(In Conjunction with Country Sports

Majors Lakes Newsletter Quarter Three 2014 (In conjunction with Country Sports Majors Lakes and WallEnd carp Fishery supports the work of the Environment Agency.

JOHN OSMER (Johno)

Any member that has fished Majors Lakes over the years would have at sometime I am sure met John Osmer, especially if you have been one of the members that have regularly fished our monthly matches. But John may be better known to some of you, by his adopted nickname … Johno.

Johno has also made regular contributions to our newsletter over the years, which I am sure you will recall.

Unfortunately just over a month ago Johno was diagnosed with terminal cancer, a complete shock to everybody that knows him, but Johno being the person he is, has always been able to keep a smile on his face and a jovial attitude to his situation.

It is without doubt, that the support Johno has received from both family and friends has been very comforting to him over this very difficult time.

So I hope you will understand that it is this typical jovial nature that Johno has, that compelled me to share a couple of recent photos he had sent to me, from his bed in The Maidstone Hospital.

I think it truly does epitomise the John Osmer (Johno) that we know and admire.

WOODLAND TRUST

A few months back we experienced a small group of youngsters using Majors Lakes as a short cut to the Woodland Trust fields. We are not exactly sure if they have been climbing over the gate, or indeed if the gate has been left open, giving them free access.

It appears that these youngsters were simply using the lake as a short cut and nothing more, and they do not appear to have caused any damage or serious problems. This was nothing more than a little annoying, and we are pleased to say, that they do not appear to have returned, if indeed they ever will. But that is very much how we would like to keep it.

We know that our members like most of us have a busy schedule. However we would still like to ask that all members be mindful of any unauthorised visitors to our lake, and ask that any member passing the lake, at any time, make the effort to quickly look in and check if there is anybody there that possibly shouldn’t be. It is after all trespass, onto private property.

Should you see anybody at Majors Lakes that you are uncertain of, especially if they are loitering and not fishing? Please call Mark Whyatt on 07939 573323. Mark is in contact with our local Police Community Support Officer who has been assigned to assist us in this matter if needs be.

Hopefully you will have also noticed that we have now placed several new signs within the lake grounds, outlining amongst other things, that there is no access to the Woodland Trust land via Majors Lakes. There are similar signs installed at other key points around the lake too.

We would also remind all members at this time, of the importance of closing and locking the main gate behind them, after both entering and leaving the lake.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SCRAMBLE THE CODE ON THE PADLOCK.

We have also fitted a new coded bolt lock on to the club hut. The code for the hut lock is the same code as the one for the main gate, and understandably the same rule applies.

SCRAMBLE THE CODE AFTER LEAVING THE HUT.

SLUICE OVERFLOW

For reasons of health and safety, we have built a fence surrounding the sluice at Majors Lakes. The door on the fence surround will be locked at all times and all keys will be held by our bailiffs. Anybody that takes the time to look at the workmanship carried out by the local fencing contractor Andrew Harland the proprietor of A Harland Fencing cannot fail to be impressed.

So, it is with this in mind that I thought I would share Andrews company details with you, so that any member contemplating having work of a similar nature carried out may contact Andrew if they so wish.

A. Harland Fencing and Landscapes, 82, Ashford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 4LS. Tel: 07876 540250.

MAJORS LAKES CHARITY MATCH WINNER 2014

The winner of the Majors Lakes Charity Match for 2014 was Colin Chapman with a winning weight of 10lb 12oz.

Everybody was very happy with the amount of competitors that took part this year, considering we had 5 regular members that due to other commitments were not able to fish this match. But in saying that, those anglers that were able to fish still allowed us to raise the sum of £130.00 for the selected charity, which this year was The Oliver Fisher Trust, who support sick and premature babies.

Once again many thanks to all that fished and helped raise the money...

This match as a whole saw greatly improved weights compared to other matches of late. Although we admit there is still an appreciable difference from say a couple of years ago, we are now certainly beginning to turn a corner.

For example, we had acceptable weights during the charity match from Allan Withers, Steven Redding and Micky Pettengell. In fact every angler caught at the match.

We have particularly seen a major improvement in the size of fish now being caught too, especially where Carp, Tench to 3lb 3oz, Bream to 5lb+, Perch to 2lb, and good sized Roach and Rudd are concerned, and this will certainly improve even more very soon, with the planned introduction of more silver fish that have been ordered and are due to be stocked.

<< My Bream caught at the evening charity match. Although not weighed it was estimated at 5lb to 7lb plus.

I would also like to clarify at this point just how the club selects the recipient charity each year, so that any confusion is avoided.

It was decided back in 2013 that the winner of that years match will decide where the donation goes the following year. This means, member Michael. S. Andrews, the winner of the 2013 match decided which charity received the donation from the monies raised in the 2014 match (see above). This simply means the winner of the 2014 match will now decide which charity receives the donation from the 2015 match, and so repeating that exact format each and every year going forward.

2014 MATCH RESULTS QUARTER THREE

MATCHWINNER FOR JULY 2014

1st PLACE. Steve Taylor WEIGHT. 16lb 0oz.

2nd PLACE. Micky Pettengell WEIGHT. 9lb 09oz

MATCH WINNER FOR AUGUST 2014

1st PLACE. Derek Shields WEIGHT. 4lb 09oz

2nd PLACE. Ivan Noakes WEIGHT. 3lb 12oz

MATCH WINNER FOR SEPTEMBER 2014

1st PLACE. Michael Andrews WEIGHT. 2lb 06oz

2nd PLACE. Mark Whyatt WEIGHT 2lb 03.5oz DON BIRD MATCH SHIELD

2014 MATCH RESULTS BY ANGLER TOTAL ADJUST ANGLERS POINTS POINTS POINTS POINTS POINTS ED MATCH MATCH MATCH MATCH MATCH POSITI NAME,DATE AND 6 7 8 9 10 POINTS ONS 20.07.1 17.08.1 28.09.1 MATCH POINTS 4 4 4 2014 1 ALLAN WITHERS 17 17 13 126 1 2 IVAN NOAKES 16 18 16 124 2 3 STEVEN REDDING 14 7 12 108 3 4 IAN BEDFORD 12 12 14 107 4 5 MIKE S ANDREWS 16 0 20 106 5 6 MIKE D ANDREWS (S) 12 14 15 102 6 7 MICKY PETTENGEL 18 16 8 101 7 8 RICHARD JONES 9 10 11 96 8 9 ANTONY FORD 13 13 8 92 9 10 DEREK SHIELDS 0 20 0 80 10 11 COLIN CHAPMAN 0 11 10 80 11 12 MARK SMITH 10 0 0 79 12 13 STEVE TAYLOR 20 0 9 72 13 14 MARK WHYATT 0 9 18 47 14 15 JOHN OSMER 0 0 0 44 15 16 CRIS THOMAS 0 15 17 32 16 17 ALEX BEVAN 0 8 0 25 17 18 BARRY GILLAM 0 0 0 24 18 19 MARK HELPS 0 0 0 14 19 20 MANDY SALT 0 0 0 12 20 21 STEVEN AMBROSE 0 0 0 0 21

WALLEND CARP FISHERY (WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT) It is with regret that we must inform all members that due to unforeseen circumstances WallEnd Carp Fishery in Sheerness will no longer be available to members as an all year round water. We apologise for any disappointment that this may cause.

COUNTRY SPORTS FACEBOOK PAGE

Each and every week we are receiving more likes, more comments and more photos of catches being posted. Although it must be said that most of the photos come from members fishing our sister lake WallEnd Carp Fishery, there is now more being posted from Majors Lakes.

So may I ask that you please visit our Facebook page, write a comment, give it a “LIKE” and when possible add to it in any way you can, even if you only have a general question.

It is a club Facebook page for club members. Please try and make use of it.

REMAINING 2014 MATCH AND WORK PARTY DATES

MATCH DATES FOR 2014

OCTOBER 26th

NOVEMBER 23rd (Secret Santa Match, your present is not to exceed £5.00) WORK PARTIES DECEMBER 7th 9 am till 12pm Can please we ask that you make the effort to attend our last work party of 2014

CATCH PHOTOGRAPHS

Our bailiffs are constantly being told of excellent catches throughout the year, consisting of Carp, Bream, Tench and Perch, and not forgetting the excellent catches of Roach, Rudd and Chubletts, Barbel, Skimmers and even Gudgeon. We would like your special catches to be shared with other members, so that they can enjoy them too. So may we ask that where possible, you photograph all notable catches and send them to me at [email protected] so that I can use them in forthcoming newsletters, the Country Sports web site and our Facebook page?

It is also worth reminding everybody at this point, that there is a catch record book kept in the club hut where members can enter their catch information for other members to read and learn from.

My thanks to those members that have sent photos already. SOME SIGNIFICANT 2014 CATCHES FROM WALL END A SELECTION OF COURSE FISHING BAITS

I Hope that the article below that I recently found on the internet may be of interest to some of our members.

Coarse fishing has spawned a huge variety of baits, both natural and 'unlikely'. Some of these, and the species you are likely to catch, are listed below. BREAD. Bread will make at least five forms of bait to assist the angler when fishing, 1. The crust on an uncut loaf is perfect for floating on the top of the water for Carp. 2. The inside of a fresh loaf is ideal for pinching onto the hook as flake. 3. The inside can also be soaked and made into a paste. 4. A fresh sliced loaf is used with a bread punch. (Perfect for Roach) 5. Left over bread can also be liquidised and frozen down for use at a later date as a cloud bait or to mix with shop brought groundbait. MAGGOT. Maggots come in all colours and sizes and are the main bait for most anglers, they are bred on bait farms where millions of flies are kept in sheds to lay eggs on old meat, the eggs turn to maggots and as they feed on the carcases they drop to the bottom of the pen and are then collected and cleaned for the shops. You get different maggots from different flies. These can then be coloured by the breeder or the angler to produce a range of colours from the natural White to Red, Yellow, Bronze, Green, Fluorescent, and so on. 1. The Bluebottle gives you the ordinary maggot; this is used for all species of fish mainly as a hook bait. 2. The Greenbottle gives you the pinkie; these are smaller than the ordinary maggot and are used mainly as a feeder maggot to hold fish in the swim. 3. The ordinary housefly gives you the squat, this is the smallest type of maggot and is used mainly in feeders with groundbait again to attract and hold fish in the swim, squats lay on the bottom as opposed to the others that try to hide under the silt. CASTER. Caster is the next stage of the maggot’s lifecycle; this is when it turns into a chrysalis (caster) after it has eaten away its food sack (the black spot that you see inside a fresh maggot). The best casters come from the white maggot and are turned over a period of a few days, if left in the heat or sun they will turn too quickly and go black. 1. Caster is a good hookbait and is ideal for Roach fishing, also good for Bream and Tench. (The bites are very fast with this bait) it is also excellent for Chub and Barbel. 2. Caster and Maggot cocktail, this is also a very good combination hookbait for Bream and Tench, also Chub and Eels. WORMS. There are four main common types of worms used for fishing, and two not so common and harder to come by. 1. The big garden lobworm, use this on the hook for Pike and Perch, Barbel, Chub, Tench, Bream, Eels and Zander also it is ideal when chopped up in a feeder cup as an attracter. 2. The dendrobaena, found in compost heaps, this is smaller than the lob and is used on the hook as a single bait or in numbers for larger fish like Tench, Bream and Chub. 3. The Brandling, again found in compost heaps, this is a small reddish/brown worm with yellow stripes, best used for Perch, Grayling, Roach, and Rudd. (It smells horrible when broken) 4. The small Redworm, the best of these are found in manure by chicken runs, again a deadly bait when ledgering for Bream, also a good alternative when Tench and Carp are around. 5. Bloodworm, this is a deadly hookbait on canals and when the fishing is hard, it is the larvae of the Gnat and is harvested in stagnant ponds and streams, you need a scraper and floating sieve, it is easier to buy it but it is expensive. 6. Joker, again the larvae of a Gnat, this is used as a feed mixed with loam and dropped onto the bottom of the swim as an attractor and used in conjunction with Bloodworm. SEEDS & BERRIES. This list is endless and you can use most seeds, Sweetcorn, Hemp, Wheat, Tares, and most of the berries that you see on the trees that overhang the water, you will find that Chub especially like to lie under the overhanging branches waiting for the free offerings that drop into the water, need I say more. 1. Hemp, cooked until the white kernel shows and used on the hook, deadly for Roach. Also used as a loose feed on canals or in feeders for river fishing. 2. Tares, cooked until soft and used as hookbait for Roach. 3. Sweetcorn, straight from the tin, ideal for Carp, Tench, Bream, used as hookbait and loose feed. 4. Berries straight on to the hook. MEATS. You can use most meats for Carp, Tench, and Chub. One example is Luncheon Meat which can be bought in your local tackle shop in a variety of flavours, including Tandoori Curry, Strawberry, Sardine and so on. You can also use Pork Pies, Sausages, Pork, Beef, Chicken, all of these can be flavoured with Marmite, Oxo, Curry, Horlicks, Jams, you name it and you can use it. And so the list can go on, as a rule of thumb for coarse fishing I believe in the "try anything once” method. Anyway the main thing is to enjoy yourself, good fishing. MAJORS LAKES CAR WINDOW STICKERS

These brilliant looking club car window stickers are now available to buy for just £1.00 each. Please contact our club bailiff Mark Whyatt. All monies will go to our club funds.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TACKLE DEALER

Kent's longest established fishing tackle dealer. Offering Great Service, Great Tackle & Great Prices

Maidstone Angling Centre 15, Perryfield Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 2SY. Tel:- 0 1622-200000 or Email [email protected]

We are stockists of Course; Carp, Sea and Game tackle, and offer a very extensive range of baits.

Every member of staff here at Maidstone Angling Centre is a keen angler and between us we have a great deal of experience in many different disciplines of the sport but we also have many customers who are great anglers who often share their tips and knowledge with us. This wide pool of inputs and experiences puts us in the enviable position of having quite literally thousands of hours of fishing know-how and bankside experience of hundreds of venues both in the UK and abroad. There is nothing we like more than helping people to catch better fish and using fresh techniques at new venues they would never have thought of. So give us a shout if you think we can help. We do our very best to be competitive on price, whilst offering a friendly personal service. Also find us on.. EBay = Tackle_247 / Twitter = @anglingambition / Facebook = Maidstone