Chard Reservoir Has Something To Please Everyone

Hidden deep in the Somerset countryside lies the beautiful Chard Reservoir. This 38-acre venue has been playing host to some fantastic bream catches this summer with nets over 100lb consistently recorded in club matches.

Built in 1842 to provide water for the local canal, the venue which is controlled by Chard and District Angling Club, is surrounded by mature trees, providing anglers with not only a scenic, peaceful days fishing but a great days sport too.
The Reservoir is stocked with carp up to 35lb, bream to 7lb, roach to 2lb, eels to 4lb as well as double figure Pike. It is therefore popular amongst specimen carp anglers with swims of generous size and plenty of fish to go at. Best tactics tend to be fishing boilies over a bed of spod mix.

However, the majority of anglers who visit do so for its prime silverfish nets. Most matches are won here with triple figure nets of bream but you can also quite easily record a 30lb net of roach for whenever the slabs don’t play ball or if you prefer to float fish and enjoy fish-a-chuck action. The most successful tactics for the big bream seems to be sweet groundbait in an open ended feeder with corn, maggot or worm as hookbait. The swims on the dam wall are often the best in matches but you can catch from anywhere on the lake. You are advised to bring a platform when fishing this venue to make life easier when landing fish due to the venues shallow margins. For the roach, a simple light rig with a 4x14 pole float will suffice unless it is windy then step up to 1-gram or more. Simply loose feed maggot or caster at around 10m and change depth until you find the fish.

TIP: When pole fishing for roach, try fishing beyond your feed every so often as this is where some of the bigger roach to 1lb might be lurking

Prices: £10 non club members or £8 for members, 24 hours fishing allowance two rods maximum
Contact: Chard & District Angling Club, 07704 632077 www.chardanddistrictanglingclub.co.uk
Location: Chard Reservoir, Chaffcombe Lane, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1RR
Rules: No keepnets, no livebaiting, no bait boats, no tins, un-hooking mats to be used for carp