz and god know where I been getting at 7lb 6oz from (as it might be my old age!) so I have increase the personal best by 15ozs and not 7ozs

Edited May 20, 2008 by Andrew Burgess

[Dales]

Looks like some smashing fish were caught and some good times were had.

 

Every year I am amazed at how much effort Steve and the team put in to this event and the warm welcome they extend to Anglers Net members. Top people.