The recent heavy rain put many rivers out of bounds for fishing, but it brought mild weather to give anglers a chance to fish methods they would generally only consider in summer.

An example of this is the number of carp being taken from the surface.

At Horam Manor, lots of carp to 5lb were caught from the Great Pond on floating bread crust and dog biscuits.

The situation was the same on the House Lake at Wylands Angling Centre where carp were taken to 12lb from the surface. Chequertree was another water where carp could be caught on top and Wishing Tree yet one more.

At Sharnfold Farm Fishery, where the lake is free of carp, there were plenty of roach, rudd, bream and perch taken by anglers fishing light with a size 18 hook and a one and half pound breaking strain line with a single maggot on the hook. The odd tench to 3lb was taken, but there was no sign of barbel and chub.

Tanyard Fisheries continues to fish well with pike to 19lb 8oz caught from Specimen Lake One by John Taylor who fished with rudd dead baits and also caught an eel of 4lb, yet another sign of the high-water temperatures.

Boilies accounted for carp to 26lb 8oz from Specimen Lake Two which was a mirror, but there were also common carp to 23lb 10oz hooked.

On Specimen Lake Three, Steven Thorpe fished a five-day session with sweet-flavoured boilies to catch 12 carp, all over 11lb with the largest a common of 20lb 2oz. But the biggest carp scaled 27lb 9oz and was taken by Thomas Reding (Croydon).

On the trout scene, Bexhill angler John Holman landed the biggest rainbow ever taken from Brick Farm Lake.

He broke his own personal best record when he landed the 12lb fish while angling with a black Buzzer early morning. He had spotted the fish with two others cruising near the surface before casting a floating line to hook it.

Most anglers are catching at the fishery and the average size of the trout is around 2lb 8oz. The most productive flies are Damsel, Buzzer, Hare's Ear and Gold Heads.

Another angler who did well at the fishery was Robin Harrison (Eastbourne), who caught six rainbows for 23lb, including fish of 6lb and 4lb.

- Roger Standen