Carp Fishing in Kent
So many people tend to think of other areas than Kent when they want to go fishing and they are missing out, there are many great lakes in Kent bursting with carp; some lakes are much harder to fish than others so there is something for every angler, from the novice to the pure specimen hunter that enjoys the wait! Many of the lakes are disused gravel pits which tend to be a favourite for the carp angler as gravel pits always seem to produce big carp! And of course there is always the chance of catching a very large tench as well, which is always a nice bonus!
When looking to go fishing you may want to decide which type of lake you wish to fish. Commercial fisheries are becoming more and more popular allowing day tickets as well as night fishing to the general public without needing any membership. These lakes are definitely a great introduction to fishing and also a great place to take the kids and show them the ropes, to see whether they like it before deciding to spend money on a sometimes pricey membership. I spend a lot of time at these ‘pleasure’ lakes with my partner and my children and always have a wonderful time. Monk lakes in Marden have been my most frequent place to go.
The lakes, although young and maturing nicely and in years to come will be some of the most beautiful lakes around Kent. Monk Lakes is made up on 3 main lakes, Puma, Bridges and the Specimen Lake as well as several match lakes that the children enjoy fishing as there is a bit every second! Puma Lake is my favourite lake and I have personally caught some wonderful fat Mirror carp, the biggest at 23.5 pounds (not bad for a girl!), which was quite an achievement as it was only the third carp I had ever caught! This was also an omen as I was using my new Christmas present which was a beautiful Carp rod! It is now, quite obviously my ‘lucky’ Carp Rod!
Elphicks Lakes in Horsmonden Kent is a set of stunning lakes that are open to both pleasure fishing and also membership as well. There is night fishing and in the lodge there is a shower block, which is a nice touch. There are 6 lakes which are home to some truly awesome carp which are up to 401b and wells catfish up to 501b. Some of the lakes are harder than others but I am told they are well worth the weight as the fight in the fish there; especially the Ghost Carp (as my Fiancé found out) is second to none! I fished on Sandwich Lake where there is a whole range of fish including some very fat perch!
If you are looking for a lake where the fish don’t need to be of a gigantic size but more frequent then Horsham Lake in Upchurch is a nice place to go carp fishing in kent. We spent the day there and didn’t stop, the carp were practically jumping out and I was catching them on a float rod right by my feet! This was a tremendous day out and the lake is very mature offering you privacy in your swim, it is also deceptively big!
Due to the sheer amount of fish we found that using Carp Rods wasn’t necessary unless you were really determined to catch a 20 pounder as there were plenty of fish from 31b to about 81b quite willing to jump into the net! I also have to say that I have never had such a fight with Carp as I did at Upchurch the fish are plentiful and if you enjoy playing a fish then this is the lake for you. Take your Carp Rods but I advise you and urge you to take your float rods too, just for the mad experience!
If you are the type of person who is looking for a place to fish which exudes natural beauty as well as somewhere to flex your Carp Rods then Chilham Lake is the place for you. It is a membership only lake but well worth it and used to be the home to none other than the famous ‘two tonne’ the largest Carp in Britain, definitely a lake then to test your Carp Rods! Chilham lake is a Mature gravel pit which was dug in the late 1950’s and is home to not only some huge 401b carp but also pike, large grass carp and catfish as well as accommodating specimen size tench and bream, trust me you will want to live there permanently. This water is one of the most beautiful places to fish in the whole of the U.K and puts Kent on the map as one of the finest places to fish.