27.07.05
BURY HILL FISHERIES NEWS - W/E 24th July 2005
Another glorious week with temperatures a little cooler which made for a much more pleasant week and moreover some incredible fishing. Even on the exceptionally hot days, they saw massive bags caught from all lakes with a number of 200lb+ bags taken from all three lakes. The carp fishing also responded with both the old lake and Temple lake producing some excellent multi bags    [Read More]

25.07.05
WHERE'S FISHING WELL [JULY 05]
The following is a round up of coarse fishing venues [all featured on Fish South East] that are fishing well at the moment and how to catch at each venue. Click on the link for more details of each fishery    [Read More]

20.07.05
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ANGLERS
Due to huge demand, the Environment Agency has printed thousands more Code of Conduct for Coarse Anglers booklets. The publication is suitable for newcomers and experienced anglers. It covers angling best practice    [Read More]

15.07.05
MILTON KEYNES ANGLING FESTIVAL
Milton Keynes Angling Association are to hold their Furzton Festival from August 24 to August 29. The format is a series of matches to suit all tastes at Furzton Lake. Match details are as follows:Wednesday 24th, the festival kicks off with the veterans match [55 years and over]    [Read More]

10.07.05
LICENCE DODGERS
Nearly 350 illegal anglers were successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency for licence offences in May 2005. Thats a fall of 30% compared to the 504 successful prosecutions in April    [Read More]

04.07.05
646lb CATFISH NETTED IN THAILAND
Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The catfish was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found
[Read More]

Overview Another glorious week with temperatures a little cooler which made for a much more pleasant week and moreover some incredible fishing. Even on the exceptionally hot days, they saw massive bags caught from all lakes with a number of 200lb+ bags taken from all three lakes. The carp fishing also responded with both the old lake and Temple lake producing some excellent multi bags.

Outlook for the week ahead Remaining warm but a little unsettled with the chance of some heavy rain early and late in the week, which will help to rejuvenate oxygen levels which in turn will help to maintain the fishing at its present levels.

Old Bury Lake
A fantastic week on the Old Lake with 150lb match weights and 200lb pleasure bags reported. With all areas producing some excellent sport, the bream have tended to dominate catches with individual fish to 9lb reported although the lily swims and jungle have both seen some good tench action with fish to 8lb+ being caught, indeed the jungle also produced a massive 4lb+ crucian for one lucky angler. Tactics are now changing as we head into summer, whilst smaller baits such as caster, worm and maggot will continue to catch all the time water temperatures remain cold, larger baits such sweet corn, luncheon meat and soft and banded pellet are all worth a go and will start to catch more consistently as water temperatures increase.

Bonds Lake
Another silly week on Bonds with yet more 200lb pleasure bags and 100lb match weights. Despite soaring temperatures Bonds continued to fish well with a lot of silly weights being reported yet again, whilst most of these were carp in the 3lb to 7lb range, a few reasonable tench were caught along with some excellent rudd. Whilst all methods are working, a lot of the fish are now being taken either up in the water or tight against the island so both float and pole tactics are working together with feeder tactics for the island. Whilst pole and pellet are probably the top method and bait right now, maggot, corn, meat and pellet are all catching good numbers of fish with small boilies also catching the better fish.

Milton Lake
This past week everyone fishing Milton had good mixed bags ranging from 30lb to 150lb. With both tench and crucian making up the bigger weights, anglers also saw some very good golden rudd and roach bags being taken with both the margins and pole line working. Both pole and float tactics are working best with most baits working with corn, pellet and paste all catching well on the day, however, caster and maggot are taking the better rudd and roach bags particularly when fished up in the water.

For full details of the past weeks fishing at Bury Hill, visit: Bury Hill Fisheries News

The following is a round up of coarse fishing venues [all featured on Fish South East] that are fishing well at the moment and how to catch at each venue. Click on the link for more details of each fishery.

River Kennet - Aldermaston Mill [Berkshire]
With low-water conditions there have been reports of near double-figure barbel being caught on pellet from the Lawn Swims. Maggot has been producing some excellent silver-fish action along with some quality perch. In the weirs themselves, chub to nearly 6lb have been caught on trotted maggot whilst 7lb+ bream have been falling to pellet. Some smaller bream have come from the Top Weir and several tench to 4lb, along with roach, perch and skimmers from the Top River to floatfished bread and maggot.

Willinghurst Fishery [Surrey]
Top swims at the moment are the far bank on the New Lake and around the bridge on Old Lake. Both lakes are producing 60-100lb bags of carp from 5-7lb+ to soft pellet and pellet feed. Try both up in the water and on the bottom. On the top lake, catmeat, meat, paste and pellets are all taking bags to 100lb. The method is still working well on Pittance Lake for small carp to 7lb with corn fished tight to the island. Try the road bank on Oak Tree Lake for roach to 14oz, skimmers to 1lb and bream to 2lb 8oz using waggler and soft pellet over mini pellets 6ft out from the bank. On Christmas Tree Lake, the Causeway and far-corner swims are producing nets to 25lb of silver fish on most baits.

Twynersh Fishing Complex [Surrey]
50lb bags of tench to 3lb have been reported using waggler or feeder, meat, paste and pellet. Roach to 1lb, perch to 1lb 8oz in nets to 40lb on waggler or pole, maggot and catser from Pit 1. On the Match Lake, there have been roach to 10oz, bream to 6lb and tench to 5lb in bags averaging 30lb to open-ended feeder and corn. Fruit flavoured boilies are working well to the island for carp to 22lb with carp to 13lb off the surface in the afternoons. Pit 2 is producing slimmers and bream to 8lb on maggot feeder in nets to 30lb from Pit 2.

Rayne Lodge [Essex]
Bags of carp to 100lb have come from all three lakes to floating pellet, bread and biscuit. Top Lake has produced 60-100lb bags from the margins and off the surface, with skimmers to 2lb, tench to 4lb and carp to 14lb to pole, soft pellet, corn and pieces of meat. Bottom Lake is seeing lots of crucians to 1lb, and F1s to 2lb 8oz, with carp to 15lb in nets of 70-90lb+. When the carp fishing is slow, 30lb bags of roach to 1lb 8oz have been taken on caster.

Elphicks Fishery [Kent]
Kettles lake is producing some great surface sport on calmer days at the moment. Carp to 23lb have been reported this month on just about any bait possible. Keep a good amount of feed going in to ensure the fish remain in your swim. There is also good surface sport on Pullen's Lake with plenty of 20's being caught. Worm and caster on Sandwich Lake has accounted for some good tench bags.

Hartleylands Farm Fishery [Kent]
Samson and Woodside Ponds are both producing some great sport at the moment, fishing a variety of methods. Presenting pellets and corn on Sampson to the far side cover with a pole has produced some impressive bags of carp and tench to 5lb. The margins are also fishing well later in the day.

Verulam Angling Club [Hertfordshire]
The Club's River Ouse section has seen some great chub action with fish to 7lb and plenty over the 4lb mark. Barbel to 13lb have also been reported. On the River Lea, the Marford stretches are producing consistent sport with quality roach, chub and the odd barbel to meat, corn and caster. The popular stretch at Batford has seen some decent barbel and chub caught using pellet and maggot. At Leasey Bridge, the backwater and river are fishing well and on Smallford Lagoon, the carp are feeding well with fish coming from many parts of the lake.

Source: Angling Times - July 2005

Due to huge demand, the Environment Agency has printed thousands more Code of Conduct for Coarse Anglers booklets. The publication is suitable for newcomers and experienced anglers. It covers angling best practice, safe rigs, fish care, and how to fish with due consideration for other anglers. Other topics include bank-side management and general care for the environment, including how best not to intrude on wildlife. Other sections include fish movements and diseases, fish handling, bylaws, stock densities and predators.

If you would like bulk copies of this booklet for your club, call the National Customer Contact Centre on 08708 506506 or e-mail to code@saauk.org
If you need a single copy then please send a 43p A5 stamped-addressed envelope to SAA, PO Box 8988, Chelmsford, CM1 6UZ

Milton Keynes Angling Association are to hold their Furzton Festival from August 24 to August 29. The format is a series of matches to suit all tastes at Furzton Lake. Match details are as follows:

Wednesday 24th, the festival kicks off with the veterans match [55 years and over]. Contact Terry Valentine on 01908 565446 for more details.
Thursday 25th is the disabled match. Contact Brian Sapsford on 01908 608944.
Friday 26th is the under 17s match. Contact Nuala Grey on 01908 320007
Friday 26th is the start of the 44 hour carp match. It starts at 7pm and runs through to 3pm on Sunday 28th. Contact Andy Fisher on 07881950684.
Monday 29th is the festival finale with the Frank Swan Memorial Open. Contact Richard Swan on 01908 506678.

All proceeeds from the MKAA festival will go to the Willen Hospice.

Nearly 350 illegal anglers were successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency for licence offences in May 2005. Thats a fall of 30% compared to the 504 successful prosecutions in April.

The average fine plus costs was £124 and Thames was the region with the highest number of prosecutions - 160 in the four wek period. One angler from Wallington, Surrey was fined £450 [£125 fine plus £325 costs] after fishing three rods at Old Bury Hill Fishery. He could only produce one rod licence rather than the two required. He claimed the other rod belonged to his son but the bailiff could see no sign of anyone fishing with him.

You have been warned. The Environment Agency will prosecute you if you cannot produce the required rod licence[s]. To purchase your rod licence on-line please click HERE

Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The catfish was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found.

"It's amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world's rivers," said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a WWF Conservation Science fellow and leader of a new World Wildlife Fund [WWF] and National Geographic Society project to identify and study all freshwater fish over 6 feet long or 200 pounds. "We've now confirmed now that this catfish is the current record holder, an astonishing find."

The fish was caught and eaten in a remote village in Thailand along the Mekong River, home to more species of giant fish than any other river. Local environmentalists and government officials negotiated to release the record-breaking animal so it could continue its spawning migration in the far north of Thailand, near the borders of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China [also known as the "Golden Triangle"]. But the fish, an adult male, later died. The species is declining, which fishermen in the region blame on upstream dams and environmental deterioration. The specimen is the largest giant catfish ever recorded; it is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest freshwater fish.

Source: To read the article in full, visit www.scienceblog.com