RA 19's First Fish-In

The regions first fish-in took place last Sunday on a small secluded pit in the wilds of deepest Essex. Due to unforeseen circumstances, only seven hardy souls pitched up to do battle with the Essex Esox. Ray Pemberton was straight in on the action with a cracking fish of 17lb taken on a copper spoon, closely followed by Mick Doohan with a nice fish of 10lb.
Later that morning, a narcoleptic Jon Synnuck was rudely awoken from his slumber by a 19lb 4oz fish making off with his deadbait. After a couple of pics, the 19 was slipped back, only for it to swim off.....and take his livebait!!!....I knew these fish were hungry but thats just plain greedy!!! John also added a 12lber and a couple of jacks to his tally.

Yours truly opted for a more roving approach (roving around the whole pit about four times in fact!)and managed to winkle out a handful of jacks and two nice doubles of 16lb 6oz and 18lb 14oz on the trusty 'ol Springdawg.
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Gary noticed that the roving approach was paying dividends, so off he went armed with his chubby shad, only to return minutes later, with a fish under his belt, a big smile, and a slashed thumb!
All in all twenty fish were taken during the course of the day with all members catching, with five doubles caught and a handful of nice sized jacks, but the roving approach obviously didn't suit Pete Fish!

A big thanks has to go to Ray for organising the day, and to Malden AC for allowing us access to their water.
John Synnuck has an idea for a fish-in later in the year, and I guarentee you won't want to miss out on this one!! All will be revealed at a later date!

MAY MEETING

This months meeting was the first of our "informal" summer meetings, and was quite well attended considering there was bloody football on again!!(can't see the attraction of watching 22 overpaid, under achieving nancy boys chasing a bit of pumped up pig round a field), but hey ho whatever floats your boat!!.
I hope the pike based quiz went down well, and well done Ray Pemberton for coming out Top Dog....a sterling effort....i'm sure he got a few of the answers from Bill Palmer!!
We decided among ourselves that a good idea for next months meeting would be a "Bring and Buy" sale....so if you've got any old tutt...I mean tackle that is surplus to requirements...bring it along to the next meeting and someone might take it off your hands. That will be on Tuesday the 5th June...11 days before the start of the fishing season!
Don't forget to renew your rod licences if you haven't already
You can buy them on-line from the EA

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/399730/?version=1&lang=_e

(you will have to cut and paste this link coz i'm a computer muppet and can't get it to work.....Doh!)

Fish-In Sunday 5th May
The regions first fish-in at Ricketts Mere, kindly arranged by quiz supremeo Ray Pemberton was an outstanding success........report to follow

APRILS MEETING

The EDDIE TURNER roadshow rolled into town on Tuesday,complete with historic videos of the early days of Llandegfedd, a potted history of his illustrious pike fishing career, and a glimpse of what he's been catching in the last few years. There were certainly some VERY big surprises there, all of which will probably be revealed in his new book Mega Pike-The Return, which will be available at the PAC conference this September.
Despite a few technical hitches (and a suspect gentlemens dvd!!!)the evening was a highly entertaining event enjoyed by everyone present (especially hecklers corner!)
"Come on you b@stid, feckin work!!!!!!!"


Hecklers Corner

Thanks again to Mk 2 Angling and The Tackle Box for generously donating raffle prizes.

Thats it for the guest speakers until September now, I've already got a couple of speakers lined up for the next pike season (all will be revealed at a later date).
Over the summer months we will still be having the meetings, but they will much more an informal affair.
Next month, May 1st, we're going to do a pike based quiz, with prizes, and just have a general chat with you all about the direction you would like to see the region going in the future and any ideas you may have for future meetings. Also we'll have more info about the fish-in thats penciled in for early May.

MARCH'S MEETING

saw Mark Barrett travel from the wilds of the Fens to entertain the Gateway lads with his excellent talk and slideshow.

The first half of the evening was taken up with Marks love for his Zander fishing and all round coarse fishing prowess...(who knew c@rp grew that big in the fens???), then following a break for a beer refuel, bangers, chips, sarnies and the raffle, we were treated to an insight into Marks pike fishing career.

All in all, a highly entertaining evening, and huge thanks to Mark for coming out on his birthday, to keep the standard of speakers we are getting at the Gateway at the highest calibre.

Thanks again to Mark 2 Anging and the Tackle Box for generously donating more raffle prizes.

MEMBERS GALLERY

As you can see I have had the first piccy sent to me for our members gallery, a lovely plump 21lber caught by Ray Pemberton.

Its looking a bit lonely there on its on, so come on lads, get those piccies sent in, action shots, your first pike, anything you want. Send them to me on the regions e-mail address

pacregion19@aol.com

and I'll post 'em up for the world to see.

APRIL MEETING

Don't forget that next months meeting on the 3rd April sees the

EDDIE TURNER

roadshow roll into town. I'm reliably informed that this is one not to miss

Thames Gateway Inaugural Meeting

Last night saw 31 determined pikers battle the gridlocked traffic of the Dartford area, to hear Bill Palmer recount his life in piking, and kickstart the Thames Gateway region into life.
Greetings to old faces and new were exchanged, beer was quaffed, sandwiches were scoffed, and the assembled throng gathered to listen to Bill regale us with tales of many huge pike, and one very huge pike in particular, which impressed the hell out of everyone present, and may even have scared one or two!!

John Synnuck does his best Brian Blessed impression while addressing the members

Bill and the assembled throng

The evenings procedeings were rounded off with a Q&A session with Bill and the drawing of the raffle.

The raffle prizes were kindly donated by

Mark of MK II Angling http://www.mark2angling.co.uk

Gary of The Tackle Box http://www.tacklebox.co.uk

Thanks again lads

John and I would like to thank everyone who turned up for making the whole evening a lot less of a stress-fest than we thought it would be because of the traffic chaos.

I'd like to start a members gallery section on this blog, so if any members have catch photos they would like me to publish, send them with a few details (obviously not where you caught it!!!) to the regions e-mail address which is

pacregion19@aol.com

Next Months meeting is on Tuesday the 6th March, and our guest speaker will be

MARK BARRETT

Mark is the PAC secretary as well as a Fenland guide and Zander-phile

Welcome to the Blogspot for the all new Thames Gateway PAC Region

The Thames Gateway region meet on the first Tuesday of the month at the Papermakers Arms, Hawley Road, Dartford, Kent.

We intend to run meetings all through the year, but only play host to guest speakers during the pike season proper, which will be September-April.

Meetings will kick off from around 7.30pm onwards, with the guest speaker starting at around 8.30pm.

With the location of the meeting venue, we hope to attract pikers from the North Kent/South Essex/South East London catchment area and any brave soul who wishes to venture from further afield. All anglers of any age and ability with an interest in our toothy adversary are welcome.

Your Regional Organisers

I will be acting as RO for the Region. My name is Steve Gould and I have been pike angling seriously since 1983, although i did have a 10 year break between 1994-2004 when i discovered fast cars and faster bikes(the wilderness years I like to call them), but i returned to the fold with the fire burning as brightly as ever.

I'm the one with the silly hat, and the jolly looking chap with the santa-esque apperance is our assistant RO and Treasurer John Synnuck. John is also Treasurer for the PAC commitee. He is also one of lifes characters who has the annoying tendancy of being extremely successful in whichever branch of angling he seems to participate in, but I can't hold that against him as he is an excellent fishing companion and all round good egg.

Contact details: pacregion19@aol.com

Inaugural Meeting:Tuesday 6th February

Our first meeting is on the aforementioned date at The Papermakers Arms,Dartford.

Directions for the pub are here

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=DA2+7RB&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=51.433464,0.227966&spn=0.055221,0.186939&om=1

To open precedings our guest speaker will be the legend that is

BILL PALMER

Bill is the author of two very successful books and the captor of more big pike than you can shake a stick at, so come and join us for lots of pike related banter, sandwiches and beer!

Precedings will start at 7.30pm, John and I will be the furtive looking ones sitting at the bar hoping for lots of people to turn up.

Members £2.50

Non members £3.50

Hope to see you on the 6th

March's Meeting

Tuesday 6th march

Guest Speaker

MARK BARRETT

(All round predator angler, fenland guide and PAC general secretary)