Grenvilles Two Tone at 56 lb 4 oz by Spencer Powell

Paul Allgood with Grenvilles second fifty at 51 lb 14 oz

Our common stockies have really caught the eye in the last few years and we now have 3 over 50 lb including a magnificent 55 lb in a no publicity water, a 52 lb from Linears Oxlease Lake and a 51 lb from a Kent no publicity water. Bringing me onto Linear Fisheries without doubt the best day ticket carp fishery in the country and it has literally thousands of stockies from us on site. Len Guard and Bailiff Roy Parsons have had a great deal of faith in our fish right from the word go and the 52 lb common was from our 1995 fish that were stocked into Oxlease in the winter of 1999 at 10 lb. The common was one of a number of fish that survived the floods and the subsequent bacterial problems and if it wasn’t for that I’m sure there would have been several other fifties in Oxlease by now. After Chris Blunt became Fishery Manager our involvement at Linear continued and for the last 12 years have stocked hundreds of fish into the Linear waters each year. Every one of the venues are full of our stockies with thousands of twenties, hundreds of thirties and an ever increasing number of forties coming through. Chris has loved out scaly fish in recent years and this year we have hundreds of three summer and four summer fish being stocked.

Linears first 50 lb common at 52 lb from Oxlease

Another firm supporter of our fish has been Mike Richardson owner of Monks Pit near Huntingdon. Our biggest fish in Monks is Porky at just over 51 lb and there are literally dozens of forties and over a hundred thirties and I am looking forward to seeing how this year’s four summer fish progress. Into Essex and The Manor which has seen several of our fish top fifty pounds at certain times of the year while a handful of very special five summer commons have roared since being stocked four years ago with the best now just short of 40 lb. Another water containing one of our fifties is Fryerning Fishery in Essex where one of our stockies The Gurm has gone to an impressive 53 lb, while there are several others over the 40 lb mark. The first time I saw Mitch Raynors The Rise in Essex I knew it was going to become a very special water and since being stocked with a mixture of four, five and six summer fish it has never looked back and now holds several forties to 45 lb and looks certain to be another Essex venue to produce a Simmo Fifty. Next to the old Cemex waters and one of our 1996 spawned fish stocked in 1999 at 12 lb Starry became a recent fifty when landed at 54 lb from Kingsmeade 1. There are some cracking fish coming on behind Starry including some stunning commons and Kingsmeade Starry with the quality bait going in could be a candidate to make 60 lb. Horton Church Lake also has a number of forty pound plus fish and Hercules has been out just short of 50 lb, while Fingers and several others are not far behind. Others venues with thirties and fish approaching or already forty include The Pads Lakes, Sandhurst, The Road Lake, Blue Pool Chertsey and the up and coming Westhampnet. Another water to pop up with one of our stockies at over 50 lb is Medbury Lane Fishery. Previous owner Steve Wilkes stocked the fish known as the Big Simmo at 2005 as a five summer fish at 17 lb and it was caught recently at 50 lb 14 oz. Some very well run fisheries in Norfolk The Nunnery and West Stow run by Jason Davis and Tinker both hold some cracking forties that have grown on from our stockies and they have been keen supporters of our fish for over the last decade and one of our ghosties is just about the biggest in the country and could be the first 50 lb ghostie. Another water on the verge of producing its first 50 lb is Dovecotte Lake in Bedford which has several mid-forties. Another water very much on the up is The Foundry in Lincoln which has produced fish to over 40 lb from our stockies which are young fish still and will grow on to be whackers under the sensible management of the syndicate. Next to Milton Abbas and Wayne Littles fabulous Dorset water which recently produced The Baby Common at its best ever weight of 48 lb 12 oz and it won’t be long before Baby goes 50 lb, while the venue holds a cracking stock of very rarely caught commons that are creeping on up in the weights. Next to Farmer Johns Leverets Lake down in Somerset and I am so pleased this venue turned out to be a success. John, his wife Sandy and the boys have worked tooth and nail to make this a success and I was involved before the lake was dug. John stocked the venue exactly as I told him and the advice I gave him was exactly the same as if I was stocking it myself. We stocked a mixture of three summer, four summer, five summer and a few six summer fish and followed up 2 years late with three summer commons and the venue wasn’t fished for 2 years. The fish went in the lake in November 2006 and have never looked back. Speck the common now goes 44 lb 2 oz, Arnie 39 lb while there must be 30 thirties present along with 150 twenties which are nearly all upper twenties. Farmer John has since stocked two lots of scaly males and these are now doing over 20 lb from 11 lb two and a half years ago. You can’t get a syndicate ticket for Farmer Johns for love nor money these days and it’s no wonder.

Next to The Isle of Wight and Tim Oatley has created three very special waters on The Island from our stockies almost entirely apart from a handful from AJS Fisheries. When we started working with Tim in 1998 nobody could foresee what was going to happen to some relatively small pieces of water but through excellent fishery management and having faith in our stockies from day one Tim has achieved some fantastic results. Starting on the legendary syndicate water Monks Pool with a stock of around 35 fish including 10 forties and 15 thirties. The fishery will do The Islands first proper fifty ( a spawn caught common at 52 lb Islands records died) and it’s a toss-up between The Boxer and The Linear. The Boxer has been 49 lb in the past but was 47 lb 10 oz when last caught, while The Linear was out this year to Spencer Wright at 48 lb 2 oz. The Boxer is a 1998 stockie at 10 lb, while The Linear is a 1999 stockie at 8 lb. The venue also holds two cracking commons, The Spring and Big Scale that are both forties. Chloe, Bluebell and Clift are forties while three or four others hover around that weight depending on the time of the year.

Next to The Islands largest body of water Blackwater at six acres and this one is going to really turn some heads in the next few years with already people prepared to pay an average of £70 a time from the mainland for the ferry alone. However I can’ see Tim letting anyone but islanders on it. Blackwater was originally stocked with three summer and four summer fish in 2002 with a few fish here and there since, however it was a stocking of four summer special males that were stocked around 2008 that have taken the place by storm with Del Harris taking two of the stockies Rascal at 45 lb and Dave at 45 lb 4 oz. He also took others of 41 lb 2 oz and 37 lb 12 oz. Apart from Dave and Rascal The Paultons Common keeps banging it on and since coming out at around 43 lb in the autumn fell to the rods of Steve Kitcher at 45 lb 6 oz this spring. Another on the move in Blackwater has been Floppy Tail at 43 lb 8 oz. With over 50 thirties of which 26 are over 35 lb. I firmly believe Blackwater will hold 10 fish over 50 lb within five years. The fish are still young and Tim’s excellent fishery management will make sure they push on up.

Del Harris with Dave at 45 lb 4 oz

Steve Kitcher with The Paultons Common at 45 lb 6 oz

Finally onto The Islands Rookley Park where Tim’s superb two acre day ticket water saw a fishery record mirror set just a while back with Shane Thomas taking Millie at 42 lb. Rookley holds over 100 twenties and numerous thirties with the commons which are a few years younger than the mirrors pushing on through. Managing 150 fish averaging over 20 lb isn’t an easy task in less than two acres but Tim manages it and the fish are a credit to him. Millie was from the 1996 spawning that went to Tim at 5 lb, while the rest of the fish were stocked at three summer and four summer fish.

Amongst our customers who buy fish from us every single year and all have their lakes full of our stockies are Todber Manor, Longleat And Shearwater, Warmwell, White Springs and Cefyn Mabley lakes to name a few and all have big heads of our stockies in very successful fisheries. We also stock each year Andy Stumps Wildmoor and the next door Cherry Lakes who both run very successful holiday letting businesses off the back of our stockies with Wildmoor producing twenties and thirties on a daily basis from fish that have gone in now bigger than 12 lb. On Mike Kirchs Chery Lakes next door it’s a fairly new fishery with Mike taking it over four years ago. But already our stockies are putting on weight and providing sport for those staying in the lodges. Numerous other water on The Cotswold Water Park hold our fish and Bramblemere owned by Steve received some of our there summer fish and is very much one to look out for in the future. Bradleys has produced fish to 50 lb from our stockies with several other hush hush syndicates. On The Water Park they have fish well in excess of 40 lb. In The Midlands top day ticket fishery Baden Hall has received some of our stockies that have raced on to 43 lb. while not too far away is another syndicate water full of our fish to just over 30 lb which is Hams Hall. Further North we have our stockies in Raker Lakes, Rainbow Lake, Carp vale Doubles, Wainstone Syndicate, The Aldermere Syndicate and Lonsdale Park. The list of waters of which we have stocked and the people and clubs that we have dealt with is endless but includes Stafford Moor, Anglers Paradise, Clawford Vineyard, Colchester and District A.C, St Georges Lake, Dartford and District, Warrington A.C, Ringwood and District, Christchurch and District, Eastleigh and District, Test Valley Angling, Stream Valleys, Waveney Lakes, Llyn-y-Gors, Kenny Gates, Tom Banks, Wentworth Estate, Ringstead Lake, Willows lake St Albans, East Delph Lakes, Millbrook Fishery’s, R.H Fishery’s, Pondwood, Tom Tebbutt, Jay Folly and Tall trees, Richard Grove, Bryn Bach Park, Totton Kingfisher Syndicate, Patshull Park, Broad oak Fishery’s, The Wazeing Estate and Merrington Fishery.