--MANDATORY NOTE TO ALL ANGLERS--
Due to a local outbreak of K.H.V. no keepnets to be
used on any still waters. Dip tanks are in place on all stillwaters. Nets, mats and slings MUST be
dipped
(FULLY immersed) for a minimum of 15 minutes. Keep nets are allowed on the River Stour (only) from the
start of the river season.
Eight anglers braved the cold to fish this season’s Cooke Pike Cup held at Fordwich and Trenley lakes. Junior angler Henry Weir was the overall winner with a fine brace of pike totalling 25lb 8oz.
Henry’s fish of 14lb and 11lb 8oz were caught in Trenley Lake from where his dad, our Bailiff, Jon Weir also bagged two more for second spot with 10lb 8oz comprising fish of 6lb 8oz and 4lb.
Third place (and winner of the junior competition) was Gareth Todd fishing in Fordwich Lake with three jack-pike for 8lb 11oz.
Showery weather and rising river levels were the themes of this season’s Match Group Cup fished at Grove Ferry’s north bank, upstream and downstream of the bridge.
The conditions were less than ideal but at the 3pm finish, Steve Foreman was the clear winner with nine good bream to 6lb in a very fine winning total of 32lb 15oz. Fishing from the end peg upstream Steve feeder-fished worm to secure the Cup.
Nineteen anglers took part and from the end peg downstream Dan Boden caught 8lb 1oz of small roach to finish second in the five and a half hour match.
Another roach bag of 5lb gave Paul Prigg third spot while Dave Parker finished fourth with one weighty bream and a few smaller fish totalling 3lb 10oz. Adam Matthews was the winner of the junior match with 1lb.
During the summer the Wacher Cup competition was postponed due to the warm water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen levels at that time.
The conditions improved and the overnight match was fished in September with Mick Wilson lifting this year’s cup having caught 77lb of fish.
The weather was very wet but conditions were perfect. Ten anglers fished but only four weighed in with the fish proving tricky to catch for most. 55lb 12oz was more than enough to secure second place for Andy King ahead of Ian Ritchie with 38lb 8oz for third.
In last year’s competition Steve West caught 71lb 8oz to finish second and this year Steve was fourth with 16lb 11oz.
All the weights came from the far end of Trenley Lake ‘deeps’ and comprised of bream with a few tench. Feeder-fished maggots and pellets were the successful methods used.
Fifteen anglers fished this seasons Ron Edwards Roach Competition in unseasonably mild conditions. The match was fished on the River Stour at Grove Ferry, up and downstream of the bridge on the north bank.
The top three weights were very close and Trevor Baker won by just one ounce with 16lb 2oz ahead of Alan Smith who weighed in 16lb 1oz for second and third place was secured with 14lb 13oz by Steve West. The winner of the junior competition was Adam Matthews with 9oz.
Forty anglers from across Kent took part in this year’s Association Open Competition fished on the River Stour at Grove Ferry and Plucks Gutter.
First place with a fantastic 32lb 4oz was Kevin Dyer with roach and skimmer bream caught upstream at Grove Ferry from peg 14, close to the end peg. Fishing at Plucks Gutter Tony Crossley landed 27lb 7oz for second. A total of 21lb 11oz gave Peter Groombridge third from the Grove Ferry Picnic Site ahead of fourth place Ian Ritchie who fished in the swim next to the match winner at Grove Ferry to land 16lb 6oz.
Section winners were Nigel Mills at ‘A Section’ Plucks Gutter (peg 1) with 16lb 3oz; Trevor Wild at ‘E Section’ Grove Ferry Boards (peg 15) with 15lb 10oz including several good bream and Dave Roberts at ‘F Section’ Grove Ferry Picnic Site (peg 12) with 15lb 10oz.
Top junior was Adam Matthews with 1lb 15oz and the ‘Team of Four’ competition was won by ‘Kev’s Four’ with 64lb 4oz just ahead of ‘Tonbridge Superstars’ with another tremendous total of 61lb 7oz.
A perfect tide running out all day with good conditions generally allowed for good float presentation and a total of 366lb of fish caught. Each angler caught fish with an average of 9lb 3oz per competitor.
Fifteen anglers fished this season’s Blundell Cup with Andy King proving victorious having landed eleven bream and a tench for 34lb 14oz. Andy fished from a swim at the far end of the Trenley Lake deeps, as did second placed Colin Durman with 12lb 13oz comprising four bream and another single tench.
Most anglers fished on the bottom of the lake with a feeder set-up, but Jim Presley opted to fish a whip to hook 11lb of small fish and skilfully secure third spot. The top junior was Gareth Todd with several small rudd and roach for a good total of 2lb 3oz.
Conditions were ideal, mostly overcast with a slight ripple on the water, but the bream seemed to be in one area only throughout the match. Most of the competitors caught but lots tipped back having just taken a few small fish.
Twenty four pairs fished this year’s Stonar Charity Shield held at the Association’s Stonar Lake in Sandwich. The competition is open to members and non members of the CDAA and the Shield is awarded for the largest fish caught over the weekend.
This year’s winners were Skip Knight and partner Noddy with a fine 26lb mirror carp beating D. Smissen and his partner with a 23lb 14oz mirror carp for second place. Darren Offen and his partner were narrowly beaten into third spot with another big mirror of 23lb 12oz, just two ounces behind.
The superb weather lasted all weekend with the competition held from 6pm on Friday to 10am on Sunday. Top junior was Henry Weir with three carp, his heaviest weighing 10lb 8oz.
A total of just over £4,000 was raised for the Pilgrims Hospice after another successful Charity Shield competition.
Only three competitors took part in this year’s Goldsmith Cup for junior anglers fished at Trenley Lake in sweltering conditions.
Following her win in last year’s match with 20lb 15oz Hanna Boden landed 7lb 11oz this year for another Goldsmith Cup spectacular win despite the challenging conditions.
As well as the very hot and sunny weather attendance was probably down because of the World Cup Final later that afternoon. At the 1pm whistle Adam had hooked 4lb 5oz and James 5oz for second and third places.
The first of this season’s competitions was held at Fordwich and Stour lakes for the Baldwin Cup.
The winner was Stuart White with a fine 21lb 12oz carp narrowly beating Gavin Stewart who landed a carp and a tench for a total of 21lb 3oz and second place.
Carp and tench are the only fish allowed to be weighed in during the 12 hour overnight match and a single carp of 12lb 13oz was more than good enough to earn Ady Minter third spot ahead of Ben Johnson in fourth with an 11lb 14oz mirror carp.
All the winning weights were landed by anglers on Fordwich Lake including Association junior Phoenix Minter who carefully netted a 4lb 5oz tench during the last five minutes of the competition to clinch the top junior place.
Thirty three anglers fished including four juniors and those drawing pegs on Stour Lake noted the fishing was particularly difficult with the fish in isolated areas of the lake.