Mike picksout pike at Aquatels

Anglers targeting pike have been finding some decent sport at Basildon's Aquatels lake.

Mike Scutter fished a lure to bank numerous jacks throughout the week, culminating in two cracking fish of 17lb 8oz and 21lb exactly.

Dave Knellor has also been fishing lure tactics, concentrating his efforts in the Essex bay. He took several fish with a best of 10lb 2oz.

Dave also had the pleasant surprise of also landing a perch of 3lb 2oz on a small plug.

The carp have also been a little more interested than of late, possibly down to the change of wind direction.

Russell Bellton braved the cold and took a mirror of 15lb 2oz and lost another big fish during his night session.

Russell was fishing small 15mm starmer bio-multivit bottom baits from the bank.

On the lake itself, over 99 per cent of the litter has now been cleared with a total of 40 bags of rubbish being removed.

Work has now started on the bankside clearance ready for the new year.

Hockley'sright for Vann man

Barking & Dagenham Disabled Angling Association held their Christmas match at Hockley Angling Club's day ticket water with Richard Vann taking the honours with a mixed bag for 11lb 14oz.

Second place went to Bryan Munroe with a 6lb 8oz haul. John Burnham took third with 6lb 2oz.

In fourth spot was Jane Coleman with 5lb 11oz.

All fifteen anglers taking part caught and weighed in with the day being rounded off by a presentation of prizes donated by local businesses.

The following day, Hockley held their Christmas Silver Fish Open.

The match, held over five hours, saw 282lb of fish weighed-in by the 40 anglers taking part.

Despite the weather turning very cold, the carp did not stop feeding which resulted in many carp being caught and landed but, obviously, not being counted in the match.

The field was split into six sections with the winners - who each won pools of £87 - being Jim Redfern 12lb 2oz, Andy Stebbings 9lb 11oz, Tony Cheeseman 9lb 8oz, Richard Martin 9lb 2oz, Frank Thomas 13lb 5oz and Chris Driver 16lb 15oz.

Other notable weights were Jim Bailey 10lb 7oz, Peter Wright 11lb 2oz, Peter Marshall 9lb 4oz (winning him a free club membership for next year), Kevin Williams 10lb 3oz, Paul Nickson 11lb 11oz, Geoff Long 8lb 13oz, Andy Lee 8lb 14oz and Graham Hyde 9lb 5oz.

Jetty Open fixture

Jetty Anglers are staging a bumper Christmas Beach Open on December 27.

There will be a guaranteed £250 up for grabs for first place with £100 and £50 going to second and third places respectively.

Entry is £10 (optional pools) and book-in is at Jetty Anglers shop, in Eastern Esplanade, at 9am.

Fishing times are from 11am until 4pm.

The contest will be all pegged and zoned and competitors should note that crab baits are banned.

To book your spot or for further information, contact Rashad Farham on 01702 611826.

Thorpe Bay AGM

Thorpe Bay Angling Association will be welcoming new members when they hold their AGM on January 9.

The meeting gets underway at 8pm at the TEAC club, on the corner of Chester Avenue and Eastern Esplanade.

TBAA have charter boats booked throught March to December as well as beach competitions both locally and out of town.

All members are insured for third party risks - even when outings are just for pleasure.

Interested sea anglers can contact club secretary Ron Porter on 01702 466116 for further information.

Xmas ace Milesgoes the distance

Stanford matchman Mick Miles romped to victory at the Gloucester Christmas Open weighing in a tremendous 62lb 11oz cockle bank catch.

Mick fished a swim in the middle of the cockle bank where he presented a method feeder tight to the island.

Luncheon meat and maggot baits saw him tempt a total of nine carp for 62lb 11oz. His heaviest fish weighed in at 11lb 11oz.

Second place went to Gloucester Park regular Stan Howard with 42lb

Stan also fished the cockle bank, but used pole tactics.

His catch consisted of 5lb 10oz of bream and chub, plus five carp for a further 36lb 6oz Two of his carp were double figure specimens.

The bear pit swim produced a 16lb third place catch for Dell Smee. Dell fished a pole to take 9lb 9oz of roach, adding two tench, a crucian and a small carp for a further 6lb 7oz.

Geoff Byatt took fourth place with 14lb 13oz from the start of the canal stretch on the southern side of the lake. He fished a waggler to land two crucians and two carp.

Peter Jerrum fished the big bay to take fifth place with 12lb 5oz.

This consisted of a number of tench and a few roach. Roger Naylor arrived late for the match but still took sixth place with 9lb 15oz.

He was followed by Terry Lock with 9lb and Ron Smith with 8lb 9oz.

In addition to the normal pools payout there were numerous prizes of hampers and other Christmas Fayre items. Others anglers to win prizes were Terry Busby 7lb 5oz, Mick Watling 6lb 8oz, Bob Blackburn 6lb 6oz, Roy Green, 6lb 3oz, and Cedric Hammond 5lb 6oz.

The next Gloucester Park Open will take place on Christmas Eve. Meet at the western end of the lake from 7am for a 7.15am draw and walk off. Fishing time will be 8.15am till 2.15pm. Entry will cost £10 all in. This consists of the £4 day ticket, and a £6 cash pool, (100 per cent payout).

Matchmen should note that a separate keepnet is required for silver fish, and that barbel cannot be weighed in. For more information ring Mick Toomer on 01268 282317.

Dave Hemmings will be running a midweek open at Gloucester Park next Wednesday.

Anglers wishing to blow the Christmas cobwebs away should meet at the western end of the lake from 7.00am for a 7.15am walk off. For more information ring Dave on 01268 554329.

There was a tremendous turn out for the Northlands Park Christmas pike match where Kevin Watts stole the glory with a fish of 14lb.

Kevin was fishing the cafe lake when the big fish picked up his float fished lamprey bait.

The pike was just ounces short of machine operator Kevin's personal best, also taken during a pike match at Northlands Park.

The cafe lake also produced the runner up weight when Graham Reed weighed in 11lb 4oz.

This consisted of two small pike of 4lb 14oz and 6lb 6oz.

Third place went to Lee Stacey who fished the road lake to tempt a pike of 7lb 10oz with ledgered lamprey.

Eddie Bingham took fourth place with a fish of 5lb, followed by Terry Rance with 4lb 10oz, and Jane Bennett with a small pike of 1lb 4oz.

Corporate trout joy

Trout came thick and fast when Billericay's Greenoaks fishery played host to some corporate visitors from Hanningfield.

Fly fisherman Peter Lewin, from Ramsden Heath, hauled in six fish, with a best of 7lb 8oz.

Colleague Cliff Williams landed eight fish to 7lb, Terry Regan had seven (5lb 9oz top weight) and Ron Jackson seven (5lb).

Terry's tops for predators

Doggett's carp and pike fishing has produced some good results this week with most anglers landing jack pike from almost anywhere on both live and dead baits.

Best pike of the week fell to Terry Wheatly, of Hockley, fishing the north bank. Terry banked a fine 19lb 4oz predator on ledgered mackerel.

Richard Jenkins landed several jacks in the back pool while friend Martin Timms managed a 12lb fish on float fished herring.

Friends Adam Lineham and Kevin Horn both fished the long arm for two seperate sessions.

Adam enjoyed a hectic 45 minutes landing a fine 15lb common dropping another good fish and then landing a surprise winter tench. Kevin returned to his swim two days later to be rewarded with a 1lb 4oz mirror.

Godwin banks'The Pig'

The return of the cold weather has seen very few anglers at Southend's Priory Park lake.

However, those who have braved the conditions have still managed to bank some decent fish.

Pick of the crop this week was taken by Dave Godwin, skipper of Estuary vessel The Predator.

Dave fished the Priory for the first time to be rewarded with the lake's large carp known as "The Pig" at a new highest weight of 24lb.

Dave cast a boilie-laden hook towards a island snag, taking the big fully-scaled mirror late in the afternoon.

After seeing the carp feed, Priory bailiff Steve Oz landed a 15lb 8oz mirror on a banana pop-up from a marginal spot.

Steve also targeted the pike during his session to land specimens of 16lb 8oz and 13lb. Both fish were taken on deadbaits fished within 20 feet of the west bank.

Eastwood angler Richard Bibby, a newcomer to Priory, broke his previous personal best by 5lb when he banked a superb specimen of 16lb.

By Stuart Hillis

Reporter's e-mail: stuart.hillis@notes.newsquest.co.uk

Hamper haul - The winners at the Gloucester Park Christmas Open show their prizes

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