Gudgeon length to weight ratio chart

[JW1]

You'll get one that big on the next wally gonk jolly John

That's a bit worrying Rob, I broke my old gudgeon rod and have just completed a new one, not sure if it would handle a beast like that.

JW

[Mole-Patrol]

I hadn't caught a gudgeon in decades until I came over to France where they are more widespread. The largest gudgeon I knew of back in the Sth. Yorkshire area came from a mill pond just upstream of the lakes at Cannon Hall Country Park. Back in the early 70's we used to fish the upper ornamental lake for perch and trout and the lower lake for perch and roach. The river then continued down the side of the cricket field, a length that we knew as Two Tunnels as it ran through two pipes into a small pool where gudgeon, minnows and bullheads rubbed fins with a few roach, perch and a large hook-jawed trout that was eventually caught and weighed at over 2lbs.

One cold spring day the stocked trout in the upper lake weren't having it. I couldn't get a bite for love nor money and so started exploring the little stream that ran under the humped back road bridge and fed into the lakes. Sometimes I could catch tiny, 4 or 5 inch wild trout in that part of the stream close to the bridge. That day I got one and promptly returned it which naturally spoiled such a small swim so I prospected a little further upstream into new territories. At the time there was a derelict mill on the other side of the stream and fields on what was my side. I bushwhacked through and came to a mill pool. It was wonderful. All still and calm and totally surrounded by trees. As far as I could see it was untouched and had been for many years. Naturally I fished it and caught gudgeon after gudgeon all of which were at least double the size of the ones encountered in the lower end of the river. Some were monsters!

I kept the location to myself and only ever fished there when I was on my own which was a rarity. But each time I snuck up the little stream to the mill pool the gudgeon obliged. The last time I would have been there was around 1973. This thread has reminded me of this gudgeon heaven and so I have just looked the location up on Google Earth. I knew that a garden centre had been built close to the stream where the fields were, but I had no idea about the old derelict mill which must have been the reason for existence of the pool. Now, the old mill looks to be a swish house that would probably command six noughts in the price. The woodland where I used to fish has been cut and a lovely looking lawn borders the pool. There is a small boat moored next to the lawn and it looks like a jetty or fishing platform has been created on the far woodland bank. It looks lovely and I do hope that the new posh owners are gudgeon fishers.

[Chubman]

And my pb on the wally was 5 and 3 quarter inches,should I have claimed the British record,but then some lucky sod caught a 7 inch one

[Moley]

Fatty actually weighed an eight inch Gonk he caught from the Wally that pulled the scale down to.....wait for it........wait for it.......wait for it....

JUST OVER 2 OUNCES

The record is 5oz or so with a diet of mainly lead shot presumably.....so hold fire on the record claims
Geoff.

As ever,.....

Moley