Stones lakes, isle of sheppy

[Bluesbro]

Right as some of you may know I am predominantly a sea angler so you will have to excuse me if I use wrong terminology but I have recently been giving this freshwater fishing a go and I thought I would write up a report from my trip I went on last friday.


Me and Mowlman (and later his missus) went fishing at Stones nursery lakes on the Isle of Sheppy. We fished the speciemen lake which is the largest lake of the 3 and is the only one that doesn`t seem to have designated swims. It is in the shape of a large 0 with two islands in the middle making it look like 8 with an extra o on the bottom. The lake depth itself ranges from 2ft on the margins to 6ft on either end of the lake and I am told that if you want fish it is best to fish the end that is into the wind as all the food will end up in the deper holes. It is also a good tactic to fish the deeper holes along the nearside margins to you, using hemp as groundbait and red boileys (although i only found this out about an hour before home time!!

The lake supposedly holds carp up to 30lb, bream, roach, rudd and tench. There ae two other lakes that hold more smaller fish and they are supposedly easier to catch on but they dont have anywhere to put up a bivy so they are no good for over night trips. There is also a pike river/dyke being finished off that should be fishing next year.

I quite enjoy fishing at this lake and have been their 4 times now with my PB being a 9lb ghost carp, and my mates PB coming out at just over 20lb, I have also caught several rudd whilst fishing bread off the surface as well as smaller carp with this method. My most sucsessfull bait has been Halibut boiley with halibut paste and fish pellets in a mesh bag to make the groundbait. My mate Mowlman uses Cell and active 8 boileys and seems to have quite a bit of luck with these (squid and tuti fruti flavours I think but not sure) and he uses some (now excuse my description but i dont know their name!!) Polo looking baits that he slides onto the hooklength, making a chain of bait that dissolves aroud his boiley. My only critisism of the lake would be that their is very limited room to set up your bivy due to a road leading around the entire lake so you stryuggle to set up on either of the ends of the lake and along nearly one entire side. Also I think £25 for 24 hours is a tad steep for what you get (although i dont know as this is the only lake i`ve fished)

This trip was not as sucsessfull for me as the previous two and i only caught a small one of about 2lb (see pic) which I was told is a hybrid between a carp and a bream (someone called it a A1 or something??) My mate had a 8lb common and in the morning he also lost a bigger one in the reeds, with me shouting at him to get his arse out of bed whilst I was trying to keep it out in the open (i swear he keeps his drag too lose, he disagrees but the carp had a 20yard run, unhindered). Still we had a BBQ that night, a few beers and even his missus joined in late in the eve on the floating bread which was funny as the f**kers kept nudging the bait of her hooks, frustrating her greatly!!

Think I am going to go try a new lake next but gonna have to look into where is close to home that is worth going, as i dont fancy fishing a lake that it to hard to fish. Thinking about Monk lakes which are just on my door step,although i have to get fishing their speci lake out of my mates head first as im told it is difficult to catch on!! Or Im told abou Charlies lake in ashford and another on in ashford called sheeroak or something.


MY FISH


MOWLMANS FISH


EMMA JUST ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON THE FLOATING BREAD



THE VENUE


ME GETTING SET FOR BED, I AINT MISSING ANY FISH AS I SLEEP LOL

Well thats it for now tight lines all

Joe

[scottish_and_mental]

that's a nice looking bass in the first picture !

great report mate - even if it was a trip to the darkside .

[BoldBear]

Nice report & photos.

Similar to your mate Mowlman, I too use Active-X boilees and pellets when I am after large Tench on my local estate lake when I need to fish tight upto lilly beds at range and they have caught me some really big tench and Carp over the years, I also soak my hookbaits in an Active-8 boilee dip to give added attraction.

Once again great report, look forward to reading your next report when you next wander to the dark side.

Keith

[mac1]

Well done for giving freshwater fishing a go, hope you carry on, i find it a lot more relaxing and quiet than sea fishing.
One little tip, if your are fishing a small width lake [ like in pics ] pull your rods right back , so end tip is level with the edge of bank, especially if fishing margins, the fish get used to tree shadows etc etc , but can be spooked by overhanging rods,especially in shallow swims............mac

[MRG2000]

Cracking report and piccies Joe...

[Bluesbro]

Originally Posted by mac1

Well done for giving freshwater fishing a go, hope you carry on, i find it a lot more relaxing and quiet than sea fishing.
One little tip, if your are fishing a small width lake [ like in pics ] pull your rods right back , so end tip is level with the edge of bank, especially if fishing margins, the fish get used to tree shadows etc etc , but can be spooked by overhanging rods,especially in shallow swims............mac

Nice one Mac, i shall certainly keep that in mind for future trips

[king01]

hi mate,

Stones annoys me for the same reasons, you also get a lot of kids there. I live in sittingbourne and use Bax farm a lot. it's quite small but quiet with good facilities, hot food and a fully stocked shop. £10 for the night. 3 small lakes and a very nice stretch of river. you will smash your PB on Pan lake!

THere are plenty of other places to go around Maidstone and within an hours drive.

[Bluesbro]

Originally Posted by king01

hi mate,

Stones annoys me for the same reasons, you also get a lot of kids there. I live in sittingbourne and use Bax farm a lot. it's quite small but quiet with good facilities, hot food and a fully stocked shop. £10 for the night. 3 small lakes and a very nice stretch of river. you will smash your PB on Pan lake!

THere are plenty of other places to go around Maidstone and within an hours drive.

Cheers mate, I know of bax farm, is that in Teynham? Where unity tackle set up their new shop? 10er a night seems a bit more resonable, i may just have to give it a bash