1,000 miles for amazing brace of rudd and roach
Daniel Woolcott proved his dedication to the sport when he racked up almost 1,000 miles travelling the length of the country to land a brace of new personal bests.
Roach was the first species on the Kent-based all-rounder’s hit list, so he embarked on a 20-hour roundtrip to target the famous Lochnaw Loch in Stranraer, Scotland.
After completing the mammoth journey he got the session underway by feeding a mixture of 10mm boilies and groundbait laced with maggots and hemp at 70yds range out before casting helicopter-style feeder rigs over the top.
With only a few small redfins to show for his efforts by the end of the first night his confidence began to wane. But he received a much-needed boost on the second evening.
“My alarm emitted a series of bleeps and when I lifted in to the bite I could feel a solid resistance on the other end,” said Daniel.
“My angling companion for the session James Champkin thought it may have been one of the trout that inhabit the water but once we got it closer we could clearly see it was a massive roach.
“My previous best weighed in at 2lb but this obliterated it as the dial swung round to 2lb 11oz,” he added.
The action didn’t end there, though, with the building surveyor taking another specimen of 2lb 6oz before he setting off on the long journey home.
With a new roach best under his belt he then set his sights on beating his rudd pb of 2lb 6oz 8dr, with a less daunting trip to Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery in Rochester, Kent.
Using identical tactics to those at Lochnaw he presented his plastic corn hookbait 10yds out. He said: “My only run of the session came at around 4am and I instantly knew that if it was a rudd, it was likely to be a new personal best.
“It stayed deep but once I’d netted it my suspicions were confirmed as my scales registered a weight of 3lb 8oz.”
He added: “These two trips have provided me with the most remarkable period of my angling career to date,” he concluded.
Both fish were beaten with 5lb fluorocarbon mainline tied to size 12 Drennan Super Specialist hooks.
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Buckland rudd of 3lb falls to a plastic boilie
Mike Lyddon was the latest angler to sample the fantastic sport on offer at big rudd mecca, Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery, this 3lb 8dr specimen the highlight of his session.
The Gardner Tackle sales rep landed the fish just two rod lengths out on an Enterprise 10mm Immortal plastic boilie over a bed of sweetcorn.
He told Angling Times: “I had to use an artificial hookbait to get round the hordes of small fish which kept stripping off conventional baits.”
His winning presentation comprised 6lb Gardner Hydro Flo mainline and a size 14 Target hook.
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Second huge rudd at Buckland for Neill Stephen
Neill Stephen came agonisingly close to breaking the magical 4lb-barrier for the second time in just over a month with this 3lb 15oz 8dr rudd.
The London-based former Drennan Cup champion was targeting the specimen fish stocks of Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery in Kent and was accompanied by wildlife artist David Miller who was looking for inspiration for a new rudd painting.
“By the early afternoon the lake was beginning to resemble the North Sea with white caps rolling into the bank,” he told Angling Times. “While moving around I had caught a few two-pounders but then in the mid-afternoon in a new swim the float buried into a wave and after a simply unbelievable fight that left me thinking I had hooked a carp a massive rudd appeared. Incredibly the digital scales read 4lb again but there was the occasional flicker to 3lb15oz so we called it at 3lb 15oz 8dr. It was fairly surreal to catch one fish of around this size but to catch two has left me feeling jinxed in the best possible way especially as the rudd fishing on the Main Lake has been very difficult recently.”
Neill tempted the impressive specimen with a grain of sweetcorn fished under a custom reed waggler made by Andrew Field.
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Four loaves, a single cast, one giant rudd!
One the sport’s most prolific seasons for big rudd shows no signs of slowing down with the capture of this huge 4lb 1oz specimen.
Matt Boast stalked the new personal best during a session at a water that he’s been fishing for over 15 years with simple freeling tactics that featured a piece of bread folded around a size 8 hook attached to a 4lb fluorocarbon hooklink coupled with a braided mainline.
Big rudd are known for being incredibly shy and spooky, so the all-rounder from Ockley, Surrey, spent hours gaining the fishes confidence by flicking out pieces of bread.
He’d fed no less than four loaves into his margin spot before he made the single cast that led to his amazing capture.
“There are lots of small fish in this water and I could see the huge rudd rushing in every now and again where it would take a piece of bread and then disappear,”Matt told Angling Times.
“The worse thing I could have done is keep casting into the swim before this fish was confident and gave me the impression that I had a realistic chance of hooking it.”
Patience certainly paid off for the 35-year-old as he smashed his previous personal best of 2lb.
“My heart was in my mouth when I finally cast out as the fish made a beeline for the bait, but then turned away,” Matt continued.
“A small fish moved in for the bread which really sparked a reaction as the big fish turned around, bullied it out of the way and it was mine.
“Some anglers might be puzzled by the fact that I didn’t cast out again, but as I’ve seen bigger fish in the water I want to keep pressure and disturbance to an absolute minimum.”
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Lengthy campaign results in 3lb rudd
Alan Stagg has achieved a long-standing ambition to catch a 3lb-plus rudd with this 3lb 5oz specimen.
The impressive fish was taken along with two other rudd weighing 2lb 7oz and 2lb 5oz during the Gardner media manager’s first trip to a new fishery. All of the fish fell to a piece of sweetcorn fished two thirds overdepth while he sprayed regular helpings of maggots and hemp over the top.
He said: “I spent several hours walking around trying to find the fish. Once I was happy, I got set-up just before dark. I took a couple of fish just into darkness but I had to wait until after midnight before the float sunk again. As soon as I struck into the fish, I knew it was in a different league.
“I’ve been after a 3lb-plus fish for years and after catching over a 100 two-pounders, it’s one I can finally tick off the list.”
Alan used 3lb Gardner Hydro Flo mainline, a 2.6lb hooklink and a size 12 hook.
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Rudd rocks the record
A little-known venue has produced one of the biggest rudd in angling history in the form of this 4lb specimen and has now been tipped to break the UK record for the species.
The new lake record was the highlight of a string of large fish banked by big-fish hunter Neill Stephen during his first-ever session at Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery near Rochester in Kent – a water that’s produced over 30 3lb-plus fish in the last month.
The 54-acre Main Lake, which drops to 60ft deep in places, has been seldom fished in the past and its unrivalled stock of huge rudd had remained a secret among a handful of local anglers - until now.
In just two hours the current holder of the British perch record floatfished corn in the margins to bank his new rudd pb along with other fish weighing 3lb 2oz, 2lb 15oz and 2lb 14oz.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that this incredible fishery will break the current British record of 4lb 10oz as there are definitely fish in there bigger than the four-pounder I caught,” Neill told Angling Times.
“What makes this complex so very special is that it’s pretty much come right out of the blue and proves there is still hidden gems out there waiting to be discovered.”
Due to the fact that the Main Lake is also a nature reserve and diving centre there are restrictions on the fishing and a 12-man rudd syndicate is now in operation. Well-known specialist Adrian Eves is one of the members of the newly formed syndicate and he also struck gold when he adopted floatfishing tactics to bank this 3lb 8oz specimen.
The Fox consultant from Farnham, Surrey, used Dynamite Baits Scopex corn on a size 14 hook while feeding corn and maggots over the top.
But day-ticket anglers need not worry about missing out as Scott Trovell, who took over the running of the fishery three months ago, revealed that there is large rudd to 4lb in each of the other three lakes on the complex.
“I’ve seen fish at least 1lb bigger than the one Neill caught in the Main Lake, the numbers of huge fish are unbelievable. My 10-year-old son has now banked 12 fish over 3lb,” said Scott.
“Every lake on this complex has done big ‘threes’, but they haven’t been fished for rudd enough to know exactly how many there are and how big they go to. I believe that we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what this incredible place is capable of,” he added.
Pick up a copy of this week’s Angling Times as we join former Drennan Cup champion Darran Goulder on the banks of Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery. On sale now.
Venue Factfile
Venue: Buckland Lake Reserve Fishery
Location: Cliffe, near Rochester, Kent
Number of Lakes: 4
Depths: Range from 30 feet to 60 feet
Species: Rudd, roach, perch, carp, pike, tench
Day ticket prices: £15 for 10 hours, £18 all day, £20 for an overnight ticket and £28 for 24-hours
Facilities: Toilets, Disabled facilities, refreshments, free parking
Sat nav: ME3 7RT
Contact: www.bucklandlake.co/ or call: 07827 337424
**RUDD RECORD**
The current British record stands at 4lb 10oz with a fish caught by Simon Parry in 2001 from a stillwater in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland. In recent years there have been two fish caught over this weight but record claims were rejected by the BRFC as they didn’t meet the criteria required.
- In 2010 carp angler Chris Moule caught a 5lb 2oz specimen from a Cambridgeshire pit. The pictures taken of the fish, however, weren’t of sufficient quality for BRFC officials to identify the fish as a true rudd.
- A small Fenland drain produced a colossal rudd of 5lb 2oz in June 2012. Unfortunately for the captor, Adrian Cannon, he was unaware of the magnitude of his catch and put it in the hands of young Adam for the photo. The fact he wasn’t pictured with the fish and its weighing wasn’t overseen by two independent witnesses meant he was unable to make a record claim.
2lb 8oz rudd on first cast
James Champkin equalled his rudd personal best with the capture of this 2lb 8oz specimen from a Fenland water.
Using floatfished breadflake, the Norfolk-based rod also netted a fish of 2lb exactly along with several smaller ones.
He said: “I dropped on to a venue that I hadn’t fished for several years, with perfect hot and still conditions. I quickly came across some big rudd and hooked the 2lb 8oz fish on my first cast.”
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Mega week for big rudd!
One of the biggest ever hauls of specimen rudd has topped a fantastic week for the species.
Paul Garner banked no less than 30 fish to a new personal best of 3lb 11oz 8dr from an undisclosed stillwater in the south of the UK.
Flicking a waggler two rod lengths from the bank, the Nash Peg One consultant landed eight fish over 3lb and 22 over the 2lb-mark.
His previous personal best for the species of 3lb 8oz had stood for almost 15 years until he discovered this venue, where in his first four sessions he caught a hat-trick of 3lb-plus fish to 3lb 4oz.
“It was a pb that I never thought I’d beat,” Paul told Angling Times. “I’ve been searching for a lake like this for well over a decade.
“When the huge fish started coming on the very first session I just thought I’d got lucky. But they just kept coming and coming!”
Paul used a waggler rig incorporating a 4AA float, a 4lb hooklink and a size 14 hook baited with two grains of corn. Two number eight drop shot helped to get his offering down to the feeding fish quickly.
He kept the fish in the swim with the regular loosefeeding of a combination of maggot and sweetcorn.
“This lake has large numbers of small fish, so I found that using two grains on the hook gave me the best chance of cherry picking the biggest from the shoal,” Paul continued.
“This truly is what angling dreams are made of and I’m still pinching myself.”
A manic feeding spell saw Darran Goulder break his rudd pb four times in the space of an hour, topped by a fish of 3lb 2oz.
The Kent-based boss of Fortis Eyewear made a dawn start on a local lake but moved swims at midday after catching a string of smaller fish.
Catapulting out corn and maggots he could see a number of bigger specimens taking the corn on the way down and after 10 minutes of constant feeding he cast out two grains of Dynamite Baits Scopex Corn on a simple float setup.
“For nearly an hour the action was frantic, and it was only when the shoal moved on that I had a chance to reflect on the catch,” said the Shimano-backed rod. “I had beat my old pb of 2lb 4oz several times during the spell which included fish of 2lb 1oz, 2lb 4oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 8oz, 2lb 14oz and 3lb 2oz.”
Gardner Tackle’s Alan Stagg enjoyed a successful weekend targeting the species on a southern stillwater.
Three rudd over 2lb, including a brace of fish weighing 2lb 7oz and 2lb 3oz, graced the Hampshire-based all-rounder’s net during the Saturday night. He then returned the following evening and added a further seven two-pounders to 2lb 10oz to his tally.
All of his fish were taken on maggot feeder tactics at range comprising 30gr feeders, 5lb Gardner Target Fluorocarbon hooklinks and size 16 hooks baited with two white maggots coated in CC Moore Krill Powder.
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Crust lures a 2lb 4oz rudd from Fens
A small piece of floating breadcrust was the winning bait for reigning Drennan Cup champion Jamie Cartwright when a session on a Fenland river produced this impressive 2lb 4oz rudd.
The Northamptonshire Specimen Group member spent the morning roving around a few different waterways until he found some fish and then made a cast with a mini Drennan controller float which allowed him to reach the feeding fish with ease.
Jamie, who also banked several other fish to 1lb 9oz during the day, said: “The secret to catching these big fish from the Fens is being prepared to stay mobile and constantly moving around until you locate the larger rudd.”
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Huge rudd haul for former Drennan Cup champion
Gareth Goldson’s rudd fishing campaign has continued to go from strength to strength, as he took a series of fish to 2lb 12oz from a Fenland river.
The former Drennan Cup champion walked the venue looking for signs of fish and was stopped in his tracks when a large specimen swirled close to a piece of bread he had fed.
A freelined slice of crust was mounted on to a size 12 hook and was taken almost instantly.
By continuing to rove around and try several different spots on the waterway he managed to bank a total of seven rudd over the 2lb-mark during the outing.
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Schoolboy banks huge 3lb 9oz rudd
Many specimen anglers spend a lifetime trying to catch a 3lb-plus rudd, but 7-year-old Kian Dyble achieved the impressive feat with this cracking 3lb 9oz specimen.
Targeting the River Witham with his dad, Wayne, the Lincolnshire-based schoolboy fished red maggots on a size 18 hook while feeding bread and sweetcorn close to a set of lily pads.
His first bite produced a small bream, but when his float buried for a second time he struck in to the huge rudd.
His dad, Wayne, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the fish. Big rudd aren’t exactly common, so I was really proud of Kian, but also a little jealous!”
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Rudd campaign pays off with 2lb 13oz fish
Specimen angler Matt Rand has spent the early part of the season targeting big rudd - and he once again grabbed the rewards with this 2lb 13oz fish from a Fenland river.
After locating a shoal of large fish, the Shimano Normark UK media manager presented a floatfished piece of crust in open water.
He had to wait until just before dusk for the all-important bite, though, and he capped off the short session with a second fish over the 2lb-barrier which tipped the scales at 2lb 10oz.
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Best start to river season for years
Predictions that the nation’s rivers would be in red hot form for the start of the season were proved correct as match, pleasure and specimen anglers alike enjoyed one of the finest opening weeks in history.
Confidence was high that the River Trent would kick-start with the same memorable sport that it produced last year and Richard Easom got off to a flying start when he netted this 14lb 1oz barbel.
The fish was the biggest of a trio of barbel landed by the Three Foot Twitch Baits boss which also included another double of 12lb 8oz. He said: “I fed a kilo of Dubby boilies and once the barbel turned up it was non-stop. After a long and tiring 20 minute fight from the biggest fish it finally came over the net – I couldn’t have asked for a better start the season.”
Further south, Ade West celebrated opening day in style with the capture of a huge 7lb 14oz personal best chub. Having struggled to get a bite on the Throop Fishery stretch, the Gillingham-based rod decided to visit a secret spot for a couple of hours.
Several handfuls of 4mm pellets were introduced before a link-leger rig consisting of an 8lb braided hooklink and a size 10 hook baited with a boilie was placed over the top.
“I received several small taps on my rod tip and struck in to a powerful fish,” Ade told Angling Times.
“When I saw the size of it on the surface I knew it was bigger than my previous best of 7lb 8oz which I caught from the same swim.”
Bream dominated proceedings on the Thames, where numerous triple figure catches were landed in the overcast yet mild conditions.
The biggest catch reported came to Michael Homer who banked an estimated 500lb of slabs from a stretch at Kingston. After balling in 2.5kg of Vitalin at the start of the day he started catching straight away and ended up with over 100 fish to just shy of double figures and averaging 8lb, all falling to worm and corn baits.
Former Fish O’Mania finalist Tony Curd embarked on a rare pleasure session on a stretch of the Thames above Teddington Weir and proved his bagging prowess isn’t solely reserved for the competitive stage when he took 40 bream to 7lb for a 150lb-plus netful.
A feeder attack with a 50/50 groundbait mix of Bait-Tech Kult Sweet Fishmeal and Omen held the shoal for several hours.
Bream were also top of the agenda for Burt Baits boss Tony Wynnick and Laurie Summers who both used an open end feeder approach for over 270lb from the capital’s most popular river.
Team England Lure squad member Sam Edmonds showed why summer predator fishing on the Thames is a worthwhile exercise as he took a 3lb 4oz perch and a 26lb 2oz pike.
The large stripey fell for a Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw Texas lure from a spot close to a weirpool and despite searching several other areas throughout the day, it was exactly the same swim where the rod was bent almost double by the specimen pike.
“It fought so hard in the fast current that it actually up-anchored the boat, which made for an incredible battle as we quickly drifted downstream! It was a bit hairy but thankfully we got it in the net,” said Sam.
The famous Royalty Fishery on the Hampshire Avon hasn’t disappointed either as the chub fishing has been second to none with specimens to 8lb reported by anglers fishing the area known as the ‘Telegraphs’.
Maggots have been scoring well for this species, but the big barbel are also showing a liking for this bait presented on the float or feeder as several ‘doubles’ have graced the bank topped by a fish of 14lb caught from ‘Watersmeet’.
Last but by no means least, silverfish enthusiast Mike Townsend stumbled across a shoal of large rudd while patrolling a Fenland river and used his vast experience to tempt a 2lb 10oz fish.
Floating crust presented alongside a well-balanced waggler rig enticed the specimen into feeding.
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Huge 3lb 6oz rudd from Daiwa Manton Fishery
A carp session threw up this massive 3lb 6oz rudd for Paul Killelay, the second biggest ever from Daiwa Manton fishery.
The Gainsborough, Lincolnshire man took the surprise specimen, and new personal best, on a 16mm Dynamite Red Crustacean boilie, after baiting with hemp and maize binded with vitalin. It came after 49-year-old Paul had just lost two good carp in succession, including a possible 30lb ghostie to a hook pull.
“I noticed that the indicator was moving up and down so I lifted the rod and felt slight resistance. As it broke the surface I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the blood red fins, I wasn’t letting this one go!” explained Paul.
“Now I’m going to have a proper go for them with scaled down gear to see what’s in there,” he added.
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