We look at venues in the Kent area, and give basic venue details and contact information.
Claygate Lakes, Marden It is always a pleasure to fish this lake for a variety of good sized fish. This venue is becoming more and more popular for its ability to provide non-stop fishing all day with catches averaging 50-60lb of tench, carp, roach, bream and chub. Tel: 01892 730818.
Elphicks Fishery, Horsmonden The adults-only North Lake has been in fantastic form. To get the best from the lake it is necessary to spod out plenty of bait. Some quality fish have been taken including Terry Hitchin’s 33lb 4oz cat, Ray Stevenson’s 43lb 8oz mirror, Daniel Clemens’ 43lb 2oz mirror plus two lovely mirrors for Mike Winstone at 45lb 8oz and 32lb. On Plantation and Prairie the Korda maggot clip has been producing multiple catches. Dead maggots in groundbait keep the carp rooting around helping keep them in the swim longer. Maize has been the best bait by far on Pullens. Again multiple catches have been commonplace with Vince Whyborne banking 8 carp between 23lb and 33lb 8oz in a one session. Pole or waggler has been the way to go on Sandwich lake. Most popular baits have been corn, meat, pellet and caster. Matches have been won with weights close to 100lb. Call 01580 212512 or check out www.elphicks-fisheries.co.uk
Hartleylands Farm, Hartley, Cranbrook On Nick’s, Bramley and Peartree lakes sport is still excellent with huge bags being taken by pleasure and match anglers. Peartree match record has also gone with the new mark standing at 167lb. Jeff Law had a bit of a surprise when fishing Nicks lake when he latched into something somewhat larger than he thought lived in the lake. After a spirited fight a superb common carp of 20lb 10oz lay in his landing net. Hennicker, Finches and Woodside continue to throw up specimen perch to lobworms. Owner Paul Ward is the man who can, dial 01580 720319.
Longshaw Farm, Sturry Halibut pellets and meat are the best summer baitson here. Paul Allcock had 17 carp to 14 lb on pole fished meat and lady angler Jo Brooks had a PB carp at 21lb in a recent summer session. As the weather cools the roach fishing at these lakes can be superb and it is a great place to go for your first 2lb fish if you have not had one before. For current form and ticket information call 01227 710263.
Lower Barn Farm, Hawkhurst Situated on the south side of the village on the B2244, this fishery can be found about 150 yards before the Curlew Inn. There are two ponds on the farm, the larger one being about 1 acre in size with a central island and is surrounded by mature oak trees. This is a typical farm pond with good stocks of carp to 20lb with the average being around 5lb. There are also some decent roach and chub to have a go at if you get fed up catching carp. A lot of the fish were stocked by the previous owner but a good number seem to be true wild carp that fight incredibly hard for their size. Try corn, meat and worms on the bottom with dog biscuit or bread crust on the surface, ducks permitting!. There are around 15 pegs and it’s possible to park right next to the pond. The second water is a little smaller and has only been in existence just over a year. This is circular and also has an island to fish to. It’s been stocked with all carp, the top weight being around 10lb.
Manor Fisheries. Headcorn Manor Fisheries offers exclusive course fishing in three very well stocked lakes in an idyllic setting in the Weald of Kent. The lakes are beautifully landscaped and well thought out, incorporating bays, weed beds, rushes and islands. There are two excellent specimen lakes containing many carp up to 35lb, the larger of the two specimen lakes also contain an abundance of catfish, some well up to 40lb together with specimen carp. Both of these lakes have well kept natural grassy banks with views of the surrounding countryside. The pleasure lake is horseshoe shaped and holds a wide variety of fish with masses of small carp up to about 8lb, some excellent roach, rudd, bream and really good perch, some to 4lb. This lake is ideal for pole, whip and waggler fishing. Anglers have had huge bags of fish in one prolific session. There are 3 holiday apartments on site if you wish to stay a while. Contact: 01622 890953 or visit www.manor-fisheries.co.uk
Monk Lakes, Marden Best baits for the carp and catfish here are fruit flavoured pop ups. Puma and Bridges have been particularly busy with 76 anglers staying overnight on one weekend. Some anglers banked up to 15 fish in a session. Bream, tench and roach have provided excellent sport for anglers fishing the waggler with corn or maggot hookbaits. On the match lakes winning weights are still in excess of 150lb and in many cases 100lb will not even get you in the frame. Match lake 4 is a little different than the other 3 match lakes as it is stocked with predominately silver fish. The tench in the lake run to 7lb and can be caught from almost any swim on the lake. Vince Gould caught 103 fish in a 4 hour session consisting of 63 small tench to 8oz, 8 carp to 1lb, 10 skimmers to 1lb and 22 tench in the 4-6lb bracket, on pole fished corn. Updates from Ron on 01622 833332.
Mote Park, Maidstone This venue is almost always good for a big net of roach with a few skimmers and perch mixed in. The left side of the wall to the yacht club is the pick of swims. The simple tactics of waggler or pole fished maggots will produce the goods. Use a lightly shotted rig to fish on the drop and feed little and often. Don’t fish too heavy a line or hook, 0.10mm to a size 20 maximum. The bream fishing is hard to predict and they can turn up anywhere, my pick of the most consistent swims wound be on the café bank, simple groundbait feeder tactics are best, try worm or triple maggot (two red and one white). Pick a mild day with plenty of cloud cover and get a good bed of bait down, be patient and the big fish should eventually turn up. Late afternoons into the evenings seems the best time. Contact Nick’s Tackle for day tickets 01622 673899 or visit www.maidstonevictory.co.uk
River Medway, Maidstone Monktons Lane and the Millennium Park tend to fish well for the few anglers that venture out. Maggot or caster is the number one bait as it gets colder for roach to a 1lb and skimmers in the 1-2lb range. If you prefer just roach ,hemp and tares will score and elderberries are in their prime. Pole and feeder are the best tactics in this deep section. Get a good bed of feed down to hold the fish once they arrive, then draw them in by feeding little and often by hand. This section also holds huge perch and it is well worth trying a large lobworm fished over chopped worm and caster closes in under the bank side cover. Small pike are showing well to lures and there is always a chance of a good sized double or even a 20lb fish. The day ticket section at Teston is another area worth visiting. Again large numbers of roach to 1lb and skimmers to 2lb are showing to pole or waggler fished corn. There are good numbers of chub with the Maidstone Victory section below the bridge rated. As you get towards winter the fish will start to shoal in large numbers around the town bridges. Tel: 01622 673899.
Stones Fishery, Sheerness The Match Lake is fishing well with the Saturday opens being won with 80-100lb. good numbers of carp into low double figures are making up the weights. Also showing are skimmers, roach, tench and rudd. Best tactics are the pole and 6mm banded coarse pellet fished shallow at around 9-13 metres, and paste down the margins or to the reed beds in the pots. Waggler fished maggots or corn will also produce good mixed nets, Keep feed going in little and often and the carp will turn up. The Specimen Lake looks more like a match lake than a big fish water, but with carp to just under 30lb and a good head of bream running into double figures. Expect to catch on boilies and pellet. Fish your hook bait over a light bed of pellets or corn and feeding hook samples little and often is the best tactics here. The Children’s lake holds plenty of small fish. Float fished maggots feeding little and often will get you lots of bites. All lakes have large wooden platforms to fish from and offer good disabled access. Contact 01795 581580 Website www.stonesgardencentre.com
Sam’s Lakes, Headcorn This fishery consists of 2 lakes and is one of the most attractive places you are likely to fish and well worth a visit. Bottom lake. This 2.5 acre lake has 34 platformed pegs for easy fishing. It holds all species of fish including carp to over 20lb, and plenty of tench, perch, rudd, roach, bream and chub. Match weights have been recorded to over 100lb with the method feeder and pellet cast to the island producing the goods. Pole fished maggots or corn is a good bet for a mixed net. Top lake. This lake again as 2.5 acres in size and has 30 marked pegs with fishing from the grass bank. It is well suited to pole fishing with several island within range including a long canal like section, pellet and paste will catch well with carp into double figures and some running to about 25lb. floating baits can produce too, a recent match being won with carp to around 10lb being caught on mixers. The feeder is worth a try in the wider sections casting towards the islands. Waggler or pole fished maggots will get you bites all day from roach, rudd and skimmers, expect a few tench too. There is a small 5 pitch caravan site 40 yards from the lakes with electric hook ups if you fancy staying a few days. Tel: 01233 770272 or 07702 666666.
Tyler Hill, Canterbury Fishing in the margins using small cubes of luncheon meat can work well here, especially in the warmer weather.. The most productive baits here are, halibut pellet, luncheon meat, corn, bread and dog biscuit. Tel: 01227 764048.
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This web site is great.Sounds like there are some great places that i never new off.
there is a wisper that claygate lakes have sold all big carp to orchard place.
This ‘whisper’ is totally untrue, no large carp have been removed from Claygate Lakes or sold to Orchard Place or any other fishery. I would be interested to know where you heard this ‘whisper’.
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