Big Fish Off gets second series in 2016

The second series of The Big Fish Off has been given the green light.

As you read these words creators of the hit show are working on the next action-packed series that’s received the full backing of broadcasting giants ITV.

Filming of five new episodes hosted by executive producer Ali Hamidi and Dean Macey will begin this May and will feature four shows at popular venues in the UK and one that’s likely to be filmed in Thailand.

The huge success of the first series was largely down to the fact that its wide spectrum of celebrity guests and exiting angling challenges helped bring fishing into the homes of a whole new audience and that winning format will remain unaltered for series two, which will also be broadcast on ITV 4.

Ali has also revealed that the huge list of stars that already want to be part of the next instalment include former footballer Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, boxing legend Steve Collins, Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, actor and Comedian Bobby Davro and former Olympic athlete Sally Gunnell.

“I’ve known that we had the thumbs up for the second series for a while now and it feels great to be able to officially announce the news,” said a delighted Ali.

“It’s a great show that has a winning format as the celebrity guests really were the key to getting non-anglers into the Big Fish Off and believe me this next series is going to be even better with new challenges, huge laughs and great banter.”

“The bosses at ITV loved the ‘Britishness’ of the first series so that’s why we are filming four in the UK and one abroad, which we hope will take us to Thailand.

“I’d just have to take this chance to thank everyone who’s been involved in the show and to all of you out there who have given the series so much praise and support. Without you none of this would be possible.”

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Nine lakes to choose from at Bradshaw Hall Fisheries

Situated in a tranquil valley well away from the urban hub of the main town, Bradshaw Fisheries certainly aims to provide for every type of angler.

Since the complex was taken over by new owners a couple of years ago, it has gone from strength to strength, with all of the nine lakes producing the best action in the their history.

Pole anglers are bagging up on Lake 8 and 9, with the brace of snake lakes the perfect place to land a big mixed net that will be made up on carp, tench, F1s and silverfish. Fish maggot or pellet to the far bank, taking a look down the margins from time to time in an effort to pick out a few bigger samples.

Those that prefer a rod and line attack won’t go far wrong on Lake Four with the Method feeder and pellet waggler both scoring for 80lb nets of carp. This lake is also home to huge numbers of roach and 30lb of them certainly isn’t out of the question if you fish maggots or casters shallow.

Lake Two is the first choice of many specimen anglers and carp to over 20lb falling frequently to boilies, with corn, hemp and casters a better option for bream and tench to over 7lb.

It is also the ideal place to introduce newcomers to the sport, with the smaller and more intimate Lakes One, Five and Six all on fire for roach, perch, skimmers and chub to 3lb.

Experience the magic of Bradshaw Fisheries this week for an unforgettable experience.

Prices: One rod priced at £8 adults and £6 concessions
Contact: Call 01204 307197 or visit www.bradshawhallfisheries.co.uk
Location: Bradshaw Fisheries, Slack Lane, off Bradshaw Road, Bradshaw, Bolton, Lancs, BL2 4JW
Rules: No braided line, barbless hooks only, no cat or dog meat
Facilities: Toilets, café, tackle shop, parking

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Paul Holland wins White Acres Bait-Tech festival

The festival season kicked off at White Acres with the Bait-Tech event, won by Guru ace Paul Holland with a perfect four section wins.

The Reading-based angler landed the £1,500 top prize ahead of Des Shipp by virtue of having a better dropped result; each angler discards their worst score of the week to give them a final tally.

Paul’s dropped second in section bettered the third of Des to see him finally win a festival after nine years of near misses. It left him rightly chuffed, the victory being a pay-off for time spent getting to know the intricacies of the Cornish complex.

“The win has been a long time in coming and you do need a good run of draws as certain sections can have terrible pegs but it’s not all down to luck as people like Des and Steve Ringer win their fair share,” Paul said. “You need to be ready to catch the carp when they decide to have a feed but also to get out of the mind set of fishing just for carp. Silverfish are so important and I’ve spent this winter fishing for F1s at Tunnel Barn Farm so I could get used to working pegs for the full five hours, getting the timing of changing lines right and keeping something going in the net. I’ve always had one day that’s let me down in the past so for it to all come good is brilliant.”

Day 1 saw Paul heading to Jenny’s Lake and peg 15 got his campaign off to a flier with a lake and section win with 142-3-0. That was made up of 10 big carp and around 50lb of roach and skimmers on meat fished short on the pole.

Day 2 saw him off to Trewaters and peg 31 where he picked off small carp on the bomb with bread and corn before finding some bigger carp on meat at 7m in the final few hours for 69-10-0 and another section win.

Bolingey Lake peg 17 halted his charge slightly on Wednesday as he took second in the section with 117-0-0 of carp on bomb fished to the several spots close to the island with bread on the hook.

He got back into contention with a section win from Pollawyn Lake peg 29 on Day 4, weighing in 71-4-0 of carp and skimmers plus around 7lb of roach. With 90 minutes to go in this match it was what Paul described as ‘do or die’ as he’d been feeding positively with 10mm cubes of meat on his bomb line. This gave him five carp and two F1s to just get him in the clear for the valuable six points.

“I fancied drawing peg 16 on the Twin Oaks Lake on Friday and got it. But the way the pegging was in this festival, pegs 15 and 17 were also in so there was less room, plus the far bank had been cleared so there were no holes in the reeds to fish the feeder into,” Paul explained.

“120lb had won the section the day before and I felt I could get this by fishing meat on the pole. It was a slow start on the bomb and I was falling behind, but a change to 13m with meat got me off the mark with some carp.

“All the time I was loosefeeding meat on the bomb line and I did catch four fish casting a meat feeder here but it was slow, although the final hour came really good for me with a run of carp on meat short.”

Paul had taken 146lb to win the section and lake, further swelling his coffers and confirming his long-awaited win.

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Win four Fishing Gurus DVDs signed by Steve Ringer!

We have four Fishing Gurus DVDs signed by Steve Ringer to giveaway to one lucky person.

To enter all you have to do is click the link below and follow the instructions. For more great competitions make sure you 'LIKE' the Angling Times Facebook page here - www.facebook.com/anglingtimes 

To find out more about this great competition, go to http://woobox.com/6gawoj


Angling Times Supercup semi finals announced

Three of the UK’s top match waters will host the semi-finals of this year’s Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup.

Southern teams will do battle at Hampshire’s Gold Valley Lakes on Saturday, July 25 across the Gold, Middle and Syndicate Lakes. These waters are all packed with hard-fighting carp plus a big mix of silverfish.

Saturday, August 1 sees a return to Tunnel Barn Farm in Warwickshire for the Midlands semi. Five lakes are in use to ensure plenty of room and guaranteed impressive weights from F1 hybrids, carp and barbel.

The quest for the final is rounded off on Saturday, August 8 in North Yorkshire as Thirsk fishery Oaks Lakes sees the northern lads slug it out. The established Maple and Alders Lakes will be the host, and after recent stockings, bites are assured across all pegs.

Tunnel Barn match organiser Les Whetton was delighted to be hosting a semi-final again. “When we’ve hosted semis and the final in the past, every angler has enjoyed a brilliant day and only wished they lived a bit nearer so they could keep coming back!” he said.

“New for this year is the High Pool, a snake lake that’s our most recent addition, and it’s crammed with small carp, F1 hybrids, barbel and tench.

"There won’t be a blank, and you’ll need well over 60lb to do any good in most sections.”

Oaks boss Tom Kay was equally enthusiastic. “We’ve put thousands of F1 hybrids into the Alders Lake in the past few years so it’s no longer a case of fishing very long to the island after ide,” he said.

“The margins will be just as important, and match weights last summer were regularly over 100lb with lots of 40lb and 50lb back-up weights.

"With plenty of room, this match should be a cracker.”

SEMI FINAL DETAILS

SOUTHERN SEMI FINAL
When? Saturday, July 25
Where? Gold Valley Lakes, Aldershot, Hampshire
Which lakes? Two sections on the Gold Lake, two sections on the Middle Lake and two sections on the Syndicate Lake

MIDLANDS SEMI FINAL
When? Saturday, August 1
Where? Tunnel Barn Farm, Shrewley, Warwickshire
Which lakes? Two sections on the High Pool and one section each on the Top, Jenny’s, Club and Canal Pools

NORTHERN SEMI FINAL
When? Saturday, August 8
Where? The Oaks Lakes, Sessay, North Yorkshire
Which lakes? Three sections on Maple Lake, three sections on Alders Lake

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Plenty of features at Rayne Lodge Fishery

If you enjoy fishing a commercial with plenty of features to target then Rayne Lodge Fishery in Essex will be right up your street. Comprising three lakes, the southern complex has a host of islands, lily pads, overhanging trees, reed beds and mud banks to tempt a bite from this weekend.

The best carp fishing here has to be on the Top Lake, where summer match nets have reached in excess of 300lbs before.

Fishing a Method feeder with a banded 6mm pellet to one of the islands will account for a lot of bites; however the margin fishing here is second to none. A top kit and around 8 tins of sweetcorn is all you’ll need to pull out over 100lb of quality carp off the deck.

Similarly, The Middle Lake is one acre in size and also has an island which is often targeted with a feeder, although the shallow fishing here is also very good. Roach to 2lb reside in this lake as well as crucians and carp to 18lb which are often caught shallow on soft hooker pellets or double caster.

Any pegs with overhanging trees are good areas to target these fish up in the water. The same can be said for The Bottom Lake with shallow fishing also producing good mixed nets of fish even in the current climate. However, the string of small islands located at around 13m out are perfect for pole enthusiasts who can fish down the slope with 6mm expander pellets over a bed of hemp and micros. This tactic is currently working well for tench and bream to 5lbs as well as a number of carp well into double figures.

Prices: £8 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: 01376 345 719 or 07710 483 850
Location: Rayne Lodge Fishery, Rayne Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2QT, www.raynelodgefishery.co.uk
Rules: Strictly no fish are to be removed from any of our lakes, barbless Hooks only permitted, ground bait a max of 1kg per person, keepnets are only allowed in organised matches, keepnets must be a minimum of 10ft, no fish to be retained for longer than 6 hours.

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Superb sport on offer at Peatling Pools

Peatling Pools in Leicestershire offers superb sport across three lakes which are currently producing excellent mixed nets.

It’s on the Malcolm Pool where you can catch a variety of fish in one sitting, with many anglers reporting catches of chub, carp, barbel, tench, crucians, bream and roach. This half acre water has an island at the car park end and a number of 9ft deep holes, particularly located around the base of the island shelf. This makes the feeder and waggler ideal tactics for catching – with anglers preferring to use corn, maggot and worm as hookbaits.

The small pool which connects both Malcolm and Magna Pools together features a bed of lily pads, and these should be targeted with the float and worm for a big tench – especially when the weather warms up. The Magna Pool itself is similar in appearance to Malcolm, in that it also has a central island roughly around 18m out. The method feeder cast to this feature with meat on the hook will claim carp well into double figures as well as chub and bream.

The gem of the fishery however has to be the Parva Pool, which although tiny, packs some serious punch for its size. Big perch to 5lb and roach to 3lb have all been caught from here to those fishing the pole with maggot and worm on the deck. However, with only eight fishable pegs, you’ll want to make sure you set your alarms early this weekend to secure yourself a spot.

Prices: £7 a day
Contact: 07860 644023 or 0116 2867316
Location: Peatling Pools, Peatling Parva, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 5PU
Rules: No littering, no fires, barbless hooks only, not keepnets except for organised matches
Facilities: Café, Tackle shop, lakeside parking, toilets

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Break your personal best at Langley Lakes

There aren’t many venues where you can catch 100lb of mixed fish one day and a 30lb carp the next – but that’s exactly what Lingley Lakes offers with its two stunning waters.

Comprising a Match Lake and a Specimen Lake, Lingley aims to meet anglers’ desires of breaking their personal bests. Whether it’s a weight or quantity record you’re after, this fishery certainly has the potential to do it thanks to the stocking of carp to over 30lbs, bream to 5lbs and barbel to 6lbs, as well as a host of other species too. Not only do the fish impress but the flora and fauna has also been shown special attention to ensure the scenery matches the same quality of fishing that many modern commercials offer.

Match Lake
An ‘L’ shaped lake with 29 pegs and three central islands all between 8-10m out – making the pole an ideal method to use here. The water is relatively murky but this does not affect the fishing which is simply fantastic. It’s stocked primarily with barbel, roach, tench, bream and carp, which are bred from FrontFish UK. Some of these juvenile fish have been recently transferred from the Specimen Lake into the Match Lake and are in fin-perfect condition. All the pegs here can reach the island and this is where you want to start your session. Switch between the pole and feeder with corn and pellet and then maggot shallow in open water to find the roach – which go to 1lb here. The edge line with paste or a soft pellet could be good for a bigger carp or barbel as well.

Specimen Lake
This carp only water is two acres in size with two islands, making it perfect for those anglers who like small, intimate lakes with decent features and big fish to target. It currently has ten pegs but only six anglers are allowed to fish at any one time, which adds to the overall exclusive feel this lake carries. This is very much deserved as these stunning carp are bred from FrontFish UK which specialises in producing immaculate looking specimens for fisheries.

You’ll struggle to bank a carp under the 17lb barrier here, and many of the original 32 specimens are now believed to weigh in excess of 30lbs – meaning every bite could be your new personal best. The islands and the two underwater peaks either side of the point are the best places to target, with straight leads, pellet PVA bags and double 8mm pineapple boilies currently proving the hot tactic.

Prices: £6.50 a day (Match Lake), £15 a day (Specimen Lake)
Contact: 01772 861901 or visit www.langleylakes.co.uk
Location: Langley Lakes, Langley Lane, Goosnargh, Preston, PR3 2JP
Rules: All anglers must use landing nets provided, no fixed method feeders, barbless hooks only, no night fishing, no cat or dog meat, sacks not allowed, no bait boats, no fires, no rods to be left unattended.

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Fewer fish but more anglers at Alders Farm Fishery

The controversial removal of over three tonnes of fish from a record-breaking commercial fishery has been hailed a massive success after day ticket sales sore.

Buckinghamshire’s Alders Farm Fishery has divided opinion among anglers and venue owners alike for many years after it became famous for producing colossal match and pleasure weights that often eclipsed the 500lb barrier.

But in order to address a decline in ticket sales, match attendances and criticism regarding stocking levels, the new owners of the complex decided to make radical changes in order to bring catches down to a ‘sensible and sustainable level’ .

The removal of huge numbers of carp and silver fish from the trio of waters has not only been hailed a huge success among venue regulars, but countless newcomers to the complex are also recording personal best catches on a daily basis.

Venue manager Trevor Price has been shocked at the instant transformation of the fishery and he told Angling Times: “The experts told us that we previously had so many fish that we were on the verge of a catastrophe that could have wiped the fishery out completely.”

“We have reduced the biomass of each lake by thousands of pounds and it’s really turned things around with lots of new faces showing up at the fishery and really enjoying the ‘new’ Alders Farm.”

“The days of catching 500lb at the venue are gone forever and I thoroughly believe that other fisheries could benefit from similar destocking action,” he added.

Staff at Mainstream Fisheries in Lincolnshire conducted the fish removal project and boss Carl Francis is confident the move will help the complex flourish for years to come.

“Many fisheries will suffer a dip in form and will instantly stock more fish to resolve it but this is often the complete opposite of what they should be doing,” he said.

“Alders Farm had an extremely high stocking level and removing some of those fish will promote better growth rates and better quality sport for their customers.”

For more information about the fishery call: 01525 261713 or visit: www.aldersfarm.com

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Huge carp hauls expected soon at Lands End Fishery

Known for producing summer match nets in excess of 300lb, Lands End Fishery in Somerset has proved that it’s got what it takes to be the very best – and with temperatures now on the up, it won’t be long until match weights will once again reach dizzying heights. So what makes this fishery so good? Not only is each lake stocked with a large number of quality, mixed species, but every peg offers a diverse range of features to test your angling skills.

Tadham Lake (16 pegs)
If you’re a specimen hunter then this is the lake for you. It’s stocked with carp to 26lb, grass carp to 17lb, tench and bream to 6lb and a large number of brown goldfish to 4lb as well. The central island is easily reachable with the feeder or pole and this is exactly where you want to target. Corn and pellet will catch nearly everything in here.

Tealham Lake (24 pegs)
The six-hour match record here is an astonishing 351lbs 10oz, making it the go-to water for many matchmen who visit. The two bar-shaped islands and surrounding trees and bushes provided excellent cover for the resident fish, which are mostly made up of carp, tench and bream. Big perch to 4lb also live here and can be caught down the edge or in the gap between the two islands on worm or prawn hookbaits.

John Walter Lake (30 pegs)
An open plan water with three central islands and a host of bays to target. The pole fished shallow with pellet or caster is a firm tactic for roach, rudd and the odd goldfish with many anglers preferring to target the carp from the islands with a pellet feeder. The corner pegs are often high-flyers as well thanks to their access to the side mud-banks and open water.

Sidney’s Lake (24 pegs)
This is the newest water on the complex at Lands End which mirrors the same layout as the John Walter Lake. It’s stocking of carp to 7lbs, perch to 3lbs, roach, rudd and skimmer bream makes it a favourite with novice and pleasure anglers who are looking for a relaxed session. The islands are worth a shot with the feeder or waggler with maggots, with a switch to corn preferable for the carp.

Prices: £7 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: 07977 545882 or visit the new website at www.landsendsomerset.co.uk
Location: Lands End Fishery, Heath House, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4UQ
Rules: Fishing dawn to dusk, barbless Hooks only, no Keepnets permitted, no method feeders, all rigs must be free-running with a minimum hooklength of 12 inches, no cat/dog meat, no bread, no floating baits, no nuts or beans, only coarse/carp pellets to be used for feed.
Facilities: Parking, Toilets, disabled access, tackle shop, refreshments

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Wombwell Dam Fisheries in top form for skimmers

With the rivers closed to angling those of you who still want to fish a natural style venue for silverfish won’t go far wrong by paying a visit to Wombwell Dam Fisheries.

The venue is in fine form with skimmer nets to 50lb being enjoyed on the venue’s Big Pond.

This peaceful fishery, consists of two ponds situated inside Wombwell Woods near Barnsley offering some of the best day-ticket fishing in the area. The smaller top pond contains a lower quantity of big fish, but it is a great place for bream, roach and carp.

The huge nets of silverfish on the Bog Pond are being made up of skimmers averaging 1-2lb along with roach touching 1lb, so expect plenty of bites. The feeder, pole and waggler can all be employed with the pegs in the narrower area away from the dam proving to be the hotspots. For skimmers fish the pole at 13m and feed around 6 balls of groundbait, fishing pellet or maggot over the top on the deck. Recently anglers have also been feeding a chopped worm line short for the roach which often exceed 1lb in weight.

For specimen carpers there are plenty of double-figure fish in the larger pool and these tend to be found in the deeper water towards the dam end and are currently being caught on small 20mm boilies.

Prices: £5 a day (Bottom Lake) £4 a day (Top Lake) £3 for children
Contact: 07932 333276
Location: Woodhead Lane, Hoyland, Barnsley, S Yorks, S74 9SZ
Rules: Barbless only, no bread, no floating baits

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Catch from the margins at Buttonhole Lake

A mixed stocking policy is a ticket to guaranteed action throughout the year and Buttonhole Lake certainly subscribes to this policy.

The Cambridgeshire fishery faces intense competition from its local rivals but it is certainly holding its own, with specimen sized examples of various species.

Roach to almost 2lb, bream up to 8lb and barbel over the 9lb mark are all plentiful, with the biggest carp in the venue weighing in at just under 20lb.

Half of the pegs have an island to fish towards, with the rest situated in open water. A big net of silverfish can be taken from almost any swim on maggot or caster presented at half depth, although pegs 4, 9 and 18-21 are renowned for the bigger fish.

Pole fishing works well with pellet and corn for the lumps, switching to the straight lead with flavoured meat or a big 8mm pellet if the fish are sat in the middle of the open water.

There’s rarely a dull day at Buttonhole and the rising temperatures have given sport an even bigger boost.

Prices: £6 a day
Contact: Call Richard on 01945 430629.
Location: Buttonhole Lake, Rands Drove, Marshland St James, Wisbech, Cambs, PE14 8EY
Facilities: Parking and toilets
Rules: No boilies or keepnets, barbless hooks only

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Start spring at Barnburgh Lakes

If cold weather has hampered your fishing trip recently then look no further than Barnburgh Lakes in Doncaster where anglers are filling their boots. Built up over three waters, the fishery specialises in stocking winter species such as ide, barbel, roach and bream as well as varieties of carp to help keep your rod bent this weekend. With parking directly next to your peg, what more can you ask for? Here’s a breakdown of the lakes: 
   
LAKE ONE (32 pegs)
Also known as the Top Lake, this water has a ‘triangle’ shaped island at its base around 14m out -   making it an ideal candidate for pole and feeder enthusiasts. Expect to catch barbel, ide, roach and F1s steadily and the odd bonus tench, skimmer and carp, which go to 20lbs. Casting a feeder to the island with the fisheries own pellets often works well, with fishing down the track at 8m also a good alternative.
 
LAKE TWO (23 pegs)
A popular water in the colder months as this middle lake is only stocked with silverfish. Maggot and caster shallow work well for the roach although matchmen prefer to fish on the deck at 5m where the side bank slopes off. Again, the fisheries own pellets work well as all lakes are regularly fed with them so it’s worth picking some up from the onsite bait shop. Hair-rigged chopped worm also works well in the middle of the lake for barbel and bream where the water is much deeper.

LAKE THREE (25 pegs)
This water is located at the bottom end of the fishery and like Lake One also has a central island at around 14m out. This structure is key for many anglers who fish the lake as it slopes off to around 4ft deep in places.  Pole, waggler or feeder in conjunction with pellets will all do well here, with a number of big F1s regularly taken down the edge in warmer weather to boot. Match nets will include mostly F1s with commons, mirrors and silvers to add.

Prices: £5 a day, £4 concessions
Contact: 07752 528 086 or visit www.barnburghlakes.co.uk
Location: Barnburgh Lakes, Ludwell Hill, Barnburgh, Doncaster, DN5 7EE
Rules: Barbless hooks only, max size 14, Barnburgh feed pellets only, BAIT BANS - No boillies, trout pellets, cat or dog meat, nuts, No floating poles or floating baits (including bread) a float must be used, Ground bait only in cup or feeder, Free running feeders only - no method feeders or bagging wagglers.
Facilities: Toilets, on-site bait shop, disabled access, waterside parking.

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Bag up on roach at Mill Farm Fishery

Deep gravel pits are usually the haunt of specimen pike and carp anglers but there is one in the Midlands where vast shoals of giant roach have been dominating recent headlines and keeping match and pleasure anglers happy all through the winter.

Mill Farm Fishery in Gilmorton near Lutterworth, started life in the 1950s as an old sand and gravel quarry that filled up with water when a spring was disturbed on the bottom. The banks were then set with vegetation and before long it was claimed by the angling community. In time, the lake became known for its big carp but over the years the baits left by those in search of them became the staple diet of the pool’s silverfish and the roach population has boomed.

Today, these redfins are seen as a nuisance to the venues visiting carpers but to the matchman they have become the area’s best kept secret. Middy backed Joe Oakes is a regular at the fishery and reckons there are few others like it in the country.

“I love fishing this venue as the roach fishing is immense. They aren’t small either - you rarely catch anything under 4oz and it’s also the most versatile place I know. You can fish any method here and bag up, although I like to use a pole,” he said.

Being an old quarry, the depth of this venue (14-15ft on average) can put a lot of anglers off but places like this are simple to fish if you just follow a few basic guidelines, says Joe.
“Before fishing, find a flat, weed-free area with a heavy plummet at around 11m out,” he said. “Using a pole will make presentation easier when fishing at this sort of depths. Just stick to the one rig though as you’ll need another top-five kit if you wish to fish a second one.”

In winter Joe likes his bait positioned on the bottom as this is where the bigger roach sit when it’s cold, so heavier elastics and pole floats are a must.

“I fish the lake like you would a tidal river with a 2g pole float and an olivette bulk to get the bait down quickly and a slightly heavier elastic than on shallow commercials in order to set the hook better in the deeper water. As for the hook itself I use around a size 16-18 with caster or maggot as you don’t need to fish too small because the roach aren’t hook shy” he said.

Joe also likes to keep the feeding simple with groundbait his key ingredient in the deep water. “I start the session by cupping in half-a-dozen balls of fairly dark fluffy groundbait laced with casters and only top it up once bites start dwindling. The fish will tell you when to feed – it’s really that easy here,” he said.

If you enjoy fishing in this style the rewards are well worthwhile as with few predators and even fewer anglers the Main Lake’s roach shoals are easy pickings for those few who target them.

Most swims will provide at least 20lb on a good day and with a relaxed keepnet rule you’ll even be able to view your catch at the end of your session. Once the water starts to warm the carp will also feed and that’s when anglers target them with tactics such as pellet wagglers or Method feeders. Most average over 10lb with the odd lump to 20lb but the roach are still there and can be caught fishing shallow with casters or small pellets.

The fishery also has a 35-peg match lake which also fishes well for carp in summer and supplemented by a hefty amount of skimmers which make for a good day’s sport themselves.

Prices: £7 one rod, £10 for two; 10-15s £3 per rod on the bank.
Contact: 07802 655650, www.mill-farm-fishery.co.uk
Location: Mill Farm, Peatling Parva Road, Lutterworth, LE17 5NR
Rules: No night fishing, barbless only, groundbait by cup or feeder only, no peas, beans, nuts or tiger nuts
Facilities: Disabled access, toilets

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Risby Park stocked to perfection

There aren’t many commercials that are steeped in history but the story of Risby Park started over 250 years ago.

It was way back in the 1760s that the colourfully named Eaton Mainwaring Ellerker owned the picturesque East Yorkshire site and, as was the custom then, created a huge lake in the grounds of the estate.

Apparently, the water was initially 1.5 miles long, with a grand building erected on the banks of it to give visitors and anglers a stunning view of the site.

Fast forward to today and a lot has changed but the current owners have worked hard to maintain the charm put in place over two-and-a-half centuries ago.

The big lake that was first created has now been split in to four, with the ruins of the historic building still standing proud next to Folly Lake.

Gillen Springs, The Gorse and Orchard Pond complete the quartet, each of them sat deep in the middle of a tree-lined valley. Wildlife is also abundant, with waterfowl, birds and deer calling the spot home.

But all that aside, it’s the quality of fishing that is ultimately going to decide whether you pay it a visit and the complex definitely delivers on that front.

Fully aware that the modern angler craves more than just carp, bosses have committed to a mixed stocking policy, with big roach and perch, chunky crucians, fin-perfect tench and large slabs all thrown in to the mix.

Add to that a café that serves a range of delicious treats and ample parking and you’ll struggle to find a reason not to give Risby Park a bash.

Two anglers to have fallen for its charm are matchmen Harry Bignall and Scott Rispin. Most people have their favourite lake that they fish almost religiously but when I contacted the duo to see what all the fuss was about, there was a big discussion over which water we would use to display the venue.

“I’ve fished all four lakes and they all offer great fishing. The beauty of it is that they all provide something different,” explained Harry.

“Gillen Springs is home to lots of big carp, Orchard Pond is good for a mixed bag and Folly can be brilliant for tench, skimmers and crucians at the right time of year. But today we fancy a crack at The Gorse.”

This lake is locally known as the Tench Pond and although there is a good head of that species, it is the big roach and perch that would prove more reliable feeders on the dire winter day we visited.

Although the trees were bare and the reeds had a wintery yellow tinge, it was clear that once Spring arrived the whole place would be awash with colour.

“It may be raining heavily today and blowing a gale but that won’t put the fish off – action is guaranteed,” explained Scott, as he rigged up a waggler.

On the other hand, Bag’em Matchbaits-backed Harry had decided to fish the pole at 6m and 12m, feeding casters regularly over both spots. With the wind making presentation almost impossible on the long line, it was the backup swim that was more fruitful, producing over 20lb of big roach, quality perch and the odd tench during the four hours of action.

The result was no different for Scott who presented the waggler both on the deck and shallow to keep the silvers coming throughout the session.

If Eaton Mainwaring Ellerker is looking down on his creation now, there’s no doubt he’d be proud that the breathtaking spectacle he once built up is proving such a hit with the angling community.

Prices: Adults £6, concessions £4
Location: Risby Park, Dunflat Road, Risby, nr Beverley, East Yorks, HU17 8SS
Rules: Keepnets can be used for up to six hours, barbless hooks only, no radios
Contact: Call Anthony on 07860 255981 or visit www.risby-park.co.uk
Facilities: Café, toilets, parking

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