Plenty of specimens in the run-up to championship
THE battle to become Champion Angler of the Year heated up in Hastings, Bexhill & District Angling Association, as top rods recorded five more speciemns.
Matthew Fuller made three trips and caught three specimens, landing a perch 2lb 4oz from Broomham Pond, a mirror carp 18lb 6oz from Normanhurst Lake, and rudd 1lb 2oz 8dr from Wishing Tree.
You might expect such a performance to leave Fuller in a clear lead, but his closest rival Phil Bailey was also among the specimens, recording a common carp 14lb 1oz from Wishing Tree and tench 6lb 9oz from Normanhurst to draw level.
Those in contention are Fuller and Bailey, with seven specimens each, Alan Carter and Derek Harris with four each and Melvin Fuller and Chris Hitchens, three each.
The only other specimen recorded recently was a rudd 1lb 2 oz from Wishing Tree, weighed in by junior member Daniel Light.
Anglers who have fished Darwell Reservoir have reported plenty of pike on the feed, though most are being taken from the boats on spinners, spoons, plugs, shads and even flies. The fish are mainly singles in low double figures, but in the gin-clear water they are fighting really hard. With the reservoir birm-full, and water up in the tree roots, fishing pace from the bank is severely limited.
The fly fishing at Powdermill reservoir remains good, with plenty of rainbows and a few wild brown trout caught mainly from boats, though there were also a few good catches from the bank.
A recent report stated that during April 327 anglers caught a total of 827 fish, including 25 wild browns that were never returned. There were 41 rainbows in excess of 3lb, with the best fish weighing 9lb 10oz and 10lb 2oz, and the best of the year so far a 12lb 3oz rainbow caught on a Mayfly Nymph from the bank by a day ticket-holder.
It is interesting to note that brown trout haven't been stocked in the lake for years, but the ones that were originally stocked have bred up the streams and fish from a few ounces to 6lb or more now inhabit the lake. The policy of Hastings Flyfishers Club is that any of these browns caught should be returned.
Old Hastings Club fished their competition on Spring Lake at Iden Wood Fishery, where three carp helped Dave Checksfield to first place.
Results: 1 Checksfield 17lb 4oz 8dr, 2 John Tutt 13lb 6oz, 3 Nick Marshall 10lb 11oz, 4 Mat Slidell 1lb 7oz, 5 Andrew Scrace 1lb 5oz.
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Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
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