Record-breaking fish gives Skinner a scare

WHAT is probably the biggest fish ever to be caught from any lake in the region was landed from the New Forest Water Park fishery between Fordingbridge and Ringwood over the weekend.

Carp angler Ben Skinner got the shock of his life when his boilie was picked up by a giant 45lb catfish.

The cat gave Ben a real fight but was eventually tamed and netted, officially weighed, photographed (right) and returned to the water.

The catfish was just one of several huge fish to come out of the popular fishery over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.

Graham Huggett landed a giant mirror carp weighing 30lb 6oz, while another angler on a two-day session went into a double figure tally with most of his catch in the 20lb mark - the biggest at 29lb 4oz.

The fishery has also been producing some big tench with individual fish up to 9lb.

Mark Jury described the sport during last week and over the weekend as "awesome."

Some big bags were also caught over the weekend by both match and pleasure anglers at Witherington Farm Fishery near Alderbury.

Sellwood Lake produced winning bags of 90lb with runners-up weighing-in 88lb and down to the low eighties.

Cottage Lake produced bags of 70lb.

Saturday's open match proved to be a tough one - perhaps because of the cold, gusty wind - and was won by Mark Blake with 24lb 9oz.

Anglers at Waldens Farm Fishery also enjoyed good bags of carp, tench and skimmers with all five lakes giving good sport.

Trout anglers fishing the Chalke Valley Fly Fishery at Bishopstone found at long last some decent hatches as the weather perked up.

There was plenty of insect life in the afternoons and evenings and most rods caught at least some of the fishery's stock of brown trout.