Carlisle carp angler David Stanley has been clocking up some impressive bream catches. Since landing a 12 lb 10 oz fish, a new personal best at that time, earlier in May, Dave has landed 11 bream over 10 lbs from Longtown’s West Pond. But it is his latest fish that has really made people sit up and take note, smashing the previous bream record for the noted Cumbrian specimen fishery by 10 oz. Dave fished a tuti-fruity boilie to an area heavily baited with pellets behind a shallow gravel bar at around 65 yards range and got the overnight session off to a good start by landing a bream of 12 lb 11 oz. An hour later his buzzer signaled another take, this time from the big one which tipped the scales at 15 lb 4 oz. When Dave later examined his photographs he discovered that the bream was sporting a tell tale black scale half way between its dorsal and anal fins; it was the same bream that Carlisle specimen hunter Dave Taylor captured at 14 lb 10 oz in November 2004. it was also captured in September 2003 by Cumbrian carp angler Dave Storey at 14 lb 6 oz. This bream seems to have a liking for anglers called Dave! Dave Stanley the latest captor is inline to pick up a free West Pond season permit, that is unless someone captures a bigger bream before the end of the season. The West Pond has an enviable record with big bream, producing double figure fish every year since 1989, the only exception being 2001 when the fishery was closed for 12 months due to the foot and mouth outbreak. During the 2003-04 season 36 bream over 10 lb were reported, in 2004 – 05 the fishery was affected by heavy weed growth which put off a lot of anglers and only 18 bream over 10 lb were reported. Since the start of this season, which begins on 26th February, there has already been 18 bream over 10 lb reported. When asked about its potential to produce a bigger bream West Pond fishery manager and PAA coach Chris Bowman said, “the fishery is a 20 acre ex gravel pit and holds around 50 to 60 bream of around 10 lb or more, I have to say that ‘Dave’ the bream, (much as I dislike naming fish after being caught three times by anglers called Dave, this bream, by popular demand has been christened Dave) is an old fish, I cannot see it getting much bigger. Mind you, I said that when Dave Storey captured it in 2003 and it has put on nearly a pound since then!” “In 2003 the fishery also produced a 13 lb 8 oz bream to Longtown angler Carl Goff and a 13 pounder to Gordon Fairley of Amble. As far as I am aware these fish have not been captured since then. That said I think you can count us out of the running for a record breaker, but who cares, a 15 lb 4 oz bream in Cumbria is a fantastic specimen.” For anyone considering trying for big bream, PAA coach Chris runs guided sessions on the water, contact Chris on 01228 674519 or view www.bowmanfishman.fsnet.co.uk for further details about the West Pond and guided trips. |
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