Ryan earns big rewards at Orchard Farm
Angling
local club lake.
This carp is probably older than its captor, as this species can live for more than 40 years and get to colossal sizes.
Our local beaches continue to throw up some summer visitors not seen in our area, such as Martyn Couldridge with a black bream caught on Hythe beach.
Small conger eels, gurnard and garfish are also showing when the weather is settled.
An overcast and wet day preceded a similar evening on Saturday at Trenley and Stour Lakes did not deter 15 anglers from competing for the overnight Wacher Cup, contested between 8pm and 8am on Sunday morning.
Steve West won the 2020 Wacher Cup with 79lb 13oz of bream and four tench from the far end of Trenley Lake. He narrowly beat Mick Wilson from the same area of the “deeps”, with Wilson finishing with another excellent weight of 78lb 11oz.
The skies cleared from 10.30pm and the fish started to feed. Andy King drew a peg in the middle of the “deeps” to reel in 53lb 7oz for third, ahead of Colin Durman who fished from the Trenley “shallows” for 42lb 10oz and fourth.
Last season, Stour Lake hosted a few anglers with good weights but, this year, Ian Ritchie with 5lb 6oz, enjoyed the top weight from that water. Phoenix Minter was the competition’s top junior with a 5oz roach.
Away from the competition, the carp anglers at Fordwich Lake have struggled with fewer than normal carp being seen.
Ashley Smith’s common carp of 28lb was the best of the pick, while Colin Hurst had the most fish in one session with four carp that included a best mirror carp weighing 26lb. Three fish fell to John Collins with his trio including two
20lb common carp. Seven-year-old Bailey Golesworthy showed the seniors a trick or two while fishing with his dad, Charlie, at Fordwich Lake. Bailey landed his first Fordwich carp a fantastic common of 23lb. Trenley Lake at Fordwich has also seen a few carp landed with several to 18lb being hooked by Liam Fagg.
Eight CDAA members fished the latest “Old Boys” informal match with each angler landing a mix of fish to approximately 5lb.
The usual stretches of the River Stour have been producing fish.
At Cut End, some of the Canterbury golfers including Colin Shaxted and Sam Plews put away their clubs and got out their fishing gear to reel in dace, roach and bream, including a “slab” of 4lb. Meanwhile junior angler Henry Weir weighed in 7lb of mixed fish including a 12oz perch in just three hours. Association Bailiff Jon Weir took a welcome break to hook three roach of 12oz and a fine fish of 1lb 2oz.