July 17 -23
On their first visit to
Rushes Lake Andy Brooks and Scott Bailey took over Blue Camp for the week.
Action wasn’t long in coming and just kept on coming, Andy finishing the week
with a 33.14 mirror (PB) 30 carp
over 20lbs including 3 carp of 29 .12 ozs, 15 doubles and a bonus 35lb catfish
. Scott weighed in with 6 x 20s
and a 30lbs 10oz mirror. Both Andy and Scott were kept entertained by
Harvey our grey cat who moved in to their bivvies on Saturday and stayed for a
week.
Meanwhile over the other side of the lake Steve and Steve came along for a 3 day session and were somewhat unlucky in only having a couple of 20+ carp and a 29 catfish along with around 20 fish of 17 – 20lbs
July 23 - 30
Danny, Lee and Brian
Bennett from Essex were next up in Goffees and Beatties . Although the fishing
slowed down considerably mainly due to the extremely hot weather with no wind
they had a great time with 15 x 20s between them, lots of doubles around 18 –
20lbs and a few nice cats including a PB cat of 33lbs for Lee
Over in Blue Camp we had
Scott ‘The Last’ Dance with his dad Clive
‘its not a competition’ and nephew Ashley aged 12.
Clive managed to get a
couple of 20s, Ashley had a 20 lb carp and a pair of cats at 16lbs and 20.04
which he hooked and landed by himself , well done Ashley !!
Scott, despite using his own homemade bait, still
managed to catch 6 x20s and 1 x 30 , a new PB mirror of 35.04 caught on method
feeder and maize at 9 o’clock on Friday night (even though Iain had been
telling him to try the Method since Tuesday afternoon). He also managed a PB
37.06 catfish.
We reckon they all did pretty well considering the weather, with still very hot days and nights all week
July 30 – August 7
Schools out and the teachers
arrived from Canterbury !! Patrick Kelleher, brother Sam, Chris, Craig and Ben from Kent, started catching straight
away on Saturday evening . Patrick came out top of the form with a 3 x30lbs
with the best at 33lbs, 10 more 20s including a PB common of 28lbs, a 32lb cat
and a superb PB 50lbs cat
PE teacher Chris in
Stumps racked up 10x20s and 2 x 30lbs mirrors. Craig , sharing Blue Camp with
head boy Patrick, on his first carp fishing trip had 7 x 20s including a PB
mirror of 28lbs and a PB common of 22lbs and very happily for him NO CATFISH !!
Sam and Ben over in Beatties and Goffees struggled all week and only manages 2 x 20s and a few doubles between them all week……never mind guys, there’s always next year !!
August 7 – August 14
George Little was next
with Lori and son Terry , fishing from Blue Camp, with the lake all to
themselves (the other 2 booked had decided on a 'no show'!).
Terry opened the scores
with a lovely 30 on the first night, George being content with a couple of 20s.
Over the course of the week it seemed that the change in the weather from
baking hot sunny days to more overcast and sometimes drizzle had a great effect
on the carp. Using a varied selection of baits including Maple8 and plenty of partiblend,
hemp and maize George amassed a catch of no less than 58 carp over 20lbs,( many
of those over 28lbs) and 7 x 30s
including a 34.04 mirror and a 34. 02 common along with a 35lbs catfish.
George made good use of a baitboat to present his baits and particles in small
patches which the carp seemed to like. A good weeks fishing by anyone’s
standards and George and family have already booked for 2011.!!
August 14 – August 21
This week sees the welcome return of Scott and Ricky from Kent,, David Pyrah from Walsall and Rob Darcy and wife Fay from Liverpool.
Scott, fishing in Beatties had a slow week with a few small carp, one of 29lbs and onother of 24lbs, don’t know why it was so slow for him, he had good bait (Catcherbaits) but the fish just didn’t want to play… must be yer pheromones Scott!!
Next door in Goffees,
Ricky White set up camp. Ricky managed to catch himself a total of 5 carp over
20lbs including a 31lb mirror, along with catfish to 34.08
Over in Blue Camp (must
think up a new name for this swim… suggestions please) David Pyrah was back for
another visit. David was the catfish man this week with 6 x30s and a 40lber as
well as 6 carp in the mid twenty pound range up to 28lbs 2ozs
Meanwhile along the bank
in Stumps Rob Darcy from Liverpool was here for his second visit, this time
bringing his wife Fay for her first taste of carp fishing. First night and very
heavy rain all night, we all thought Fay would be put off fishing for life,,
but NO, she loved her first experience of sleeping in a tent so it look like
Rob has a permanent fishing partner now !!! Fay even helped Rob to catch quite
a few carp to 27lbs 08ozs and a few catfish.
August 21 – 28th
This week saw Jamie, Brian, Dougie, Danny and Peter returning, Dougie chose to fish in Bin There, a swim that has been unused all season, probably because it’s the furthest away from the food and the loo !! After Iain recut the overgrown reeds and grass from the swim Dougie declared himself happy with the swim…. He was even happier a few days later with a new lake record mirror of 45lbs, 3 x 30s , 5 x20s and a 30lb catfish to his name…before you come again Dougie, get a tripod for the photos mate, your pics were, shall we say, not the best !!! Peter went into Stumps. Handicapped by leaving his baitboat batteries on his kitchen table, he still managed 14 fish to 24lbs,
Jamie in Goffees seemed
to keep all the doubles in front of him and had a succession of doubles all
week
Brian fishing Beatties managed to tempt just
a couple of carp to 31lbs and 2 catfish of 23lbs and 35lbs along with a rare
10lb pike
Danny in Blue Camp
(Willow swim??) had 28 fish , carp to 28.08 and a 38lbs 12oz catfish
A slow week all round,
mainly due to the very high temperatures and hardly any wind !!!