The Mill Pond
the Scaley mirror from the mill pond was about 6lb and grew to 17lb
two photo’s taken at the time when we moved them from the mill pond, the top fish a leather was 11lb and lived a long and happy life and grew to 24lb
Fisheries Management
A recent post on Facebook reminded me when my journey started with fisheries management; the old mill pond was for some of us of a certain age remember as the only water locally where we could catch a carp. Unfortunately the pond had to make way for the roundabout at the start of the M20 in Folkestone, Kent. In those days contractors just started filling in the pond with no thought for the fish that might reside in there. No environment agency or indeed any one who could give a damn about what was happening. I was lucky that just up the road on the water company land we had three old reservoirs known as the upper works.
The upper works as we called it, similar to how it looked when I first joined The water company.
The carp and tench could be relocated, if we could catch them, we didn’t have much time as the pond was getting smaller by the hour. we did manage to persuade the chap on the dozer to give us a chance to rescue what we could. These fish led a happy life in the small reservoir located behind the two lager reservoirs for many years.
The Old Mill pond, now under the roundabout at the top of cherry garden avenue in Folkestone.
Carp Fishing Syndicate
This started my early fisheries management. Along with a good friend at the time, we secured a lease on a 20 acre lake and started a carp syndicate, fish were purchased and grew very fast, that water has now produced fish over 50 pounds. The other two reservoirs were stocked with some fry from that fishery. They were Caught by my two young sons with my landing nets, at the time I just thought it would keep them amused during the day while we where on the lake.
One of the mirrors from the mill pond put in the upper works at about 8lb grew to 16lb
Then they had the idea of taking them home and putting them in the reservoir. The young fingerlings’ thrived on neglect for a few years feeding on the high concentrations of bloodworm in the thick silt in the basin of these two reservoirs. My lads grew up with these fish learning about carp fishing and their behaviour. It was a quite a sad day when we decided that some of the fish needed to be removed. They had spawned three or four times a year since the first seventy fish had been released as small fry.
The Leather at 24lb some years later, just had to catch to see how big she was.
The largest of these fish grew to an amazing 28lb in this very rich environment. Since then, several local fisheries have benefited from the removal of these fish. Unfortunately I no longer have control of these waters now I’m retired from the water company, but it sure was fun for the 39 years we had sole access to a great area of natural beauty that use to surround the reservoirs, but the channel tunnel works have reduced the appeal.
Bye for now
I have seen these fish at the waterworks and have tried endlessly to find a leagal way to fish the waterworks. Anyone who can answer? Please email me on Danielmcneil85@outlook.com.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your interest in our blogs, due to the security issues at the reservoir created by the channel tunnel entrance,the company won’t issue any tickets to fish there. The good new is most of the fish have been moved to Nickolls quarry in west Hythe. Hope that helps
Regards
Trevor
Hi Trevor
Great reading your article about the Mill Pond . I myself started my fishing down there and moved onto the canal at Lympne as my Dad lived there, I moved onto Nickolls or Cinque Ports Angling as it was then before going onto Mid Kent.
I have moved to Palmarsh and have gone back onto Nickolls but some has said to me that there is a Carp syndicate near Lympne. Can you help at all ?
If not can you recommend any other than the old MKF lakes
Great to remember the Old Mill Pond days
Regards
Jason Taylor
Hi Jason, Thank you for getting in touch.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article about the old Mill pond, as time goes by we have fewer anglers around that can remember the early years of carp fishing. We must have somewhere along the way. I for one feel grateful for the learning curve we went through to catch what we believed to be the elusive carp. Tackle and baits have come along way since those early days, I remember sat under Sugar Loaf Hill hiding in the rushes so the carp couldn’t see us.
The lake in Lympne is a small estate lake I believe does hold a forty, I will try and send you some contact details, Mid Kent Fisheries Gold Ticket is good value for money giving you access to many good carp waters including Conningbrook and Westbere lakes, take a look at the web site http://www.midkentfisheries.co.uk