Weston Pools, Oswestry, Shropshire
Claypit is one of the UK’s deepest commercial lakes, going down to over 40ft in places. The water is crystal clear year-round, allowing you to see fish moving around well below the surface at times. Pellets and maggots on the short pole score well for carp and big F1s, with maggots over groundbait a winner in the deeper water on the long pole for roach and skimmers.
Contact: 01691 671812 or www.westonpoolsvillage.co.uk
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Star Carr Lakes, Driffield, East Yorks
Up there with the best bream fishing waters in the land, you could catch more than 100lb of them if you get your tactics right. The Gravel Pit has depths down to 23ft, and a Method feeder moulded with micros and a bright wafter or mini boilie hookbait will help you locate plenty of slabs in the 2lb-6lb bracket.
Contact: 07912 677302
Whitmore Fisheries, Preston, Lancs
This giant complex is home to a host of species, but arguably the most unusual of the lot are the sturgeon. Huge fish to over 40lb are in Basin, and they’re frequently caught – match angler Harry Campbell recently landed a 35lb fish on the pole! Try big, heavily-flavoured pellets, using straight lead tactics.
Contact: 01253 836224 or www.whitmorefisheries.co.uk
Fachwen Pool, Newtown, Powys
A deep and clear stillwater located in a stunning area of Wales. It can be a real challenge, but get a bite and a big fish is going to be attached! Fish a Method feeder or long pole and one bite could produce a 7lb bream, the next a 20lb carp that has only been caught a handful of times before, if at all.
Contact: 01686 624044
Lake Windermere, WIndermere, Cumbria
England’s biggest lake, Windermere has a perimeter of over 30 miles, and it’s more than 11 miles from one end to the other! It is home to huge shoals of bream, and 100lb -plus hauls are easily possible if you can locate them. Prebaiting 30m-40m out for a day or two before your session with lots of groundbait and particles is the key, and cage or window feeder tactics are the best choices when it comes to the actual fishing.
Contact: 01539 724867
YOU WILL NEED TO BAIT UP BEFORE FISHING WINDERMERE, CHECK OUT THE BEST BAIT UP RODS.
Gallions Lake, London
Situated just a few miles from Big Ben and the London Eye, this inner-city lake is packed with bream. Rely on either a cage or Method feeder moulded with a blend of micros and groundbait, cast it to the middle of the lake, and you’ll find fish in the 3lb-7lb bracket. A good session could see you bank at least a dozen bream.
Contact: 07398 509965
White Spring Fisheries, Swansea, South wales
The Specimen Pool is renowned for its big carp, but is also one of Wales’ best-kept secrets on the silverfish front. One day you can catch 30lb of big roach on casters over groundbait, and the next could end with half-a-dozen perch over the 2lb mark falling to chopped worm and casters.
Contact: 01792 885699 or www.whitespringsfishery.co.uk
Thorney Lakes, langport, Somerset
If you want all the convenience of a commercial while fishing a venue that has all the hallmarks of a traditional estate lake, then this place has to be high on your wish list. Lily pads are dotted around the lake, with towering trees surrounding the perimeter. Soft pellet or maggot hookbaits over micros will produce skimmers, tench, crucians and even the odd bonus carp.
Contact: 01458 250811 or www.thorneylakes.co.uk
Cross Drove Fishery, Hockwold, Norfolk
This lake has a very different design, weaving and snaking off in various directions to create dozens of small bays that are packed with features. Everything here grows big, with catfish to over 50lb for specimen anglers and giant F1s that nudge double figures for those who prefer float and feeder tactics. It’s due to reopen from its annual shutdown on March 1.
Contact: 07775 732982 or www.crossdrovefishery.co.uk
Clumber Park, Worksop, Notts
This lake can quite be a tough nut to crack at times, but its rewards are sensational, with bream to over 12lb and tench nudging double figures. It comes into its own in spring as the water temperatures creep up. Feeder tactics often dominate, but time it right and you can even catch these giants on the pole in certain parts of the lake.
Contact: 07764 195993
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Alvechurch Fisheries, Birmingham, West Midlands
Very few day-ticket waters are home to 3lb roach, but House Pool holds at least one that took the dial on the scales over that magical weight, having turned up during a netting operation last year! Half-a-dozen other 2lb-plus fish and plenty from 1lb-2lb will give lots of chances at a personal best. Incorporating pellets into your attack can work well.
Contact: 07944 191915
Anglers Paradise, Beaworthy, Devon
Variety is certainly the name of the game at this venue! Top General Lake is home to many colourful species, and it’s impossible to guess what you’ll catch next. Golden, blue and green tench, koi and grass carp and orfe all play a part, and you can get among all of these with pellets or corn on either float or feeder tactics.
Contact: 01409 221559 or www.anglers-paradise.co.uk
Harescombe Fisheries, Cheltenham, Gloucestershre
All the carp have recently been removed from Pasture Lake and replaced with big tench that run from 2lb to around 7lb. It’s early days, but short pole tactics with worms, maggots or corn on the hook are likely to work well, with the margins also a good bet in mild conditions, especially early and late in the day.
Contact: 7966 520004 or harescombefisheries.co.uk
Billingford Lakes, East Dereham, Norfolk
These stunning gravel pits used to be fished by the late John Wilson, and one of them is even named after the legendary figure. Basil Todd Lake is the best bet for a day on the float or feeder, with roach, skimmers and tench dominating. Billingford and Great Lake both have carp to well over 30lb, and bright boilie hookbaits alongside PVA bags of freebies are likely to put them on the bank.
Contact: 01362 788111 or www.billingfordlakes.co.uk/fishing/
GETTING STARTED IN CARP FISHING, OUR BEGINNERS GUIDE WILL GET YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
