The face may be familiar to some as Chris Wiles is a regular on the banks on Cottington's lakes. But now you are likely to see a lot more of Chris as he is the newest member of the AKC team, the on-site tackle shop. Chris is an experienced angler, as the photos below testify.
The resemblance is uncanny!!
Keeping it real on Alder, with his daughter.
A stunning Mirror caught off the top on peg 4 of Lake Christine, weighing 34lbs.
Another Lake Christine fish, this time weighing in at 28lbs.
You can find Chris in the shop on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Welcome Chris.
Making Use of a Christmas Gift Voucher - Dave Meredith
Dave Meredith spent the recent Bank Holiday weekend making great use of the Christmas gift voucher bought by his wife, relaxing on the banks of Lake Pepper on peg 8.
All the action came at night, but you don't mind being disturbed if there's the chance of a great fish on the end of your line. Dave certainly didn't - just look at that smile!!
First up was this lovely 32lbs 8oz Mirror. 
Dave completed his brace with this rather nice 23lbs 12oz Common.
Congratulations Dave.
A New PB for Lee Franklin - 28lbs 6oz Mirror
A 48 hour session on Lake Christine resulted in Lee Franklin landing a new pb;
Lee landed this stunning Mirror fishing from peg 4 and weighed it at 28lbs 6oz.
Congratulations on your new pb Lee.
Not To Be Outdone - Mark Forrister & 39lbs 2oz Mirror
Having seen partner Ange land a lovely 33lbs 1oz Mirror , not to be outdone Mark Forrister landed this imposing fish on the 22nd May, ten days later;
Landed from peg 6 on Lake Pepper, this lovely Mirror weighed in at 39lbs 2oz.
Congratulations Mark.
33lbs 1oz Mirror For Angela Northcott
Ange Northcott was woken at 1.50am on the 12th May to the sound of alarms screaming. A short while later and she had landed this cracking Mirror;
Landed from peg 9 on Lake Pepper, this stunner weighed in at 33lbs 1oz.
Congratulations Ange, and great to see you out on the bank.
A New Lake Record for Alder - Chris Duncombe
Chris Duncombe never imagined that he would come away with a Lake record during his session on Alder on the 5th May, but that's exactly what he did...
Chris landed this beautiful Mirror using Strawberry Crush boilies. And the weight... 29lbs 12oz. Congratulations Chris!!
A "30" surely can't be too far away!!
Ben McDonnell on Pepper - 32lbs 14oz Mirror
Ben McDonnell recently spent 48 hours on Lake Pepper and was rewarded with this brute of a Mirror;
Ben landed his prize, which weighed in at 32lbs 14oz, using Sticky Baits i there I recently done 48 hours on pepper and was rewarded with this brute of a mirror at 32lb 14oz caught using sticky baits Manilla
Proud to Support Fishing For Schools
Cottington Lakes is proud to support Fishing for Schools, playing host to an event on Windsor for five students on Wednesday 2nd May.
The programme consists of six four hour sessions during which the participants can achieve certification at various levels of a formally recognised ASDAN qualification, based on the Angling Trusts Cast Awards.
On the day all of the students caught fish with carp to 8lbs, bream to 3lbs and roach. All of the students got something from the experience and fullfilled the criteria for the Angling Trusts CAST awards Starter Level.
We look forward to welcoming them back on the 9th May for their next event.
"What is fishing for Schools?
Fishing for Schools was started in 2008 and offers young people the opportunity to discover the joy of fishing, whilst learning new skills in a fun and proactive way.
It is delivered by the Countryside Alliance Foundation and world famous angler Charles Jardine, and to date over 2,000 students have benefited from Fishing 4 Schools.
The charity helps pupils re-engage with education, building their confidence and self-esteem, while at the same time assisting with new qualifications and skills."
If you want to know more about Fishing for Schools, check out their website;
http://www.countryside-alliance.org/the-foundation/fishingforschools/
The One That Almost Never Was - 32lbs Common for Jim Malyn
A story that is common to many anglers, but Jim Malyn found it hard going a couple of weeks ago on Lake Christine. He had fished the lake from Wednesday (18th April) night into Thursday and only had a 17lbs common in the morning, then nothing all day so he decided to pack up and head home early as he didn't fancy packing away at 6 o'clock on Friday morning. As he was packing away he had a screamer on his right hand rod and ended up landing this stunning 32lbs mirror:
What a cracking fish and a great way to end a session, on a high!!
A Brace for Jamie Cox
Jamie Cox spent a few days on Lake Christine last month and came away with a brace of fish:
The pick of the pair was this stunning Mirror which weighed 31lbs 10oz;
But this Common is none to shabby either...
Jamie landed this lovely pair using maggot bombs.
30lbs 2oz Mirror - Gary Lock on Lake Pepper
Gary Lock landed this stunning lump on Friday 9th March. It was the only fish he saw, but what a fish...
Gary was fishing from peg 7 on "Old Pepper" when he landed it, tipping the scales at 30lbs 2oz.
Congratulations Gary
Jason White on Lake Christine
Jason White braved the weather conditions to travel down and fish Lake Christine and was rewarded with this lovely little leathery mirror:
Well done Jason.
Half Day on Heron - Alan & Denise Lee
32lbs 8oz Common - Ross Minter on Pepper
After a slow start, Ross Minter landed this stunning Common, from peg 13 on Lake Pepper:
Weighed on the bank at 32lbs 8oz.
She may be on the bank, but she still has plenty of fight. But Ross has a safe pair of hands.
And back she goes.
Well done Ross. A lovely fish and some cracking photos to capture the memory.
Peg 14 on Pepper - John Horton
No details on weight, but here are a couple of images sent in by John Horton of a lovely Mirror he landed from peg 14 on Lake Pepper;
John landed his prize from just off the left hand side of the island in front of the swim.
Congratulations John.
27lbs Mirror for Ryan - Lake Alder
Taking advantage of clear skies and warmer weather paid off for Ryan who landed this lovely 27lbs Mirror out of Alder;
Well done Ryan!!
A 37lbs 5oz Common for Stefan Redfern - Lake Pepper
Stefan Redfern has just sent in these pics in from a session back on the 15th January, and what an absolute gem;
Stefan was fishing from peg 12 on Lake Pepper when he landed this stunning fish, which tipped the scales at 37lbs 5oz.
Congratulations Stefan!!
35lbs 6oz Mirror for Luke - Lake Pepper
Luke sent in this photo of a cracking Mirror that tipped the scales at 35lbs 6oz;
Luke landed his prize from peg 6 on "Old" Pepper using Urban Baits Nutcracker boilies.
Congratulations Luke!!
Eddie Lucia Wets the Appetite for the Year Ahead - 42lbs 0oz Mirror
A great session at the beginning of the week, saw Eddie Lucia land this stunning Mirror from the banks of Lake Pepper.
Weighing 42lbs 0oz on the bank, this stunner was last reported to us in 2016 and she's put a bit of weight on since.
This was Eddie's second visit and over the course of his two trips he's had 10 fish out. Here's a selection of the best of the rest;
What a great way to start the year!!
Steve Harris Opens His 2018 Account - 38lbs 2oz Mirror
Steve Harris opened his account for 2018 with this lovely 38lbs 2oz Mirror:
Landed from mid-water on peg 16 of Lake Pepper, a great way to kick off the New Year!!
Anthony Tuttle Joins "50" Club
Anthony Tuttle is the latest angler to join Cottington's "50" club having landed the "Big Girl" on the 4th October, from peg 13.
She had dropped a bit of weight, to sub 50lbs earlier in the year, but looks as though she's been packing it on with a vengeance through the autumn and now weighs a whopping 53lbs 4oz (a new lake and fishery record).
And if that wasn't enough, during the same session Anthony landed one of the big Commons too, this little stunner weighing 40lbs on the nose!!
And the magic that Anthony used to land these 2 beauties... a bed of bonoffe twist with a cell hook bait and a yellow pot shot tipper.
A Hat-Trick for Pete Lingham
Sometimes 12 hours is enough. And so it proved a couple of weeks ago when Pete and Craig Lingham spent a few hours on Lake Christine. In just 12 short hours Pete managed to land a hat-trick of fish. And without further ado, here is Pete with his prizes;
19lbs Mirror
26lbs 8oz Mirror
27lbs Mirror
Craig said "All 3 are lovely carp".
"Last Knockings" Pays Dividends for Andy Collins
"Last knockings" paid dividends for Andy Collins on Lake Alder. As the session was drawing to a close Andy landed this stunning 26lbs Mirror using bait supplied by Camo's Carp Cabin.
An absolute stunner. Congratulations Andy.
Lakes Pepper & Christine Diary Bookings - Postponed
We've been working hard to introduce an on-line diary so that anglers can check availability in advance of booking. The diary is now live and can be viewed by selecting the "Diary & Bookings" tab in the right hand column.
However, We apologise to everyone who was hoping to place their bookings, on Lakes Pepper & Christine for 2018, today. Although the diary is live, we have had to delay accepting bookings for 48 hours to enable management tasks, competitions etc to be added to it in advance of accepting bookings. We will now start accepting bookings for 2018 on Wednesday 20th September.
Lakes Pepper & Christine 2018 Bookings
We are pleased to announce that we will start accepting bookings on Lakes Pepper and Christine from 18th September 2017.
Announcing Cottington Lakes "Fifty Club"
Announcing Cottington Lakes "Fifty Club" - open to everyone who has caught a carp at Cottington Lakes weighing 50lbs and over;
To join, all you need to do is e-mail your details (name, date caught, weight, swim etc.) and a photo of yourself with the fish to cottingtonlakes@outlook.com and we'll add you to our gallery.
Be the envy of your mates, send in your shirt size as well and we'll send you a members only polo shirt.
The Big Girl Comes Out!! - Michael Ashenden
Michael Ashenden, a Cottington Lakes regular, could only dream of landing Cottington's "Big Girl" up until a session last weekend (18th - 20th August) which saw him actually landing his prize;
Weighing in at 47lbs 12oz, she's dropped a little weight, which is only to be expected post spawning and during the long hot summer, but she's still just as stunning for all that!! Caught from the new section of Lake Pepper on peg 11, using A2 Baits Banoffee boilies, she's clearly looking to make up for lost time and put a little of that weight back on!!
Congratulations Michael!!
Keep it Clean & Dry - Enhanced BioSecurity Measures
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{340fbc4567e7038043a32d8ec5201da99e0c15731aca33f338993b4f37000627} 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
