KEEP IT CLEAN & DRY
Many will be aware that sadly KHV has been confirmed in waters in near Canterbury. KHV (Koi Herpes Virus) is a notifiable disease of fish which, whilst it has no implications for human health, is highly infectious amongst fish and can result in up to 100% mortality (source CEFAS.) We hope that all anglers will join in supporting us to help limit the spread of KHV which puts your, and ours, enjoyment of angling at risk.
As a consequence of these recent disease outbreaks we will be introducing a number of measures to try and prevent the further spread of disease. Included within this, we will be carrying out checks to ensure that equipment is clean and dry before being used.
We kindly request that all anglers assist with these measures by checking their equipment to make sure that it is clean and dry before being used in / around the water, to ensure that the health and welfare of not only our stock, but the stock in all waters, is kept healthy for all to enjoy. Unfortunately, if it is not, you will NOT be permitted to fish. We respect & understand that some may not wish their equipment to be checked. However, if you prefer that your equipment is not checked then we expect that you will respect our decision to not let you fish.
Its a FIFTY!!! - Karl Eastley & New Lake Record
Christmas came early for Karl Eastley on Saturday (20th May), when he landed Cottington's Big Girl and with it the new Lake Pepper record;
Karl landed his prize from close to the reeds on peg 1 using the new Mainline blackcurrant liquorice wafters.
And the weight - 52lbs 10oz.
Congratulations Karl - very well deserved.
Jack Thompson on Lake Alder
Jack Thompson landed this rather lovely Common, weighing 20lbs 3oz, during a session on Lake Alder;
Landed from peg 1 using a safety rig with a scattering of hemp and a Cottington Red boilie.
Congratulations Jack!!
Andy Collins on Lake Alder
Fishing from peg 12 on Lake Alder, Cottington regular, Andy Collins, landed this lovely Mirror weighing 19lbs;
He added to his catch with this 8lbs 2oz Koi.
Both were landed using Camo's Carp Cabin bait.
Luke Aislabie on Lake Pepper
Whilst fishing in Blean Angling Club's regular pilgrimage to Cottington, Luke Aislabie landed this lovely bronze Mirror;
Luke was fishing the "old" section of Pepper from peg 7, when he landed this gem, weighing in at 32 lbs.
Congratulations Luke!!
A Day Out With The Family - Mark Snodding
We all like to see the big fish coming out, but what really makes this so great for us, is seeing generations of all ages, young and the more experienced young (or old as some might call us!!), men and women, families and friends coming out and enjoying time on the bank together. So its was great to hear from Mark Snodding who spent a day on the banks of Lake Windsor with his family.
Here's daughter Lilly Mae with a 4lbs 6oz Common;
Whilst partner Claire Witty landed two Commons, the first weighing 14lbs 6oz and the second weighing 6lbs 4oz;
Congratulations ladies!!
Err!!! Where's yours Mark!! Great to hear you enjoyed your day out.
Tom Skirrow on Lake Christine
Yet another "30" out of Lake Christine, this time brought to the bank by Tom Skirrow fishing from peg 2 and weighing 30lbs 8oz;
Lake Christine really is fishing well at the moment!!
Congratulations Tom!!
A Trio of 30s for Lee Finn on Christine
Lee Finn spent 48hrs on Christine over the 9th and 10th April, and came away with not one, but three "30s."
First up was this stunning Mirror, weighing a very healthy 36lbs 9oz;
Next up, to make an appearance on the bank, was another Mirror, this time weighing 31lbs;
And finally, Lee, fishing from pegs 9 & 10, landed this lovely Common, tipping the scales at 34lbs;
A fantastic session Lee. Congratulations!!
Liam McDonagh On Lake Christine
Liam McDonagh landed this stunning Mirror during a session on Lake Christine;
This stunner holds the lake record for Christine, although it has dropped a little weight over the winter, with Liam weighing it at 37lbs 3oz. Great catch and a great night shot. Well done Liam!!
Ben Lane on Lake Pepper
Ben Lane landed this lovely 38lbs Common from the old section of Lake Pepper using 16mm Rocklobster by Active Bait Solutions;
Great catch Ben!!
Ben McDonnell on Lake Christine
Ben McDonnell fished Lake Christine a couple of weeks ago, and was left holding this stunning leathery Mirror;
Weighing 28lbs 8oz, Ben landed this stunner from peg 3/4 using Sticky Baits Krill boilie and krill pink one.
Leo Jackson on Match Lake
A family day out on the Match Lake, and Leo Jackson caught a lovely 8lbs 5oz bronze Common (proudly displayed by Dad). Landed within 10 minutes of getting his line into the water, Leo (aged 5yrs) was very happy, whilst Dad was very surprised that his little rod and reel held firm… But they did and here's the proof;
Dad said,
"He’s hooked… haha… Bailiff (MANGO) has nicknamed him ‘Top Rod’ which he loved….. Leo ‘Top Rod’ Jackson… 5yrs old… Thanks again Cottington… Lovely venue, great staff… brilliant day out!!!"
Rod / Fishing Licences from April 2017
It is with regret that we must inform all of our anglers that we are no longer able to issue rod / fishing licences. We are sorry to all those anglers who have previously relied upon us to provide this facility. However, this was not a decision of our choosing, but was taken by the EA.
All anglers must therefore ensure that they possess an appropriate valid rod/fishing licence before they arrive to fish. Licences can be purchased on-line from the GOV.UK website (see below), by calling the EA or from your local participating Post Office branch.
More details about how to obtain a licence are available here;
https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
Sam Wells on Lake Christine
Sam Wells, fishing on Lake Christine, has just landed this lovely Mirror, tipping the scales at 15lbs 2oz;
Landed from pegs 9/10 using cell pop-up with a scattering of 10 freebies.
Congratulations Sam!!
Its 7pm - Opening Times Change
At last British Summer Time is here, and with it our opening times change to make the most of the longer days. We're now open until 7pm;
Andy Collins' 25lbs 12oz Common
Andy Collins with his 25lbs 12oz Common, landed from the banks of Lake Christine, last week (13th March), using a cmc boilie dipped in a custom glug.
Congratulations Andy, lovely fish and a great photo!!
Marc Wickham - 31lbs 4oz Common Out Of Christine
Its not just Pepper that's waking from its winter slumber. Marc Wickham has sent in this photo of a stunning Common that he landed from the banks of Lake Christine just as he was packing up ready to leave;
Marc landed it from pegs 9/10 and weighed it at 31lbs 4oz.
Congratulations on a great catch.
Lake Pepper Waking Up 43lbs 9oz Mirror - Callum King
Its been a tough winter as we've commented before. But it looks like Lake Pepper may be waking up. Here's Callum King who spent a few days on the lake over the weekend and managed to bag himself the first 40lbs + fish of the year, here at Cottington, with this lovely Mirror weighing 43lbs 9oz.
And here it is being released;
This is a known fish (check out our catalogue of fish in Lake Pepper) that regularly comes out in the spring months and has weighed over 40lbs + for the last three years, so its great to know that its maintaining its weight.
Congratulations Callum. A great catch!! Well done.
A Session on Christine with Mark Chesson
Its been a long, cold winter with temperatures recorded as low as -7oC here at Cottington, but its finally started to warm and the lakes have thawed. One of the first to take advantage of the milder conditions and get his rods out into the water was Mark Chesson. Despite the conditions remaining challenging Mark had a great session, fishing from peg 4 on Lake Christine and landing 4 fish during his time on the bank, a brace of Commons and a brace of Mirrors, including a lovely 33lbs 4oz Mirror. And without further ado, here they are;
12lbs Common
18lbs Common
24lbs Leathery Mirror
And saving the best till last, this lovely 33lbs 4oz Mirror.
33lbs 4oz Mirror
Congratulations Mark!!
Success for Andy Collins
After a tough winter, persistence paid off for Andy Collins, who landed this lovely 15lbs 4oz Mirror;
Caught out of Black Lake using sticky Manilla bait.
Great catch and a great photo.
Well done Andy!!
Frosty Sunrise Over (Lake) Windsor - Darryl Brown
One of Cottington's regulars Darryl Brown, in addition to spending time with rod and line out on the lakes, has also spent some of his time photographing the lakes and their surrounds. Here's a recent image of Lake Windsor:
Frosty Sunrise Over Windsor
We hope to be show-casing more of Darryl's photos in the future. Please note and respect that these photos remain the property of Darryl Brown at all times.
Maps Outlining the Swims on the Specimen Lakes
We will shortly be adding maps of Lakes Pepper and Christine to their respective pages under the "Lakes" tab, outlining the swims on these lakes. But in the meantime, here they are ...
Lake Pepper
Lake Christine
New Lake Record for Kevin Stuart on Lake Christine
Kevin Stuart had a session on Christine a couple of weeks ago and managed to land himself this stunning Mirror, which weighing 38lbs 9oz, makes it a new lake record for Lake Christine;
Congratulations Stuart... a cracking catch!!
Last seen back in April and weighing 35lbs, it seems to be thriving in Christine's water.
First Double From Black Lake for Vince Kemp
Here's Vince Kemp, with his first "double" out of Black Lake;
A lovely little Common weighing 11lbs and caught using Vince's favourite Tutti Fruity pop ups.
Congratulations Vince!!
34lbs 4oz Mirror for Jimmy King
Jimmy King also had a successful weekend, landing this lovely Mirror;
Landed from peg 14 on Lake Pepper and weighing 34lbs 4oz.
39lbs 8oz Mirror for Wally Wallbridge
Last weekend saw Wally Wallbridge land this lovely Mirror;
Landed from peg 10 on Lake Pepper and weighing 39lbs 8oz.
Absolutely stunning fish and a great photo too!!
Forty Eight Hours on Christine - Neil and Drew
Forty eight hours on Christine saw Neil land this stunning Mirror weighing 30lbs 6oz...;
whilst Drew landed a new pb with this 27lbs 0oz Mirror;
Congratulations to both of you.
Fun!! Its What Its All About - Elsie Grace
Here's Elsie-Grace reminding us what its all about;
A 4lbs Mirror caught out of Lake Elliott on a warm Sunday afternoon. The photo says it all.
Natasha Barnes commented on facebook and we agree:
"Love seeing the next generation of women anglers!!! My dad taught me when I was a little girl and now both my daughters are keen anglers!!! This is where kids should be, not stuck on a sofa glued to an iPad!!! Well done little lady xx"
Well done Elsie-Grace.
A Session on Alder - Alfie Colby
There's no disguising Alfie Colby's delight at landing this stunning Mirror, weighing 27lbs out of Lake Alder;
A stunning fish!! Congratulations Alfie.
A Quick Overnight Session on Pepper - Ben Brown
A quick overnight session on Lake Pepper, left bailiff Ben Brown holding this lovely Mirror;
Weighing 24lbs 8oz, Ben landed this little gem from peg 4 using quad boilies.
Hot Off the Press - Bronze Common for Lee Moulton
Lee Moulton caught this lovely 27lbs 2oz bronze Common out of Lake Christine this morning (17th October);
Congratulations Lee.
22lbs Mirror For Peter Hitchen
Andrew Hitchen has e-mailed these photos of Dad, Peter, with his most recent catch out of Lake Alder;
Peter caught this lovely Mirror, weighing 22lbs, using Cell Mainline boilies on 10th October 2016.
Andrew said;
"a lovely mirror, I must say well done dad!!"
Forty Eight Hours, Fish and PBs Galore - Liam Beales
Liam Beale and friends Ray, Steve, Paul, Klay and Mick had a session to remember on Pepper with pbs falling left, right and centre.
The group spent 48 hours on Lake Pepper from 23 - 24 September. The first fish came to Paul, this lovely Mirror weighing 35lbs 11oz, and the first of the new pbs;
Next to land was Klay, who first broke his pb with this stunning bronze Common, weighing 25lbs 8oz...;
Only to break it shortly after with this lovely leathery Mirror weighing 35lbs 8oz;
In between Klay's catches, Mick landed this rather nice Mirror tipping the scales at 25lbs;
Liam wasn't far behind, landing this stunning Mirror, weighing 38lbs 12oz and breaking his previous pb;
Steve landed a brace within 10 minutes of one another and both weighing 23lbs 8oz;
Paul added to his tally with this lovely Mirror, weighing 35lbs and narrowly missing out on extending his pb further;
And finally, not to be outdone, Ray landed his new pb, this 32lbs Mirror;
Liam said;
"Thanks for a great weekend and we all hope to return next year."
Congratulations to you all on a fantastic session and many thanks for sending these in!!
*** Important Notice Regarding Use of Mats & Nets ***
*****IMPORTANT*****
Due to an increasing threat of KHV, Anglers are asked to ensure that ALL landing nets and mats have been thoroughly cleaned and dried before attending Cottington Lakes, in order to help protect the health and welfare of our fish.
More information regarding the transmission of KHV is available via the link below;
https://marinescience.blog.gov.uk/2016/07/01/khv-fishery-angler-net-equipment/
If you are not automatically re-directed to the webpage, you can copy and paste the above link into the address bar.
Cottington Lakes fishery will be carrying out random checks to ensure that equipment has been cleaned and dried and anglers are asked to provide every assistance whilst these checks are being carried out. If you do not wish for your equipment to be checked, we understand, however, you will not be permitted to fish. Similarly, anyone found presenting damp or wet nets or mats will not be allowed to use that equipment, and unless they can produce alternative dry equipment, you also will not be allowed to fish.
Protecting the stock is in all of our anglers' interests and we hope that you will support these measures to help ensure your continued enjoyment of the lakes at Cottington.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
Regards Cottington.
A New PB for Simon Tidball
Simon Tidball has just landed his first ever "20" out of Lake Alder, weighing 23lbs 5oz, using a single single 15mm cell boilie;
Congratulations on your new pb Simon.
A New PB for Lee Moulton
Lee Moulton recently landed this beautiful Mirror from Lake Pepper, weighing 40lbs 3oz and with it takes home a new pb;
These pictures speak for themselves, a happy angler and a beautiful fish in great condition. Well done Lee.
Reflections from the Past - A New PB for Mark Snodding
Mark Snodding has recently sent these images in from a session back in February, when he managed to land a new pb, this rather nice Mirror weighing 35lbs 12oz, out of Lake Pepper;
Mark caught his pb from peg 11 on Thursday 18 February at 05:30am, using
Scopex pink pop ups.
Reflections from the Summer - Lewis Pearce
Back in August, which seems a long while ago now the weather is starting to turn autumnal, Lewis Pearce had a top session on Pepper. First out, at 11pm in the evening, was this lovely Common, caught on cell, and weighing 27lbs 0oz;
27lbs 0oz Common
And then at 8:30am the following morning, out came this lovely Mirror weighing 34lbs 9oz;
34lbs 9oz Mirror
Both fish were landed from peg 1.
Congratulations Lewis!!
Three for Steve Impett
A session on Alder left Steve Impett with 3 lovely Mirrors on the bank and a smile on his face;
19lbs 4oz Mirror
21lbs 7oz Mirror
19lbs 4oz Mirror
Congratulations Steve.
A New PB for Dean Baldock
Dean Baldock fishing Lake Pepper (peg 2) at the beginning of September, had a fantastic session, breaking his UK pb with this 42lbs 0oz Mirror;
Dean also landed this 22lbs Mirror;
This 34lbs Mirror;
And this 29lbs 10oz Common;
A great haul in challenging conditions. Congratulations Dean!!
