Carp fishing at Southend's Priory Park has improved considerably with bailiff Steve Oz taking two of the lake's biggest fish within 20 minutes of each other.

Steve banked the "big common" at 24lb and "the pig" at 21lb 8oz along with other fish of 16lb 4oz, 13lb 8oz and 11lb.

He then returned to fish the same spot in the margins to take a further five doubles.

15-year-old Danny Sturch also had a battle with the big common which beat his personal best by 6lb.

Dan also landed fish of 17lb 4oz and 13lb while his pal Ben had a 14lb mirror.

Dave Hawkins, a newcomer to carping, took nine fish over three days topped by a 16lb mirror.

Club members Dean Williams and Stuart Kelsey had fish of 12lb and 17lb 8oz respectively.

Ben Patten, who usually fished Hadleigh reservoir, made a rare visit to Priory to bank three carp to 17lb during a four-hour morning session.

Pig out - Priory Park bailiff Steve Oz displays the 21lb 8oz carp known as "The Pig"

Top Junior award up for grabs

The Basildon Junior Angler Of The Year Competition takes place at Gloucester Park on Wednesday August 30th.

This competition is open to all young anglers who are under the age of 16 on the day of the event.

Prizes will be allocated in two age groups, under twelve, and twelve to fifteen-years-old.

The event is free to enter although participants will need to buy a fishing day ticket.

Each participant will need their own tackle and keepnet. Parents should not that this is a junior event, and that the young anglers will be required to do their own fishing.

Meet at the western end of the Gloucester Park lake at 8am for an 8.30am draw. Fishing time will be 9.30am till 2pm. For more information ring 01268 282317.

Park pair break 100 carp barrier

Carp anglers Len Smith and Chris Mason have enjoyed two bumper sessions at Basildon's Gloucester Park Lake landing more than a hundred carp between them over the four days fishing.

Their haul included a 21lb 8oz common for Len, and a new personal best 19lb 8oz common for Chris.

Their first session at the Gloucester Park canal stretch produced the biggest fish for both anglers.

Fishing homemade boilies Len took his twenty pounder and numerous other double figure specimens in his 19 carp haul.

He also banked a cracking grass carp of 10lb. Chris took 14 carp during his first session. His 19lb 8oz common, also taken on homemade boilies, was 2lb heavier than his previous personal best fish.

Two days later the two anglers were back at the lake fishing the same canal stretch swim. This second session was even more hectic than the first with Len landing 57 carp to a best of 15lb. Chris added another 18 carp to a best of 13lb to his haul.

Fifteen-year-old Richard Lloyd enjoyed a bumper two day session at Gloucester Park landing well over fifty carp himself.

His first day was particularly productive rewarding him with 39 carp taken on surface fished breadcrust baits. His best fish scaled 16lb 8oz.

Lake regular Chris Johnson took more than his share of fish on Saturday when he found the carp in feeding mood in the big bay.

Using breadcrust baits he landed over thirty fish to a best of 16lb.

Sixteen-year-old Lee Harris fished the Gloucester Park incoming sluice area to take a personal best 18lb 12oz common carp.

Lee took the fish on hair rigged sweetcorn fished in conjunction with a method feeder. He fished at close range after ground baiting with trout pellets.

Younger anglers have also been busy, with eleven-year-old Ben Dowson taking an 8lb specimen. Ben took the personal best carp from the canal stretch using a quivertip and sweetcorn bait.

The heaviest Gloucester Park pole caught catch of recent weeks fell to lake regular Tom Keeble when he netted an estimated 165lb haul.

Tom fished the eastern end of the island using luncheon meat and trout pellet bait to include carp, tench, bream, roach and crucians in his net.

(Right) Len Smith included this double figure grass carp in a nineteen carp Gloucester Park haul

(Left) Chris Mason shows his new personal best 19lb 8oz Gloucester Park carp.

Get taught with Toomer

The fourth of Mick Toomer's popular Gloucester Park Junior Teach-ins takes place next Wednesday, between 9am and noon.

Everybody, including parents, will be made welcome. Bring your own tackle and bait if you have it.

Those without tackle will be given advice on the best gear to get.

There is no charge during the session, although those fishing on after the session ends will need a day ticket.

Meet at the western end of the lake at 9am.

Darren's big fish bonanza

Lake Meadows continues to produce some excellent carp with Darren Heatley taking four fish over two consecutive sessions.

Darren's first visit saw him take carp of 14lb and 20lb from a swim close to the boathouse hedge.

A couple of days later he was back at the lake to add mirrors of 15lb 10oz and 19lb 4oz to his tally. All four fish fell to homemade boilies.

Vance Roper chose a peg on the Lake Meadows houses bank where he landed a mirror carp of 18lb 7oz. The fish fell to a homemade boilie cast into open water.

Fourteen-year-old Joe Bailey also targeted the Lake Meadows carp to take a superb mirror of 16lb 8oz.

The fish came from the grass bank and fell to a homemade boilie fished over Big Seed Mix groundbait.

Less than two hours later Joe hooked another big carp which fought all the way to the net.

He was in for a surprise when he examined the fish on his unhooking mat. It was the same carp that he had landed earlier in the day!

Doggetts delights on float

Early morning and late evening have been the most productive at Rochford's Doggetts as the hot weather has deterred and daytime feeding.

Float fishermen have been enjoying reasonable catches with tench and good sized bream.

David Thompson enjoyed some quality sport when he float fished caster and red worm. The Westcliff angler fished the south bank towards swan island and claimed six hard fighting tench to 4lb 8oz, three bream plus numerous skimmers and roach.

Michael Pearman, of Rayleigh, found his feeder produced the results he was hoping for when fishing the east bank alongside the large reed bed.

After watching his tackle be destroyed by two large carp Michael continued to land eight good tench to 3lb 8oz plus two decent mirrors of 8lb and 10lb.

Amazingly, the biggest bag of the week fell during the hottest part of the day when Paul Coppleston landed mirrors of 17lb and 20lb, along with a superb common of 21lb.

By Stuart Hillis

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

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