2021 Opening Day.

Manor Fisheries reopened on a cold and windy Saturday 13th March when we were delighted to welcome both our regular and new anglers. We wish all our visitors a very successful fishing season and continued good health.

COVID-19

This has been permitted under the daily exercise rules and as with all aspects of the coronavirus restrictions, no groups are allowed so please keep well away from fellow anglers.

The Angling Trust (https://anglingtrust.net/covid-19/) submitted a case to government for the early and full resumption of all forms of angling including night fishing and competitions. These will now be possible from Monday 29th March.

Should there be a COVID-19 “Lockdown” prior to your arrival, we will contact you to discuss returning monies paid or if you choose, retain your monies for a 2022 visit at 2021 rates. Keep well and keep safe.

2021 Membership

Manor Fisheries is a 100% Members only Fishery for all anglers aged 18 years old or more. To apply for 2021 Membership, visit https://www.manor-fisheries.co.uk/night-fishing.

The remaining spaces for 2021 Memberships are filling much faster than previous years, noting they are allocated on a “First come, first served” basis.

There are two Membership 2021 (Jan to Dec) categories and numbers are strictly limited:

Member - can fish any lake. Membership fee is £35.00 – FULL.
Lake 3 Member - limited to fishing Lake 3. Membership fee is £15.00.

Comments and Feedback

You are a valued visitor, and we welcome receiving any feedback you may wish to give with respect to the accommodation, fishing, or facilities at the lakes. Please send us your comments via https://www.manor-fisheries.co.uk/comments-feedback.

Fishery Maintenance

Daily fish feeding

With the fishery now open daily fish feeding for all three lakes has stopped.

Lakes Management

A Hadlow College team arrived on the 23rd March led by Brian Bailey - Commercial Fisheries Manager with a skeleton crew of 4 students equipped with Seine and landing nets. Following two hauls they succeeded in making a 270lbs reduction to the lake biomass. In total some 170lbs of smaller Catfish were removed for relocation to a private Midlands fishery and 7 x double figure Carp to 20lbs were relocated to Lake 1 (Carp).

We extend our thanks to Terry Keard for providing the lake management action photographs shown above.

Swim Repairs

This month having just repaired swims, anglers have already caused unnecessary damage requiring repeat repairs.

Several swims contain concrete for strength where the use of a rod pod is ideal. Although the use of bank sticks is still fine, when fishing near to the water’s edge avoid damage through banging into the concrete which will also scare fish away from your swim. Locate your rods (and bank sticks) in the water and further back from the water’s edge to completely avoid the concrete.

Stray leads/hooks

When carrying out maintenance work many stray leads/hooks were retrieved from over-hanging branches. In spite of fixed leads and Cat hooks being banned, it was disappointing to come across several of these rigs. If in doubt as to what constitutes a Running Ledger see www.manor-fisheries.co.uk/fixed-or-running-ledgers. Better still, dispense with a lead clip and use a more fish friendly Run-Ring.

A Running lead is the most basic ledger rig possible. It is fish friendly (safe) and almost a guaranteed catcher.

The main line must be able to run freely when there is a take.

That is why we recommend it!!

Keeping with the simplicity theme, we believe the easiest and the best way of attaching a lead is a “Running lead” setup. To do this simply thread the lead onto the mainline, then a bead and swivel and then tie on your hook length/hook (40lbs braid for Cats).

This running ledger rig, with exception of the knotless knot, has been used for almost hundreds of years in one guise or another and cannot be beaten if you are fishing close range or you are stalking. If you are specimen fishing for Carp, Cats or Tench this is the rig to be used at Manor Fisheries. It is simple and effective and allows concentration on more important things such as watercraft and bait placement.

Please note Membership will be withdrawn from any angler found using a bolt rig (fixed lead) or Cat hook and there will be no exception.

Rules Reminder

With the 2021 season just beginning, this is a good time to remind all anglers that it is important to abide by all the Manor Fisheries Rules including:

Arrival/Departure Times – Rule 4

Day fishing is arrival at Manor Fisheries (not Swims or Car Park) from 7.00 am onwards and departure from Manor Fisheries (not Swims or Car Park) by 7.00 pm.

Tackle – all lakes – Rule 6

“Use Barbless hooks only – no crushed or microbarb or Cat or Circle hooks”.

Lake 2 (Carp/Catfish) is stocked with Cats averaging 30lbs+ plus many double figure Carp to 34lbs+ and long-pointed Cat hooks (see below) are banned as they can damage the Carp.

Fixed or Running Ledgers – Rule 6

“Use only “Running” ledgers. No lead-clips, fixed rigs, bolt rigs, semi bolt rigs, zig rigs, chod rigs, helicopter rigs, elasticated method feeders, lead core or heavy Ebro style fishing tackle”

Fishing Report – 21st March 2021 to 31st March 2021

Summary

It was good again to welcome both our regulars and new visitors when we “Opened” during a cold and windy Saturday 13th March. It was a 1, 2, 3 during our March opening week when all three Leader Boards (see www.manor-fisheries.co.uk/2017-leader-board) were soon up and running with several great catches:

Lake 1 (Carp) - Congratulations to Chris Timson who on our opening day landed a 20lbs+ PB Common Carp
Lake 2 (Carp/Catfish) – Congratulations to Paul Wood who on our opening day landed 2 x 40lbs+ Cats
Lake 3 (Mixed) – Congratulations to Matthew Smith who on his first visit to Manor Fisheries on the 18th March had a mixed bag including a 3lbs Tench.

Lake 1 (Carp) Logbook Catch Reports

On our opening day the 13th March, Kieran Wright raised his Carp PB and topped the 2021 Carp Leader Board to 20lbs 2ozs where a manilla boilie was the successful bait.
During his early season visit on the 15th March, regular Adrian Burton used halibut pellet bait and landed 3 x Carp including Commons weighing 18lbs and 15lbs plus a 14lbs 12ozs Mirror.
Using luncheon meat bait over sweetcorn, regular Bryan Butler returned on the 17th March and landed a 20lbs Common.
It was a welcome return of regulars Paul Kitt and Bob Irvine on the 19th March and using corn bait over corn ground bait their catch included:
- Paul – 3 x Commons weighing 16lbs 6ozs, 14lbs and 12lbs 8ozs
- Bob – 2 x Mirrors weighing 14lbs 6ozs and 11lbs
Regulars David Hare, Glenn McTaggart and Keith Clement returned on the 21st March and their catch included:
- David – 2 x Commons weighing 14lbs 8ozs and 11lbs plus a 13lbs Mirror
- Glenn – a Common weighing 20lbs 6ozs to top the 2021 Carp Leader Board and a 13lbs Mirror
- Keith – 2 x Commons weighing 17lbs and 15lbs

Visiting on the 24th March Terry Crank used halibut pellet bait to lure a 12lbs 2ozs Mirror.
With a cold wind blowing on the 28th March Eddie Stephens was joined by Lewis Yaxley and their catch included:
- Eddie – a Common weighing 13lbs 9ozs
- Lewis – a Common weighing 20lbs 5ozs and a 13lbs 5ozs Mirror
Tony Cook had a good session on the 29th March and using squid plus krill boilies with a sweetcorn tip landed 5 x Carp including Commons weighing 17lbs 14ozs, 13lbs 7ozs, 12lbs 8ozs and 10lbs 8ozs plus a 22lbs Mirror to top the 2021 Carp Leader Board.

Regular Terry Hare visited on a warm and sunny 30th March and using pacific tuna boilies plus Cell Floatec caught a Common weighing 16lbs 5ozs.
Patience paid off for Adrian Burton on the 31st March when he landed a 17lbs Carp later in the day.
Returning for a 24 hour session on the 30th March Keith Clement and Chay Garside landed 7 x Carp using pineapple pop-up baits with PVA bags containing crushed 4mm boilies. Their catch included:
- Keith – Commons weighing 16lbs 12ozs and 13lbs 8ozs plus a 14lbs 4ozs Mirror
- Chay – Commons weighing 21lbs, 19lbs, 15lbs 4ozs and a 12lbs 8ozs Mirror.

In summary the last 19-days of March has been a good start to the Lake 1 season with 6 x 20lbs+ Carp.

Lake 2 (Carp/Catfish) Logbook Catch Reports

Using halibut pellet bait on our opening day the 13th March, Paul Wood topped the 2021 Catfish Leader Board with a Cat weighing 43lbs plus one of 40lbs 2ozs and one weighing 31lbs 6ozs for Roy Binks.
Returning on the 16th March, regular Terry Hare landed a Cat weighing 36lbs where squid was the successful bait and again on the 22nd March landing a 27lbs Cat.
Regular Paul Teakle returned on a warm and sunny 30th March and using squid bait resulted in 5 x Catfish weighing 42lbs 4ozs, 42lbs, 39lbs, 27lbs 8ozs and 20lbs.
Arriving on the 30th March for a 36 hour session resulted in 4 x Cats for Roy Binks with weights of 40lbs 4ozs, 22lbs 8ozs, 22lbs and 15lbs where the successful bait was 22mm Robin Red.

In summary, during the last 19-days of March, 14 x Cats were landed weighing in total 447lbs+ or on average weighing 32lbs each.

Lake 3 (Mixed) Logbook Catch Reports

Regulars Terry and James Crank visited on the 15th March and using method feeders landed Commons weighing 8lbs 11ozs, 8lbs 3ozs, 6lbs 9ozs and 5lbs 7ozs plus a 9lbs 10zs Mirror and a 4lbs 3ozs Bream.
Matthew Smith rediscovered fishing on the 18th March when he found he had not lost his touch after a couple of non-fishing decades and using a waggler float and mixed maggot bait finished with a mixed bag including a 5lbs Carp, a 3lbs Tench , 4 x Roach, 2 x Perch and 2 x Rudd. Again on the 22nd March Matthew landed a 1lb 8ozs Tench, a 3lbs 6ozs Mirror plus 14 x Roach where maggots and bread flake were the successful baits and on the 29th March Matthew’s catch included a 2lbs 3ozs Bream, 17 x Roach/Rudd plus 5 x Perch.
It was a welcome return of regular Gary Rust on the 19th March who landed 2 x Tench weighing 2lbs and 1lb 8ozs.
Visiting on the 27th March David Penny was rewarded with a Carp weighing 7lbs 4ozs.
Peter Moxey visited on the 28th March and caught 2 x Commons while young Maisie caught 2 x Tench plus Roach and Perch.
·Regular Andy Bush returned on the 29th March and landed 3 x Carp and 5 x Tench including weights of 2lbs, 2 x 2lbs 8ozs and 3lbs 8ozs to top the 2021 Tench Leader Board and using his pole with prawn and halibut pellet baits on the 30th March his catch included a 1lb 8ozs Perch plus 9 x Carp weighing 8lbs, 6lbs, 3 x 5lbs, 3 x 4lbs a 3lbs.

Regular Peter Gardiner returned on a warm and sunny 30th March and caught 3 x Tench to 2lbs 8ozs.
It was the return of regulars Terry and James Crank on the 31st March and using halibut pellet bait Terry raised the 2021 Tench Leader Board to 3lbs 14ozs and their catch also included 7 x Carp with Commons to 10lbs 3ozs and Mirrors to 8lbs 11ozs plus a 4lbs 1oz Bream.
Regular Fred Rosier returned on the 31st March and his mixed catch included a 6lbs 6ozs Mirror, a 5lbs 10ozs Common and a 3lbs 3ozs Tench.

2021 Awards and Competitions

2021 - PIN Awards

Every angler is awarded a PIN when meeting the qualifying weight to commemorate catching their first Manor Fisheries specimen fish and for each species shown below:

2021 - Leader Board

The 2021 Leader Board competition will run throughout our 2021 Season and commenced on Saturday 13th March 2021. Prizes will be awarded for the following specimens caught by or on Sunday 10th October 2021 and in the event these “Target weights” are not met, the prizes below will be awarded for the heaviest verified Carp, Catfish and Tench specimens recorded in the Cabin Logbook:

£50.00 for the first verified 50lbs+ Catfish
£50.00 for the first verified 30lbs+ Carp
£50.00 for the first verified 8lbs+ Tench

Please ensure Cats weighing over 30lbs and Carp over 20lbs are recorded in the Cabin Logbook, as this forms the basis of our Monthly News Report and provides valuable input to our lake management plans.

2021 - 1,000lbs Club

Every angler landing 1,000lbs or more in a single contiguous session will awarded becoming a member of the prodigious Manor Fisheries 1,000lbs Club.

NEWS 1 March 2021 to 31 March 2021