Angling: Round-up

County Groundbait proprietor Terry fished the tench point corner of the little bay taking a number of superb roach before the 14lb 14oz carp picked up his bait. The big fish stretched Terry's elastic to the limit, severely testing his light chopped worm roach rig.

Neither Terry nor the competitors around him expected to see the fish landed, but eventually Terry had it under control and into his net.

Second place went to lake regular Stan Howard with a 20lb 1oz haul taken from the big bay. Stan fished a quivertip to take his mainly tench catch on red maggot.

Third place went to Richard Martin with 13lb 11oz. Richard pole fished at the eastern end of the big bay to include a carp of 7lb 3oz amongst a number of quality roach.

Geoff Byatt took fourth place with three small carp for 13lb 1oz. Geoff fished the canal stretch using a waggler and luncheon meat bait. Fifth place went to Frank Thomas with a 12lb 4oz mixed bag taken from the big bay.

He was followed by Martin Collier who included a 3lb plus tench amongst his 12lb 1oz haul of tench and roach.

Steve Marchant fished a pole and caster to take seventh place with 12lb. This included the best specimen of the match, a super bream of 7lb 10oz. Steve fished the big bay tempting the fish with caster presented on pole tactics.

The next Gloucester Park Open will take place on Sunday. The book in for the match will take place from 7.30am at the western end of the flake for an 8am walk off.

Entry will cost £6 (100 per cent payout), with the day ticket payable on the bank. For more information ring Mick Toomer on 01268 282317.

Terry Lock shows the 14lb 14oz pole-caught carp which helped him to victory at the Gloucester Park Open

(Right) What a beauty - Steve Marchant displays his magnificent 7lb 10oz Gloucester Park bream Rob Hones visited Northlands Park with his brother-in-law Les Attfield to try pike fishing for the first time, and landed a superb 13lb specimen.

Not having any suitable tackle Rob used his beachcaster, but this did not deter the big pike which picked up his float-fished sardine from the cafe lake.

Rob landed the fish without too many problems, but was not over impressed with the fish's mouthful of sharp teeth. When it came to taking the photograph Les had to hold the fish whilst Rob looked over his shoulder!

Wickford angler Terry Rance made sure of a win at Sunday's Northlands Park pike match landing a fine fish of 14lb. The pike came from the cafe lake and fell to a sprat bait.

Barry Kipling took his third successive second place in the Northlands Park pike matches weighing in a fish of 7lb 7oz from the cafe lake.

Third placed angler Roy Turner fished the road lake where he tempted a pike of 7lb 2oz on a section of lamprey.

The next Northlands Park pike match will take place on Sunday week. Meet at the Northlands Park cafe from 7.30am for an 8am walk off. Entry will cost £5 with the usual day ticket payable on the bank.

"I caught it but I don't want to hold it!" Rob Hones, left, looks on whilst Les Attfield displays Rob's Northlands Park 13lb pike Rainbow reward - Eastwood angler Kevin Woolard had the perfect birthday present when fishing Home lake at Chigborough trout fisheries. Using his homemade fly, Kevin took this terrific 10lb 5oz rainbow to notch up a new personal best fish.

The Essex Angling Consultative Association are holding a delegate committee meeting at the Marconi Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford, on Friday, January 29, beginning at 8pm.

The meeting will include a presentation by the Institute of Fisheries Management on fish health and ageing, followed by an open discussion on fisheries management.

Member angling clubs, bailiffs and retail tackle dealers are all welcome. Refreshments will be available throughout the evening.

Further delegate committee meetings, to include visiting speakers and presentations, are scheduled for April 23 and October 8.

For further information contact Mr AD Green at 498 Linnet Drive, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8AN. Anglers adopting correct winter tactics are finding sport quite hectic at Doggetts, Rochford.

Both pole anglers and those preferring the feeder method are landing some excellent mixed bags of tench roach and bream. Light line small hooks and single pinkie hook baits are the secret in conjunction with very little loose feed.

Basildon angler Carl Tuffin fished the pole on the short arm to the back pool with a 1.8lb hook length, size 22 hooks and a single red pinkie. His final bag consisted of six tench to 3.8lb plus a bream of 4lb.

Carl was unlucky not to weigh in with more as his catch could have been doubled if he had landed all the fish he hooked.

Specimen anglers have enjoyed moderate success with pike angler Miles Timms, of Leigh, landing a tough fighting 15lb fish from the long arm on Joey mackerel.

Canvey's David Wells landed his best ever pike when his fish broke the 20lb barrier by 2.8lb.

Carp anglers have had a poor week in comparison with the best brace of mirrors going to Bob Gibson, of Leigh, who landed 13lb and 17lb fish from the south bank. A haul of five flounders, totalling 2lb 13oz, gave Canvey's Ian Smith a narrow victory amid force nine gales in the latest Southend Amateur Angling Club competition.

Smith pipped Thurrock's Peter Lewis, whose five flounders weighed 2lb 12.5oz, and the four flounders totalling 21lbs 8oz caught by Southend club member Rolo Rollings.

Meanwhile, in a section one field of 53, Lawrence Hooper triumphed with a 1lb 10oz catch, ahead of John Fallon's 1lb 5oz haul and Mark Terri's 1lb 3oz net.

Smith won section two and the heaviest bag award, while Russell Clark clinched victory in the heaviest flat fish category with a 1lb 1oz flounder.

Lewis Clark was the junior winner, courtesy of a flounder weighing 11oz.

The two-man team award, in an event staged on the leisure centre side of Southend pier, went to Lewis and Terri, with a combined haul of 3lb 16oz. ESSEX ANGLING CENTRE SEA ROUND-UP

Contact Peter Marshall on 01702 711231

BOATS

Southend boats have seen sport being a little on the slow side with only a few of the winter species showing.

When the weather has allowed, the boats travelling well down river have a little more success with codling and thornbacks being the mainstay.

SOUTHEND PIER

The pier extension has been fairly quiet with just a few fish taken.

The stem is producing some good size flounders and a few reasonable school bass.

January normally sees some nice plaice being taken but none are reported as yet.

SOUTHEND BEACHES

As with most of the area's water, the beaches appear to be void of fish at present. Any sport at all is likely to be found on night tides with a few flounders being the order of the day.

CANVEY ISLAND

Anglers fishing the Island can expect the occasional codling and whiting after dark along with a few school bass.

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