December 2011

 

 

Stonar Lake remained very fishable with plenty of carp coming to the net and a number of bream tipping the scales. Several big eel were also taken including a 3lb fish by Shane Mason and another of 3lb 8oz caught by Alan Burt. Some sizeable carp were caught with float rods including Brian Mills' with a superb 12lb common and a tremendous 22lb 2oz mirror landed by Colin Wimbush. The great fishing at Minster lakes continued from November into early December with John Sturge winning the two hour committee match with 6lb 8oz of skimmer bream. At Fordwich Lake Jim Mayln reeled in a 14lb mirror carp from the north bank on boilies at long range. Steve Simmons landed another mirror of 18lb in a similar manner while Vince Sampson netted pike of 10lb and 12lb from the 'deeps' on dead baits. The River Stour pike were slowly beginning to show with Paul Davies netting another fine brace of 19lb and 12lb fishing upstream of the bridge at Plucks Gutter. Armed with hemp and tares for bait George Howson caught roach all day at Plucks Gutter to finish with 35lb including some super roach to 1lb 4oz while Alan Cain followed suit to net another 30lb of roach from the same area. The colder weather in December produced lots of small pike particularly at Fordwich Lake where anglers with lures faired very well. Experienced carp angler Kevin Harding also landed a superb 19lb common carp from Fordwich Lake using fishmeal boilies accurately cast 100 yards from the north bank. The River Stour at Fordwich was a great venue this season for specimen chub and barbel and Daniel Murray's catch of four chub to 5lb 8oz is up there with the best. Daniel used paste baits and went on to reel in three bream of approximately 5lb a piece in a superb session. Further down the Stour at Pucks Gutter Brian Scholes hooked 35lb of roach that included fish to 1lb 4oz all taken on hemp and tares. At Minster lakes there were good mixed bags of skimmer bream, roach and carp with maggots being the favoured bait. Stonar Lake provided another bumper week with huge catches of carp and silver fish at the end of the month. Bailiff Jock white banked nine bream to 5lb and thirteen carp to double figures. Other notable catches fell to Chris Wiles with a 22lb 2oz common carp and Paul Ralph's four commons to 10lb and most impressively a mirror of 14lb and another of 26lb. Shane Mason was pleased with his 20lb mirror that accompanied a common of 15lb, a 10lb koi and five smaller carp. Other successful anglers at the Sandwich lake included Sean Skelton, Campbell Pearson, Richard Smith, Sam Murphy, Ashley Clay, Ian Ashdown, Steve Cock, Ben Swift, Ian Webb and Roger Gosman who all shared good carp and bream hauls.