Angling round-up: Watts up with roach...

Hadleigh angler Matt Watts concentrated on the roach at the reservoir and was rewarded with a decent bag of fish up to 1lb.

Red maggot proved the successful recipe for Matt's catch.

Roach are also providing the bulk of the action at Doggetts with float-fished maggott cast towards the reeds bringing the best results.

Pike fishing continues to prove spasmodic in the changeable weather.

Lures are bringing in fish but the bigger predators, particularly at the reservoir, are still not being tempted.

Sean sees off experienced field with big Hockley haul

Essex Angling Centre staged a successful match at Hockley Angling Club's day ticket water with some impressive weights being brought to bank despite the heavy overnight frosts.

Seventeen-year-old Sean Marshall took on the rest of the experienced field and came out with the winner's spoils after taking 39lb 13oz of carp during the five-hour match.

Sean also lost 12 good sized carp during his session, with all of his fish taken on the tip. David Aldsworth came second with a similar bag of fish totaling 36lb exactly.

Third spot went to Martin Andrews with a 29lb 5oz haul.

Andrew Haines took 25lb 11oz for fourth with Jeff Church taking fifth place with a 24lb 1oz haul.

In all, it was a productive match for the 15 competing anglers, with 218lb 13oz of fish being caught in total.

Craig leaves it late for pike

Pipped at the post - Canvey angler Craig Stones left it late to take this terrific brace of pike from Northlands Park road lake.

Craig fished a mini-competition, staged in memory of his late father-in-law George Wells, at the Basildon water with other members of his family.

Tony Wells appeared to have the contest wrapped-up when he took his 10lb 3oz specimen but, just as the party were packing up to call it a day, Craig claimed his two predators - the first scaling 10lb with the second giving Craig the day's spoils after weighing in at 12lb 14oz.

Frost fails to put freeze on tench angling

Despite the hard overnight frost tench featured strongly at Sunday's Gloucester Park Open, producing the bulk of the top three weights.

At the scales Peter Jerrum claimed victory with 11 tench and two small crucians totalling 13lb 7oz. Peter took his catch from the big bay using a quivertip and double red maggot bait.

Second place went to match newcomer James Harris with seven tench and two crucians for 12lb 2oz.

Lake regular Geoff Byatt was third with 11lb 14oz. Geoff included a roach and a bream in his otherwise all tench big bay catch.

The cockle bank produced the fourth weight with Alan Busby weighing in 11lb 4oz of roach. Alan fished the Eastern end of the cockle bank where he took his fish on pole tactics.

Fifth place man Robert Halsey also fished the cockle bank, but used a quivertip, to take his 10lb 15oz haul.

Robert landed four small carp totalling 5lb 6oz between them, whilst his silver fish net contained 5lb 9oz of skimmer bream.

Robert was unlucky not to finish further up the field as he lost two good carp and two bream.

The next Gloucester Park Open will take place this Sunday with match entry costing £6.

The usual day ticket will also be payable on the bank. Meet at the western end of the island at 7.15am for a 7.30am walk off.

Fishing time will be 8.30am till 2pm. Bloodworm and joker are both barred. For more information ring Mick Toomer on 01268 282317.

There will be a Pike Open at Basildon's Northlands Park on Sunday. Match entry to the Northlands Park Pike Match costs £5, plus the usual day ticket.

Anglers should meet at the Northlands Park caf from 7.30am for an 8am walk off. Fishing time will be 8.45am till 3pm.

Baits will be restricted to sea dead baits and artificial lures. Anglers may use one or two rods, with the prizes awarded to the captors of the heaviest fish.

No competitor can take more than one prize. The event will be a walk-off contest and will not affect pleasure anglers enjoying the venue.

(Right) Peter Jerrum shows his Gloucester Park winning haul

Match newcomer James Harris took this 12lb 2oz second-place catch

Smith on song at Hythe

Southend match angler Ian Smith fished the Hythe Open with great success on Sunday.

He fished hard all day to take over 6kg, beating the nearest competitor by over 2kg. Ian had a steady flow of catches throughout the day, with every cast proving productive.

At the end of the day he had taken 35 sizable fish, most of them dabs. The TBAAS fished a club match in memory of Stan Williams who died last year.

The winner was new member Phil Jackson with 11 fish for 8lb. Terry Webb claimed second with a seven fish bag totaling 5lb 9oz.

Scarlett in the pink at Stanford match

The weather conditions may have prevented large bags of fish, but 40 anglers still contested the Stanford-Le-Hope beach open.

Steve Scarlett, from Canvey, took first place with five flounders totalling 3lb 15oz.

Second place went to Basildon's Charlie Keeling, who also caught five flounders which weighed in at 3lb 4oz.

Mick Neve's journey up from Kent proved worthwhile as he finished in third place with his three flounders totalling 2lb 8oz.

The biggest fish of the day was the 1lb 2oz flounder landed by Kent angler Colin Simmonds. All fishermen had to use lugworm bait.

Event organiser Dion McFayden said the open usually saw bags in excess of 30lb winning, but blamed the cold weather for the smaller winning margins on January 3.

Conditions round-up

Sea anglers have spring in their step

The question most sea anglers must be asking themselves this week is: "Is it winter or spring?"

Although conditions can hardly be described as "wintry", it still comes as a surprise to hear of a 5lb bass being taken from the shore and even a few thornbacks, scaling nearly 11lb, caught from Bradwell.

However, there is no need for excitement. Anglers must remember that it is still only January and there is still plenty of time for change.

At the moment the rivers are full of sprats, which brings the cod from the bottom and makes it difficult to catch for the rod and line angler.

The best sprat shoal reported so far was over 23 feet deep.

Southend Boats

Unless you can get right out the best fishing appears to be in the river, just beyond Canvey, where a good few codling are there to be had.

Southend pier

A few dabs have been taken from the end along with a few flounders from the stem of the pier.

Southend beaches

Night tides are giving the best sport with the bulk of the action being taken up by flounders.

However, even the flounder fishing is being hampered by the large numbers of undersize fish.

River Crouch

No reports received.

River Blackwater

This area continues to give the best of the boat fishing with up to 30 codling per boat and a best of 9lb 8oz.

This top specimen was caught by Ray Oare on Terry Batt's boat Vicky Emma.

Also further out there were a few thornbacks to be had, with the best falling to Brian Striker at 10lb 8oz.

Stanford

Good numbers of flounders with Charlie Keating catching 17 fish for 23lb, all on only 40 lug!

Canvey, Tilbury, Gravesend

Expect one or two codling here. Tilbury anglers also have been catching several flounders.

Thamesmead, Erith

A few flounders with a few small codling.

Sea round-up

Contact Bait and Tackle's Ray Power on 01702 617764

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.