Bailiff Comments

Week Commencing: Sat 10/05/2025

WAIT!

Is That Spooner’s Dad?

Well, its been another fantastic week’s fishing. Fish coming from all around the pond with eleven out the twelve anglers catching, with a total of 56 fish landed. Both on the zig and on the bottom, the zig has been working from 18ft if its a slightly cooler day with cloud but if its warm, with no wind it’s been anything up to 24ft. Fish getting caught off the bottom have been coming to mainly wafter’s, match the hatch or match the hatch with a little topper. Again the same with previous week’s the carp are moving around the pond in numbers and moving fast, one swim could look dead then the next there’s a few hundred carp in the swim and it’s making things very exciting.

First off were talk about Tom Maker, Tom came out 3rd in the draw and managed to land one of his first choices of swim “The Alamo”. Now, I cant go into to much detail on his captures as there’s a film coming out in the coming months, but Tom ended his week on a total of 19 fish, seven coming from the zig around the 18-19ft mark and the rest coming of the deck at 31 wraps towards the dome tree left of Bob’s Beach. Feeding boilie and hemp and got through around 35kg of boilie and 15kg of hemp. As I said i would love to tell you all about it but your just have to wait until the film is realised on the Korda YouTube channel, and trust me its not going to be one to miss! 

Let’s talk about Ricky Martin (What A Name) not just the name but if you closed your eyes and he spoke, you would think you’re in the same room as Harry Kane! More about the fishing, Ricky came out dead last in the draw and with Baxters and Oblivion left he opted to go for Oblivion, solid choice. Not long after getting the rod out with a 18ft zig he was away, and on the end was “Two Time” at 71lb 4oz, mega carp but there’s a cool story behind this one, last time Ricky was at the venue two years ago he managed to land the same fish out of Stock Pond on a 19ft zig, 900 fish in the pond and he manages to catch the same one twice in two trips, whats the odd’s. The action for Ricky ended as fast as it started, the fish decided to do the off to the opposite side but he did manage to catch one more later on in the week “Crucible” at 38lb 8oz, this one coming of the deck at 22 wraps towards Bob’s Beach feeding boilie and house pellet.  

Then Spooner’s Dad lookalike, Harvey Claydon managed to land himself in Pole Position. A slow couple of day’s but but on very first light Monday morning his short rod was away and in came towards the net was the mighty “Shoulder’s” at 68lb 8oz, caught at 19 wraps towards the scary tree (right of Big Suv) over a bed of house pellet. Harvey was fishing two spots one at 28wraps to the right of stink and the other being at 19 wraps where he caught shoulders from. Harvey had slow week there after but he did manage one more, again off the short spot “Galician” at 35lb. Both fish came to a IQD-Rig, size 4 curve shank with a match the hatch wafter and a little yellow topper.

Neil Taylor, what a week he had over in Stink. Not loads of fish, a total five but he did manage to catch a very very special carp “The Armadillo” at a new top weight of 53lb 12oz and with that a new 50 for the Main Lake. The Armadillo is the most amazing carp you could lay you’r eyes on, not only stunning but a very rare one. Only caught a total of three times on record and a massive 10 year gap between a capture, mind blowing carp! Neil was only fishing short out of stink, the same as the week before around that 15 wrap mark. Feeding boilie with the stick and using a D-Rig, match the hatch wafter with a pink topper on a heel lead system. He did also catch one of his five fish on a 18ft zig, not clipping up but casting around the 20 wrap mark.

Darren Jones, Aka The Poacher, AkA Sick Note managed to land himself in Alcatraz and once again the swim pulled up another blinding week, a total of 9 fish. Catching on the zig and off the deck. Darren caught steady throughout the week and although he returns year after year, and catches steady each time, he’s never managed a 50 plus so this was the target for the week. On the final morning he was cut short by 12oz but still a mega carp “Equalled” at 49lb 4oz, he also managed to catch a few other nice ones, “Baby Leather” st 39lb 12oz, “Baby Chocco” at 38lb 8oz, again two carp that don’t see the bank that often. The zig was worked hard by Darren, cast around the multiple swim’s he was fishing, long and short. 18ft when it was a bit cooler and 24ft when it was warm and still. The bottom bait spot was at 28 wraps towards the scary tree left of Big Suv, feeding boilie and pellet on this spot, and again same as the other’s D-Rig with match the hatch wafter’s.

Max Ward the “Bream Slayer”, Max has visited us twice in the last month or so and he’s been doing very well on the zig but catching the wrong species (bream), the dreaded bream, and it still blows my mind to how he manages it. But this time as well as his miss fortune he did manage to catch two scaley old original carp. “Fight Club” at 43lb 10oz and “Moroccan Sunset” at 33lb 12oz, both coming from the treeline margin at 21 wraps but not casting, it was a bit of a team effort with son Jacob. Jacob would push the bush backer pole from out the trees and max would cast over the pole with a lite lead, run round clip on a 4oz plus a rig and hand lower it down onto the shelf, a great tactic for this swim. A simple blow back rig with a match the hatch wafter over Active 8 boilie, house hemp and maize mix.

Son of Max, Jacob Ward was over in Big Girls and managed a few through the 4hrs of fishing he managed to achieve throughout the week. First blood was a P.B, “Half Moonscale” at 49lb 4oz, 2nd being a 27lb common and the 3rd was caught on the last morning, one of our baby stocky’s at 14lb. Jacob was fishing 21.5 wraps towards the inlet pipe from the stock pond. It was a lottery for Jacob really in this swim, hoping for the fish to spawn in the stock pond as this attracts the carp when the spawn comes down the pipe, but this never happened. He done well to catch the three fish as they never really turned up throughout the week in this swim. Same rig wise as dad, blow back rig, active 8 wafter with a corn topper. 

Joe Horne in Big Suv manged two fish for his troubles early on, the fish were there on the first day but slowly drifted off to different parts of the pond, but he still made hay when the fish were there. “Obelix” at 43lb 12oz was one and the other being “Stinger” at 26lb. Both caught in short at 14 wraps towards the headland on a rig thats not often used “Choddy’s”.

Shaun Russell was in Bob’s Beach, now if you read the catch reports in recent weeks this bank has been slightly tricky over the last month or so but the fish are starting to move in. The fish showed up on a few occasions, this meant shaun was able to catch a total of three fish. Nothing massive just a few of our baby’s but still their moving in and im sure in the coming weeks this swim could start producing some units. Shaun was fishing 17 wraps towards Alamo, feeding boilie with a D-Rig, match the hatch wafter over the top. 

And finally the man himself, Will Greenhill, the uncle of the group. Will almost killed Darren on the draw as he wanted Traz but he had to deal with Stock Pond, and once again stock pond produced a few. One of the most consistent swims one the lake this year, if my memory serves me rite im sure it hasn’t done a blank since the end of February, so a solid swim to be in for a couple of bites and Will proved that, a total of three fish with the biggest being “Usain Bolt” at 29lb. Fishing over to the 26 wrap spot in the corner. 

Myself, I was in Baxters this week, I only managed the one down the right hand margin. Im sure the fish were cleaning me out throughout the day when im busy at work. As proven this week, only one fish out the 56 caught was at night. Not ideal for us bailiffs but it was much more fun watching these boys have a great time! Doing me go to thing with the rigs, short spinner’s with match the hatch wafters. I did play about with the zig to no joy. 

It was a great week this week, these lads come every May and always manage to catch plenty of carp and the banter is off the scale. 

Well lets hope the fishing continues for the next coming weeks, spawning is on the horizon im sure but there isn’t to many big signs of it yet apart some of the males milting on the mat, but im sure their not quiet ready as of yet. 

Until next time 

Tight lines 

Ben