5lb 6oz eel tops big haul from club water
Former Drennan Cup holder Ted Bryan admitted that his latest session was one of the ‘toughest he’d ever experienced’ despite landing a string of big eels to 5lb 6oz.
The Sydenham, London-based specialist spent 48 hours at a club lake in Sussex and primed his swim with a mixture of maggots, chopped worms and liquidised prawns. As darkness fell his target species fell to his maggot hookbaits.
“The first night I had nine eels up to 4lb 4oz and the rest were all in the 2lb to 3lb bracket, so I was up and down all night and only got some sleep once it was light,” said Ted.
“The following night went exactly the same way and the first fish was the biggest of the trip. These were two of the hardest nights I’ve ever done, but so rewarding.”
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Eels galore on the River Soar
A RiverFest qualifier turned into ‘eelfest’ for the 60 matchmen involved after a number of specimen eels were netted.
The event, which took place on the River Soar at Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, saw numerous eels to over 5lb landed as well as several others lost by anglers fishing for small silvers. Brian Rigby banked the biggest of the lot in the form of this 5lb 11oz fish but other anglers, including England International Darren Cox, also claimed netted sized fish.
Match organiser Tony Beech told Angling Times: “We have never seen eels like this on this stretch it was incredible; they all seemed to be turning silver which I think means they are heading back to the Sargasso Sea across the Atlantic to breed.”
Shakespeare backed Brian from the West Midlands, had been catching small roach and skimmers when a switch to lobworm in search of tench saw the large eel take his bait. It is thought to be the biggest of the species ever landed from the waterway and follows the capture of a 4lb-plus specimen in an open match at the same venue a week earlier by former Leicester Sensas rod Pete Jayes. Despite weighing it in as part of his catch Brian failed to finish in the top three places to qualify for the grand final in November.
Local matchman and Sensas-backed rod Joff Woodgate, who also fished the match, added: “In all the years I've been fishing matches here I've never seen fish like this, they were thicker than my arm. Anglers often lose big fish here thinking they could be barbel, tench or carp but I'm now thinking that eels could be responsible.”
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Persistence pays off with 5lb 3oz eel
After struggling for bites on a number of waters this summer, James Champkin finally struck gold with this 5lb 3oz eel from a southern stillwater.
The impressive specimen beat the Cromer, Norfolk-based rod’s previous best for the species by 3oz and fell to a small roach head deadbait.
He’d already landed two smaller fish during the night when he received a positive take shortly after recasting.
“It was a nightmare to get in the net, but once on the bank it was clearly a very big fish,” he said. “I fished hard on a number of new waters this summer to try and beat my pb but only had a number of small eels to show for my efforts. It was extremely rewarding to get this one after so many difficult nights.”
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10lb 2oz eel from White Acres!
A record shaking eel has been caught from a popular Cornish holiday venue.
The 10lb 2oz fish – which is just 1lb short of the British best for the species – was landed by Luke Jones while targeting the catfish in Pats Pool on the White Acres complex.
The local rod had threaded five whole lobworms on to a size 4 ESP hook and cast them over a shallow silt bed close to an island in front of peg 12 on the 2-acre lake which he had baited with a handful of pellets.
“I hooked and lost a decent eel and then an hour later I had another take,” said the 23-year-old. “From the way the rod screamed off I assumed it was a catfish at first. It came in relatively easily and when it surfaced close to the net I caught sight of a huge eel head in the light of my headtorch.
“The length of it was incredible - it was longer than my weigh sling and was thicker than my arm. It still hasn’t really sunk in that I caught a fish so close to being a British record.”
The catch hasn’t come as a shock to fishery boss, Clint Elliot, who has long been aware of the fishery’s big eel potential. He said: “I think there are decent sized eels in most of the lakes on the complex. A few years ago we drained Pollawyn for some repairs and discovered an absolutely monstrous eel. It was easily as big as Luke’s but it has never been caught. The majority of anglers who come here just fish for the carp, but I think if a few had a serious go for the eels there could be some real surprises landed.
“Fish to 9lb have also been reported from the nearby Bolingey which is used in the White Acres Festival,” he added.
The current eel record is held by Steve Terry with an 11lb 2oz fish caught from Kingfisher Lake, Hampshire in 11lb 2oz.
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Three personal best eels in a month
Barry Fisher has enjoyed a memorable spell of eel fishing, breaking his personal best for the species three times in a month.
His run of form started at the National Anguilla Club fish-in at a Hants stillwater during which he landed a specimen of 5lb 2oz.
He then turned his attentions to his own water in the West Midlands where he landed eels of 5lb 2oz, 5lb 5oz and 5lb in three separate sessions.
He said: “Six weeks ago my eel pb was 4lb 8oz, and I’ve now had four fish over this weight as well as lots of other back-up three and four pounders. It’s been crazy eeling!”
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Biggest eel of the year banked
A six-year quest for a specimen eel has resulted in the capture of the biggest fish of 2014 so far, weighing in at 7lb 11oz.
Spencer Churchill finally struck gold at his local club water when he floatfished a piece of meat close to a reedbed.
The predator fishing fanatic from Shaftesbury in Devon, had only ever landed small fish from the venue in the past and had suffered the loss of specimen fish on more than one occasion. But his perseverance eventually paid off when he presented a golf ball-sized piece of hair-rigged meat on a size 4 hook.
“I’ve always known that the lake held big eels, but I just hadn’t been able to get one in the net despite six years of trying,” said Spencer.
“I chopped bits off my hookbait to rough it up and then left it in the sun so it began to sweat. Once it was really smelly I cast it as close to the reeds as I could.
“The power of the fish was like nothing else I’d experienced. I didn’t think I was going to win the battle because it headed for every weed bed in sight.”
Another angler to turn his fortunes around was Leicester-based Wayne Staddon, who banked a 6lb eel from a stillwater in Norfolk.
After losing a fish on each of his last two sessions, the European Eel Anglers Club Member made sure it was third time lucky when he fished a section on sandeel on a size 6 hook attached to a 50lb mono hooklink.
“The eels in this lake are all really big so to loose two fish on consecutive evenings was a real blow. You can imagine how elated and relieved I was to get this one into the net,” Wayne told Angling Times.
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Anguilla Club fish-in produces 5lb 13oz eel
The National Anguilla Club’s first fish-in of the year at a Hampshire stillwater produced this 5lb 13oz eel for Nick Duffy.
The society’s social officer landed a total of five fish including others of 4lb 1oz, two of 3lb 10oz and 2lb 9oz, all of which came to worm hookbaits offered over a bed of maggots.
“It was a good start to the season for me,” Nick said. “There was 15 of us fishing and the lake bailiff donated all the money raised to the Jodi and Ella Memorial Charity that one of our members, Baz Fisher, who caught a new pb of 5lb 2oz, runs.”
Nick used John Sidley rigs tied with size 6 barbless Ashima hooks and 45lb Kryston Quicksilver.
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Eel of 4lb 2oz taken from cold stillwater
Eel fishing is often associated with the warmer months but Adrian Eves ripped up the rule book when he took this 4lb 2oz fish from a Reading DAA club water.
The Dynamite Baits-backed angler used a bunch of lobworms and had to wait until darkness before the action commenced.
A steady take soon saw Adrian doing battle with the specimen during a heavy rain storm.
“I was absolutely delighted as this is one of my best captures for a long time, especially as it was out the recognised months for eel fishing. It’s always great when a plan comes together!” he said.
