Priory Park put itself firmly back on the angling map when a massive pike was brought to bank at the Southend water.

Steven Williams, of Maldon Road, Southend, was fishing drifted roach deadbait on a 12lb line and size eight treble hook when he got the bite during an afternoon session.

A hard 20 minute fight followed before the monster was netted and weighed by Priory bailiff Steve Oz.

The scales kept on turning until the reading steadied at an incredible 27lb, making it the largest authenticated pike from the seaside fishery in the past three years.

Monster - Southend angler Steven Williams displays his massive 27lb pike taken at Priory Park Musson makes hay at Meadows open

Local matchman John Musson netted a tremendous 17lb 2oz bream haul to take top place in the action packed Lake Meadows Open where the entire field averaged over 6lb per man.

John chose a swim on the grass bank where he started badly losing a big bream at the net on his first cast.

He quickly recovered to land a string of fish tempting them with quivertip tactics, alternating between single maggot and double pinkie baits.

Second place went to Dave Hemmings who fished from the sluice bank to weigh in 14lb 6oz of roach. Dave fished a pole taking most of his fish on pinkies.

Les Wesbeach concentrated on the bream to take third place with an 11lb 15oz haul.

The catch came from a swim to the left of the sluice, falling to quivertip tactics.

Pole angler Mark Campion landed fourth place with a 10lb 10oz roach haul taken from the Sluice Bank. Stan Howard was fifth with 8lb 6oz, Ken Hannel sixth with 8lb 5oz, Ron Smith seventh with 8lb, and John Bell eighth with 7lb 9oz.

The next Lake Meadows Open will take on Sunday. Meet in the Car Park from 7.30am for an 8am walk off.

Fishing time will be 9am till 3pm. Bloodworm and joker are both barred.

Entry will cost £7, (100 percent payout), with the usual day ticket payable on the bank.

The event will be a walk-off and will not affect pleasure anglers at the venue. For more information ring Mick Toomer on 01268 282317.

(Right) Stanford-le-Hope's John Musson shows his match-winning 17lb 2oz Lake Meadows bream haul Don't doubt Thomas

Sport has picked-up considerably at Doggetts, Rochford, with the big pike again taking all the headlines.

Thomas Dill, of Rayleigh, braved horrendous winds on the north bank but still managed to land two pike of 12lb and 14lb. Both his fish were landed on frozen herring.

Junior angler David Timms, of Hockley, was delighted to land two jack pike during as session at the Doggetts' long arm. David made use of a black and gold spinner to attract his brace.

During the cold easterly winds which arrived midweek Ray Stacey, of Hawkwell, achieved one of his angling ambitions - to land a 20lb pike. While Ray ledgered his eel section from the east bank, his indicators repeatedly registered the smallest of takes.

However, late in the session, Ray's bait took-off and a few minutes later he banked a a fine 20.2lb predator.

With the persistent strong winds the areas that suited plugging became limited but Peter Longman managed a 9lb pike from the end of the long arm, a swim which another angler had just vacated having blanked. MacFayden in running

Canvey's Dion MacFayden has kept his nose in front in the prestigious race for the Rushindon Bay Flounder Kent League Open title.

MacFayden came third against 47 other anglers in the penultimate round of the four-stage series, netting a three-flounder haul of 2lbs 2ozs.

Points are awarded in descending order - one for finishing first, two for second, three for third and so on.

MacFayden has recorded one win and two third places - and his seven-point total puts him ahead of fellow Islander Steve Scarlett (nine points) and Kent's Trevor Flack (ten).

However, it was Flack who triumphed in the third-round event, with a trio of flounders totalling 2lbs 11ozs.

Another Kent angler, Ernie Maynard, came second after catching three flounders weighing 2lbs 4ozs in all.

The final round of the Open is next month, with a £400 prize at stake for the overall winner. Kipling's good Northlands pike

Pike anglers continue to take some excellent fish at Northlands Park.

Barry Kipling, who recently landed a 22lb 14oz fish at the venue, made a brief visit and came away having taken a seventeen pounder.

Barry arrived at the lake to be greeted by two bream anglers who told him that a big pike was disturbing their bream shoal. He stopped at the next swim and, on his second cast, hooked the fish with his Toby lure!

Adrian Sheridan also had pike on his mind when he visited Northlands Park.

It didn't take long for him to hook a big fish on his spinning gear, but it wasn't the pike he was hoping for. After a prolonged battle he landed an 18lb common carp foul hooked in the tail!

Bream anglers are taking better numbers of quality fish from Northlands Park, with bags of up to eight reported from both lakes. Mark Macdonald fished the caf lake to land seven bream to a best of 4lb 5oz.

He used a quivertip rod and a small bomb, tempting his twenty pound plus haul with luncheon meat and bread baits.

The next Northlands Park Pike Open will take place this coming Sunday.

Meet at the Northlands Park caf from 7.30am for an 8am walk off. Entry will cost £5 with the usual day ticket payable on the bank. Conditions round-up

Southend boats

When the winds allowed, some Southend boats managed to travel well down river and discovered reasonable numbers of codling in the 4lb to 8lb bracket.

Thornbacks are also showing but are a little patchy.

In the river things are starting to quiten down, a few plaice are showing off Shoebury plus a number of codling and plenty of dabs and small whiting.

Southend pier

A few codling have been taken from the east point of the extension but dabs, small whiting and undersize bass are proving a nuisance.

The stem is producing a few flounders plus the occasional plaice but small bass are, again, still a problem.

Southend beaches

East of the casino is most productive but still only a few flounders and small bass showing. Night tides see small flounders getting in the way.

Canvey Island

The odd codling is now showing from scars elbow but apart from this the best chance of a sizeable fish is a flounder.

Essex Angling Centre Sea Round-up

Contact Peter Marshall on 01702 711231

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