Anglers Can Get A Bite A Chuck On The Trent At Burton
Many sections of the River Trent are renowned for their big fish prospects but not everyone wants to sit all day waiting for one bite and thankfully there are some areas where running down a stick float and catching a nice net of silvers is the order of the day.
The section of river at Burton on Trent offers exactly that.
A good year of catches and with the stocking of around 7000 fish by the EA into the river around Burton means there is a lot for anglers to be positive about when it comes to this area of the Trent. The Coors Angling Club stretches have always been popular for hot silverfish sport with nets over 10lb consistently recorded, even in the depths of winter.
One of the best sections is the Broadholme Island Stretch off the Bridge Street road bridge. The pegs are actually located on a small island, set between the backwater and the main river. The Stapenhill Road pegs are level bottomed with a nice flow and are excellent for roach and dace and a bag of them can easily be amassed by fishing a light stick, waggler or running pole rig and loose-feeding maggot or casters over the top.
There are also bonus chub and barbel in here and these can be targeted using a more patient approach on the feeder or bomb but the odd one can often turn up when fishing for the silvers. Upstream of this near the point of the island, swims 17 to 19 are noted bream pegs and are worth targeting using the groundbait feeder.
TIP: The bridge buttresses are excellent fish holding features here. Cast close to them on the downstream side for roach and chub.
Prices: £20 reduced membership until March, Coors AC,
Location: River Trent, Meadow Road, Burton on Trent, Staffs, DE14 1TD
Contact: Coors AC, 01283 512711
Rules: Speed limit of 5 mph when driving on access roads/fields, no fires, keep to pegged swims, zander and signal crayfish to be removed upon catching
Silverfish Keeping Up Anglers Spirits At Hampton Springs
Hampton Springs has experienced a bit of a resurgence this year thanks to some excellent silverfish sport which has provided the venue with a new attraction to local anglers.
Recently the management have been running a number of silverfish only matches and these have proven popular thanks to some huge nets over 30lb being recorded, made up of mainly roach and skimmers. The matches have been held over three lakes, Alice Springs, Rock Pool and Poplars, all of which have seen excellent catches now that the carp have somewhat switched off. The lakes have plenty of features from marginal trees and plants to islands further out, all of which provide anglers with catching hotspots. If you cant reach them on the pole, fish a small maggot feeder, a method which has been used to good success in the matches, especially now the lakes are beginning to clear in the margins. Typically though, the pole is your best bet, fished in conjunction with a light pole rig and loose-fed caster or maggot. Try feeding two lines to maximise your chance of keeping fish coming every cast.
With seven lakes to choose from you are guaranteed a good days fishing at Hampton and if you cant resist the carp, try meadows pool which contains plenty averaging around 9lb along with some nice barbel.
Alices Springs: Silverfish nets to 40lb, carp nets to 50lb
Rock Pool: Silverfish nets to 30lb, carp nets to 50lb on the bomb and maggot
Poplars Pool: Carp averaging 5lb, silverfish nets to 40lb
Oasis: Smaller fish including silvers and barbel to 5lb and carp to 8lb
Meadows: Carp and barbel to 8lb in nets over 50lb,
Long Island: Carp to 15lb, tench to 4lb and chub. Try the Method or pellet feeder
Willows: A good head of carp to 5lb. Fish the pole to the islands
Folly: 3 acre specimen carp lake with fish to 26lb to be had. Try maggots in winter
TIP: In milder or warmer weather, try coming off the bottom when loose-feeding for roach
Prices: £7 for two rods
Contact: 01948 820789
Location: Hampton Springs, Shay Lane., Hampton Malpas, Cheshire, SY14 8AD
Facilities: Toilets
Rules: Fishery own pellets, no keepnets, no groundbait, no boilies
Match star's fishery plan for silverfish heaven
A top England international has revealed plans to turn a commercial complex into one of the nation’s best fisheries after he signed a deal to buy the site.
Matrix-backed star Grant Albutt has built up a solid reputation on the match circuit and aims to use his vast knowledge of the sport to turn Shatterford Lakes into the country’s most prolific venue.
Blueprints have been drawn up to make big changes at the Worcestershire complex – which is home to carp to 42lb and catfish over 70lb - in a bid to take it to the next level.
One of the first objectives of the England feeder team member is to enhance the silverfish potential of several lakes by adding extra shoals of roach and bream, with a full stock assessment of the specimen waters set to be undertaken in the coming weeks.
“When I was given the opportunity to buy the fishery I just couldn’t turn it down. It’s a fantastic complex with so much potential and I want to push it to its limit and bring even more people here,” explained Grant.
“The café and the tackle shop are going to get a major revamp, while moving lots of silverfish from the big fish waters to lakes where they will be targeted will help provide even better catches,” he added.
Plans are also in place to offer professional coaching onsite, with Grant intending to use the facility to help pass on his skills. He told Angling Times: “I’ve worked hard to make a name of myself in this sport and I’ve always wanted to pass on what I know to others. This is the perfect opportunity to do just that and with so many waters onsite I’ll be able to teach people exactly what they want to know.”
For more details visit www.shatterford.com or call 01299 861597.
**Fishery factfile**
- Shatterford Lakes was first opened in 1972 and was also run as a country park.
- Five fishable lakes are onsite, catering for match, specimen and specimen anglers.
- A recent match was won with 84lb of silverfish – hopes are high that a 100lb-plus catch can be taken in the coming months.
- The fishery is well known for its specimen catfish which have been caught to 70lb.
Barbel future boosted by fresh stock
A project has been launched to secure the future of some of the nation’s most prolific big barbel rivers.
Numerous waterways have seen an unprecedented number of specimen fish reported this season, with both the River Nene and Derbyshire Derwent producing several fish over the 16lb-barrier since June 16.
Despite the optimism over the form of these venues, concerns have been raised that very few small barbel have been landed, leading to the fears that the top class action could soon peter out once the current crop of big fish die off.
Efforts are now being made to eradicate those doubts, with Environment Agency staff stocking thousands of small barbel in to several rivers across the country.
Two locations on the Nene have welcomed new introductions, with stretches at Earls Barton and Irthlingborough both gaining 750 fish.
Several stretches of Derbyshire Derwent controlled by the Earl of Harrington’s Angling Club have also been earmarked for similar stockings.
Club treasurer Teresa Parr is confident this will provide a major boost to the waterway. She said: “It's going to help secure the barbel fishing for the future which is very important and this in-turn will attract more people to fish what is an up-and-coming waterway with huge potential.”
The EA have also shown their commitment to help the species flourish in venues that are not yet renowned for barbel, with Yorkshire’s River Aire receiving a top up of 3,000, and its neighbour the Dearne being stocked with the same quantity – its first introduction of the species for a decade.
Barbel Society chairman Steve Pope has welcomed the move and told Angling Times: “It’s really great news that the EA continue to stock barbel as not only does it help spread the species and bolster existing stocks, but also help revive venues that have suffered from predation.”
Record water set to reopen
Angling Times can this week reveal that the venue which produced the current British pike record could re-open its doors to predator anglers next year.
Llandegfedd Reservoir in Pontypool, South Wales, first hit the headlines in 1988 when it allowed pike fishing for the first time and produced four fish over the magical 40lb-barrier. Over the next few years it produced two British records for the species - the first falling to Gareth Edwards in 1989 at 45lb 6oz, followed by the existing best of 46lb 13oz to Roy Lewis in 1992.
Catches of bigger fish started to drop off after the turn of the millennium and in 2009 venue officials made the decision to stop pike angling on the 434-acre water.
The fishery originally announced on their Facebook page that plans are in place to allow boat fishing for pike again in 2014, and this was confirmed by Richard Poole, site controller for the Welsh Water owned venue. “We decided to give it a rest for five years as the pike population had obviously declined and we felt that the fishing was not offering visitors good value for money,” he explained to Angling Times.
“That period has now passed and if the work which is currently being carried out on the visitor centre at the reservoir is completed on time then we are planning to open two days week throughout October 2014. If for some reason the work isn’t completed on time it will definitely be opened during the same months in 2015.
“Costs are yet to be decided, as is the method of booking, but I’m sure there will be a massive demand for boats,” he added.
One of the many anglers praying the work is finished by next autumn is seasoned specimen hunter and Angling Times’ Bait Doctor columnist Paul Garner.
“I would definitely be keen to fish there,” he said. “A lot of these big pike waters are cyclical so there is no reason why it shouldn’t produce fish of a similar size to what it did in its late eighties, early nighties hay day. The fishery has also been managed well, which is good to see, and keeping the pike free of pressure over the last few years certainly won’t have done them any harm.
Respected pike angler and former record holder for the species, Neville Fickling, is also excited to see what the former pike ‘mecca’ will produce. “Chew has been simply exceptional over the last few years, but it will be interesting to see what happens and what gets caught from Llandegfedd. Any fish in there that were around 10-12lb when it closed to pike fishing five years ago could quite easily be mid-thirties.
“When it first opened I spent over £2,000 on permits and fuel for two 19lb pike so I would love to get back on there to try and better that.”
**LLANDEGFEDD FORTIES**
- Roy Lewis, 46lb 13oz, Oct 1992 – (Current British record)
- Gareth Edwards, 45lb 6oz, March 1989
- Carl Garrett, 44lb 8oz, Oct 1988
- Stuart Gilham, 44lb, Oct 1988
- B. Ingram, 43lb 2oz, Oct 1988
- Pete Climo, 42lb 5oz, Oct 1988
- Martin Cooke, 40lb 8oz, Oct 1996
Grafham set to open for extra month
A huge day-ticket reservoir with record-breaking potential is to extend its predator fishing season for the first time ever.
Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire, is popular with predator anglers across the nation as it’s produced massive pike to just under the 40lb mark, perch well over 4lb and is arguably the best stillwater zander venue in the UK with the fishery record standing at 22lb.
The traditional predator fishing season used to finish in late December, but now venue chiefs are offering day-ticket anglers the chance to book 10 boats per-day throughout January.
This not only gives visitors the chance to fish for the resident pike, zander and perch when they are at their optimum weight, but also continues the on-going quest to fully explore the potential of large trout reservoirs for these species.
“Grafham is a very special venue and every year there are not only huge predators caught, but also stories of catches that don’t even get publicised and are even kept secret from myself and the fisheries staff,” said John Marshall, Fisheries manager for Anglian Water.
“We want to give day-ticket anglers the chance to fish for predators for as long as we possibly can because we are well aware of how much potential there is here.
“There’s no complicated procedures to get a place, as all you have to do is call us and book your place or just turn up on the day and take a boat out.”
The headlines in recent weeks have been dominated by huge pike caught from trout reservoirs including Somerset’s Chew Valley reservoir that has already produced two different specimens over 40lb and over 25 fish over the 30lb-mark.
Having fished many of the major UK trout waters, Angling Times columnist Paul Garner is one of many that will be booking their place on Grafham in January 2014.
He said: “I’ll definitaley be there because there is every chance that this vast expanse of water could throw up a real giant. The fact that it’s going to be open in January for the first time just adds to the excitement.”
To enquire about the pike fishing at Grafham Water call the lodge on: 01480 810531 or e-mail: fishing@anglianwater.co.uk
50lb Skimmer Nets At Wold Farm
Many anglers have labelled Wold Farm Fishery as a summer only bagging venue but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes like most venues winter sport is slower than it is in summer but there is one lake on the complex which is well worth a visit this winter.
The 25-peg Oaks Lake has been continually stocked with carp in the 2-6lb bracket over the autumn as the management reduce the numbers in other areas, and this has improved the fishery considerably. However, for consistent sport why not target the lakes huge stock of roach and skimmers. Nets to 50lb are easily achievable with skimmers averaging 2lb and roach to 1lb filling nets. Tactics are also simple.
Chopped worm and caster work well on here when fished in conjunction with the pole. Feed two lines one at around 10m and one in the margins and work between the two to keep bites coming. On milder days you can even fish maggot or caster over a little groundbait. For the carp typical commercial match tactics will work but now the water is clearing and cold, bread is working excellently. Use big punched discs on a hair rig to catch carp to double-figures.
The 20-peg Moat Lake is also another good water in winter. This lake has plenty of small tench, crucians as well as silverfish around the 1lb mark. There are also the odd larger barbell to 8lb. Our advice is to head to the deeper pegs from 12-18 and target the fish with small baits such as maggot or pinkie or even bread to catch a nice mixed net of around 20-40lb.
Location: Wold Farm Fisheries, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7JQ
Prices: £8 including landing net hire, £10 with keepnet added. Wold price is £20 for two rods or £40 for 24 hours. All fishing is by appointment only so please call the fishery before turning up.
Rules: Groundbait, pellets and boilies fishery brought only, barbless only, fishery’s own nets only
Contact: 07974000230 or 01933 316630 www.woldfarmfisheries.co.uk
Facilities: Toilets, tackle shop, snack bar, tuition available
Fish For Free On The River Hull
Great redfin sport on the tidal Hull
The tidal River Hull Isn’t often the first running water venue which springs to mind when choosing a river to fish in Yorkshire but this under-rated fishery offers a great days sport and will barely cost you a penny.
The recent River Hull Championship match saw some terrific roach nets over 30lb being caught from the shipyard area with individual fish to 1lb being landed. With the river being tidal and with a pacey flow, many local anglers like to opt for stick float and maggot tactics. Set your rig, which should be as light as you can get away with to just off bottom and trot it down, loose-feeding 10 maggots or more every cast for redfins averaging around 6oz.
Generally the venue doesn’t respond to the balling-in approach but the pole is still a deadly tactic on the right day as you can attack the far-side boats at around 14-16m more accurately. Here you will find quality fish including bream to 4lb and skimmers which average around 1lb. There are also some nice perch over 3lb lurking amongst the steel of the small ships that dock here and these can be caught fishing large pieces of worm or maggot.
The whole stretch fishes well but the hot pegs are generally the 3-4 pegs immediately above the bridge.
Prices: Free fishing
Location: River Hull, Beverley, E Yorks, HU17 0HQ
Contact: Hull Angling Centre, 01482 374201
Rules: No fires, no litter, no carp in sacks
Galleon Stretch Of The Grand Union Offers Excellent Fishing
There are not many canal stretches in the UK which can offer a 30lb plus net of fish for under £10 a year but that’s exactly what anglers in the Milton Keynes area have on their doorstep with the Galleon stretch of the Grand Union Canal at Wolverton.
With so much good canal sport in the Milton Keynes area this section of cut has gone under the radar in recent times but the quality of fishing is as good as anywhere. This stretch is renowned for its big perch with fish to 3lb plus commonplace and worth targeting.
There are also the odd specimen carp but most anglers like to visit the canal in winter for a nice mixed net of roach, skimmers and gudgeon as well as the stripeys. The early pegs by the Galleon Pub, of which the stretch is named after, are around 25m wide and can be attacked by using a small feeder or waggler cast two-thirds to tight across. Bream to 5lb as well as the odd tench reside in this wide section so baits such as worm, caster and maggot are worth having on your bait tray.
The narrower pegs beyond this are around 10-12m across and have plenty of cover in the form of brambles and rushes. These pegs are excellent for perch as well as plenty of small fish. For a mixed net, fish small baits such as squatts and pinkies over a little groundbait on one line and then fish a little chopped worm down the middle of the canal for the perch. Here you will find the deepest water, around 5-6ft, so a heavier rig with slightly bigger hooks should be used with pieces of worm or maggot on the hook. Remember this is winter canal fishing so don’t feed too much at the start of your session.
TIP: Try squirting some Bait-Tech Predator Plus liquid to your chopped worm mix to help attract the big perch.
Prices: £6 a year Galleon Pub to aquaduct, Galleon AC,
Location: Grand Union Canal, Galleon Stretch, Wolverton, Bucks, MK12 5NL
Contact: Gone Fishin, 01908 313158
Rules: No carp in keepnets, no fires
Great River Sport On The Avon At Barford
Most people associate the Warwickshire Avon with a net of roach caught on a slow moving river. However, there is one stretch near Warwick where this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Barford Angling Association 50-peg section below the weir at Barford is often called the mini River Wye due to its fast flow and ability to produce some cracking nets of barbel and chub.
Of course there are plenty of roach to be had and some anglers like to target the dace for nets to 20lb but the majority that like to fish here do so because they can enjoy fishing you would only usually find some 70 miles west at places like Hereford and Shrewsbury. The fishing here isn’t easy though as good river craft and the ability to trott a stick float for example, are a must if you are to enjoy a successful day. There are plenty of fish in here including barbel to 15lb but averaging around 8lb, bream to double-figures, roach, dace, perch to 4lb-plus as well as chub.
The depth on this stretch is only around 3-6ft and there are plenty of boils, eddies and slacks that make great fish holding features. With conditions similar to that found on rivers like the Wye, tactics required are pretty similar too. Wire-stem stick floats of around 7 no. 8’s are ideal for most swims using rods of 13ft plus for control.
You can fish this way in conjunction with loose-fed maggots or caster and hemp, around ten maggots a cast to be exact for a nice mixed net of fish including smaller barbel. Take a few pints of them as you can get through a bit of bait on a stretch like this. A whip with a mini waggler float may also be useful here if you want to catch a net of dace while big baits, strong rods and ledger rigs can also be used for specimen fish such as big barbel.
Tip: When fishing loose-fed maggots, try flavouring with turmeric spice to add more colour and also to degrease the maggots, making them sink faster in the flow.
Price: £45 a season, Barford AA, Over 65 £20, memberships are half price after Dec 15th
Contact: Barford AA, 01564 77741, www.barford-angling.co.uk
Location: River Avon, Barford, Warwickshire, (Access supplied upon membership approval)
Rules: No night fishing, no braid, no litter, no fishing between platforms
Excellent Winter Fishing At Lingmere
The sudden drop in temperatures has had an effect on sport at numerous waters but at Lingmere Fishery sport is still excellent, with big mixed bags falling every day.
The complex is situated on the Wirral, close to the Irish Sea meaning that winter temperatures are often a touch warmer than those further inland, making for some great cold weather sport.
Mirror and common carp are plentiful on the fishery’s two lakes but they have taken a backseat of late with impressive hauls of skimmers, F1s, tench, ide and barbel making the headlines in nets to 50lb.
Both waters are home to a variety of species but it is the Match Lake which has been the main focus. Pole fishing fanatics have managed to keep the bites coming via a number of approaches, with big F1s to over 5lb falling frequently to baits fished up in the water between 9m and 13m out. Use a 6mm banded pellet and feed a few 4mm offerings every few seconds to keep a constant trickle of bait going through the water. Those in search of barbel have presented big beds of maggots or casters either down the edge or at the bottom of the nearside ledge 5m out. Specimens to over 7lb have been landed this year so make sure you are geared up properly, using a hooklink of at least 0.14mm diameter.
Down on the Pleasure Lake the F1s are still very active in the open water areas although the bigger carp – which run to over 20lb – are taking Mainline Cell boilies and or large lumps of meat presented tight to the islands. Lingmere Fishery is a truly mixed haven and when the float disappears it is impossible to guess what is attached to the other end.
The Match Lake is only open for day-ticket anglers on Monday, Tuesday and Fridays. The fishery also offers novice anglers tuition on-site, if required.
Tip: Try flavouring your maggots with Krill to add scent to the bait to help pick out the bigger barbel and keep the bites coming.
Price: £7 one rod, £9 two rods.
Contact: Call 0151 6777911 or visit www.lingmere-fishery.co.uk
Location: Lingmere Fishery, Lingmere Cottage, Lingham Lane, Moreton, CH46 4TB.
Facilities: Café, tackle shop, parking, toilets.
Rules: No more than 2kg of groundbait per session, all fish must be netted.
The Ouse Really Is Great At Littleport
After some excellent weights in the recent Angling Trust World Club Qualifier, the River Great Ouse at Littleport is proving its worth as an excellent natural venue.
The waterway is currently fishing as well as it has done for many years with roach, small bream, and significant numbers of tench being caught in nets to 25lb. Large bream 5 lb to 7 lb can also show on any peg to either feeder or long pole tactics. The depth is a good 9-10ft deep so heavy pole rigs of 2-3 grams with size 18 hooks and 0.08 hooklengths are not uncommon and the venue often responds well to a balling-in approach. To do this fish a groundbait such as Bait-tech Pro Natural, Sensas Gros Gardens or Dynamite X River and feed around 5-7 balls at 11-13m, fishing maggot or caster over the top. Once bites die off it is time top up with a couple more balls of groundbait.
There has been a recent explosion of perch in recent years with loads of fish from an ounce or two up to around ¾lb to be taken on maggot but if chopped worm tactics are used in the right areas expect anything up to 3 lb. The same tactics can produce some of the many big tench that have recently started to show. At this time of year the pegs opposite the mouth of the ‘Boat Haven’ are the most popular for the pike/zander anglers with pike in the mid/high teens common place although 20lb plus fish are quite rare.
TIP: When balling-in, add damp leam to your mix, particularly in the deeper swims to help get the mix to the bottom quickly.
Prices: £5 a day on the bank or £15 a season, Littleport AC,
Location: River Great Ouse, Littleport, Cambs, CB6 1NT
Contact: Benwick Sports, 01353 721009, info@littleportanglingclub.co.uk
Rules: No fires, no litter
Try Furnace Lakes For Excellent Silverfish Nets
AS the dark nights draw in and the temperatures begin to ebb away, the carp fishingregulars at Furnace Lakes slip off for their winter of hibernation making way for match and pleasure rods to enjoy world class silverfish sport.
The Sussex complex has hit the headlines on numerous occasions this year for throwing up large mirrors, commons and even catfish but it is the bream and skimmers that are now the main focus, with 70lb plus hauls a genuine possibility.
The six acre, 40 peg, Furnace Lake is the most prolific on the six pond fishery and pole anglers that have already latched on to this cold weather gem have been bagging up on a weekly basis. The lake is very mature and Although it is predominantly a carp water it is also well stocked with tonnes of skimmers, roach and big perch to 3lb as well as bream to 6lb.
For the silverfish two different attacks will work, with an expander pellet over micros and worm and caster over groundbait both producing the goods.
Set up two lines at around 13m out and make sure they are well spread out. Feed one with five big balls of fishmeal based groundbait to begin with and a big pot of micros over the other.
Expect most of the fish to be just under the 1lb mark, although bonus fish of 4lb can show up at any point. The fishery runs a number of silverfish open matches throughout the winter for those that are interested.
TIP: Use a bulk shot around 2ft above your hook with two droppers below so your hookbait falls slower through the bottom layers, skimmers won’t always be found hard on the deck.
Furnace Lakes, Horsham, West Sussex
Prices: £10 a day for one rod on Furnace Lake
Contact: 01403 791163
Location: Furnace Lakes, Guildford Road, Slinfold, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 OQZ
Facilities: Parking, small tackle shop, toilets
Rules: Barbless hooks only.
Big Bream At Bain Valley's New Lake
With eight lakes to choose from Bain Valley Fisheries in Lincolnshire is fast becoming one of the most popular commercials in the midlands. The venue’s new Bream Pit has already proven its eminence as a venue with some great nets of bream to 140lb already recorded.
As featured in our sister publication Improve Your Coarse Fishing recently, Steve Gregory proved the quality of the fishing on offer in this lake with some huge slabs to 7lb landed. However, there are no small fish in this lake so a patient approach is required and don’t expect hundreds of bites. The water is fairly weedy even in autumn so it is worth finding a nice weed free spot by casting a lead around your swim before you begin fishing. The feeder, as always when targeting bream, should be your tactic of choice on this lake. Fill it with brown crumb or any good sweet bream groundbait, adding plenty of corn, worm, dead maggots and casters to the mix. Big bream are suckers for a cocktail bait and Steve Gregory’s catch was achieved using worm and corn on the hook. Start you session by putting in a bit of bait, say a cast every two minutes for the first ten minutes or so to get some bait down on the lake bed and don’t worry about being too tight as big bream require plenty of space when feeding. A cast of around 5-10 minutes thereafter should suffice. Alternatively you can spod or use a flatbed Method feeder to put a bed of 2-4mm fishmeal pellets with a little groundbait on the lake bed and fish a bigger 8mm pellet on the hook. Both these methods will work on their day.
Another lake which is showing good form is the mixed stocked Hurricane (13 pegs). Roach, perch and bream nets well over 50lb have been landed in recent matches with simple maggot and groundbait or small pellets working well on the pole in around 6-7ft of water.
TIP: When targeting bream on the new lake, add plenty of loose offerings to your mix to give the bream something to root around for.
Prices: £6 a day, concessions £5, extra rod £2, 24 hours £20
Location: Bain Valley Lakes, North Road Farm, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincoln LN4 4PQ
Contact: 01526 342275, www.bainvalleyfisheries.co.uk
Rules: Barbless only, no keepnets, no braid, no nuts,
Facilities: Toilets, Caravan Park
Every Peg Is A Winner At Rosemary Wood Fishery
Many anglers shy away from fishing carp dominated commercials because of the mundaneness of fishing the same method week in week out. However, not all fisheries conform to the one tactic rule. One of them is Rosemary wood in Lancashire where nets of 100lb are currently being recorded on Island Pool.
This is a lake where every peg is different and different tactics will work on any given day. The 42-peg mature lake is stuffed with carp to 10lb, averaging around 4-5lb. There are three islands, one of which you can fish from and with plenty of other structures and vegetation anglers have plenty of fish holding features to target. Many of the pegs offer an island to target and these hold some of the big carp. From certain pegs, such as 16, 17 and 18 for example you can even reach the edge on the long pole at around 14m. If you cant then the Method feeder or straight lead will all work. When the weather is cooler use pellets and groundbait in your mix and fish a 6mm pellet on the hook. However, maggots and bread are also worth trying during the winter especially once the water runs clear. The venue fishes well throughout the colder months and 150lb nets after breaking ice are not unknown. For a net of skimmers and bream, fish at 8m on the pole or waggler and fish a 4mm softened pellet over a bed of pellets and groundbait. Don’t ignore the margins as these produce too , even in winter.
The 50-peg Moss Lake contains bigger carp to 28lb making it an attraction for the speci boys but there are tench, bream, roach, ide and tonnes of smaller carp which can make a nice mixed net over 50lb on any cold day. The beauty of this lake is that any tactic can work from pellet waggler to straight lead.
TIP: Bread is an excellent bait to try here after the first frosts. Try liquidised feed and a punched hookbait in the margins for a bonus big carp to 10lb
Prices: £6 one rod, £10 two, concessions £5 one rod, 24 hours on Moss Lake only £20
Location: Rosemary Wood Fishery, Riding Lane, Haskayne, Ormskirk, Lancs, L39 7JD
Contact: 07957 434325, www.rosemarywood.co.uk
Rules: Barbless only, no keepnets, leads and feeders to be free running, no braid, no floating baits, no spinning or livebaiting
Facilities: Toilets, tackle shop, snack shop
Packington Fishery Is Packed With Big F1's
With fishing at many commercial venues starting to tail off as winter sets in, weights at Packington have remained excellent. Recent matches fished on the venue’s Little Geary’s have been requiring over 50lb to frame proving the lakes form despite the cooler weather.
The 30-peg intimate pool is stuffed with F1’s to 4lb, providing some fantastic autumn, winter sport. These fish currently prefer the natural baits over the man-made varieties including worm, dead maggots and casters. A successful method for a nice mixed net on here at the moment is to feed chopped worm and caster with a little groundbait via a pole cup and top it up when bites start to dry up, fishing with caster or maggot over the top on the pole or waggler. It is also worth feeding a few casters down in the margins with a little groundbait for later in the session as this line will see carp to 7lb caught along with F1’s and skimmers. Alternatively you can fish a small groundbait Method feeder tight to the island with dead red maggot on the hook and some worm pieces in the mix for bigger carp and F1’s. Both methods will work for a nice mixed net of fish.
Molands Mere is also a lake in form with mixed nets of F1’s to 5lb, carp to double-figures as well as crucians and skimmers being caught regularly. The best weights are being taken on the pole at around 13m in 7-8ft of water. Cup in some groundbait and casters and feed a few casters over the top. For the biggest carp, fish a straight lead with a large 8mm pellet in open water, however, some of these fish are still being landed from the margins using worm or dead maggots over a little groundbait.
TIP: Natural baits are working well on most of the lakes especially dead red maggots
Prices: Adults £7.50. Concessions £5.50.Morning tickets (6am – 12.30pm) and evening tickets (5pm – close) £5 and £4.50
Contact: 01676 522020
Location: Packington Hall, Meriden, Warwickshire, CV7 7HF
Facilities: Car park, disabled access, café, toilets.
Rules: No keepnets, barbless hooks only,
Aire & Calder In Autumn Form For Fishing
Now the temperatures have started to drop and the leaves are falling from the trees anglers are once more making their yearly pilgrimage to the canals. One of the best sections of cut in the country is the Aire & Calder at Altofts. Autumn sport has once more got off to a great start here with match weights touching 20lb in recent weeks.
The canal here is stuffed with roach and perch and the good thing about this waterway is that the action isn’t confined to a couple of ‘flier’ pegs either, with countless spots along several miles of waterway producing chunky redfins almost every drop in.
This canal is fairly wide at around 30m across and with a depth of around 9ft the fishing here is more challenging than on other canals but the amount of fish and the quality of fishing more than makes up for this. Despite the width you don’t need to fish far out. 11m is more than enough to target the roach and this can be done by balling or cupping in some fairly heavy, well -binded river style groundbait to help get the feed down. Lace the mix with casters or pinkies and maggots to hold the fish in the swim. Use a 1 gram pole float with an olivette or bulk shot about two feet from the hook to get the bait down with some small droppers below it for a natural fall of the hookbait. You may also need a heavier rig up to 2-gram for when the canal is pushing through. Try to avoid loose feeding particularly when the canal is moving so any re-feeding should be preferably done via groundbait. You can catch on the waggler here but if you do fish the pole try to use a slightly heavier elastic than usual as to set the hook in the deeper water and to cater for the good stamp of roach. It is also worth feeding a chop worm line short for a bonus perch which go to 3lb here. The worm can be fed in groundbait to get the bait down if the canal is moving or via a bait-dropper, whatever you prefer.
Prices: £3.50 from local tackle shops, Mirfield AC
Contact: Chris Roberts Fishing Tackle 01484 545032 or www.mirfieldac.co.uk
Location: Nearby postocode - Foxholes Lane, Altofts, Normanton, W Yorks WF6 2PE
Facilities: Parking
Top Quality Sport At Passies
You’re almost guaranteed good quality sport at Passies and even now that the first frosts are threatening, events are still won with over 100lb of carp, F1’s hybrids, bream and skimmers.
This scenic venue, nestled amongst the chalk hills of the South Downs has three lakes to choose from including the snake shaped Match Lake which is fishing excellently this year. This 68-peg lake is roughly six-acres in size and all of the swims have been spaced a minimum of 15m apart. It has been constructed so that it provides good sport all year round with a good head of common and mirror carp to 10lb, bream to 6lb, tench to 5lb, roach, chub and perch. It is 6ft at is deepest and the bottom of the lake has been shelved to enable both pole and waggler fishing as well as legering when the conditions require. From most pegs you can reach the far bank with a 14m pole, although the bigger carp have a habit from being caught along the near bank on worm, luncheon meat or sweetcorn.
Caster or maggot fished over to the far side usually works well for the carp and tench, whereas the bream can often be found in the deeper water in the middle of the lake and respond well to groundbaiting tactics. However, last week’s Avon Valley Winter League practice match saw Ian Dixon land 98lb of carp on pole fished meat.
For a more peaceful and relaxed experienced you can fish on the day ticket lake. This lake is about five acres in size with 50 pegs and has many features to fish to and has been designed to eliminate hot spots so that all anglers have an even chance of catching whichever peg they’re fishing from.
The lake is about 4ft deep near the bank, and there is a deeper channel which goes down to 9ft along the centre. It is well-stocked with mirror, common and ghost carp to over 20lb, tench to double figures, perch to 4lb, crucian carp, roach, rudd and chub. Because the lake is fairly shallow it is a popular waggler and pole fishery, and those wanting to fish at range tend to use either weighted floats or a feeder.
Meanwhile, Pamela’s Lake is the newest water on the complex and is ideal for both beginners and experienced anglers alike. There are 21 pegs to fish from and it is mainly stocked with carp ranging from 1lb 8oz to 12lb which you can get bites from on even the toughest of days.
Prices: Adults £10 per day, concessions £6
Contact: 01273 465257, www.coombes.co.uk
Location: Passies Pond, Church Farm, Coombes, Lancing, West Sussex
Facilities: Toilets, tackle shop, cafe
Rules: No carp or fish over 1lb to be put in keepnets. No boilies, nuts or dried cat or dog food. Groundbait limited to 2kg and 1pt of hempseed. Barbless hooks only. No leger weights over 1oz.
Monster Fish Lurking At Clumber
For a big fish experience, whether you’re a pike angler or someone who likes to catch big bream on the feeder there aren’t many better waters in the Midlands than Clumber Park Lake in Worksop.
In fact the fishing has been so good here recently the 83-acre venue has earned itself the nickname Jurassic Park because of the monster fish which lurk in its depths. Carp over 48lb have been reported this season and local specimen hunter, Ian Cougill, had a bumper session last week, landing several double figure bream. These slabs have been popping up all over the lake, falling to ledgered lob worm, fished over particle groundbait. However, when the weed dies down the standard Method or cage feeder approach can also pay dividends and is easy to adopt. The lake is mainly fished by carp anglers and if the bream get caught it is usually by accident so they aren’t very shy so there is no need to fish too light, especially as there are tench to 9lb in here. Due to the venues size, finding the fish is key so it is worth gaining a bit of local knowledge and finding out where the fish are being caught prior to fishing so you can target that area with your bait. Groundbait should be a fairly fine sweet mix with particles contained within it to give the bream something to graze on while they find your hookbait.
Huge perch have also been putting in an appearance recently with specimens over the 4lb mark being taken on lob worm and prawns. As we go into the winter the pike fishing begins and although it’s a ‘lure only’ water, pike over 20lb are no uncommon here throughout the year.
TIP: Clumber is a large water so be patient and wait for the bream to feed by putting some feed out via a feeder. Try fake corn or a bright pop-up for the bigger specimens.
Prices: £7.50 a day (parking is charged on-site or free for National Trust members, £95 a season including parking.
Location: Clumber Park, Worksop, Notts, S80 3AZ
Contact: 01909 544917
Facilities: Toilets, restaurant, shop, refreshment kiosk
Rules: Barbless only, no keepnets, no night fishing, no live or deadbaits, two rods maximum, no fires
Broads sport is set to soar
The rising popularity of UK river angling shows no sign of slowing down this week as a venue regarded as many as ‘the best natural fishery in the UK’ announces an ambitious project that will see hundreds of new pegs created and the opening of free previously un-fished stretches.
Anglers that have been fishing the famous Norfolk Broads for over 50 years have regarded the fishing so far in 2013 to be the best that it’s interconnecting river systems have ever produced with 170 anglers recently weighing in well over a tonne of roach and skimmers from the Rivers Bure and Thurne.
But the future looks even brighter for visiting anglers thanks to a collaboration between Norwich & District Angling Association, the Broads Angling Strategy Group and the Environment Agency.
They are working to open up 150 pegs on a previously inaccessible stretch of the River Bure upstream of Upton, 40 new pegs downstream of Upton Dyke over 40 new pegs on the Thurne system.
News that will not only come as music to the ears of the thousands of coarse anglers that visit the venues every year to plunder the vast shoals of roach and bream, but also predator fishermen that will go in search of the huge pike that lurk within these plentiful waterways.
“The broads are in the best form ever and it’s a massive step forward to be able to work on these plans that could see so much new water opened up to visiting anglers because who knows what sort of catches are possible from these areas,” said Tony Gibbons Chairman of N&DAA.
“Our partnership has already seen over 100 new pegs created in 2013, which have produced some really huge catches and there’s no doubt that the new areas will do the same and the other great aspect of this is that the fishing is free.”
This news comes in the same year that has seen a revival in the popularity in river fishing with the birth of Dave Harrell’s Riverfest, which is being staged on some of the best running water venues in the UK.
Top match angler and Broads fishing fanatic Mark Pollard is of the opinion that the expansion and development of the system is just what the sport needs.
“The Broads encompass the best natural venues in the UK and the fact that you’ll be able to fish new areas that would probably only be accessible by a boat is fantastic and will open up a world of possibilities for anglers of all disciplines,” said Mark.
To find out more about the BASG visit: www.basgonline.org
