BROTHERS John and Michael Ling teamed up with pal Matt Bennett to take a tremendous 42-carp haul at Basildon's Gloucester Park Lake.

Their catch, which included numerous double-figure specimens, was taken during a week when hot weather, algae bloom and fluctuating oxygen levels saw anglers struggling at most local waters.

The trio fished the eastern end of the Basildon water's cockle bank, where they presented PVA bags of small pellets alongside their halibut pellet baits, casting tight to the island.

At one stage sport was so hectic that Michael, 14, Matt, 15, and 16-year old John had five carp on at once between them.

Their biggest fish, a specimen of over 16lb, fell to Michael, who landed a total of 17 carp himself.

The big haul was the second tremendous catch taken by the three lads in recent weeks.

On their last trip to Gloucester Park they landed a total of 73 good carp between them.

Two other youngsters making grand use of their summer holidays are 14-year-old friends James Ackland and James Lund.

On their latest trip to Gloucester Park Ackland landed 32 carp, whilst Lund concentrated on the quivertip to land 26 bream and a handful of tench.

The duo fished the cockle bank, casting their baits tight to the island.

Ackland fished halibut pellet baits for the carp, while Lund used smaller pellets to tempt the bream and tench.

Three weeks previously the duo shared a 36-carp haul at Gloucester Park.

Ackland then hit the headlines featuring on the front page of the Angler's Mail holding a 22lb mirror carp, the biggest fish of their session.

The Gloucester Park cockle bank also proved a winner for Simon Andrews, who landed fourteen carp to a best of 17lb.

Andrews started his session fishing ledgered baits, but after an unsuccessful couple of hours he began catapulting small pellets onto the surface.

Within minutes the large number of fish intercepting the pellets convinced Andrews that a change of tactics was called to.

A switch to heavy waggler gear and pellet baits saw him take a fish nearly every cast of the rest of his session.

John Preston fished the cockle bank and landed several carp to a best of 17lb 3oz.

For the last hour of his session he moved to the incoming sluice area where he netted a smaller carp, while pal Pad Cosburn added an even bigger carp of 18lb 4oz.

Lee Farrow and partner Sandra Smith shared a cracking 17-carp haul when they fished the big bay.

The couple started their session fishing full-sized strawberry boillies, but these failed to tempt the fish.

A switch to strawberry mini boillies produced immediate action, and their remaining full-sized boillies were chopped up to fish in PVA bags alongside the mini boilie baits.

Their biggest fish fell to Smith who landed a mirror carp of 15lb, whilst Farrow added specimens to 13lb 12oz.