Wingham Fish-In Catch Reports 2013

[Errrm]

Neil, I'll e-mail the pics to you shortly. Sorry, but the best one with you beaming hasn't come out well as there's a raindrop on the lens is on the nose of the tench. I should have checked before the fish was returned.

Thanks Steve, I'm sure the pictures are great. I'm just happy someone was around a willing to come over and take some pictures of an special fish for me. I've always had a dream of a double figure tench in the back of my head and had started doing research over the last year to find places where I would have a chance of one but to catch one at Wingham made it even more special :-).

 

Thanks again Steve.

[Andrew Burgess]

I arrived at Budgie house on Wednesday after a nice smooth journey down on the motorway apart from a few little hold up on the M25 at/around Clacket Lane Service Station to M20 motorway with an 50mph speed.

Our original plan was to set up the our bivvy up on the carp lake in Left and Right Orchids Swims on Thursday midday but as always Budgie was unprepare for this fishing trip. He couldn't find his bigger bankstick attachment which was needed for his rollovers. So really spent all afternoon and evening looking for his spare parts. So up in the loft again for the umpteen times of the massive clean up! But after quite a few hours we couldn't find the banksticks attachment. So in the end he decided to use the lightweight bobbins on two of his rods!

So we went to bed quite late in the evening and went to sleep quite quickly but I woke up very early as got motivated to get going to Wingham! But as always Budgie was still in bed and I had to wake him up - he decided to have one last look in the box in the bedroom which was already being checked for the other two bankstick attachment. And guess what he found the other two bankstick attachments!!!

Anyway we left Ashford around 10am on route to Wingham but as always Budgie had to think about food! So ended up at the burger van on the A28 at Chilham.

By the time we got to Wingham we had an good old natter with the Glyn and Terry and as always Sam on the cup of teas!

Well it was late afternoon by the time I got to the left Orchid swim (same as last year) and was really hoping not to be up staged by Budgie again!

So I decided to put up the brand new two man bivvy which I brought when I did the British Carp and Coarse Angling show in Norwich in March. My new bivvy is the Carp Zone Hurricane A.S (All Season) - http://www.carp-zone.co.uk/product/Shelters%20and%20Bivvies/CZ087%20&%20CZ088/Hurricane%20A.S%20%28All%20Season%29%20Two%20Man%20Bivvy%20with%20Overwrap%20Included

The big mistake i did first was not putting down the heavy duty groundsheet first! I set up the mainframe up first and then the groundsheet after! Then everything went wrong when Dave Hayter came down to see us and kept pestering me to sell the bivvy to him! Mind you it was decent of him to give me an hand with overwrap!

So i decided to set the rod pod up but the peg I was in have been taken a lot of wear and tear due to the recent rough weather and could have done quite few more pea shingles to make the peg level but I settled to set up 2 Fox Quattro rod pod with bankstick attachments for the zanavan rollovers! http://www.zandavan.co.uk/ - Yes I am now more of eel fishing specilist!

 

My plan was to fish with two of the rods in the John Sidley rigs - http://www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk/jsrig.html and one rod in the Dyson rig - http://www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk/dysonrig.html to combat if the was any weed growths in the carp lake!

 

So marker float went out first and once I found my spot - it was line clip and reel in but notice there was some reed growths around the marker float - so I knew that the Sidley rigs would be a waste of time doing it but didn't had any more tackle like sunk float with me!

As I am new to this eel fishing I had an 4lb 12oz eel was caught on a maggot rig intended for the carp fishing I was doing last year! I was more under prepared with the tackle because of money and health issues but it still no excuse!

The two sidley rig was hook baited and cast out long range - 36 meters to an shallow gravel area but a gully coming off towards me, the depth was 7ft but dropping of to 13ft. But the Dyson rig was cast into the gully again around 33 meters so I had the option of two in the shallow water and one in deeper water!

 

 

It wasn't until 9.45pm on the friday night that had a run from the right rod (dyson rig) which gave me an eel of 2lb 14oz and was quite happy with that and it soon got around the lake when Dave was texting me about it and still asking for the bivvy price!

 

All went quite for the rest of the night (good job as needed much sleep) but was a few bleeps from the other two rods as well

 

I woke up before 6am and started to work with the Bailiffs with helping the tackle loading and greetings other fellows Wingham members and Anglersnet members! After dropping off various members in the swim it was back to the clubhouse for a well deserved cup of tea and a bacon sarnie from Steve Campbell.

 

It seem time was flying by because we been chatting to other members and bailiffs that it was nearly time for the BBQ, so back to work to pick up various members from various peg around the lake. The BBQ was nice as always.

 

After the BBQ - I went back to the fishing peg and started a massive prebaiting with dead maggots into the margins to see if we can attract the eels at night. I re baited the hook with dendrobaenas and cast out into the pre baited area with the dead maggots!

As through the night as nothing happens - I think because the weather turn chilly and maybe put them off feeding? So really nothing happen at all until 2 am then I went to sleep. I woke up in the morning to see no movements on the rollovers so I reeled in to get some more sleep!

 

Sunday BBQ again was nice as always but Budgie always have an urge for a craving for ice cream! so up to the garage for haagen dazs Ice cream and having it in the right orchid swim in and warm sunshine - pure bliss!

 

Sunday night again turun chilly for an couple of hours and was getting quite a few bleeps from the bite alarms ( and even changed another rod for an another dyson rig) Then the rain came - I not sure the time was but i have run which resulted an eel of 3lb+ and another hour later of another 3lb+ eel but didn't really weigh it or took photos really but it was getting near to dawn when had another run on the dyson rig which produce another eel for me which it look so big and fat that might had an new personal best but unfortunately it didn't (it always hard to tell and rough weigh and size of eels these days ) and that eel weigh at 4lb 3oz - so really happy for another 4 pounder

 

The rain came harder and harder which found me trying to pack the fishing items away as I had to leave after the BBQ because had family problems! As was planning to stay on for another night but it wasn't to be!

 

I am sorry that I cannot show the big eel I had as It was raining that my camera was pack away and again themobile phone camera was in the car! Sorry lads, maybe nextime!

 

I would like to thank you for Peggy for an wonderful BBQ for three days, also thanks to Steve Campbell for making me a couple sarnie on saturday morning! Also to the Wingham Bailiffs Glyn and Terry (Especially Terry who helped me to get bivvy down in the rain yesterday!) Not sure to says Thank you (but will do) to Budgie for not catching many fish this year as now I have reclaiming the Burgess eel miester

 

But the biggest thank you to Steve Burke for allowing me to fish again on the carp lake.

 

Hopefully will see you all again next year.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Andrew Burgess

[J.K]

Thanks to everyone involved in getting the fish-in up and running, the amount of work you lot go to for just for us to come and fish is immense and is very much appreciated.

 

Congratulations to Errmm and his amazing Tench, built like a breeze block and can only imagine the fight. Made me smile when I heard someone shout with joy as I knew something special had been landed

 

Can’t add too much but it’s safe to say me and my dad enjoyed the scenery, fishing and the wildlife.

 

The first night we both manage to land fish, myself a Tench of 6lb 4oz and my Dad had an Eel of 2lb 4oz.

The Tench fell for a hooked crammed with maggots the Eel to a bunch of worms.

 

 

 

Sunday morning saw me awake at 0600 and my first cast with a Lobworm, hoping for a Perch saw a little jack Pike quickly landed.

 

 

All went quiet for a rest of the day but was kept amused by a little Blackbird who kept begging me for some maggots, I just couldn’t say no

 

 

Later on a Mallard decided, while I was taking a little nap, to help himself to my groundbait, the cheek!

 

 

The last evening was quiet; my dad managed to catch another Eel on Worms, a little smaller than the last but saved a blank for both of us

 

Woke up on Monday to find the rain lashing down, decided that we wouldn’t push our luck so packed up early to avoid getting soaked. Thanks Terry for coming to pick us up so early lol, saved us hauling it back on foot.

 

Will finish with this picture of the sun setting over the lake, it was magical to say the least

 

 

[Errrm]

Congratulations to Errmm and his amazing Tench, built like a breeze block and can only imagine the fight. Made me smile when I heard someone shout with joy as I knew something special had been landed

lol thanks, that was actually Steve that let out that shout of joy.... it scared all the fish out of my swim for the rest of the weekend!! ;-) (This is my story and I'm sticking to it ;-))

[Dales]

Great detailed reports Andrew B & JK.

[Maddog]

A big thank you to Steve for once again allowing Jo and I to visit his lovely lakes.

Many thanks to all the bailiffs for their hard work at the fishery and also to Glyn for lifts round with the gear.

Peggy's BBQ was great as always.

 

We arrived at 9.30 on Saturday, by the time we had the tent up, fishing gear set up, fishing spots found, groundbait sorted and spombed out, I had the rods out for about 20 minutes before it was time to go to the BBQ.

 

Saturday and Saturday night passed with just the odd beep on the alarms, I did try float fishing with Lobworm until just after dark for the perch but not touch on this either.

 

Sunday morning, nothing happened up to 10am so I decided to top up the groundbaited area.

 

Around 1.15pm the bite alarm screamed and the hanger hit the rod resulting in a male tench of 5-12

Between 1pm and 7pm I caught 5 tench then at 10pm one more, biggest was 7-11

 

The action stopped there for the night. Monday morning I put out the last few spombs of groundbait in the hope of snaring one or two more. It was just after 1pm again when the alarm sounded and this produced my biggest of the weekend at 8-2 (as shown in the photo), worth getting wet for!

 

Strange that on one of the "poorest" AN Wingham fish-ins for catches, I had my most prolific visit ever!

 

All 7 tench came to the same rod which was an inline maggot feeder with very short hooklength, 3 rubber grubs on the hair and a couple live ones on the hook over the groundbait. A method feeder cast just a few metres to the right with the same hooklength and bait saw no action at all.

 

 

[Steve Burke]

Colin's tench is a very unusual colour for Wingham, most of them being yellow-green now, although there are some older black ones and dark green ones.

 

Colin's comment about getting nothing from a spot just a few metres from a very productive one echoes what regulars and I say about Wingham. This is probably the most important thing to remember about the Wingham Fish-in - except of course you'll have a great time whether or not you catch.

[AddictedToScopex]

Well I am just about recovering from all the driving (600miles in total!!!) and the sleepless nights spent watching a modified polaris float in the hopes of an eel. Had a belter of a time as always and was good to chat to the guys and enjoy the lovely surroundings of Wingham.

 

Fishing wise there was not much to report in the way of target fish. Both myself and my brother were teased with single beeps here and there which kept us hopeful but try as we might we couldnt locate the fish causing the beeps. I had set my mind to eels however the first day and night saw me with two rods out for tench and my brother the same. As I mentioned we had a fair few beeps but nothing solid and sadly no fish on those rods.

 

My first fish came once I began fishing my margin swim in the early evening which had been prebaited with maggots, chopped worm and bloodworm liquid mixed with white crumb. I flicked a popped up lob in under a modified polaris float (fitted a section of old float to allow a large starlight to be fitted for night fishing). Within about 3 seconds of cocking the float it bobbed up then slid under and I struck into what I hoped to be an eel. Said 'eel' then proceeded to shoot off and put a lovely bend in the rod. After a few minutes I managed to play the 'eel' back to the margin and saw it was a lovely looking pike. I landed it and weighed it and it came in at 8lbs. It had wonderful markings and looked very healthy. I didnt get pics as I just wanted to get it back into the water. This was a sign of things to come. I had another jack of 4lbs that same evening. I also had 2 screaming runs that turned out to be a moorhen. Needless to say I wasnt best pleased at that one. I thought my tench dreams had come true til I saw the bugger resurface. At least I know I was on the bar though with my fake corn.

 

The second day and evening I decided to dedicate two rods to the eels and remove my fake corn after the damn moorhen had me sprinting from the bivvy in an exhausted haze thinking I had another belting tench run. I simply couldnt resist leaving one for the tench as I am now getting desperate to catch one after 3 fruitless trips but I decided on an orange popup after speaking to Steve. To my amazement the rod fished over maggots and using lobs as hookbait didnt produce a single eel all night. I couldnt believe it. Last year I had to bring the rods in as I was exhausted after the eels keeping me up! The rod that did produce was the float rod again using lobs. 3 more pike to 4lbs. While I was glad to have at least caught something I was cursing the pike wishing they would bugger off and let me catch some eels. For the record it seems they love a popped up lob over the mix I was using. Although to be fair they like anything there. My brother and I both had follows reeling our rigs in and one even snapped at my lead and broke it off meaning I had to re-rig. Luckily I got it back along with the rig as it was very close in. I also had my feeder attacked. Seemed to be pike central over my neck of the woods.

 

My brother went all guns blazing for the tench and tried absolutely every bait we had and lots of different spots. He absolutely loved his time and wingham and when he came round to pick some of his gear up tonight he said he had spent most of last night thinking about it and thinking about what he would do if he was lucky enough to go back next year. It seems it has bitten yet another angler. His internet is down at the moment but he wanted me to convey his sincere thanks to Steve for allowing him to fish Wingham for the first time and to thank the bailiffs for the effort they all went to. I echo his sentiments and then some. Despite not getting the tench or eels we were after we still had a cracking time.

 

Here was my view upon waking on Sunday morning. Perfect.

 

 

P.s. Congratulations on that tench Ermm. What a beauty that is.

Edited May 21, 2013 by AddictedToScopex

[Steve Burke]

I don't think the fishing has been so tropical anywhere this last week or so, so it was no surprise to see that the fish-in was a bit quiet.

Steve you could skip the BBQ or maybe have at teatime...or would that be unsuitable for Peggy and your wingham crew ?...just a thought.

 

Any more thoughts on this, anyone?

 

When I asked at the BBQ on Monday no one was against the idea of dropping the Saturday BBQ to get more fishing time.

[Steve Burke]

Scanned the reports for perch........None !

 

Couldn't see any in the book when I was there in April.

 

Has anyone had any at Wingham in 2013 ?

 

But well done those who winkled out some tench against the odds.

 

I've not had reports of any perch yet, Dave. It's almost as though we're still in late winter mode when the perch are very localised.